Chapter 74
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“PEREZ.” The sound of Beta Jarren’s voice jolted him back to reality, causing the Alpha to abruptly release Marga from the hug. It was evident that he was repulsed by how he had been holding her in his arms, and his friend felt relieved. After all, he was stunned when he saw them hugging like it was natural.
“Tend to her, see what was wrong.” Alpha Perez ordered the doctor who was with the beta, his voice filled with frustration before he walked briskly over to the side, not bothering to ask Mathias what exactly happened. His intense gaze then fell on Marga who seemed to be in pain again, biting her bottom lip as she sat on the edge of the bed while clutching her stomach with both of her hands.
Despite that, the doctor proceeded to inquire about her present symptoms and when they first appeared.
“I just drank my usual juice earlier, but after consuming it, I suddenly began to feel nauseous and experience discomfort in my stomach.” Marga cried, “What if… what if my baby died?”
“Don’t worry, you and the baby will be fine.” the doctor assured before turning to face Alpha Perez, “We must immediately transport her to the hospital. It appeared that she was experiencing food poisoning.”
Marga’s eyes widened in shock before she lost consciousness, causing a ripple of panic among those around her. In a quick and decisive move, Mathias scooped up his daughter while Beta Jarren sprang into action to prepare the car for their trip to the hospital. Meanwhile, Alpha Perez stood frozen, refusing to join them, not after what had happened earlier.
Although he hugged Marga out of his own volition, he couldn’t shake off the guilt. It felt like he was betraying his wife. The thought of Serena’s reaction if she knew he was comforting another woman in this situation filled him with disgust. He didn’t want to put her through such a difficult situation. So, he retreated to his study and brainstormed for an alternate plan to save the pack from suffering once he rejected Marga.
“What happened? Where’s Jarren?” Priscilla asked when she ran into her brother.
“He took Marga to the hospital for food poisoning,” he answered, causing her eyes to widen.
““What? How is that even possible? Every single meal prepared by the maids and chef was carefully inspected before being served.” She trailed behind her brother, feeling anxious about the potential consequences if something were to happen to Marga. After all, the Alpha King had made it clear that he would start a war if they caused any harm to her.
“Could this have all been a ploy to give the king an excuse to attack us? The wench’s recent behavior has been questionable, and all of sudden she would have been food poisoned?”
Alpha Perez paused in the middle of the corridor upon hearing his sister’s words. His mind went blank for a moment as he tried to comprehend her statement. If she was correct, it would make sense why Marga suddenly changed her behavior and stopped causing disruptions.
“Has Serena employed a new maid and sent them to the annex?” he asked, facing her sister.
“No, she hadn’t. Why?” Priscilla tilted her head, curious about the sudden question “Why do you ask?”
“According to Marga’s maid, the newly hired servant served a juice that caused Marga to experience stomach pain.” Alpha Perez replied, watching how her sister’s brow furrowed as she concluded the connection between the events.
“That was impossible, my sister–in–law and I always worked together when it came to managing the household. We were both familiar with the changes that occurred in each other over time.” She pressed her bottom lip between her fingers, her thoughts racing as she tried to make sense of everything. “Perhaps, they were trying to frame Serena, so that the blame would be placed on her.”
Alpha Perez’s brows creased at her conclusion, knowing the possibility of it happening was rather high. He had already noticed the suspicious behavior from both Marga and the Alpha King in the past month. It all fell into place now, and he couldn’t believe they were attempting to pin this on his wife. He balled his hand into a fist, feeling his jaw clench with seething anger that threatened to swallow him whole.
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“Go to the annex for me and find Marga’s maid, ask her where the new maid she was talking about earlier. I’ll leave the investigation to you since I have other matters to attend to,” he commanded, and Priscilla quickly gave him a nod before heading off to the annex. Once she was out of his sight, Alpha Perez took a moment to collect himself before continuing on to his study to call Serena.
MEANWHILE, Serena was strolling through the garden of the Crescent Pack, taking deep breaths of the cool air and reveling in the gentle breeze. After her relaxing bath earlier, she felt much better. However, her appetite still hadn’t fully returned due to her severe morning sickness. Luckily, her nanny Annie had ways to ease it, and her father had even called for their pack doctor to check on her health. For now, only the three of them were aware of her pregnancy, and she had no desire to share the news with anyone else.
“I missed the air here,” She mumbled to herself, resting against the bench and savoring the gentle touch of the afternoon breeze on her cheeks. But her peaceful moment was interrupted when she heard her father’s beta calling out for him. She quickly opened her eyes, ready to respond to her father’s summons.
“Luna Serena, Alpha Perez was on the telephone. He was asking for you.” Her heart rate jumped at the mention of her husband’s name. Without a second thought, she got up from the bench and headed towards the house, following behind the Beta.
“Did he say what it was about?” she asked, wondering why he had called when they already talked last night.
“No, he just–called your father’s telephone and asked if you were available to talk,” he answered and she nodded, unsure if she would be able to talk to him without getting emotional.
Once she was inside her father’s study, Alpha Robert gave her privacy and left the room so she could talk to her husband without other people eavesdropping. She took a deep breath and picked up the telephone receiver, placing it on her ear before she greeted him.
“Hello? What’s the matter?”
“I missed you.” Alpha Perez answered without hesitation, his voice filled with sincerity as she felt her heart ache at his words.
“I missed you too.” Serena smiled as her hand instinctively caressed her belly. “Did something happen?”
For a moment, there was a silence that hung between them, and neither one of them bothered to break as they waited for the other to speak. Finally, Alpha Perez did.
“Marga was rushed to the hospital after getting food poisoning.” Serena’s heart skipped a beat at the mention of Marga and the fact that she was in the hospital made her worried, not because she cared about her well–being but because of the consequences it would bring on the pack once the news reached the Alpha King’s ears.
“W–what? How did that happen? Our maids and chefs were careful when it comes to their work,” she stammered, trying to think about every possibility.
“She just drank her usual juice when it happened,” He sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose, “Anyway, did you hire any new maid and send it to the annex?”
“No, why?” A frown creased Serena’s brow, a feeling of unease settling in her stomach.
Alpha Perez then began going through the details of the statement from Marga’s maid and connecting it to Priscilla’s earlier conclusion.
Once again, a heavy silence filled the air between them as Serena attempted to regain her composure. The idea that Marga may be trying to set her up again was beyond aggravating, but she couldn’t afford to get too frustrated as it wasn’t good for her and her unborn child. She just took a deep breath and released some of the tension she had been holding onto.
“You know I won’t do something like that right?” she asked, hoping to hear that her husband had faith in her and didn’t think she was capable of hurting Marga.
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“Of course, I only asked you because I wanted to confirm it and investigate things further.” Alpha Perez answered, “I will always believe you; I know you are not the type of person to harm others and lie.”
Serena’s heart ached with pain. She was grateful that he trusted her so much, but she couldn’t shake the knowledge that she would betray him by running away with their unborn child. The promises and vows she had made to him would soon become nothing more than lies once he discovered she had no intention of returning home.
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