The Abandoned Luna's Journey to Power Chapter 323: I'll Settle This Score One Day

Princess Margaret's POV:

Bang!

The heavy doors slammed shut behind Cindy and Isabella. The sound echoed through the hall like thunder.

Six large chests—filled with nearly half my life's savings—were carried away. To gather that money, I had taken out the gold bars stored in the lowest vault of my private treasury. Those bars were meant to secure our family's future.

Now I had nothing but a beautiful shell. This palace looked grand on the outside, but inside, it was almost empty.

"Mother! Are we letting them walk away?!"

Lily jumped up from the couch. Her hair was messy. She looked wild, almost crazed. "That's our money! Two hundred thousand gold coins! I'm going to kill that Cindy! I'll hire someone to get rid of her! I'll go complain to King Ryken!"

"Smack!"

I slapped her again. This time, I didn't hold back. The force knocked her to the floor. Blood appeared at the corner of her mouth.

"Shut your mouth!"

I forced down the wild surge of pheromones rising inside me and shouted, "Complain? With what proof? The fake accounting books? The low-quality products from those shady factories? Do you want to get us executed faster?!"

My eyes shifted to Maria, who was trembling on the floor. I looked at her as if she were already dead. "Drag her away. Make sure she's dealt with properly. I don't want to see her again."

The guards moved at once. They dragged Maria out like a sack of trash.

Soon, only Lily and I were left in the hall.

She covered her swollen face and kept crying softly, still whispering about revenge.

"Revenge?" I sank onto the couch. Every bit of strength drained from my body.

I regretted everything.

Why had I kept the real account books? Why had I signed that contract? I thought Isabella would never rise again. I thought she was finished. I never expected Cindy to appear out of nowhere.

But what frightened me most was the Alpha aura Cindy had released just now.

I carried the pure blood of the royal line. In this kingdom, no werewolf's presence can overpower me except my brother and a few royal princes'.

When Cindy let her killing intent loose, I felt a tremor deep in my soul.

It was cold. It smelled of blood. The pressure made even my wolf spirit want to retreat.

That was not the power of an ordinary duchess.

That was the aura of someone who had crawled out of piles of corpses. A werewolf pushed to the edge. A werewolf who no longer cared about anything.

She cut ties with James—her destined mate—without blinking. She humiliated the royal family without hesitation. That bitch was capable of anything.

"Lily, listen to me."

I grabbed my daughter's shoulders. My nails dug into her skin. My voice was harsher than ever.

"From today on, you stay inside the palace. You are not to step outside. You are grounded."

"Mother?!" Lily stared at me in shock.

"You are not to provoke Cindy. Not under any circumstances!" I said through clenched teeth. "That woman is a lunatic. She controls troops now. She married Adam and joined the royal family. Moonridge Academy supports her. We cannot touch her right now."

"But what about this debt—"

"We will settle this score," I interrupted. "Just not now." I took a deep breath. A cold light flashed in my eyes. "Werewolves live long lives. Hunting requires patience. We have time. When the storm passes … when she makes a mistake … I will make her understand what happens to anyone who offends Margaret."