Chapter 165

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165
Third Person’s POV
Madison’s confrontational tone sent the conference room into a brief silence.
Her pheromones, reeking of wolfsbane, disrupted the musk–filled air.
In Lycan Erasmus’s mind, his wolf growled, “How dare she.”
Madison’s wolf claws dug into the sofa armrest–she hadn’t anticipated the Lycan King’s overwhelming
aura.
All lower–ranking wolves in the hall dropped to one knee, their throats emitting involuntary whimpers. Even Priscilla’s musk pheromones were suppressed into thin lines.
Soon, Lycan Erasmus’s anger subsided, and the room returned to normal.
“Why would you accuse her without evidence? You claim she insulted you but can’t specify what was said. You refuse to confront her directly. How am I to judge her guilty?” Lycan Erasmus asked.
Madison snapped, “Trespassing on my estate and insulting a princess is disrespect enough!”
Lycan Erasmus smiled enigmatically. “Are you certain you want me to rule this way?”
“Of course…” Madison trailed off mid–sentence.
The silver wolf–head statue incident from the birthday party had just come to light. If she pushed for punishment based on “trespassing and insults,” the public would link it to the statue.
This would effectively admit to gifting the statue, sparking public outrage and affecting morale.
What would the Royal Elder Council and Alpha Bentley’s former subordinates think?
Madison finally understood why Adelaide had dared to break into her estate and shatter the statue.
The statue’s secret couldn’t be exposed.
Even if it were, she could deny it. But if she punished Adelaide for disrespect, public opinion would assume the statue’s existence, ruining her reputation.
Watching Madison’s expressions shift from anger to embarrassment to pallor, Priscilla felt a twisted satisfaction.
Madison, too, had her comeuppance!
Though Priscilla didn’t grasp all the implications, Madison’s sudden silence indicated she realized her approach was flawed.
Priscilla would later ask Clarissa but for now relished Madison’s frustration.
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Madison stormed out, finally realizing Adelaide’s audacity stemmed not just from Lance’s support but also from Lycan Clarissa and Lycan Erasmus’s backing.
No wonder she was so brazen!
After Madison left, Lycan Erasmus sighed, massaging his forehead. “It seems the rumors are true. Madison went too far.”
Clarissa’s face contorted with anger. “I could slap her! Her arrogance, malice, and selfishness have disgraced the royal family.”
“How furious Airella must have been,” Lycan Erasmus mused.
Clarissa’s eyes welled up. “Yes, yet she never uttered a word of grievance to me. I could have stood up for her.”
“Clarissa, don’t be disheartened. She’s gone now; let’s hope she rests in peace,” Lycan Erasmus said somberly.
He recalled Velda’s role in the Frostfang Pack Alpha family’s massacre–a truth that couldn’t be revealed. With Airella gone, how could she find peace?
But the truth could never surface.
It would remain a muddled secret. The Western Tribe wouldn’t mention it, and neither would they.
Beta Fabian was right–Alpha Bentley’s family had endured immense injustice.
With state affairs to attend to, Lycan Erasmus didn’t linger. Clarissa and Priscilla remained in the conference room.
Priscilla pondered–Madison had come to the palace determined to punish Adelaide. Priscilla had assumed Adelaide’s fate was sealed–arrogance always had a price.
But Madison left in a huff, neither punishing nor scolding Adelaide, as if swallowing a bitter defeat.
Priscilla mulled it over. Some pieces fell into place, others remained elusive.
Observing Clarissa, she asked, “Clarissa, why did Madison let Adelaide off so easily? Given her temper, she shouldn’t just let insults slide. I think Adelaide must have done those things; otherwise, Madison wouldn’t have been so furious.”
Clarissa glanced at her sharply. “Not getting it, huh? Use your brain–it’ll rust otherwise.”
Priscilla pouted. “You know I hate thinking. Even if I guess part of it, I can’t figure out the whole.”
“Drop the act. No more coyness,” Clarissa retorted. “Adelaide did trespass and insult her, as you guessed. Madison, in her initial rage, thought Adelaide had backing. But when Lycan Erasmus asked if she should rule based on that, Madison realized the connection to the birthday party scandal. Could she publicly accuse Adelaide of trespassing and insults now?”
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“Because of the silver wolf–head statue scandal!” Priscilla said.
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Clarissa continued, “That’s one reason. The other is that even if Adelaide were punished, as a first–time offender with military merits, she’d likely just receive a verbal reprimand. Madison’s authority would be shattered–no one would fear her then. So, understand now? Adelaide didn’t act recklessly. She knew exactly how to exploit Madison’s psychology.”
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