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#Chapter 440: The Recluse
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2024-10-29 19:42:56Related chapters
Fake Vow, True Luna #Chapter 441: The Little Seascape
OliviaAs I pulled back into the villa’s driveway a little while later, I felt a sense of defeat wash over me. Dianna Miller, the famous artist who I had thought might just be the key to making this ill-fated auction a success, had refused to see me.“I guess I should have known it would wind up like this,” I muttered as I pulled the key out of the ignition and headed inside, where Clint was waiting for me with the twins in the living room.As I entered the house, Clint looked up from where he was comfortably reading a book in a plush armchair. The twins were happily playing in their playpen with a new set of blocks that I had just bought for them.“Hey there, young lady,” Clint said as he climbed to his feet, using his cane for support. “You look exhausted.”“That’s putting it lightly.” I scoffed. “It’s been a long day. How were the twins?”“Angels, as usual.” Clint cocked his head. “Want to talk about it?”I opened my mouth to speak, but then shut it again and shook my head, offerin
Fake Vow, True Luna #Chapter 442: Genuine
OliviaThe next day dawned with a mixture of anxiety and hope. Nathan and I, with the painting carefully wrapped in the backseat, drove to the local appraiser’s office. The quaint little shop, nestled between the bakery and the florist, showcased all kinds of antique items in its large windows.“Ready?” Nathan asked as he pulled up to the curb and glanced over at me.I nodded. “Ready.”As we entered, the bell above the door jingled and announced our arrival. The appraiser looked up from behind the counter; he was wearing a pair of magnifying goggles that made his eyes look tiny through the glass, and was holding what looked to be some sort of precious stone in his hand.“Good morning, Alpha Karl and Luna Olivia,” the older man said with a surprised look on his face. He lifted the goggles and placed them on his head to reveal a pair of deep-set, kind eyes. “Is there anything I can help you with?”Nathan and I exchanged a quick glance before Nathan approached the counter with the painti
Fake Vow, True Luna #Chapter 443: No Place for a Woman
Olivia“Dianna?”The name escaped my lips before I could stop myself. The door had creaked open, revealing an older woman with wisps of gray hair framing her face. She wore a pair of paint-covered overalls, beneath which she wore an equally-paint-stained orange sweater.Her eyes, wide with shock, were fixed on the painting I held in my hands. As our gazes met, a moment of silence passed between us, heavy with unspoken questions. Somehow, something about this painting that had been hanging over my mantle at home had struck a chord within her.I just hoped that it was a good chord.“Where... where did you find that painting?” The artist’s voice trembled as she spoke, betraying a vulnerability that contrasted sharply with the reclusive, almost mythical figure the town had painted her out to be.I swallowed. “My husband... He got it at a yard sale,” I explained, still somewhat stunned by her sudden appearance. “It’s been hanging over our mantlepiece for ages now.”She scoffed. “A yard sal
Fake Vow, True Luna #Chapter 444: Finding Time
OliviaI stepped out of Dianna Miller’s house that day with the scent of oil paints in my nostrils and a newfound sense of hope in my chest.“Dianna,” I said as I stopped on her porch, “thank you so much for talking to me. And thank you again for donating those paintings to the auction; it’s going to make a world of difference.”Dianna nodded, flashing me a warm smile. “I’ll admit that it was nice to have such a sweet young lady to talk to,” she said. “Most people who come by here just want to line their own pockets in some way or another; get a photo, ask me questions for their book, you name it. But you…”“I just want what’s good for our pack,” I said. “We need the help of the Alpha association if we’re going to grow and rebuild after everything our pack has been through, and that’s why this auction is so important.”“Of course,” Dianna said softly. “Feel free to stop by anytime. It does get awfully quiet around here.” She paused, her gaze sweeping over the austere landscape around
Fake Vow, True Luna #Chapter 445: A Moment Alone
NathanI rolled over with a soft smile on my face, the soft light of dawn filtering through the curtains. A quick glance at the clock told me that there was still a little time to relax before it was time to head to work, and the house was quiet, indicating that the twins were still sleeping.Instinctively, I reached for the familiar warmth of Olivia next to me. But my hand found only the cool, empty sheets. A frown creased my forehead. It wasn’t like her to be up this early, not after the late nights we had been having recently.“I guess she’s awake already.”Pushing myself up, I swung my legs over the side of the bed, rubbing the sleep from my eyes. The house was quiet, the kind of silence that usually meant the twins were still asleep. I padded down the hallway, expecting to find Olivia in the nursery or maybe in the kitchen.Instead, I found Clint sitting in the living room, surrounded by toys and the giggling twins. He looked up, a grin spreading across his face.“Morning, Nathan
Fake Vow, True Luna #Chapter 446: A Fun Little Project
OliviaI stepped into the Council building just as the sun was beginning its descent toward the horizon.Everything was going to plan; the auction would begin in a little under an hour, and everything was prepared. The signs and flyers, which had been posted all over town and mailed to every resident, had attracted a lot of attention.Already, the town was filling with people from neighboring areas, those who were coming in anticipation of Dianna Miller’s works. Soon, the auction was bound to be a success.It had to be.“Olivia!” Ashley called out, her face lighting up as she approached. “You’re here! Everything is coming together beautifully.”“You can say that again,” I said, my heels clicking on the floor as I approached. “The place looks great.”“We made some last-minute changes to the decorations,” Laurie added, pointing up at some colorful streamers that were draped throughout the high rafters.“Oh, and the catering came just in the knick of time, too,” Joshua said. “It’s making
Fake Vow, True Luna #Chapter 447: Fashionably Late
OliviaThe Council building was buzzing with lively chatter and the clinking of glasses as the final guests made their way in and took their seats, but my eyes were still fixed on the door, hoping for one last guest to make her entrance.“Do you think she’ll actually come?” Angela, who had just slipped in after a long shift at the hospital, said as she stood next to me with a glass of champagne in her hand.I swallowed. “I’d like to say I hope so, but logic is telling me otherwise,” I said, finally tearing my gaze away from the door.Angela sighed. “It’s okay if she doesn’t. The pieces she donated for the cause are more than enough.”As she spoke, my eyes drifted over to the star items of the evening; the three pieces that Dianna had graciously given us. They were to be saved for the very end of the auction, but had taken center stage. Even now, I could see guests pointing at the pieces and murmuring.“Yeah,” I said, managing a small smile. “You’re right.”The auctioneer, a portly man
Fake Vow, True Luna #Chapter 448: Final Bid
Olivia“Oh my god,” Nathan whispered, his eyes widening as his grip on my waist tightened. “It can’t be…”I was speechless. The moment that Dianna Miller had stepped into the grand hall of the Council building, the room had fallen into a hush. Her heels clicked slowly on the floor, echoing throughout the room. Even the auctioneer had fallen silent.Her presence, as enigmatic as her paintings, sent a ripple of excitement through the crowd. I felt a surge of hope when I looked into her eyes—her arrival could change everything. No, it would change everything.As she approached, I saw the nerves in her eyes, the uncertainty of a woman more accustomed to the solitude of her studio than the bustle of a crowded event.Yet, she walked with a grace that hid her nervousness. When she reached Nathan and me, I didn’t hesitate; I wrapped her in a tight hug, gratitude flooding my voice as I whispered in her ear, “Dianna, thank you so much for coming. You have no idea what this means to us.”Dianna
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Fake Vow, True Luna #Chapter 568: True Vows
OliviaI gripped the edges of the podium, my knuckles whitening from the strain as I stared out over the sea of faces. All eyes were trained squarely on me, awaiting my words. But I was frozen.A tremor of nausea wormed its way up my throat as I stared out at them. What was I thinking—how could I have ever agreed to this? Speaking to crowds had never been my forte; that was Nathan’s arena, not mine. I was just the woman behind the scenes, the young mom who had never gone to college, the one who had been handed her job by her husband…Suddenly, a flicker of motion off to the side caught my eye—Nathan, standing just at the edge of the stage with his arms folded across his chest. Even from this distance, I could feel the weight of his steady gaze, that piercing Alpha stare that always seemed to see straight into the depths of my soul.He must have sensed my faltering because, slowly, deliberately, he offered me the faintest of smiles and a single, reassuring nod.And just like that, the
Fake Vow, True Luna #Chapter 567: True Luna
Olivia I looped my arm through Nathan’s as we stepped down from the podium, the applause from the crowd and the flashing of cameras having finally subsided after what felt like an eternity. “It’s over,” Nathan beamed, giving my arm a squeeze. “That wasn’t so bad.” I couldn’t help but grin back at him. “No, it wasn’t. You were great up there.” And he really had been great; the press conference had been an overwhelming success—any lingering doubts or trepidation we had harbored before had been utterly blown away by the sheer force of the crowd’s enthusiastic response. For so long, it had felt like we were fighting this battle alone, like the victims who had suffered under Dan’s horrific operation were little more than nameless, faceless casualties. But today, we had finally given them a voice. Their stories had reached the masses, had resonated and struck a chord with everyone who watched. Nathan had handled all of the questions that were thrown his way with poise and ease
Fake Vow, True Luna #Chapter 566: Vignettes
OliviaI rapped my knuckles lightly on the door to Nathan’s office. A moment later, his voice called out, “Come in.”Stepping into the room, I placed my hands on my hips upon seeing the scene in front of me: Nathan was standing in front of the mirror, his shirt still untucked and his tie loosened. His desk was a mess of papers and folders, and it was clear that he had been checking over his notes last-minute before the press conference.
Fake Vow, True Luna #Chapter 565: By Your Side
OliviaI wiped a bead of sweat from my brow, slowly turning to survey the progress that had been made in the park. The banners we had hung were a bold purple color, signifying our support of the women who had been affected by the trafficking ring.I couldn’t help but smile a bit as I looked at our progress. With the press conference today, followed by a festival to help raise funds for the shelter we were building, the park was bustling with activity as our pack members worked hard
Fake Vow, True Luna #Chapter 564: One Step
NathanI leaned back in my chair with a weary sigh, pinching the bridge of my nose in a futile attempt to stave off the encroaching headache. Spread out on my desk was an array of file folders, legal pads scrawled with notes, and printed transcripts—a minefield of information that would need to be carefully navigated on the day of the upcoming press conference.It had been two weeks since Dan and Montgomery’s bodies were found in the confinement pit, and it had been a dizzyin
Fake Vow, True Luna #Chapter 563: The End of an Era
OliviaMy hands shook uncontrollably as I stepped up to the edge of the pit, clutching the metal grating until my knuckles turned white. A thick, cloying stench wafted up from the darkness below—the unmistakable reek of death and decay.Despite the waves of nausea already roiling in my gut, I leaned forward for a closer look.
Fake Vow, True Luna #Chapter 562: The Rise & The Fall
OliviaThe air coming through the open windows smelled like the fresh sea breeze as we made our way from room to room, touring every nook and cranny of the newly completed cottage. It was perfect—cozy and quaint, while still boasting all the modern amenities one could want. But more than that, it was a sanctuary, a haven.A fresh start.
Fake Vow, True Luna #Chapter 561: Spring Air
OliviaThe sound of power tools outside streamed in through the window while I folded the laundry, a distant backdrop to my swirling thoughts. I had grown used to the sound, and actually kind of enjoyed it. It was a reminder that life went on, that our family was growing.It had been a couple of weeks since I had made the decision to take a temporary leave from work in order to really focus on my family—on rebuilding that long-severed bond with my mother—and I was glad I did.
Fake Vow, True Luna #Chapter 560: Rage
NathanI couldn’t stop the rage from simmering just beneath the surface as I made my way through the darkened forest toward the confinement pit. No one knew I was here—I was coming under the cover of night, my hair and face concealed by a hood.But I had to come. I couldn’t stop thinking about Dan and Montgomery, and I needed to see them.
