Chapter 169 Majestic

Chapter 169 Majestic
The Woman

The heat was fucking unbearable.

I lay on the thin mattress, staring at the ceiling while sweat trickled down the side of my face. The light had been off for hours. Of course it had.

Everything about this place was disgusting. The stale air, the damp walls, the horrible smell that seemed to cling to everything and the fucking bugs. Yesterday, I had woken up to one crawling across my arm.

I nearly screamed.

Me.

In a place like this.

I sat up abruptly and brushed my hands over my arms as though I could still feel it crawling across my skin.

“Oh, no.”

I dragged a hand through my hair.

“How long?”

How fucking long was I supposed to wait?

Every minute I remained in this cell felt like an insult. I wasn't supposed to be here.
People like me didn't wait in filthy cells, instead, people like me gave orders and watched other people scramble to carry them out. Yet here I was, sweating beneath a broken light and listening to rats…or whatever disgusting creatures lived inside these walls…move somewhere beyond the corridor.

My fingers curled against the mattress.
I had tolerated enough. My plans should have been in motion by now.

Everything should have been executed. Diya should be gone, Matt should be in their hands and Pete should be losing his mind. And I should have already been preparing to walk out of this place.

Instead, I was still here, sitting in this disgusting cell like some common criminal.

I clenched my jaw.

Everything had been planned carefully. The phone, the hospital, the distraction, the men, the car….Every single detail.

I had thought of everything.

There was no way this could fail.

No way.

I'd spent days thinking through every possible weakness, every possible mistake and every person who could interfere. Pete was predictable when it came to his family. Diya was predictable when it came to Matt. And Steve's loyalty had made the rest almost embarrassingly easy. People always believed the people closest to them were the safest.
That was their first mistake.

A small smile tugged at my lips.

Soon, I would walk out of this place. And when I did, I would do it with my head held high….Majestically. The way I always had.

And Pete?He would finally understand what happened when he crossed the wrong person.

I almost laughed at the thought. But my smile disappeared as quickly as it came.

Where the hell was he? He should have been here already. He was supposed to bring me an update.

I glanced toward the cell door.

“Where are you?”

I hated waiting, especially when I was waiting for someone who worked for me.

I had given him one simple task….Keep me informed. Was that too much to ask?

Apparently.

I leaned my head against the wall and closed my eyes. I had been too careful for this plan to fail. Everything had fallen into place exactly as I'd intended….Even Steve's phone.

I had almost admired the simplicity of it.
No forged identity, no complicated story and no unnecessary risk. Just a familiar voice calling at the right moment, and once Diya believed the call came from someone she trusted, everything else had been easy. Trust was such a beautiful weakness.

That had been particularly clever.

Nobody would suspect a thing. Why would Diya question a call from a man she trusted? Why would she think twice about leaving the room when she believed Steve was waiting outside with something for her son?

She wouldn't…And she didn't.

I smiled again.

Sometimes, people were so predictable.

I glanced toward the narrow window in the cell door.

Nothing.

My patience was beginning to turn into irritation. If he had failed me, I would make sure he regretted wasting my time.
Anyways…He knew better than to keep me waiting.

A sharp tapping sound pulled me from my thoughts.

Tap.

Tap.

I opened my eyes and a police officer stood outside my cell.

“You have a visitor.”

Finally.

I sat up and a smile slowly spread across my face.

“It’s about time.”

The officer unlocked the door and motioned for me to follow him. I walked behind him through the prison corridor, my heels clicking against the floor.I hated every second of being here, but I wouldn't be here much longer.

The visitor's room came into view and the officer opened the door. I stepped inside and there he was.

I stopped and my eyes traveled slowly over him.

First, his hair.

Red.

So fucking red.

Almost the color of that disgusting wine I'd once been forced to drink at a dinner I had no desire to attend.

Why would any man willingly have hair that color?

Then my eyes moved to his moustache.

Thick, ugly and ridiculous. It sat above his lip as though it had a personal grudge against his face.

And he had gotten fatter…Much fatter.

I resisted the urge to sigh.

Then he stood. Or tried to, but his stupid limp made the simple movement look like some sort of painful performance.

I stared at him.

Honestly, how had I ever allowed this man to touch me?

The answer was simple; I hadn't wanted him…I'd wanted what came with him.

Then I remembered.

Power…That was why.

He had something I needed. His position, his influence, his access and he had been useful. That was all.

And once I no longer needed him, he would be discarded.

Simple.

But for now, I needed him and so I smiled.

“Hello, beautiful.”

I didn't answer. I simply walked past him and sat down.

My eyes never left him.

“What took you so long?”

He smiled nervously.

“I’m sorry.”

I raised an eyebrow.

“Do you know how long I've been waiting?”

“I had a lot to take care of.”

“A lot?”

I leaned back in the chair.

“Do you think I enjoy sitting in this hellhole?”

His expression tightened.

“No, my queen.”

I almost rolled my eyes.

“Do you think this place suits me?”

I gestured around the room.

“Or my position?”

“Of course not.”

“Then why did you keep me waiting?”

“I didn't mean to.”

He stepped closer.

“I would never deliberately keep you waiting.”

I stared at him.

He was lying.

Or maybe he genuinely believed that pathetic apology was enough. Either way, I didn't care.

“I didn't want to fail you.”

He smiled.

“My queen.”

There it was again.

That stupid name.

I wanted to slap him.

Instead, I smiled. Because I knew exactly how to handle men like him.

I leaned forward slowly. Then I reached for his hand. His eyes widened slightly when I guided it toward my breast.

There…That expression.

His mouth almost fell open.

I had to bite the inside of my cheek to keep from laughing.

Look at him.

He was practically drooling.

Men like Richard were easy to control once you knew what they wanted. Give them a smile, lower your voice and touch them just enough to make them believe they were special. And suddenly, they would hand you the world and thank you for taking it.

And this was the man who called himself an Alpha?

Pathetic.

I held his gaze and flashed him my most seductive smile.

“So, Alpha Richard…”

I watched his face carefully.

“Tell me something.”

His smile faded slightly.

“What?”

“Did anyone suspect anything?”

He shook his head.

“No.”

“The council?”

“Nothing.”

“Pete?”

Richard smiled.

“He's exactly where you wanted him.”

Something warm and satisfied curled inside my chest.

“And the hospital?”

“The men have done exactly what they were supposed to do.”

I leaned closer.

“So, when am I leaving this hellhole?”

His eyes remained fixed on my breast for a moment. Then he finally looked into my eyes.

“Very soon, my love.”

His voice was almost a whisper.

“Very soon.”

I smiled.

Finally. The answer I'd been waiting for.

I squeezed his hand lightly.

“Good.”

He smiled back.

“Everything is going according to plan.”

I tilted my head.

“Everything?”

“Everything.”

He leaned closer.

“The men have done exactly what they were supposed to do.”

My smile widened.

“And the boy?”

“Safe.”

“And Diya?”

His smile deepened.

“Safe.”

I studied him carefully.

“You're certain?”

“Yes.”

“No injuries?”

“None that matter.”

My fingers relaxed.

Good. I needed them alive.
At least for now.

I leaned back in my chair and for the first time since I'd been thrown into this miserable place, I felt completely at ease.

Soon, the doors would open.

Soon, I would walk out.

Soon, everyone who had underestimated me would regret it.

Richard reached across the table and squeezed my hand.

“Very soon, Luna Maris.”