Another Chance for the Luna Queen

Chapter 0261

Ella POV

The rest of the day was consumed by phone calls and texting, especially with Elizabeth. She had known, of course, that her father planned to announce his retirement, but she hadn't been able to say anything beforehand.

Now, she was eager to talk about it with someone. Her father had been king since before she was born; she'd never known any other life. I couldn't blame her for having mixed feelings.

"I feel like it's my fault," she admitted. "When I told him about Damien, I mentioned being worried about the paparazzi and the family's reputation. I hope that's not why he decided to do this."

"I'm sure it's not," I replied. "This isn't the type of decision anyone makes lightly. He must have had a lot of reasons for deciding to step down now."

"It makes me nervous," Elizabeth confessed. "My life is going to change so much. I'm excited about it, but I also don't know if I'll be able to adjust."

"You will," I assured her. "You'll have help-Damien and I will have your back."

She giggled softly in response, and I rolled my eyes. Even the mere mention of Damien was enough to lift Elizabeth's mood. I wondered what it was like to feel that kind of love-sick devotion.

Maybe once, I would have thought I knew. But now...

It was getting late, but Alexander still hadn't come up from the office, so I wasn't in any rush to get off the phone. Elizabeth and I hadn't had a chance to talk in nearly a week, and it was nice to reconnect with her.

"It's all over the news already," Elizabeth noted. "People are already speculating about the cause, starting rumors.

"I'm sure he was prepared for that, too," I said. "After we spoke to him, he said he needed to address the media."

"He did," Elizabeth said. "Didn't you see the conference?"

press

"No," I admitted. "My mind's been occupied with other things."

Alexander had given me access to all the information he had on Dr. McIntyre, hoping something might click for me. So far, it hadn't-except for remembering who her parents were.

Her father had been a doctor caught stealing medications and selling them on the black market. It wasn't his first offense; he had a history of indiscretions as a young man. Due to his repeated violations, he'd been given a choice: relinquish his medical license or face banishment. He refused to give up his license, and the latter punishment was enforced.

Her mother had stood by him, and during the investigation, it was revealed that she had been involved in the scheme. She shared her husband's fate.

Brianna, already an adult but still quite young, hadn't been implicated in her parents' crimes, so no action was taken against her. In fact, no one seemed to notice when she disappeared.

It was simply assumed that she'd moved to the capital or somewhere else to escape the scandal. Alexander had explained to me that it's relatively easy for someone without a high profile to disappear and start over. He believed Brianna had likely contacted someone in the Roguelands to create fake documents, allowing her to return under an assumed name.

The thought frightened me. I knew almost nothing about the Roguelands, only that it was a place to avoid at all

Chapter 0261

costs.

The no-man's land between the North and South Kingdoms was said to be filled with those banished by both. Some claimed it was a hidden society, while others insisted it was a lawless wasteland. The truth was probably somewhere in between, though I hoped never to find out.

I couldn't imagine how desperate for revenge Brianna must have been to venture there.

“Ella, did you hear me?" Elizabeth asked, pulling me from my thoughts.

I shook my head to clear the haze and focused on the phone "Sorry, I didn't. What did you say?"

"I said there are already articles speculating about who's going to run.

Alexander's name is high on the list." "That's good," I replied, keeping my tone steady. "He does plan to run. Your father's already given his blessing."

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