CHAPTER 159: A MASTER PLAN

Lethia could hear Whisney hissing in her head.

["You want him to have sex with her while thinking she’s you? And how exactly is that gonna help you?"]

Smiling sweetly at the oracle, Lethia borrowed her phone, and the woman handed it over happily. She went straight to the search app and checked today’s trending news.

Zeran’s press conference was flooding the headlines. She looked up news about Tuffin, and just as she guessed, Tuffin’s stock had crashed thanks to Varrel exposing the artificial womb scandal.

Lethia tried to recall whether Zeran had ever mentioned this artificial womb thing to her, but found nothing. She gritted her teeth in frustration. So many damn things she didn’t know about the man she planned to marry.

Then she read about Varrel’s party holding a public hearing the day after tomorrow, and she instantly suspected that this was Zeran’s actual goal. Keep Varrel busy so he could save her.

’What Zeran did caused the stock crash for Ashcroft Corp. He wanted to shift Varrel’s attention so he could save me.’

["Huh? Are you sure?"]

’No... he just wants to save his pup. That artificial womb is proof he’ll do anything to have offspring. He knows that by manipulating the public like that, Ashcroft’s stock will tank. He only cares about the pup inside my belly.’

Lethia exited the browser and shut the phone off. She clutched it in her palm, feeling stupid for letting her lust get the better of her and allowing Zeran to slip into her heart.

["So now you hate him? And you wanna bring Varrel down on your own?"]

’No. I still need him to destroy Varrel in a big blow. But I need to make sure Varrel doesn’t just lose Ashcroft. He has to lose his title and power too. He wanted a coup, so surely he’s got some secret army somewhere. And they surely don’t know about Varrel’s disgusting kink. I need everyone, even his hidden allies, to see how mentally unstable he really is and cut him off. Only then, Ashcroft Corp can be fully free from him.’

Whisney burst out laughing, loud and shrill, making Lethia wince as the sound stabbed into her skull.

["Don’t tell me you’re planning to record a sex tape of him and that witch bitch! And you’re gonna broadcast it across the whole damn country?"]

Whisney was still laughing, while Lethia bit her lower lip and lowered her head in silence. Then that laughter shifted into a bitter giggle–like Whisney had finally caught on to her dark intention.

’That’s why I need you to manipulate Varrel’s vision, to make him see her as me. I need the world to witness that he’s not mentally fit, just a mad, greedy, perverted Alpha who’s lost every shred of dignity. Once the world sees that, they’ll banish him. His allies won’t stand by him. And even if he ends up dead, no one’s gonna avenge him. That way... I could finally live in peace on Ashcroft ranch. No more relying on those Lycans. So I...’

Lethia clutched her shirt over her left chest. Even though her words were only in her mind, not spoken out loud, why the hell did her throat tighten like that, and her chest feel so heavy?

’So I’m not wasting my energy letting anyone shatter my heart again. I’ll finish your mission. You’ll get your bead, your power... and I’ll help you carry out your revenge.’

["Tsk... tsk... tsk... so this is all because you got your heart broken by Zeran?"]

’If I could bring Varrel down myself, I wouldn’t rely on him, and I wouldn’t need to marry him. That way, I’d be free to finish your mission, to get knotted by Caelum or Renar... for your damn beads.’

["And what about the pheromone bonding? For your pup?"]

Lethia’s jaw clenched. ’That bond doesn’t require marriage. If he refuses to do it without the marriage vow... then... we just make him submit. You can control his mind.’

Lethia stared blankly at the floor with that cold, hollow look in her eyes. She knew this plan was the most insane, clumsiest shit she had ever come up with.

She swallowed down the bitter mess of her emotions, torn apart from not knowing who the hell she could trust anymore. She should’ve never softened her heart from the beginning. She should’ve never let herself feel comfort in anyone’s presence.

She hated how even now, in this moment, her mind still wandered to those times she laughed with Renar and Caelum.

She hated how her eyes drifted toward the giant window with the moonlight shining over the lake and cherry blossoms, and imagined Zeran’s lips on hers, kissing her senseless like she had planned before she left for the countryside.

Her chest tightened. Her eyes burned. And then warm tears rolled down her cheeks. Her breath hitched, and her sobs started breaking free in shaky stutters.

Her head tilted slightly when suddenly, someone wiped her tears with a tissue. And there she was–the oracle, already seated beside her at the edge of the bed.

A cringe grimace tugged at her lips, and she said, "Why are you crying? When will you let me taste that power?"

Her flat, emotionless voice made Lethia’s skin crawl. She sounded like a broken robot with no soul.

["Again... you’ll end up being dependent on me all over again..."]

’Do I even have another choice? In the end, you’re the only one I can trust to protect me and my pup.’

Whisney chuckled. ["You’re right. You only have me..."]

The creepy oracle moved even closer to Lethia, sniffing around her like a dog searching for something rotten.

’Whisney... we need to deal with her first.’

["Lethia, listen! I need Varrel’s hair to make the manipulation spell work on him. And I need her blood to bind him to her. This will go just like you imagined, but... I need to control them up close. I can’t do it from far away."]

Lethia shot up from the bed as the oracle started groping at her body.

’How close do you need to be?’

["As close as being able to smell their scent... and see exactly what they’re doing."]

Lethia’s eyes widened, not just at what Whisney said, but also because the oracle strode forward, looking ready to claw her.

Then suddenly, a surge of power pulsed through her hand. And the moment the oracle came within arm’s reach, Lethia’s arm reacted instinctively, slamming hard into the curve of the oracle’s neck, knocking her out cold.

["Phew... Got ya! We should’ve knocked her out from the start."]