Marked By The Alpha's Cursed Blue Moon

Chapter 133: 133. Unforseen Test

Maria was in the room Mrs. Spencer had assigned her, sitting in silence as her thoughts spiraled through a maze of uncertainties.

The morning had started with an unexpected agreement over breakfast between herself, Mr. Frederick, and the one man she least expected to ever work with—Elijah Simons. Yet here she was, alone with her mind spinning.

"I don’t think I can trust Elijah Simons with anything," Maria muttered to herself, her eyes fixed on the ceiling. "He may be powerful and well-connected, but he’s also ruthless. He’ll do anything to get what he wants."

The look on her face was blank, but inside she was restless.

Maybe I should talk to Mr. Frederick, she thought. It might be wise to let him know how I feel before it gets too far. I need to know where he truly stands with Elijah.

Just as she was sinking deeper into her thoughts, a knock at the door pulled her back to the present. She flinched slightly, startled by the sudden interruption.

The knock came again, more deliberate this time.

"Who is it?" she asked.

"Mr. Frederick requests to see you in the living room," came a maid’s voice through the door. The sound of her footsteps retreating followed immediately.

Maria raised an eyebrow. She didn’t even wait for my reply... must be how they were trained here, she thought.

Without wasting time, Maria smoothed down her hair in front of the mirror, straightened her clothes, and walked out of the room toward the living room. noveldrama

Mr. Frederick was already seated, his usual calm and collected smile waiting to greet her.

"Good morning, Maria. Please, have a seat."

They exchanged greetings, and she sat close to him, noticing the seriousness in his gaze.

"I suppose you’re wondering why I called you down here," he began.

Maria nodded.

"First of all, I want to know what’s troubling you. Whatever it is, we can face it together."

Maria blinked, slightly surprised. No one had asked her that in a long time—not since her mother died. For a moment, the weight in her chest lifted.

"There are so many things, sir... I don’t think we can even finish discussing them all in one week. But I’ll start with what’s been on my mind lately."

"Go ahead. I’m listening," he said, leaning in slightly with genuine interest.

"I’ve been worried about Elijah Simons. I don’t feel safe trusting him. And there’s something else—do you know anything about my parents’ properties or what they truly left behind for me?"

Mr. Frederick paused. His expression became unreadable for a moment.

"I’m glad you brought up Elijah," he began slowly. "It means you know exactly what you want. I won’t lie to you—I don’t trust him either. But what he brings to our plans is chaos. That’s the edge we need. His brutality, his connections, his arrogance—they will be useful."

Maria exhaled deeply, nodding. She was relieved that Mr. Frederick shared her reservations.

"As for your parents’ properties," he added, "I don’t want to mislead you. I don’t have all the facts yet. But I promise, once I do, you’ll be the first to know."

"Even just a little information would help," Maria pressed gently.

"No," he said firmly. "I don’t speak on half-truths. But I will tell you this: your parents were very wealthy, and you are the rightful heir to a great deal."

Maria was stunned. The thought stirred up so many unanswered questions. If my parents were that rich, why did my father force me into a bond with Bernard? Why didn’t they protect me?

She stared off, lost in that storm of thoughts, when Mr. Frederick’s next words caught her completely off guard.

"Maria, haven’t you ever wondered how I know so much about you?"

Her breath caught in her throat. The question pierced through her mental haze like a dagger. For a moment, she was frozen, staring at him with wide eyes.

Mr. Frederick leaned back and held her gaze, serious and unreadable. Maria could barely process his words. Her mind was blank, a dull buzz echoing in her ears.

She opened her mouth, then closed it again, unsure what to say.

The silence that followed was thick, pressing down on both of them.

Maria realized then that there were even more secrets buried in her past—secrets Mr. Frederick might be tied to. And whatever truth was waiting to be revealed, it was likely more than she had prepared herself to face.

At that moment, Maria knew the only thing she could do without slipping into trouble was to act smart with her words and actions. If she wanted the truth from Mr. Frederick, she had to be composed and precise.

"Yes, of course, I’ve thought about it several times," Maria replied calmly, her voice steady despite the unease in her chest. She managed a soft smile. "But I decided not to bother you with the question yet. Now that you’ve brought it up, please, sir, let’s talk about it."

Mr. Frederick studied her for a second, then leaned back in his seat and began speaking.

"Firstly, let me tell you that I knew your father," he said. "Mr. Jackson was a very good friend of mine. We did business together for a while, and he was a man of great integrity. One of the many reasons I want to help you get justice for his death is because I respected him. Since you’ve always insisted their deaths weren’t accidents but murders, I will do everything within my power to help you uncover the truth. I trust and believe in you, Maria."

Maria felt a warm rush of gratitude. Those words were more than just comforting—they were empowering.

"Thank you, sir. Your words bring me peace," she replied softly, then paused. Curiosity still nagged at her. "But I have to ask, what kind of business did you and my father do together?"

Mr. Frederick gave her a long, thoughtful look.

"You really don’t know much about your father, do you?" he said. "He owned one of the country’s biggest estate management companies. That was just one of his ventures. I often consulted him on high-value properties. Every prediction and analysis he made about them came true. Your father was brilliant."

Maria sat frozen for a moment, both proud and ashamed. She didn’t know any of this. Her mind replayed moments she had ignored, pieces of her past that had never made sense. Her throat tightened with regret.

"These are things I want you to remember moving forward," Mr. Frederick continued. "Let them motivate you. Use this knowledge to stay focused on the goals ahead of you. We can look deeper into other matters when the time is right."

Maria nodded firmly. "Alright. Thank you, sir. I promise to follow all your instructions and work hard toward the plan. I won’t let you down."

Mr. Frederick smiled, a proud expression spreading across his face.

A few quiet seconds passed before he stood up, grabbing his car keys from the table. Maria noticed them immediately.

"I’m heading out to check on the movement of the Gilberts and the state of the park," he explained. "I won’t be long."

Maria tilted her head slightly and asked, "Sir, are you driving yourself?"

He chuckled. "No, my dear. But sometimes, if you want to find real answers in life, you have to learn how to move like a lone wolf."

She smiled faintly, and he gave her a reassuring nod before exiting the living room.

Left alone, Maria sat quietly for a moment, reflecting on the entire conversation. Every word Mr. Frederick said felt genuine, and the trust he placed in her made her feel seen and protected.

She stood slowly and made her way back to the room she had been given. Her thoughts followed her in waves, and with every step she took, she felt a deeper understanding of why Mr. Frederick had moved her into a different mansion. It wasn’t just about hiding her. It was about giving her a fresh start, free from the shadows of the past.

She couldn’t help but wonder who now owned the mansion she once shared with her parents. How had it been sold? By whom? Why?

Maria lay back on the bed, her mind spinning.

My freedom is coming, she thought with quiet certainty. I can feel it drawing closer. Let them keep looking for me. I’ll stay hidden until the perfect moment to strike comes. When it does, I’ll be ready.

A calm smile spread across her face as she stared up at the ceiling. For the first time in a long while, she felt hope whispering back to her.

***

Laura quickly made her way out of Gilbert’s mansion and without wasting any time, she rushed to get a cab that would take her down to Mrs Spencer’s place.

She was in the cab and her mind was very much unsettled, due to what she just heard about Maria and all she could just hope and think of, was to get to Mrs Spencer’s place and be able to get a solution to the problem.

For a large amount of time, she was in that cab; Laura was absent-minded and all her thoughts were on how Maria is missing and the guts Cassandra had to be doing some funny things with Bernard.

’What hurts me more, is the fact that I can not react to all this nonsense Cassandra is doing... I need to get Maria out and fast!’ Laura angrily thought those words to herself, as she looked very pissed off at that particular point in time.

After about ten to fifteen minutes, the driver stopped, as they reached her destination and it was when the driver noticed that she wasn’t saying anything, that he had to look back and he got to know that Laura was absent-minded.

"Hey, miss!" The driver snapped his fingers before her face and she immediately jumped out of her thoughts.

"We are here already... Please pay up, so I can take my leave!" The driver said, as she dipped her hand into her pause, brought out some money, paid him and she highlighted from the cab.

Laura made her way into Mrs Spencer’s house and straight to the living room, she walked.

Immediately after she arrived in the living room, she met Mrs Spencer and Hadizah seated side by side, as they were having some discussion and their voices were inaudible to Laura.

"Mrs Spencer, Maria has been kidnapped and no one knows her whereabouts!" Agonizingly, Laura uttered those words and fell to the ground.

Laura had tears flowing down her cheeks and to her greatest surprise, she saw both Mrs Spencer and Hadizah burst into laughter when they saw her crying...