Rebirth Of The Rejected Luna Chapter 108: The Moment Of Truth, The Moment Of Death

**Tiana's POV**

There could be nothing good coming out of their sudden friendship.

The warm glow of the lanterns flickered against the polished wooden floors, casting long shadows across the dining hall. The scent of roasted meat, fresh bread, and spiced wine filled the air, but I barely noticed it anymore. My stomach had been uneasy all evening.

I hadn’t touched my food at all, not even a bite of it.

I couldn’t.

Not when I could still feel Elara and Layla’s eyes on me from across the room. Layla, in particular, had been stealing glances, her expression unreadable but also somehow haughty. It was making my skin crawl.

I raised my eyebrow at her and cocked my head slightly in her direction but she only scoffed and then a slightly victorious smile came upon her expression which confused me. I cleared my throat nervously and looked away, suddenly wishing that the dinner would be over soon enough.

Then, just as I reached for my goblet to take a sip of water, Layla stood up.

“Tiana.”

The room quieted, and everyone seemed to pause.

My heart skipped a beat as I slowly looked up. Every head turned in my direction, looking curiously between Layla and I. Layla stood tall in her golden dress, her chin slightly raised, her lips curling into a look that was both confident and dangerous.

“I saw you put something in my father’s food,” she said, her voice ringing out loud and clear. "And don't you even dare try to deny it?"

A murmur spread through the room like wildfire. Gasps, whispers, the sound of cutlery being set down in stunned silence.

I blinked. My mind struggled to process her words. What did she mean I had poisoned her father's meal? Why would I even try to do that when he was my father-in-law.

“I—I what?” My voice was barely above a whisper.

Layla’s expression remained calm, her eyes sharp. “You were with the servants when they set the table. I saw you lean over my father’s plate. I saw you put something in his food.”

More gasps. More whispers.

My heart pounded against my ribs. This wasn’t happening.

“She’s lying!” Derek was on his feet before I could even react. His voice was filled with anger, his glare cutting into Layla. “Tiana would never—”

“I know what I saw,” Layla snapped, turning to Viktor and Theo’s father. “If she’s innocent, she should have no problem proving it.”

Viktor, who had been listening silently, now turned his gaze toward me. It was unreadable, heavy. Then, he did something that made my blood turn to ice.

He nodded.

“She will eat.”

“No.” Derek’s voice was firm, his body tense. “Absolutely not.”

“She has to prove herself,” Layla insisted. “If she has nothing to hide, then she should have no problem eating it.”

I opened my mouth, but the words wouldn’t come. This wasn’t just an accusation—it was a trap.

“I didn’t do anything,” I finally managed, my voice shaking with disbelief. “I didn’t touch his food.”

“You were near it,” Layla said smoothly. “That’s enough for suspicion.”

I turned to Theo, desperate for support, for anything. He had been silent this whole time, his face unreadable.

“Theo.” My voice was barely above a whisper. “You know I wouldn’t—”

His jaw tightened, but he said nothing.

Something inside me cracked.

“Theo?” Derek looked at him now, his voice filled with disbelief. “You’re really going to let this happen? You would watch as your mate is being disgraced by your sister."

Theo exhaled slowly, then looked at his father without saying anything.

"We don’t have to do this," Derek said in a pleading voice. "Another meal can be brought for the king."

For the first time, Alpha Romano's expression hardened. “It is not up for debate.”

“It is,” Derek snapped. “Tiana is the future Luna. You want her to eat from a plate she’s being falsely accused of poisoning? What if it really is poisoned? What then?”

“If it is, then she’s guilty,” the king said simply.

"He's right," my brother Viktor agreed. "I believe my sister is innocent so she must eat from the plate to prove her innocence and if she is falsely accused, Layla should be punished."

Derek’s hands curled into fists. “That’s insane. This seems like a set-up.

“I didn’t do anything,” I said again, my voice breaking.

The king remained unmoved. “Then you have nothing to fear.”

I felt sick.

“Don’t do it,” Derek said, his voice low. “Don’t let them do this to you.”

But what choice did I have? If I refused, it would mean guilt in their eyes. Layla had planned this too well.

I swallowed hard. My hands trembled as I reached for the plate. The food still looked fresh, warm, and normal.

But it wasn’t.

Deep inside, I knew it wasn’t.

Derek grabbed my wrist. “Tiana, please.” His voice was desperate now. “If you eat that and something happens to you—”

“You’ll punish Layla, right?” My voice was hoarse as I looked at Viktor and then Alpha Romano. “If she’s lying?”

Alpha Romano met my gaze. “If you survive and she’s lying, she will be punished.”

Survive.

The word lingered in the air like a cruel joke.

I exhaled shakily and pulled my hand from Derek’s grasp. My fingers curled around the fork.

And I took the first bite.

The room was so quiet I could hear the clinking of plates from the far end of the hall, the sound of someone clearing their throat, the soft intake of breaths as they watched me chew.

I swallowed.

Nothing.

I took another bite.

And another.

My fingers trembled as I set the fork down.

For a moment, everything was still.

Then pain exploded in my stomach.

A sharp, searing agony ripped through me, stealing the breath from my lungs. The world blurred at the edges, spinning wildly out of control. I gasped, my hands clutching at the table as a cold sweat broke across my skin.

No. No, no, no.

This wasn’t happening.

I heard Derek shouting my name. Heard the scrape of a chair against the floor.

Layla’s face and Elara's face were the last things I saw before my body gave out.

They were smiling and Theo didn’t move.

Didn’t say a word.

And as the darkness swallowed me whole, I realized something.

I had never been safe here. Not truly.

I had never been considered family.