Underwater: The Silent Luna novel Chapter 151

Chapter 151

Cynthia smiled back, but it was a smile with teeth hidden in it.

Looking at Ashley, and thinking of Joseph, Cynthia came to an easy conclusion. The only reason Ashley had any place in Josephis life at all was probably because she was pregnant with his child. That was it. That was the hook. Knowing Ashley the way she already had begun to know her, Cynthia suspected the pregnancy had not been some tender accident. No. Ashley was exactly the kind of woman who would get pregnant on purpose if she thought it would secure her footing. She would trap a man and then call

it fate.

The thought amused Cynthia so much that she laughed out loud.

Ashley blinked at her, confused.

“What’s funny?”

Cynthia shook her head and let the laugh taper slowly.

“You are a lot wiser than I gave you credit for.”

Ashley smiled immediately, foolish enough to take it as praise.

“You knew he wouldn’t settle down with you, so you got knocked up for it. You are more vicious than me, Ashley.”

The smile died from Ashley’s face so quickly it almost made Cynthia laugh again. Good. There. Right where she wanted her.

Flustered. Exposed. Angry.

“I beg your pardon?”

Ashley sounded offended now, and Cynthia felt a sharp little pleasure at that.

“You heard me, Ashley.”

Ashley’s temper finally rose.

“You are just jealous, Cynthia. You could not realise your dream, but I am. You walked away and went to Sabastien, hoping he would make you proud. Now that he is a packless wolf, you returned with your tail between your legs, hoping Ethan would take you back, but he rejected you for a mute. You should be ashamed of yourself.”

There it was. The pretence gone. The girl’s real spite spilling out at last. Cynthia listened without flinching. Then she laughed.

Not because it was funny.

Because Ashley had been stupid enough to think she had the stronger position.

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Chapter 151

“Says a girl that lied that she was Luna. I have known that Meadow was Luna from day one, but I humoured you. Joseph doesn’t even value you. At least I had the decency to walk away and accept defeat. You have nothing, Ashley, and the earlier you see it, the

better.”

Ashley’s face changed. Cynthia saw the first real crack there. Not irritation. Not petty anger. Fear.

Cynthia kept going because she wanted blood now.

“I was with Joseph this morning; he does not care for you. I can take him away from you anytime, but I choose to be kind. Do not

abuse my kindness, Ashley.”

The lie hit exactly where Cynthia intended it to. Ashley looked genuinely shaken. Cynthia had found the right place to wound her,

and she pressed.

“Liar, he would not betray me.”

Cynthia laughed softly.

“Keep telling yourself that. You had to get pregnant for him to want to settle down with you. How long does it take to settle down, Ashley? He called me to his office this morning. If you do not believe me, you could ask his stepfather.”

She let that sit there. Let it poison Ashley’s confidence exactly the way she wanted. Then she shifted as if to stand, pretending she was done, knowing Ashley would panic before letting the conversation end there.

“Wait.”

Cynthia sat back slowly, victory already warming through her.

“I am sorry I said mean things to you. Thank you for refusing him.”

Ashley’s voice had softened. The pride in it was gone. Good. She was exactly where Cynthia wanted her now, apologising, grasping, afraid that another woman could take her place.

Cynthia smiled.

“I do not want Joseph. It is Ethan that I want, and I need your help with it. We both know Joseph will never let you be Luna. The least you can do is help me out. At least you get to keep Joseph and spend the McCloud money regardless.”

Ashley sighed. Cynthia watched the conflict move across her face. The dislike. The greed. The fear. The reluctance. As much as Ashley hated Meadow, some part of her still knew the line she was being asked to approach was ugly. Cynthia could see that. But Ashley’s bigger fear was not Meadow. It was losing Joseph. Cynthia had read that clearly enough now. Ashley believed Cynthia could take her man if she wanted to. That belief mattered more than any scruple she had.

After a moment, Ashley nodded reluctantly.

Cynthia smiled wider then, genuinely pleased.

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Chapter 151

She had her.

Not fully yet. But enough.

When Ashley left the diner, she looked sad. Disturbed too. She had entered the whole game lightly, treating the lies and the sneaking and the fake Luna performance like some silly fun she could manage. But now Cynthia’s threat had made it feal for her. Now the possibility of losing Joseph had entered it. Now Ashley understood that Cynthia was not just a spiteful old ex lingering in

the background. She was a danger.

Ashley regretted, in that moment, not listening to Joseph when he warned her. It had only been a matter of days and Cynthia had already shown her true colour. That frightened her more than she wanted to admit.

As she walked away, Ashley did not know who to tell. She did not know who would hear her without immediately asking why she had been with Cynthia in the first place. She hated Meadow. Deeply enough that the idea of helping anybody against her should have been easy. But this felt different now. Too dirty. Too uncertain. Too close. As much as Ashley disliked Meadow, she would rather have Meadow as her enemy than Cynthia. At least Meadow was visible. Cynthia smiled while deciding how to ruin people.

Ashley knew she had to act fast in case things got worse. And because she was frightened enough now to abandon pride, she decided she would confess everything to Luna Amber. That felt safer. Cleaner. Amber would be angry, yes. Disappointed too. But Ashley told herself that all she had really done was lie. She had not plotted murder. She had not attacked anyone. She had exaggerated. Pretended. Enjoyed being treated as more important than she was. That was all. And surely Luna Amber, for all her sternness, could forgive that once the truth came out.

Ashley did not know what Cynthia was planning exactly, but she doubted the woman truly wanted Ethan for love. Something else sat under all of this. Ashley felt that now, and the feeling made her uneasy enough to stop playing games.

Back at home, the moment Cynthia returned, her phone started ringing again.

For one brief second she assumed it might be Ashley already, calling back in panic or with some useful detail. Cynthia was still enjoying the sweetness of what had happened at the diner, still turning over Ashley’s frightened face in her mind, relishing the victory. But the moment she looked at the screen and saw who it really was, all of that pleasure vanished.

Her body went cold.

Nervousness rushed in hard and fast, and by the time she answered, her fingers already felt weaker.

“Hello.”

The word barely left her mouth before the voice on the other end snapped at her.

“What the fuck is taking you so long?”

Cynthia.

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Underwater: The Silent Luna