Chapter 381 The Chosen Luna

Cecilia’s pov

I was curled up in a massive library on the third floor, a book in my hands that I’d been staring at for what felt like hours. Not a single word had registered in my brain.

Beside me, Harper was out cold, the book she’d been pretending to read now serving as an impromptu pillow.

Tang dropped off our books, then settled on the library ladder playing some game on his phone.

Only Sawyer maintained any semblance of productivity, his laptop balanced on his knees as he continued working.

“Cecilia,”Sawyer’s voice broke through my distraction, “if you can’t focus, perhaps you’d like some work to distract you ?”The offer came with barely concealed desperation wrapped up as casual suggestion.

I couldn’t help but smile as I set my book aside. “Sure, pass me some.”

He gratefully handed over both his laptop and tablet before collapsing into the sofa cushions with dramatic exhaustion.

“I’m sorry,”I said, genuinely feeling guilty. “You’ve been stuck doing double duty because of me.”

Sawyer waved dismissively. “Don’t worry about it. You’ve got… special circumstances. Besides, I’m not handling it alone. Alpha Sebastian has been covering most of your workload.”

I paused, fingers hovering over the laptop keyboard. The mention of Sebastian covering my workload sparked something in me, but it wasn’t guilt. More like irritation.

“His responsibility,”I said, letting the edge creep into my voice. “This whole situation exists because of choices he made. The least he can do is handle some extra paperwork.”

Author’s pov

Meanwhile, in the first-floor garden, Alpha Sebastian was briefing Philip, Mabel, and Scarlett about the events of the past few days. He explained everything from the missing butler to Daisy’s unusual behavior.

“The situation with Daisy is complicated,”Alpha Sebastian concluded grimly. “You should prepare yourselves for the possibility that she may not be coming back.”

Mabel and Scarlett sat frozen in shock.

Philip, who’d run the family business for decades before stepping down, had weathered enough storms that even this shocking news couldn’t completely throw him off balance. His expression turned grave, but his mind remained clear and analytical.

“So the butler’s disappearance is connected to Daisy,”he observed. “Tell us what’s happened to her. We can handle it.”

Alpha Sebastian leaned forward and lowered his voice. “Her family is in serious trouble.”

“About a year ago, her father got in deep with gambling debts, and her brother got involved with prostitution and drugs. She’s been desperately trying to fix these family problems. When people get backed into a corner, they often make poor choices and get mixed up with the wrong crowd. That’s what directly led to her disappearance.”

He wasn’t making things up, but he deliberately omitted certain details that would be too shocking for them to handle and wouldn’t change anything anyway. They were elderly and shouldn’t be subjected to unnecessary distress.

Even with his careful phrasing, Mabel was visibly shaken. “Daisy’s family had such serious problems ? Dear God !”

Scarlett looked incredulous. “Her brother was always spoiled and wild, but drugs ? And… and prostitutes ? That can’t be right. There’s no way.”

Philip also had his doubts. “Her father, Owen Cole, has always been the steady type. Sure, he wasn’t the family success story, but he paid his bills and kept his head down. I’ve never heard a whisper about gambling from him.

And even if he did lose money, how much could he possibly lose that he couldn’t handle it himself ? Why would Daisy need to deal with this on her own ? Why wouldn’t she come to us for help ? I suspect there’s more to this than just money.”

“You’ve nailed it, Grandfather,”Alpha Sebastian replied. “Their family was deliberately targeted and framed. Whoever did this wasn’t after money they wanted control. Their methods were sophisticated, and Daisy had no choice but to follow their instructions.”

“Who ?”Scarlett demanded. “Who would want to harm their family ?

Philip shook his head. “Owen doesn’t have anything valuable enough to warrant such an elaborate scheme. This wasn’t aimed at them it was meant for us, the Lawsons.”

The color drained from Mabel’s face. She sat in silence for a long moment, then her expression hardened.

“Sebastian,”she said slowly, “this has Maggie Locke written all over it, doesn’t it ? The targeting, the systematic destruction… “She looked up sharply. “It was her, wasn’t it ?”

Alpha Sebastian’s jaw tightened, but he nodded.

“Damn it !”Mabel slammed her hand on the table. “I should have seen this coming. That woman never forgives, never forgets.”

The Lawson, Cole, and Locke families had been tangled up together for generations.

Mabel and Martha Locke had once been close friends, and Mabel’s daughter Regina had been Rebecca Cole’s best friend.

When everything fell apart years ago, both Mabel and Regina had walked away from Maggie Locke for good.

It looked like Maggie had held a grudge against the Lawson family ever since.

When it came to the Locke family, Mabel knew where all the bodies were buried.

The Locke family ruled the roost among the city’s elite. While the Lawson and Cole families had money, they couldn’t come close to the Lockes’ influence.

Everyone wanted in with the Locke family, and marriage was the golden ticket.

Mabel had once played that game too. Before she caught on that Martha had set her sights on Rebecca Cole , she had been pushing Regina into Zane’s path every chance she got.

But then Regina caught the eye of Alpha Yardley, who came after her like a man on a mission and eventually charmed Mabel’s precious daughter right off her feet.

Next thing they knew, Regina was packing her bags for Denver.

After Regina settled down in Denver and tied the knot, Rebecca married into the Locke family that same year.

Talk about timing.