Chapter 53: The Shadow of Truth

Chapter 53: The Shadow of Truth

(Elena’s POV)

Margaret ckwood turned a blind eye to Sophia Rivers‘ feigned weakness and just sneered. “If I don’t me you, who else can I me? After six years, your skin is still as thick as ever.”

The words cut through the air like a de. Sophia’s carefully constructed mask of innocence cracked under Margaret’s withering gaze.

Being humiliated, Sophia Rivers‘ face suddenly turned pale. Marcus ckwood frowned, his protective instincts ring.

“Grandma, don’t interfere with my affairs with her, and don’t target her anymore.” He picked Sophia up without hesitation, cradling her against his chest.

He left without looking at me. Not even a nce to see if I was hurt or needed help.

The cold dismissal hit me harder than the icy water of the Moonstone Reflecting Pool. I watched them disappear into the manor, feeling more alone than ever.

Margaret ckwood sighed deeply at this scene. She turned to look at me, still drenched and shivering.

“Now the ckwood family owes you.”

“It doesn’t matter,” I smiled bitterly. The words tasted like ash in my mouth.

Anyway, we were severing our mate bond. Marcus’s attitude wouldn’t affect my decision anymore.

As I struggled to get up from the pool’s edge, Victoria ckwood surprisingly stepped forward to help me.

Her hand was steady and warm.

“Mother, I’ll take her down to change clothes first.”

Margaret ckwood nodded approvingly. “Do that.”

In the Master Suite, I changed into a clean set of clothes from the Moonhaven Wardrobe Chamber. The fabric felt foreign against my skin after the chaos.

I thought Victoria ckwood had already left, but she was still there. Standing by the windowi, /iher silhouette

rigid with unspoken thoughts.

I walked up to her cautiously. “Mother, I’ve changed my clothes, so I’ll go back first.”

Victoria ckwood straightened my cor with gentle hands. Her touch was surprisingly tender.

“You’ve tasted the feeling of being mated to an Alpha who doesn’t cherish you, right?” Her voice was calm,

almost conversational.

I was stunned. Was I hallucinating?

Victoria ckwood rarely said things that weren’t part of a Luna’s duty, let alone her true feelings.

“Mother, what are you…“.

“I’m just saying, you’ve seen Logan’s attitude towards you.” Victoria changed her usual attitudepletely.

Chapter 53 The Shadow o…

18 Points

“I don’t like you, but I won’t ept that Sophia Rivers either. I just think you’re still young and don’t need to hang yourself on one tree.”

Her words hit me like lightning. This was not the Victoria ckwood I knew.

“If I were as young as you, I wouldn’t…” She suddenly stopped talking.

The arrogant mask slipped back into ce. “You wouldn’t understand even if I told you, you should go back.”

Victoria ckwood left the Master Suite abruptly. Her heels clicked against the marble floor as she

disappeared.

I stood there puzzled. Perhaps my mother–inw just felt sorry for me.

(Marcus’s POV)

While I was waiting for Sophia Rivers to change downstairs, I got the surveince footage near the

Moonstone Reflecting Pool. The truth was crystal clear on the small screen.

Sophia Rivers had already changed her clothes and was walking with Isabe ckwood. They approached

me with false confidence.

“Marcus,” Sophia walked towards me. She didn’t notice that my phone screen showed the surveince video.

“I’m sorry, it’s all my fault today. I shouldn’t havee and caused trouble for you and Isabe.”

Isabe ckwoodforted her immediately. “Sister Sophia, don’t say that, you’re not the one who’s wrong! It’s clearly élena ckwood-”

“Did Elena ckwood really push you into the Moonstone Reflecting Pool?” I interrupted calmly.

I looked back at Sophia Rivers with a calm expression. My wolf Logan was restless, sensing deception.

Sophia Rivers faltered. She reached out to hold my arm desperately.

“Marcus, I was indeed pushed, that’s why I fell. Besides Isabe, there was only Healer Elena. But Isabe

certainly wouldn’t push me.”

“Yes, brother, what are you still doubting! It was clearly Elena ckwood who did it…” Isabe’s voice trailed

off.

She stared straight at the surveince video in my hand. Her face went white with shock.

The video clearly showed Sophia Rivers pulling Elena ckwood down. The truth was undeniable.

Isabe ckwood looked at Sophia Rivers in disbelief and confusion. If Elena didn’t push her, why would

Sister Sophia lie?

Sophia Rivers suddenly saw the surveince video in my hand. Her face turned deathly pale.

“Is this what you said, she pushed you?” bI /basked patiently.

Sophia Rivers‘ face was pale as moonlight. “Marcus, I…”

“Sophia Rivers, I thought you wouldn’t bother with these petty tricks.” I put away my phone expressionlessly.

I was about to leave when Sophia Rivers suddenly grabbed me. Tears streamed down her face.

“Yes! I did it, I shouldn’t have pulled her down because I was jealous! But Marcus, you keep saying that you

have nothing to do with her, but is it really nothing?”

Chapter 53: The Shadow o

E PUTS

I pretended not to know Elena ckwood in front of her at first. She believed it initially.

Butter on, she still discovered the rtionship between us! And now that Elena was about to enter the house, and even Grandmother Margaret was on her side, how could she not be anxious!

I stood there motionless, not saying a word. My silence spoke volumes.

Sophia Rivers let go of my hand. She staggered back two steps and cried sadly.

“Marcus, you promised me…”

“What I promised you still counts.” The words felt heavy on my tongue.

She paused, hope flickering in her eyes.

I turned to look at Isabe ckwood. “You take her back.”

After speaking, I left without another word.

Sophia Rivers looked at my departing figure in a daze. Her face turned pale and green with desperation.

(Elena’s POV)

As soon as I returned to Moonhaven Private Quarters, my phone rang. Nathan Sterling’s name shed on the

screen.

“Elena, I found out that the officer on duty the day David ckthorne was beaten was Officer Joseph, a nephew of Director Harold Thornfield of the Northern Territory Revenue Authority.”

I opened the refrigerator to get water. My hand paused when I heard about the director of the Revenue

Authority.

Director William Cross’s words shed through my mind like lightning.

“What is the name of the wife of the Director of the Revenue Authority?” I asked suddenly.

Nathan Sterling obviously didn’t expect me to ask that. But he answered promptly.

“His wife’s name is Heidi Cross, and she works as a manager in a bank.”

The surname is Cross… Sure enough, it was rted to Director William Cross.

But Director William Cross was still in detention and not in the same jurisdiction. It was impossible for her to know about David ckthorne’s matter directly.

And this matter was inseparable from Sophia Rivers. So who was close to Sophia Rivers and co Director William Cross’s rtives to help?

I suddenly realized who it was. The pieces fell into ce.

“Brother Nathan, can you help me check on someone else?”

He smiled warmly. “It would be my honor.”

“I want to check Heidi Cross’s recent contacts and whereabouts.”

“Okay, I will help you.”

I smiled sincerely. “Thank you, Brother Nathan.”

ask

After ending the call, I turned around. Marcus ckwood was standing at the Master Suite door, looking at

Chapter 53. The Shadow o…

me meaningfully.

bI /bcouldn’t forget his coldness by the Moonstone Reflecting Pool. I was indifferent when bI /bsaw bhim /bbagain/b.

The bitterness in my heart had crystallized into something harder. Something unbreakableb. /b

I was about to leave when the Alpha blocked the Master Suite door. “What did you ask bNathan /bSterling bto /b

investigate?”

“Is it any of your businessb?/bb” /bI met his gaze defiantly.

Seeing that he didn’t move, I raised my head impatiently. “Can you please move, Alpha Marcusb?/bb” /b

Marcus ckwood slowly reached out to me. His hand moved with careful deliberation.

I instinctively avoided him. The movement was automatic, protective.

A move that was insignificant to him stabbed his heart inexplicably. Very ufortable.

He withdrew his hand and casually adjusted his cuff. “I’ve investigated the Moonstone Reflecting Pool

incident and found out that I did wrong you.”

I stood still, silently holding the doorknob. Then Iughed.

“So? Alpha Marcus is here to apologize?”

“But I’m not being wronged for the first time. If you want to apologize, add all the previous things together. Oh, and it’s best to have Sophia Rivers kneel down and apologize to me too.”

He frowned darkly. “Elena ckwood, don’t push your luck.”

“I’m pushing my luck? When you made me kneel down and apologize to Oliver Rivers, why didn’t you think that I was also wronged?”

Iughed bitterly. The sound echoed in the chamber.

“Marcus ckwood, you only believe what you see and what Sophia Rivers says. I didn’t say anything when I was wronged again and again. How is asking her to kneel down and apologize to me pushing my luck?”

“Are you done?” The Alpha approached me, his expression unreadable.

“If it weren’t for you and Grandmother Margaret forcing her away back then, would she have lost her purity to a strange wolf and been sold by her parents?”

His words hit me like physical blows.

“Elena ckwood, the source of all her suffering is because of you, and in the meantime, you became Luna,

ckwood.”

Marcus ckwood pinched my chin, his expression gloomy. His grip was firm but not painful.

“You’ve already gotten everything she couldn’t get, so even if I let you endure her, let you give in to her, you

have to endure it.”

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