Chapter 141
Chapter 141
Valencia’s POV
Sir Joseph nodded grimly. “Not just me. Lethia’s drink had been spiked too.”
Dante’s expression darkened. “You suspect it was Tatiana?”
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Joseph exhaled sharply, his fingers tapping against the polished wood of the table. “Not just suspect. I know it was her. Later the next day, when Raiden ordered a guard to investigate quietly, they found the bottle of elixir hidden in her quarters.” He paused, his gaze shifting slightly. “But the matter was never made public. The Steele Pack Alpha, your grandfather, didn’t want to disrespect the Nightwalker Pack’s Omega, especially since he was pushing for an alliance through marriage. He had been urging Raiden to marry Tatiana.”
I narrowed my eyes, something about the whole situation making my skin prickle. “Why Lethia? According to you, it was Tatiana who was interested in Raiden, right? So why didn’t she drink it herself?”
Joseph tilted his head slightly, considering his words carefully. “She had realized Raiden hadn’t touched his drink and panicked. She must have switched glasses at the last moment. This was something she had confessed herself when the elixir was found.”
I scoffed internally. If this had been anyone else, that might have made sense, but something didn’t sit right. Tatiana had been smart, calculating even–would she really have made such a sloppy move? Not to mention confessing it so easily? If she really liked Raiden wouldn’t this have annihilated her chances to get close with him? Raiden would completely lose respect for her.
I crossed my arms. “So what you’re saying is that Lethia never actually cheated. This was assault. Since both of you were intoxicated.”
My voice came out colder than I expected. My image of Lethia shifted in an instant, morphing from a woman I had resented for years into someone who had been a victim of circumstances. However, I wasn’t Mary Sue, this wouldn’t excuse her behaviour with me and would definitely not make me feel sorry for her.
Joseph nodded solemnly. “The elixir didn’t take effect until late that night. By the time it fully hit, we were both already impaired. We… ran into each other.” His jaw tensed slightly. “In the morning, it was Tatiana who found us first. And the blame immediately fell on me.”
I clenched my fists under the table. Of course it had. A prominent lady and a freed slave caught in such a scandal? There was only one way people would spin that story. They must have assumed it was some form of revenge, that he had taken advantage of her out of spite.
Dante’s voice cut through my thoughts. “How did you walk free, then?”
Joseph shook his head. “Raiden had his suspicions and ordered me to investigate. Eventually, the truth was known within the family. But as I said, the whole ordeal was buried. It was in everyone’s best interest to pretend it had never happened.” His lips pressed into a thin line. “As for the Bellwoods, they were devastated. They arranged Lethia’s marriage to Drogo almost immediately. What was supposed to happen two years later was rushed into a month.”
I sucked in a sharp breath. “Fa–Alpha Drogo…. he wasn’t aware of the assault?”
Joseph shook his head. “No. As far as he knew, Lethia was a virgin.” His fingers curled against the table, his voice quieter now. “In fact, no one even knew Aiden was my son until years later. When I visited the Wolfe pack at Armani’s wedding, alongside Raiden and Aurora.”
Dante nodded, an assessing expression on his face. “You confronted Lethia privately about Aiden because of his similarities with you, and Drogo found out.”
Joseph exhaled sharply, his posture stiffening. “Yes, I wasn’t aware that Aiden was my son before then. That’s when Drogo banned me from stepping foot in Wolfe territory again.”
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11:30 Wed, 26 Feb
Chapter 141
The room fell silent, tension thick in the air.
I processed everything he had just told us, replaying the events in my mind. What was Aiden trying to tell us? If he already knew Sir Joseph was his father and that Tatiana had done whatever he did… then why bring this up now?
I chewed my bottom lip, my mind racing.
Tatiana had orchestrated the whole mess. According to them.
And as much as I hated to admit it… Maybe I had been wrong about her.
If everything Sir Joseph said was true, then she had single–handedly destroyed four innocent lives–Joseph, Lethia, Drogo, and Aiden. And in a way, the ripple effect of her actions had devastated the Steele Pack later on as well.
Wait.
A sickening thought formed in my mind.
“How did Tatiana actually die?” My voice was quiet, but the question hung heavy in the air. “According to what Alpha Roman told everyone, it was a heart attack.”
Dante scoffed, a bitter smile tugging at his lips. “Of course, a man like Roman would say that. Why would he ever admit his Luna committed suicide?”
I froze. My heartbeat slammed against my ribs.
“She… killed herself?” My voice wavered despite myself.
Joseph nodded grimly. “Because she died the same way our Luna did.”
A chill ran down my spine.
“By poison.“.
I inhaled sharply. “Snowmist?”
Joseph shook his head. “She was too weak for something like that. It was a different poison. A more common one–but one that affected the mind in a similar way.” His expression darkened. “But it was stronger. Ten times more intense than what our Luna suffered. She couldn’t handle it for years like our Luna did. Within a month, she broke.”
My chest tightened. I remembered the timeline. Tatiana had spent her last three weeks in complete seclusion before Roman announced she was ‘ill.’
I swallowed hard, my hands trembling. “H–how did you do it? How did no one find out?”
Dante’s hand covered mine, grounding me. He frowned slightly, as if he could feel my fear. “The same way we didn’t find out about Mom.”
My breath hitched.
“We had someone close to her do it.”
I stared at him, my mind spinning. “That simple?” I asked, skeptical.
Joseph shrugged. “Sometimes, it really is that simple. Money makes the world go round. Tatiana’s personal maid, Lily, was the one who carried it out.” He paused. “After her job was done, we let her go.”
I frowned.
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11:30 Wed, 26 Feb 0
Chapter 141
Something was off.
The name Lily rattled in my mind, like a half–formed memory waiting to click into place.
Then realization slammed into me, my pulse spiking.
I snapped my gaze up. “Lily? Lilliana?”
Dante’s brows furrowed. “Yes, Lilliana Kay.”
My blood ran cold.
No wonder she had vanished so suddenly.
“Lilliana Kay wasn’t just her maid,” I murmured, my thoughts racing. “She was her friend. Tatiana’s confidant.”
Joseph didn’t look surprised. “We are aware,” he said simply. “That’s why we chose her.”
My stomach churned. My instincts screamed that we were still missing a piece of the puzzle.
I bit my lip, struggling to push the words out.
“Did you know,” I asked slowly, my voice barely above a whisper, “that she was previously Lethia’s maid?”
The room went completely still.
AD
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