Chapter 7 Chapter 7

IRENE'S POV

At that moment, Luke entered the room, his face exuding anger at it's peak. I saw the fire in his eyes, but before I could stop him, he began to speak, his words sharp and direct.

"Luke," I stared at him, surprised. I didn't know Maria was expecting him.

"Surprised to see me, right?" He taunted, winking at me.

"You-"

Luke cut me off before I could speak. "You see, Irene, why don't you just tell mum all that really happened?"

"I don't get what you're saying, Luke."

His words left me wondering if he probably listened in on my conversation with Maria from the very beginning.

"Mum, she's all lies," Luke said, glaring at me.

Maria's eyes widened in confusion. "What do you mean, Luke?"

He turned to me, his expression unyielding. "Why don't you tell her what really happened, Irene? Why don't you tell her how Thea became the betrayer who slept with your husband?"

Maria gasped, her hand flying to her mouth. "What? No, that can't be true. Tell me that's not true."

There was a moment of silence.

I reached out to calm Luke, but he brushed my hand away. I didn't want Maria to know about it just so that her condition won't aggravate. But here we stood with everything out in the open.

Maria tightened her grip on my hand, trying to hold still. "Irene, tell me it's not true"

Luke spoke up instead, "It's true, Mum. Matthew and Thea have been seeing each other behind Irene's back. She didn't want to tell you because she knew it would break your heart."

Maria's face turned pale, and she swayed on her feet. I could see the shock and pain in her eyes, the betrayal cutting deep.

"Is this true, Irene?" she asked again, her voice barely above a whisper. It was obvious she needed words of confirmation from me.

Tears welled up in my eyes as I nodded.

"Yes, Maria. It's true. I'm so sorry." I uttered on a low tone, holding back my tears as the memory was still fresh in my mind.

Maria's legs gave out beneath her, and she collapsed to the floor. Luke and I both rushed to her side, calling out for help. The room seemed to spin as panic set in.

"Doctor! We need a doctor!" Luke shouted, his voice echoing down the hallway.

Within moments, medical staff arrived, and they quickly assessed Maria's condition.

"Please, you need to stay outside for now." A nurse said to Luke and me and we complied.

Outside, Luke and I didn't speak to each other. We stood there with the hopes that nothing went wrong.

After what looked like hours, the doctor came out with the attendant nurses behind him.

"She's stable now. But we'll need to wait for the test results to know her present health condition."

"Thank you, doctor." I said and entered the ward again with Luke behind me.

I sat beside Maria's hospital bed, her frail hand clutched in mine. The beeping of the monitors and the sterile smell of the room amplified the severity of the situation. Luke paced back and forth in silence, his face a mask of worry and frustration. We were both caught off guard when the door burst open, and Matthew and Thea stormed in.

Thea's eyes immediately locked onto me, her face twisted in fury.

"This is all your fault!" she spat, pointing an accusatory finger at me. "If you hadn't meddled, Mum wouldn't be in this state!"

I held her gaze, refusing to back down. "Thea, this is on you and Matthew. Your affair, your lies-those are what broke her heart."

"Are you insane? I didn't come here to rant like some sulking child like you did and you're claim–"

"That's enough, please. Since you developed the habit of being thoughtless, you can keep it with you till you get back to your home. Try to be a thoughtful daughter here in the hospital."

Before Thea could retort, the doctor came in, his face grave. He looked directly at me, a flicker of recognition in his eyes.

"What's wrong, doctor?"

"Luna, her condition is critical. She requires surgery immediately."

Thea's face turned a deep shade of red. "She's not the Luna anymore!" she shrieked, glaring at the doctor. "I am! And you will address me as such!"

The doctor's eyes darted between us, confusion and unease etched on his face. He respected me as the Luna deeply, the whole pack does; and seeing the discord was clearly unsettling.

"I apologize, but whatever is going on here is not important as my patient's health is."

Matthew stepped forward, with a stern expression.

"Thea, enough. This is not the time for this." He placed a hand on her arm, but she shook it off, her rage unabated.

"I need to sign the consent form!" Thea insisted, her voice growing louder. "Irene has no authority here!"

The doctor remained firm. "With all due respect, ma'am, Luna Irene is respected many in the pack and since she's here, we need her to sign for her mother, Maria to get the surgery she needs."

"Much love, doc" I applauded inwardly. I loved his choice of words and emphasis on the word 'Luna' and 'mother'.

Matthew sighed, running a hand through his hair. He shot Thea a disapproving look.

"This isn't helping. We need to focus on Maria's health."

Thea glared at him, clearly not used to being contradicted.

"You're taking her side now? After everything we've been through?"

Matthew's eyes hardened. "This isn't about sides, Thea. It's about doing what's right for Maria."

I stood up, stepping towards the doctor. "I'll sign the form. Just like you said, Maria's health is the priority here."

Thea looked like she might explode. "This isn't over, Irene. You're not the Luna, and you never will be again!"

Ignoring her, I took the pen from the doctor and signed the consent form.

"Do whatever it takes to save her," I said, my voice steady despite the turmoil inside me.

The doctor nodded, relief evident on his face. "Thank you, Luna. We'll take her into surgery right away." He hurried off, leaving the four of us in tense silence.

Matthew turned to Thea, his face full of anger and disappointment.

"We need to talk," he said quietly.

"What is there to talk about?" she snapped. "She's undermining us!"

Matthew shook his head. "You're not seeing the bigger picture. The pack already respects Irene, and your behavior is only making things worse."

Thea's eyes narrowed. "You're blaming me for this?"

"I'm saying we need to handle this better," Matthew replied, his tone firm. "Maria's health is on the line, and all you can think about is your title."

Thea looked like she might argue, but then she seemed to realize the gravity of the situation.

"Fine," she said through gritted teeth. "But this isn't over."

Thea shot me a pointed look, then looped her arm through Matthew's and announced with a smile, "We'll be having our wedding in a week's time. Luke, I hope you and the others will attend. Of course, Irene, you're welcome as well if you wish."

My fists clenched, but thinking of all they would face, I couldn't help but smile. "Of course, I'll have a surprise in store for you both."

Matthew frowned and pulled Irene away,leaving Luke and me alone once more.

I let out a breath, realizing I needed to accelerate my plans to bring down Matthew.

"I'm sorry you had to deal with that," Luke said, softly.

"It's okay," I replied, though it wasn't. None of this was okay, but I had to keep moving forward.