The Rejected Luna (Avery and Kaden) novel Chapter 202

**Between the Wings of Twilight Lies the Memory of You** by Liren Ava Roen
**Chapter 202**

Janice was relentless, her insistence on getting Steven to take another round of drinks almost comical. It was evident she was trying to loosen him up, perhaps a little too much. With a cheerful grin, she extended a glass towards me as well, but I met her offer with a firm shake of my head.

“I don’t drink,” I stated plainly, my voice steady and unwavering.

For a fleeting moment, I caught a flicker of disappointment cross her features, but she quickly masked it with a bright smile, swiftly swapping my glass for one filled with juice.

“Here, this is much better!” she chirped, her demeanor unchanged.

From my peripheral vision, I noticed my father’s disapproving gaze. He muttered under his breath, “It’s a celebration. Don’t put her on the spot.” His words hung in the air, a silent reprimand, urging me to ease the tension.

As I observed Janice’s peculiar behavior, I felt a wave of confusion wash over me. Just moments ago, I had confronted her about her manipulations, and Steven had publicly embarrassed her daughter. Yet, here she was, smiling and offering me drinks as if nothing had happened. What was her game?

Maintaining my composure, I picked up the glass of juice she had given me. “Let’s drink together,” I suggested, attempting to bridge the chasm of awkwardness between us.

Her smile remained unwavering as she accepted the glass. I mirrored her expression, raising the glass to my lips and downing the juice in one swift motion.

A subtle, victorious smirk crept onto Janice’s lips, a detail I would only come to recognize later.

Meanwhile, Steven, clearly feeling the effects of the alcohol, decided to retreat to my room a bit earlier than usual, seeking solace from the festivities.

Once I had satisfied my hunger and thirst, I made my way towards my room to retrieve something I had left behind. Just as I was about to step inside, a firm hand clamped down on my arm, causing me to halt abruptly. It was Janice again, her face contorted with an expression of guilt that seemed almost foreign to her.

“Zephyra, I know you harbor resentment towards me,” she began, her voice low and earnest. “The web of relationships between your mother, your father, and me is complicated, to say the least. But I ask you, as your aunt, have I ever truly been cruel to you?” Her eyes searched mine, pleading for understanding. “After your mother passed, I was the one who took care of you. Are you really going to keep shutting me out forever?”

Janice was a skilled performer, a true master of manipulation. She never overstepped her bounds, never let her words become too harsh, always adopting the role of the innocent victim. If I hadn’t experienced my own rebirth, if I hadn’t glimpsed the monster lurking beneath her facade, I might have been swayed by her act.

I met her gaze, a wry smile tugging at my lips. “If you have something to say, then say it. Digging up the past will only fuel my anger.”

Her expression hardened momentarily, but she pressed on, forcing the words out. “Antonia has a blind date tonight, but… after Mr. Lancaster scolded her, she cried all her makeup off and now she’s throwing a fit, refusing to go. We can’t just leave the guy hanging. So I’m begging you, can you go in, make an excuse, and send him on his way?”

A sharp, almost predatory smile crept onto my lips, a glint of steel shining in my eyes. “Alright. But what’s in it for me?”

My gaze drifted deliberately to the exquisite bracelet adorning her wrist, a lavish gift from my father.

VERIFYCAPTCHA_LABELVerify