Chapter 77 077
LYKA
After running into Morgan in the hallway and confronting her about the rumors she had Zuri spread, I was left with a bitter taste in my mouth.
She hadn’t shown a single ounce of remorse.
Not even a flicker.
It was as if everything she had done... every lie, every manipulation... was nothing more than a game to her. Something trivial. Something entertaining.
I had met arrogant people before, but Morgan… she was something else entirely.
Her confidence wasn’t just bold.. it was dangerous.
Still, I couldn’t deny it.
She had her tricks.
And that made her even more unsettling.
I had warned her—clearly and without hesitation—to stay away from my people… and from Derrick. But instead of backing down or even pretending to care, she said something that made my entire body stiffen.
Something that didn’t sit right with me at all.
“So what if I messed with him, what are you going to do? His darkness belongs to me anyway,” she had said with an evil smirk playing on her lips.
The memory replayed vividly in my mind.
“What!” I had blurted out at the time, unable to hide my shock.
Even now, just thinking about it made my chest tighten.
What did she mean by that? Her words weren’t random.
They weren’t careless. They were deliberate. Calculated.
Does that mean she knows something about Derrick?
Or… does she actually have some kind of claim over whatever darkness she was talking about?
The thought alone made me uneasy.
“It is just as you heard, Lyka. His darkness belongs to me. And do you know what…” she had continued, stepping closer to me like she was about to reveal something important.
But I had cut her off with a roll of my eyes.
I wasn’t going to give her the satisfaction of thinking she could intimidate me.
“That’s why I don’t think you should act out… if you don’t want to end up like that,” she had added instead, her tone lowering into something far more ominous.
My ears had immediately perked up.
End up like what?
“What do you mean? Like her? Who are you talking about?” I had demanded, grabbing her wrist before she could step away.
She tried to pull free, but I tightened my grip, refusing to let her go.
Not until she explained.
Not until I understood.
But instead of answering properly, she only gave me a look... a strange, almost knowing look that made my skin crawl.
“You’re really like her,” she said slowly. “And I think you’re going to have the same fate… short and fleeting.”
Then she walked away. Just like that.
Leaving me standing there… speechless.
Short and fleeting?
What kind of statement was that?
What did it even mean?
My thoughts spiraled as I watched her retreating figure, my mind trying to piece together the puzzle she had just thrown at me.
But nothing made sense.
Nothing.
Before I could stop myself, my gaze followed her as she walked straight into Derrick’s study.
A heavy sigh escaped my lips.
My fingers curled into a tight fist at my side, the tension building up inside me until it almost hurt.
‘Where is that girl going? Why is she entering his room?’ Alexia purred within me, her voice filled with suspicion.
But I didn’t respond. I couldn’t.
Because right now, I didn’t trust my own thoughts enough to even sort them out.
Instead, I turned away abruptly and walked off, my steps quick and restless.
I would never understand it.
The way women seemed to gravitate toward that man, toward Derrick… as if he were some kind of irresistible force, even when he claimed innocence in everything.
It was frustrating.
Annoying.
And strangely… unsettling.
“I can’t keep standing here waiting to be dragged into their mess,” I muttered under my breath. “I need to do something, or else I’m going to be,”
I stopped abruptly.
A sharp pain slammed into my head without warning.
“Ouch!” I groaned, instinctively pressing my hand against my temple.
The headache came suddenly.. violent and disorienting.
I staggered slightly, my back hitting the wall behind me as I tried to steady myself, my breathing uneven.
“What is this…?” I whispered, squeezing my eyes shut as the pain throbbed relentlessly.
It didn’t feel normal.
It didn’t feel like exhaustion or stress.
It felt… wrong.
But after a few moments, I forced myself to push through it, shaking my head as if that would somehow clear the sensation.
Maybe I was just tired.
Maybe I had been thinking too much.
If only I knew the truth behind it…
I straightened slowly and made my way toward my room, my steps slightly heavier than before.
When I arrived, I paused.
The maid.
The same one who had told me about the former Luna.
She was there.
Sitting. Waiting.
And from the way she carried herself, it was clear she had been there for a while.
Why did that feel suspicious?
“What are you doing here?” I asked, my voice guarded.
She immediately sprang to her feet the moment she saw me, her posture stiffening.
“I’m sorry if I overstepped earlier,” she said quickly. “It’s just… I wanted to talk to you.”
My brow lifted slightly.
“You want to talk to me?” I repeated. “About what exactly?”
She nodded eagerly.
“About the former Luna. I think you are going to—”
I cut her off sharply.
“What is your name?” I asked instead.
She blinked, clearly thrown off by the sudden question.
“Keira,” she replied after a brief hesitation, her voice softer now.
“Nice name,” I said, though my tone remained neutral. “So, Keira… why me?”
Her expression shifted instantly.
Confusion.
Unease.
Almost like I had asked something she didn’t expect.
“What do you mean?” she asked.
I watched her carefully.
Every movement.
Every reaction.
Something about her didn’t feel right.
“You keep bringing up the former Luna,” I continued. “So tell me… what was her name?”
Her reaction was immediate.
“Her name is forbidden,” she said, lowering her gaze. “No one in this pack is allowed to speak it. I can only tell you small things… nothing more.”
She bowed slightly, her posture almost too perfect.
Too practiced.
Like she was trying too hard.
And that was when it clicked.
She wasn’t genuine. Not entirely.
There was something she wasn’t saying.
Something she was hiding behind all these half-truths.
Why was she using the former Luna as bait?
What did she gain from drawing my attention like this?
“Then don’t tell me anything,” I said flatly.
Her head snapped up in surprise.
“Why should I pretend to care when I clearly don’t?” I added.
Her eyes widened further, clearly not expecting that response from me.
“I mean… that’s what I should say,” I continued after a brief pause, exhaling softly. “But unfortunately, no one else here seems willing to tell me anything.”
I crossed my arms slightly, my gaze sharpening.
“So why don’t you give me some time to think? And I’ll decide what I want to do next.”
She nodded slowly, though her expression suggested she didn’t fully believe me.
But she didn’t argue.
She couldn’t.
“Alright,” she said quietly. “I’ll leave for now. But if you ever need help… don’t hesitate to call for me.”
She bowed her head again before turning to leave.
As she stepped out, she nearly collided with Amanda, who had just arrived.
Amanda paused, clearly surprised by the encounter, her gaze shifting between the maid and me.
Once the maid disappeared down the hall, Amanda turned back to me.
“Who was that?” she asked.
I glanced briefly toward the direction the maid had gone, a faint smile forming on my lips.
“I don’t know… yet,” I replied calmly. “But I will.”
A cunning smirk curled onto my lips as I looked back at Amanda.
“I need you to find out everything you can about her,” I added.
Amanda blinked in surprise.
“Everything? Like what?” she asked.
I sighed lightly, my gaze darkening as my thoughts lingered on Keira.
“Anything,” I said. “I want to know everything you can find.”
Because in a place like this…
Information wasn’t just power.
It was survival.