Rise of the Rejected Luna - Chapter 56

Chapter 56: _Surprises
(Warning: Mildly Graphic scene ahead)

When I got outside, my hands placed behind my back, I gazed up at the crescent moon in the night sky.

A few guards who stood outside greeted me with bows, but I responded to them casually as I brought out my phone.

“Lyra? Is everything set now?” I asked, glancing behind me just in time to see Phoebe stepping out of the mansion.

She clutched her dress with the grace of a princess, making it hard to believe that she used to be a maid.

“Yes, sir. You and the Luna can come here now.” Lyra said at the other end.

I nodded, a slight smile curling my lips as I hung up, placing my focus on Phoebe.

“Ready for your surprise, Mi Caliente?” I queried, the slight smile on my face still present.

Phoebe nodded hesitantly, her eyebrows arched with suspicion. “No offense, oh mighty Alpha. But, your behavior today seems… Out of character.”

Huh?

What sort of woman was this?

It seemed she noticed the change in my expression as she hurriedly tried clarifying. “I don’t mean that in a bad way. It’s just you seem happier than usual. And way nicer too.”

I couldn’t help but snigger when I heard her words, looking away from her and taking the lead, walking forward.

“What makes you think I’m ‘happy’, Phoebe? Are you suggesting that defending you is now synonymous with being ‘out of character’? Now that’s an interesting observation.”

I glanced back at her just in time to see her rolling her eyes. “That’s not what I’m saying at all, Kaene. I–”

“Come walk beside me,” I stated plainly. “I want to see your face when you utter such… Interesting observations.”

I reduced my walking pace slightly to give her the chance to catch up with me.

Eventually, she got to my right side and began walking at the same pace as me.

“As I was saying, I wasn’t saying it’s bad that you’re able to defend me.” She continued. “But… You’ve always been broody and arrogant. Heck, you even used to take your mother and Elsa’s side sometimes when they bullied me. So, what’s with the change now?”

Wow…

“You did not just call me ‘arrogant and broody’.” I shook my head, looking at her with disbelief.

As usual, this girl had guts.

“I was simply stating the truth.” She shrugged with an indifferent look, but I spotted a small smirk playing at the corner of her lips.

I decided to give her this victory as we continued walking through the night of the quiet estate.

Eventually, we got to our destination… One of the most quiet gardens in the estate.

Phoebe seemed to get uneasy as she glanced around. “Uh… What are we doing here?”

I simply smirked, walking further into the garden.

It was then that Phoebe’s mouth fell wide open at the sight before us.

The trees at a spot were decorated with colorful fairy lights and serene music playing all around the garden to set up a romantic ambiance.

Or, at least I hoped it set a romantic ambiance.

The setting looked too cheesy to me, but Negan was the one who advised me to set it up in the first place.

Anyway, Phoebe finally turned her gaze to me, blinking speechlessly. “This… This is too much, Kaene. What’s the occasion?”

I smiled, stretching out my hand and gesturing for her to take it.

She hesitantly did just that, looking at me warily as I made her face me.

“Last night, the Luna Ball didn’t go as planned because of some… Setbacks.” I blurted, looking into her eyes.

Her breathing increased as she blinked at me nervously, her gaze softening.

Anyway, I continued. “So, I decided to make it up to you tonight by setting up this little private Ball… Just for the two of us.”

My eyes gleamed with a hint of amusement as I pulled Phoebe closer, my hand on the small of her back.

Her eyes narrowed, as she spoke up with a low voice.

“You’re really going all out with this, aren’t you?” she muttered, a mix of curiosity and wariness in her tone. “I have to admit, I’m surprised. You didn’t exactly strike me as the romantic type.”

My smile grew wider, a scoff escaping my mouth. “I’m not, but I do appreciate the value of a well-timed gesture.”

Phoebe raised an eyebrow, her eyes never leaving my face. “Well, congrats. Now you just made it less romantic.”

My smile faltered for a moment, but I was able to recover quickly before she could notice.

Why did I suddenly take offense at her not seeing me as ‘romantic’?

We began dancing to the music but remained awkwardly silent.

At one point, we got under one of the decorated trees, where I made her sit on the bench.

She did just that, her eyes still looking up at me with suspicion. “I can’t believe I’m looking at the same man who told me our relationship will be filled with nothing but loveless nights of sex.”

Once again, my smile faltered at her words, but this time, I didn’t bother hiding it.

“I take it that my attempt at making up for last night is nothing short of a waste.” I shook my head, chuckling dryly.

Damning whatever happened next, I brought out my final gift for the night… A small jewelry box.

“Open it,” I said plainly, handing it over to her and sitting beside her.

Her fingers caressed the box hesitantly, as she gazed at me with even more wariness.

But I ignored her, staring up at the starry night sky.

Ugh, I was a fool for following Negan’s advice.

Eventually, Phoebe opened the box where a gorgeous necklace adorned all over with sparkling blue gemstones was.

“It was my mother’s…” I pointed out.

Phoebe’s expression darkened just then as she tried handing the necklace back to me. “I– I can’t take this, Kaene. What–”

Before she could complete her statement, I picked up the sound of leaves ruffling up in the tree we sat under.

Things didn’t end there as I felt a hot liquid drop on my nose, forcing me to touch it hesitantly.

Blood…

My brows knitted into a frown as I reacted quickly, grabbing her shoulder and dragging her away from the bench and onto the ground in front of us.

Barely a second later, a body dropped on the bench, limp and lifeless, with blood dripping out of its pores.