Alpha Nocturne’s Contracted Mate by A E Randell
Chapter 74 The Truth
Ann’s face was expressionless as she swallowed nervously.
She hated being under scrutiny at the best of times, but to have so many judgemental eyes focused on her, the pressure was immense.
“Look at you! The guilt is written all over your face!” Narcissa hissed before turning to the office workers gathered at the doorway.
“What are you vultures staring at?! Someone call an ambulance! Why are you all just standing there?!”
The office workers seemed to be sparked into action, some running for whatever they could lay their hands on in order to cover Ada’s trembling body and restore some of her dignity at such a seemingly devastating time, and others hurriedly pulled their mobile phones out of their pocket and dialed for help.
Ann had to hand it to her, Ada was an incredibly good actress, as sickening as this act was to witness.
“Just you wait until your father hears about this you ungrateful little brat! I can’t believe that you would be so cruel! That baby she’s growing inside of her is innocent in the feud between you two! How could you attack them both so heartlessly?!” Narcissa fumed as she held Ada’s hand and stroked her forehead gently.
It was the first time that Ann had ever witnessed such a public display of affection between the two of them. Behind closed doors, if you disregard the favoritism that Narcissa showed towards her own daughter, there was very little else to signal that they were close at all.
‘For Goddess’s sake Ann, say something! Don’t just stand here like a f*uc*king idiot! What are you doing?!’ Maeve raged internally.
The ferocity of her anger took Ann by surprise and she opened her mouth reflexively.
“It’s really not what it looks like…” Ann stammered hesitantly, to a chorus of scoffs from various workers and Narcissa herself.
“Oh really? The evidence would prove otherwise! How can you stand there and lie so brazenly when the evidence of your disgusting temper is all around you? You were quite clear about not wanting anything that we had to offer as a gesture of goodwill and look at it! Scattered all over the floor!” Narcissa yelled to murmurs from the remaining office workers.
“That’s right… I heard her laughing at them when they said they’d brought it as a peace offering when I passed the door earlier.” a normally quiet staff member muttered to her colleague, staring at Ann warily.
Eva cleared her throat and quickly stepped forward, taking hold of Ann’s arm gently.
“Come with me, Miss Veritas, I don’t think it’s a good idea for you to be here when the ambulance arrives.” She said in a worried tone as Ann allowed herself to be led away, still reeling a little from the enormity of the implications of this.
Eva led her to her own office, with the guards that Adam had stationed following closely behind with an expression of neutrality on their faces.
Once they had closed the door behind them and Ann had been ushered into a seat, the guard that had spoken up against Narcissa murmured something to his colleague who swiftly exited the room and closed the door behind him.
Eva frowned slightly at the burly man but his face remained impassive as he looked at Ann thoughtfully. “I know this isn’t my place to say anything Luna, and I could be completely wrong, but I don’t think I am. Appearances can be misleading if someone is stupid enough to take them at face value. I would like to hear it from you. What happened in there?”
His voice was gentle, with an almost soothing tone to it and both Ann and Eva looked up at him in surprise.
It was easy to forget that despite the work these men often did, underneath their fierce and unforgiving demeanor was just another man, who worked a day job as one person, and went home to be another version of themselves.
Seeing their bewildered faces, the guard misunderstood and sighed slightly.
“I understand if you think that I’m prying Luna, but you can bet that Alpha Nocturne is going to want a detailed report, and I’m not one to shirk my duties. Witness statements are paramount and if I’m honest, I don’t trust the pretender queen or her c*rotc*h-goblin as far as I can throw them.” He rea*s*sured them as his mouth twisted into a grimace.
Ann sighed lightly and ma*s*saged her temples with her fingers. Her head ached and Maeve was raging incessantly in her mind which wasn’t helping.
“I don’t think you’re overstepping, actually, I appreciate your diligence in your a*s*signed duties,” Ann answered softly as she debated how best to explain what had happened in there.
She glanced towards the door as the sound of paramedics rushing through, and the bellowing voice of her father reached her ears and at that moment, she felt like a child again.
It had always been this way, Ada playing the victim and getting Ann into trouble for things that she hadn’t done. She had clashed with her father countless times over little things and the unfairness of the situation as he always, without hesitation, took Ada’s side.
She had been miserable as a child because of it but as she got older, she became sort of indifferent to the disapproving looks and tone of absolute disappointment that he used when he spoke with her.
If she had to guess, then she would bet that today would be no different. There would be no questions, only a*s*signed blame and repercussions for her, despite her innocence.
“If it’s all the same to you, I’d like to speak with Adam alone about what exactly went on in my office. It’s not because I don’t trust you, but there are things that Adam is aware of, that you are not, and I will leave it to his discretion as to whether or not he fills you in on the details.” Ann finally answered as she pulled herself from her thoughts.
The guard didn’t look hurt or offended, he simply nodded slowly.
“As you wish Luna. I have already sent my colleague to notify Alpha Nocturne, and to observe the… drama in your office. Don’t worry Luna, we’ll get to the bottom of this.”
Ann nodded quietly at his words.
She appreciated the sentiment, but she doubted very much that there was anything left that could prove her innocence.
It was simply a matter of her word, against Ada’s, and combined with the false ‘evidence’ and scene of destruction that Ada had taken such great care to create, Ann wasn’t confident that the truth would set her free at all.