After I Torched Alive, My Alpha Went crazy novel Chapter 182

Nova blinked, her confidence crumbling. "I… I didn’t mean to, Your Majesty," she stammered, her voice barely audible.

"You didn’t mean to?" Queen Luna repeated, her tone dripping with sarcasm. "Think about how your actions reflect on the rest of us. You’re embarrassing yourself and the palace."

"I’m sorry, Your Majesty," Nova mumbled, bowing her head. "It won’t happen again."

"See that it doesn’t," Queen Luna snapped before turning away. Nova quickly retreated into the crowd, her face flushed with humiliation.

As Nova disappeared into the crowd, murmurs followed in her wake, the guests quick to exchange glances and hushed words.

Some smirked at her downfall, while others watched Queen Luna with a mix of awe and unease. It was clear she commanded not only respect but also a sense of fear that kept everyone in line.

I couldn’t help but feel a twinge of sympathy for Nova, despite her arrogance. She had been humiliated publicly, her vibrant confidence dimmed in an instant.

Yet, I knew better than to dwell on it. In a place like this, weakness, whether exposed or felt, was never an asset.

My gaze drifted to Queen Luna, who now moved through the crowd with the poise of someone completely unbothered, as if the confrontation had never happened.

I watched the scene unfold, my frustration only growing.

As Queen Luna turned away, I made a move to approach her, determined to explain the truth about Estelle. But once again, Odette stopped me, stepping into my path, her presence calm yet firm.

"Let me go," I hissed, my voice low but heated, the frustration boiling over.

"No," Odette said firmly, her grip on my arm unyielding. "Carlos told me to stop you if you tried to interfere."

Her words hit me like a brick wall. "Why would he—?"

"Because he knows what he’s doing," Odette interrupted, her voice steady but tinged with urgency. "He asked me to tell you that he’ll explain everything to Queen Luna himself. He doesn’t want you involved."

A mix of guilt and anger swirled in me, leaving me feeling helpless. "He doesn’t have to do this," I muttered, clenching my fists in frustration.

Odette’s expression softened, her eyes steady as she tried to calm me. "He chose to. You need to trust him," she said gently, her tone laced with quiet reassurance.

Carlos’s POV

The atmosphere in the room felt as suffocating as the storm clouds gathering outside the window.

The weight of my father’s expectations, his scrutiny, and his disapproval settled over me like a leaden shroud.

He sat across from me at the massive oak table, his hands clasped tightly together. His expressions were grim.

"Grace," he began talking without preamble, in his sharp voice, "is not the kind of woman who should ever become Queen Luna. She’s calculating. I don’t trust her."

"Calculating women are dangerous, Carlos. They are driven by their own agendas, and they will use people to get what they want.

They play games, manipulate those around them, and disguise their true intentions. Trusting someone like that will only lead to betrayal in the end." His eyes locked onto me, as if daring me to argue.

"A woman like Grace may seem clever, but you can never be sure where her true loyalty lies. That’s why someone like her can never be the Queen Luna. She will always have ulterior motives, and a leader cannot afford to be surrounded by such deceit."