Marked By Destiny: Claimed By Three Alpha Brothers-Chapter 180: She’s lying, Ronan

"Leia, you should really inform Lucien and the others," Rhea said as they came to a halt in the hospital lobby. The man they had helped was already taken to a ward for treatment, leaving both of them waiting anxiously.

"I don’t want to trouble them," Leia murmured.

"But we’ll be here until the doctors come out and tell us if he’s stable or not," Rhea reminded her gently.

Leia let out a soft sigh. "You see, I’m trying not to be such a burden to them. Every time I leave their sight, something happens. It’s like I carry trouble with me wherever I go. I hope you understand what I mean."

"I do," Rhea assured her. She gestured toward the nearby seats, and they both sat down. "But this was just a coincidence. You weren’t at fault."

Leia bit her lip, her expression somber. "Still, it feels like whenever I try to handle something on my own, I end up in the middle of a disaster. Not that today was a disaster, no one could have predicted a man would crash his bike right in front of your house."

Rhea shook her head. "Don’t overthink it. This time, fate just played a strange hand. That’s all."

Leia gave a faint hum before her lips curled into a warm smile. "Thank you, Rhea. You know, I’ve been betrayed by people I trusted before, and it made me hesitant to believe in friendships again. But you’re... different. You’re truly a kind friend." 𝒇𝒓𝙚𝒆𝔀𝓮𝓫𝒏𝓸𝙫𝓮𝓵.𝓬𝙤𝙢

She reached out, squeezing Rhea’s hand. Before Rhea could reply, a deep masculine voice cut through the quiet lobby.

"Did you two bring in the patient named Zavien Doren?"

Startled, both women instantly rose to their feet and nodded.

"Yes, what happened?" Rhea asked nervously, her gaze flicking to the silver insignia pinned to the man’s chest, the Sentinel badge gleaming on the left side of his attire.

Leia frowned. "But who are you? A friend of his?"

"No." The man’s voice was clipped, controlled. "I’m a Sentinel. Samuel Mione." He held up his identification for a brief second before sliding it back into his coat. His eyes sharpened as he continued, "Did you notice anything unusual? Perhaps foul play?"

"Foul play?" Leia repeated, confused. "The bike just skidded. We heard the crash and rushed outside. That’s all. I don’t think this accident requires Sentinel involvement."

Samuel’s brows knit together, a flicker of irritation in his expression. "Miss, answer the questions I ask. You don’t need to explain what my duty requires."

"Mr. Mione, watch your tone. You’re speaking to the pack’s Luna," Rhea cut in firmly, her voice rising with defiance. Leia shot her a sharp look, but Rhea quickly amended, "I mean, our soon-to-be Luna."

Samuel stiffened, his composure faltering as he was shocked. "Leia Solayne?" His voice dropped, carrying both disbelief and sudden respect.

"Yes," Leia confirmed though her stomach tightened at the weight of the eyes now fixed on her. "I don’t know what you’re investigating, Sentinel, but I assure you, we have nothing to do with it."

"I’m sorry, Miss Solayne," Samuel said, his tone softening now that he recognized her. "The accident was reported to me while I was on patrol. I inspected the site, and..." His voice lowered slightly, carrying the weight of his suspicion. "The evidence suggests the crash wasn’t an accident. It looked deliberate."

Leia’s brows furrowed. "Deliberate? Why would someone want to cause it?" Her confusion rang genuine, though unease tugged at her voice.

Samuel straightened, his face unreadable. "That, Miss, is what I intend to find out. Once Zavien regains consciousness, I’ll interrogate him. Until then, nothing can be confirmed."

His sharp eyes drifted back to her. "But tell me what are you doing here alone, Miss Solayne? Does Alpha Lucien know you’re at this hospital?"

Leia stiffened at the mention of his name. "No, he doesn’t. And you won’t tell him either," she said firmly. Her voice softened into a quiet plea. "I don’t want him or the others burdened with worry."

She gripped Rhea’s hand tightly and added quickly, "Since you’re here, you can oversee the patient yourself. Rhea and I will be leaving."

Before Samuel could object, Leia tugged Rhea along, and the two women hurried down the corridor.

Outside, Leia waved down a taxi, and they climbed in quickly. Rhea gave the driver her address and leaned back against the seat with a sigh, still shaken.

"I don’t think the Sentinel will keep it a secret," Rhea murmured, worry flickering in her eyes.

Leia kept her gaze fixed on the window, watching the city lights smear into streaks of gold and white as the car sped forward. "I’ll tell Lucien once we reach your home," she said at last, her voice low but firm.

Yet no matter how she tried to calm herself, Samuel’s words kept replaying in her mind.

Her fingers curled against her lap as a shiver ran down her spine. ’But why? Who would stage something like that, right in front of Rhea’s house?’

~~~~~

Lucien entered the living room quietly after making sure his grandmother was resting peacefully. The glow of the fireplace cast long shadows across the room, where Ronan and Kieran were still seated.

"Why are you both still awake?" Lucien asked, his brows furrowing.

Ronan exchanged a glance with Kieran before leaning forward. "Because there’s something important I need to share with you. I asked Delia to describe Aaron’s appearance. Since we couldn’t dig up any information about him online, I thought perhaps a sketch could give us a lead."

Lucien’s eyes sharpened with interest. "And? What did she say?"

"She can’t remember," Ronan admitted with a sigh. "Delia said it was only once, and for a brief moment. She claims her memory of him is blurred."

Kieran chuckled in disbelief. "We shouldn’t believe her. Not a single word. She’s a master of half-truths."

Lucien’s gaze narrowed. "What about Eshira? Did she ever cross paths with Aaron?"

Ronan shook his head. "No. She said Aaron never dealt with her directly. He gave orders only through his assistant, and that man’s face is just as much of a mystery."

Lucien lowered himself to the chair. "Then keep pressing Delia. If she wants freedom, she’ll dangle the truth as her bargaining chip. She’ll tell you eventually, but only when it benefits her."

For a moment, silence hung between them until Ronan added, "Maybe. But when I spoke to her... I sensed regret. Genuine regret. She said she should have trusted Leia from the beginning. It’s eating at her."

Lucien’s eyes darkened, unreadable. "Regret doesn’t erase betrayal. She’ll have to prove her words before I believe a single breath from her mouth."

"You’re right," Ronan conceded. "I’ll make sure she remembers Aaron’s face. But when you only see someone once, just for a brief moment, the memory can’t be sharp."

Lucien’s eyes hardened. "I agree. But Delia isn’t ordinary. She’s a witch. Witches remember details most forget. She’s lying, Ronan. And I know you go soft where Leia is concerned, but don’t let Delia fool you."

Before Ronan could reply, Lucien’s phone buzzed in his pocket. He pulled it out, and the tension in his expression eased into a smile when he saw the name flashing on the screen. Without hesitation, he answered and switched it to speaker.

"Why aren’t you asleep yet?" Lucien asked, his voice gentler than before.

"Something happened," Leia’s voice came through.

Lucien immediately straightened. Kieran leaned forward, alarm flashing across his face. "Are you alright?"

"We’re coming over there," Ronan said firmly, already half rising to his feet.

"Wait," Leia cut in quickly. "Just listen to me first. An accident happened outside Rhea’s house. We called the ambulance and took him to the hospital. That’s all."

A heavy silence lingered on the line.

"I only called to inform you," Leia said at last. "There’s no need for any of you to come here."

"Rest assured, we won’t," Lucien replied. "Not unless you’re in danger. Still, you shouldn’t have gone to the hospital in the first place."

"The man fainted, Lucien. We couldn’t just leave him there," Leia reasoned softly. "We stayed until he was admitted. But then a Sentinel showed up, so Rhea and I returned home."

"Good," Lucien murmured after a pause. His voice softened. "Did you at least have dinner?"

"Yes," Leia answered. "Rhea and I ate just a little while ago. We’re planning to watch a movie before bed." She hesitated before asking, "What about you three?"

"We ate an hour ago," Lucien replied.

"Great. Then, good night. Sleep well," she said and hung up.

"I thought you would yell at her," Kieran remarked.

"I have promised myself to let Leia do what she desires. I don’t want to fight with her all the time," Lucien answered.

"That’s good. Leia wanted this kind of understanding from you."

"Whenever Leia goes somewhere, she gets into trouble. Isn’t that strange?" Ronan suddenly said.

"But this time no such thing happened," Kieran said. Lucien agreed with his statement.

"However, an accident happened right outside Rhea’s house. I think something is off," Ronan asserted, rising to his feet.