Chapter 160: My instincts were right

Serena left shortly after, and Elvira made her way down to the main kitchen.

The kitchen staff were already busily preparing lunch, the air filled with the scent of simmering broth and spices. The moment Elvira stepped through the door, the quiet chatter died down. The staff paused, casting uneasy glances in her direction.

"Miss Elvira," Martha, the head cook, stepped forward and curtseyed deeply. "Do you need something?"

"You’re Martha, right?" Elvira murmured, offering a soft smile.

"Yes, Miss Elvira," Martha nodded with a smile, glad that the former Luna remembered her. "I don’t know if you remember, but you once helped my son when he fell ill years ago. You covered his hospital bills when I had nothing."

"I do remember, Martha," Elvira chuckled softly. "It’s been so long. How is he doing?"

"He’s all grown up now," Martha beamed, her eyes softening. "He lives in the Eastern territory with his mate and children."

"Mated with children, how wonderful," Elvira said, playing her part with practiced ease.

"I never forgot the kindness you showed my family," Martha continued, her voice lowering with sincere emotion. "Despite everything that happened in the past, I still choose to believe you have a good heart. I only hope the Alpha and Luna come to see that in time."

"That’s very kind of you to say, Martha. Thank you."

Outwardly, Elvira portrayed the picture of a humbled, repentant woman. Internally, her pulse quickened with satisfaction. Having someone in the household who trusted her was an unexpected asset; one that would make her task easier.

She cast a subtle glance across the kitchen. The other servants were avoiding eye contact, scrubbing counters and stirring pots with exaggerated focus. They couldn’t be allowed to hear what she had to say.

"Martha, could I speak with you for a brief moment?" she asked smoothly. "In private, please."

Martha blinked in surprise, then nodded without hesitation. "Of course, Miss Elvira."

She turned to the young maid tending the stoves. "Cara, Lexie, keep an eye on the broth until I return."

"Yes, Mrs. Martha," the girls chimed in unison.

Elvira led the older woman out into the quiet hallway. She waited until Martha pulled the door shut behind them, sealing off the kitchen noise.

"Is everything alright, Miss Elvira?"

"In a way," Elvira began, letting her voice dip into a gentle tone. "It’s just that I heard about what happened... that the Luna lost her baby."

Martha’s face fell, her brow furrowing with grief. "It was a dark time, Miss Elvira. A shapeshifter caused it. Luna Alyssa was depressed for weeks. It was only through Alpha Dorian’s constant care that she pulled through."

"It must have been devastating," Elvira said, shaking her head as if fighting back tears. "No mother should ever have to lose a child. It’s a wound that never truly heals."

She knew precisely which nerve to press. Losing her own child years ago gave her a narrative to hide behind, and combined with Martha’s lingering debt of gratitude, the head cook was entirely defenseless against the manipulation.

As expected, Martha reached out, resting a comforting hand on Elvira’s arm.

"I can’t even bear to imagine what I would have done if I had lost my boy," Martha whispered softly. "If you hadn’t stepped in back then. I truly pray the Moon Goddess grants you another mate, Miss Elvira. So you can hold a child of your own again."

Elvira offered a small, tragic smile, pretending to dab at the corner of her eye. She had the woman exactly where she wanted her.

"Well," she continued smoothly, "I know how desperately Dorian has always wanted a family. He spoke of it constantly in the past. And I’m sure Luna Alyssa is anxious to conceive again after such a loss."

Reaching into her pocket, she pulled out the small silver box and held it out on her open palm.

"I spoke with Nina yesterday, and she prepared this," she explained in a low whisper. "It’s a rare blend of crushed herbs from her garden. It restores vitality and accelerates fertility for wolf pairings."

Martha’s eyes widened, a look of profound admiration spreading across her face. "Oh, Miss Elvira, that is so thoughtful of you. Luna Alyssa will be so moved..."

"You can’t tell her!" Elvira snapped, her voice cracking like a whip.

Martha recoiled slightly, startled by the sudden harshness in her tone.

Realizing her slip, Elvira instantly softened her expression, letting out a shaky breath as she forced a smile. "I’m sorry. It’s just that the Luna does not trust me, Martha. If she knows it came from my hands, her suspicion will get the better of her, and she will throw it away. But I genuinely just want to help them."

Martha’s shock quickly dissolved back into deep empathy. She nodded knowingly. "I completely understand. Given the tension, it’s best she doesn’t know. I will keep it entirely between us."

"Thank you, Martha," Elvira breathed, placing the box directly into the older woman’s hands. "Perhaps once she conceives and carries safely to term, we can tell her the truth. Maybe then she will see I am not her enemy."

"I am certain she will," Martha agreed, carefully sliding the container deep into the front pocket of her apron. "You have a good heart, Miss Elvira. I’ll make sure no one else knows."

​"I appreciate you. Just mix a small pinch into the Luna’s meals every morning and evening. Only her food. It’s formulated specifically for her condition, so Dorian shouldn’t ingest it. Can I rely on you?"

"Of course you can, Miss Elvira," Martha beamed, patting her apron pocket. "She will be in good hands."

"I’ll leave you to your work then."

Elvira offered a nod and turned on her heel, stepping down the hallway. The moment her back was to the kitchen door, her soft expression melted into a sharp, brittle smile of triumph.

That had been too easy.

Now, all that remained was patience. The powder would dissolve into Alyssa’s food, slowly eating away at her organs and corrupting her bloodstream from the inside out.

By the time the symptoms manifested into something lethal, it would look like a sudden, tragic failure of her immune system. No trace nor suspicion would fall on her.

And if investigators ever managed to trace the toxin back to the kitchen, Martha would make a convenient scapegoat to clean up the remaining loose ends.

She glided past the dining into the living room, casually turning on the television as if she didn’t have a single care in the world, and completely oblivious to the figure lingering in the alcove near the stairs.

Samantha stood against the wall, her breathing shallow as she watched Elvira settle onto the sofa.

She had heard every single word of the exchange between Elvira and Martha.

Waiting until Elvira was fully distracted, she pushed off the wall and retreated silently down the corridor, slipping into her room and locking the door behind her.

She sat on the edge of her mattress, her heart hammering against her ribs.

My instincts were right, she thought, her mind racing. Elvira is working with Conri. Her return wasn’t a desperate plea for forgiveness. It’s a calculated strike to poison Alyssa and destroy Dorian from within.

She stared down at her trembling hands. ​She had enough evidence to blow Elvira’s scheme wide open. She could walk straight up to Dorian, hand him the truth, and protect Alyssa, proving to Alec that she wasn’t the bitter, vengeful woman he assumed her to be.

Or she could stay silent.

She could step back, close her eyes, and pretend she knew nothing.

Dorian had cast her aside and humiliated her. Watching his world burn from the sidelines would be the ultimate revenge. But could she do it?

She closed her eyes as the weight of the secret settled heavily over the room. The choice was entirely hers.