Chapter 157

Lucian

“Let us investigate Martha. Maybe she has accounts under a different name where she stored all that money,” I said, and Darian shook his head almost immediately.

“I asked her for money the day you told me about the blackmail, and she honestly had none. She didn’t even try to make excuses. Just said she was broke,” he explained, but the sincerity in his voice didn’t change my conviction.

“All the more reason to dig, Darian. Alaric Moongrove doesn’t exist-at least not the way she described him. So there has to be another reason. Whatever it is, it must be big enough for her to jeopardise her status as Luna and yours as a legitimate heir just to cover it up.” I said, and Darian’s shoulders slumped slightly as he processed my words.

Martha was too calculated to risk everything for a harmless lie. No, this wasn’t just deception-it was protection. Of who or what, we didn’t know yet. But I was certain now that she wasn’t shielding herself.

“Very well,” Denis said with a nod. “We’ll launch a formal investigation on the former Luna. Since Alpha Vander is stepping down, it opens the door for us to conduct the investigation thoroughly. We won’t have to tiptoe around laws or invoke immunity. Once she’s no longer Luna, she’s fair game.”

We fell silent for a moment. The air between us grew heavier, and I knew the final topic was coming. Denis seemed hesitant, carefully stringing his thoughts together. I understood. This wasn’t about Martha. This was about my mother. Denis finally spoke. “Lucian… we’ve begun investigating your mother’s death. And we found something disturbing.”