Chapter 464
Chapter 464
3rd Person’s POV
The moment Lylah stepped into view, conversations died mid-sentence.
They avoided her gaze altogether.
Only Seraphina stepped forward.
She wore an expression of carefully crafted surprise.
“What are all of you doing?” she scolded lightly. “Don’t spread rumors if you don’t even know whether the news is true p>
“Seraphina, you need to see this for yourself p>
One of the volunteers handed her the paper.
Seraphina unfolded it.
A heartbeat later, her hand flew to her mouth.
“Oh, Goddess.” The performance was flawless.
Shock widened her eyes.”This is awful p>
Her voice carried just enough volume for everyone nearby to hear.
“You were sent here on an honorable mission, Lylah. And this is what you’ve been doing?” She shook her head in apparent disbelief. Her gaze slid toward Lylah. “Not to mention what this means for Alpha Ezra p>
Lylah felt the first crack in her patience.
Without a word, she stepped forward.
Seraphina handed her the newspaper. “Look at this, Lylah.” Her tone dripped with condemnation. “You should be embarrassed p>
Lylah lowered her gaze.
The photograph dominated nearly half the page.
For a split second, her stomach dropped. It was the dinner from last night when she and Jude were sitting beside the bonfire.
But the image had been altered. The volunteers from Jude’s team had been removed entirely. What remained was a carefully edited picture that made it appear as though she and Jude had spent the evening
alone beneath the stars.
The accompanying headline was even worse.
Every sentence twisted the truth.
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Every paragraph framed her as an unfaithful Luna sneaking behind her mate’s back.
Lylah’s fingers tightened around the
paper.
“Disgraceful.” Seraphina folded her arms.
“We allowed you to work beside him because we believed you were helping the outreach mission. And this is how you repay the trust that has been placed in you? You’ve tarnished Lunar Grace’s reputation p>
She tilted her head.
“And I have no doubt Alpha Ezra has already seen this p>
Lylah’s face remained perfectly calm.
Only the tightening of her clenched fists betrayed her emotions.
This was a lie.
Every part of it.
Turning on her heel, she walked away without another word.
Inside her cabin, Lylah shut the door behind her.
Her pulse hammered against her throat as she reached for her phone.
The screen lit up with dozens of unread worried messages from Tiara and Iris.
The article had spread rapidly.
Her heart sank.
Without hesitation, she pressed Ezra’s contact.
The call connected almost immediately.
“Lylah p>
The sound of his voice nearly shattered her composure.
“It was a lie. Ezra, the article is false p>
“My love p>
“It was edited. The picture. Someone altered it. They removed everyone else and made it look like Jude and I were alone. They framed it with lies and twisted narratives. Someone is deliberately trying to damage my reputation. I would never betray you. Someone set me up so you p>
“Lylah.” His voice had changed.
Gone was the warmth from earlier.
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15:56 Sat, Jun 13 M
Chapter 461
The deep, commanding tone of an Alpha filled the line. His voice grew colder.
“You don’t need to say any of that. I don’t like it p>
She froze. “Ezra… do you not believe me p>
“No.” A dangerous growl threaded through his words. “Not that. I don’t like it because you seem to think I would believe a newspaper over my own Luna p>
The breath caught in her lungs.
“And that means someone has convinced you that I would doubt you. I trust you p>
The simple words struck harder than any declaration.
Lylah’s chest tightened.
“I’ve already ordered my people to track the source of the article.” His voice remained calm.
“They’re identifying everyone involved. And when they do, I’ll handle it.” Something predatory stirred beneath those words. “You don’t owe me explanations, Lylah p>
Emotion clogged her throat.
Before she could gather herself, a knock sounded at the door.
It opened a moment later, revealing one of the volunteers.
“The council has requested your presence. They’ve gathered everyone on the central lawn.” She said “They want you to publicly explain the situation p>
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The Betrayed Princess Rising