Rebirth Of The Rejected Luna Chapter 143: Guilty

**Carlo's POV**

I wanted to scream, to argue, but the truth was suffocating. He was right, and he knew it. Erika was a threat, one that I couldn’t let grow. And yet, how could I even begin to think about carrying out what Corvin was asking of me?

“Erika isn’t like the others,” I said through clenched teeth. “She’s not like the Luna. She doesn’t deserve this.”

Corvin’s eyes flickered for a moment, something like a memory passing over his face, but it was gone in an instant. "You don’t get it, do you, Carlo? She’s the same as the Luna. She’s asking too many questions, she’s digging where she shouldn’t, and if she finds out the truth, it’ll be the end of all of us."

I wanted to scream. Why Erika? Why her?

But there was nothing left to say. I knew what Corvin wanted, and I knew the consequences of defying him.

“You have to do this,” Corvin repeated, his voice heavy with finality. “She won’t be controlled, Carlo. And I can’t let her destroy what we’ve built. You’ll do it, won’t you?” He smiled then, but it wasn’t a smile of satisfaction—it was a smile of ownership as if he had already won.

I couldn’t look away. My world felt like it was caving in on me, the walls pressing in with each passing second. Erika was everything to me, and now, I was being asked to destroy her. To choose between my loyalty and my heart.

I nodded, despite the storm raging inside me, the weight of my decision settling over me like chains. “I’ll do it,” I said, the words tasting like poison on my tongue.

Corvin’s smile deepened, almost cruel in its satisfaction. “Good,” he said. “Then it’s settled.”

He stood up, his voice now colder than before. “Make sure it’s done quickly, Carlo. The longer she lives, the more dangerous she becomes. We both know that.”

As he turned away from me, I was left standing there in silence, my mind racing, my body cold with dread. I had made my choice. Or rather, Corvin had made it for me. The Alpha had always known how to break someone, how to force them into submission.

But this... This was something I couldn’t undo but there was no choice... Unless I found a way to bypass his law without him knowing.

*+*+*+*+*+*+*

**Erika’s POV**

I paced my chambers, my hands clenched into fists. My nails bit into my palms, but I barely noticed.

"You cannot visit your mother. It’s impossible."

The words repeated in my head, over and over. No matter how many times I asked, begged, or demanded, the answer remained the same. The Alpha had forbidden it.

And that only made me more suspicious.

Why? If she was truly guilty, why was she being locked away without a chance to speak to anyone? Why was I, her daughter, being denied access to see her? My stomach twisted. Something wasn’t right.

A sharp knock on the door startled me. I turned just as Carlo stepped inside. The sight of him made my blood boil.

I folded my arms. “What do you want?”

He shut the door behind him and didn’t answer. Instead, he just walked towards me, his eyes dark and unreadable.

“I don’t want to see you right now,” I snapped, stepping back.

Carlo exhaled, and then in a single movement, he pulled me into an embrace. His warmth surrounded me, his scent clouding my senses.

I froze. “Carlo—”

“Just… let me hold you,” he murmured, in a pleading voice.

Something about the way he said it made my chest tighten, but I didn’t pull away. After a moment, he guided me to the bed, and we lay side by side in silence.

His arm draped over my waist, grounding me. His fingers occasionally traced light patterns against my skin, but he didn’t say a word. The silence stretched until I couldn’t take it anymore.

I turned my head to look at him. “Why are you suddenly being so clingy?” I asked, trying to sound annoyed, but my voice came out softer than I intended.

His eyes met mine, and for the first time, I noticed something in them—something deep, troubled.

“Because,” he said, his fingers tightening ever so slightly, “I need to hold you as much as I can while I still can.”

A shiver ran through me.

“What do you mean?” I whispered.

Carlo didn’t answer. Instead, he just pressed a soft kiss to my forehead, his grip on me firm, as if he were trying to commit the feeling of me to memory.

I wanted to ask again. I wanted to demand an explanation, but something in me hesitated. I swallowed hard, deciding—for now—to let it go.

*+*+*+*+*

I woke to the sound of voices outside my chamber. Groggy, I sat up, rubbing my eyes wondering where Carlo was when the words hit me.

“The Alpha has requested your presence which is why I came to look for you here," came a voice. "He has finished his investigation and the ultimatum still stands."

I was fully awake in an instant.

“And?” another voice asked, it was Carlo. Although he sounded like he already knew what the answer was going to be.

“Lady Althea… she has been found guilty of poisoning the Luna.”

My breath caught.

Guilty? Already?

I scrambled to my feet, my heart pounding against my ribs. How could they have reached a verdict so quickly? The investigation had barely lasted a full day.

"I wasn't at council yesterday. How was the verdict reached?" Came Carlo's voice, it was strained and emotional. It meant something to me that he at least cared a bit even if he refused to go against the Alpha.

“A servant confessed to being an accomplice in the crime.” the voice sounded further like they were walking away.

I staggered back. No. That didn’t make sense. My mother was not a murderer. And if a servant had admitted to working with her, it only meant one thing.

Someone was orchestrating this.