Like a lizard that survived falling from a five-storey building, Naomi nodded her head in agreement to what Antonia said, "I'm with you in every step you take. I respect your decision,"
Antonia loved the sound of this. This is precisely what she wants; a girl she can control and influence her decision.
She tried to turn Ainar into her puppet but unfortunately, she wasn't successful.
Despite Ainar's soft nature, she was a hard nut for Antonia to handle.
"Wow!" Adolphus widened his mouth in astonishment as Antonia walked in with Naomi.
"Who's this beauty goddess?" He asked Antonia.
He could barely recognise Naomi anymore. Her sudden transformation stunned him.
"Come on brother, this is Naomi, your new Luna," Antonia revealed to Adolphus. She wants to believe that he's pulling her legs.
"This is incredible. How's that even possible?" He was still in shock.
He had to clean the dirt off his eyes to be certain they weren't leading him astray.
"You asked me to get her cleaned up, didn't you?" Antonia reminded Adolphus to set his mind back to the order he passed to her some hours ago.
"Goodness me," he exclaimed. "How on earth did I forget that?"
"Please come over here," He widened his arms to embrace Naomi.
Naomi hesitated. She never tried to meet with Adolphus or accept the hug from him.
She still wasn't sure if Adolphus meant it or if he was just pulling her leg.
The last time she checked, he didn't give her the warm reception she expected from him when she first got in. Suddenly, he's now acting as if he cares about her the most.
"Should I?" Naomi beckoned to Antonia for a way out.
She has suddenly made Antonia her spokesperson and light at the end of the tunnel.
"Of course, you should," as expected, Antonia encouraged Naomi.
This has been her wish for a long time. Now she's excited that it's working for her.
She is more elated knowing that it's Adolphus who made the first move and not the other way around.
Like a robotic lab experiment, Naomi walked majestically to dive straight into Adolphus's arms.
It still feels like a dream to her. She needs someone to wake her up from her slumber and send her back to reality.
And when Adolphus kissed her forehead, her soul melted. This is the best moment of her life.
She reciprocates the gesture by planting a soft kiss on his lips.
"Hello, guys," Antonia cleared her throat to distract them from getting intimate.
"I guess I need to leave you two alone," she teased them and walked away.
Even if this is the only sensible thing she'd be remembered for after her death, she'd be pleased knowing that she made a difference.
This time, she left for good, unlike the last time when she was peeping to see if Adolphus would fall for Naomi's charm.
"I don't need any more confirmation. He's certainly not getting away from this one,"
Antonia spoke to herself while returning to her quarters.
She was so rooted in her mood of celebration that she noticed her mother, Michelle standing at her door entrance.
"Mother?" She freaked out. "What the heck are you doing here? You fucking scared me,"
"Mind your language, lady," her mother scolded with a calm but commanding tone.
"I demand an apology," she coerced Antonia into apologising for the tone of voice used earlier
"I'm sorry, mum." Antonia apologised with a grumpy face.
She can smell trouble lingering around, but she just can't lay her hands on it.
Her mother doesn't just show up at her doorstep, but when she does, it calls for serious concern.
"Come with me. I wish to have a talk with you," her mother beseeched her.
She walked into Antonia's quarters. She expected Antonia to join her.
None of that happened. Rather, Antonia stood at the door to look at her mother funnily.
Her mother never replied or retaliated. However, just a commanding stare was enough to call her to order. She wasn't even aware when she joined her mother inside.
"What do you want to discuss with me, mother?" Antonia initiated the conversation.
They haven't started yet, and she desperately wants it to end. She'd give up a fortune to see her mother leave right now.
These two are always at loggerheads. Antonia's mother has a solid connection with Adolphus more than Antonia herself.
"I heard you were in the slave quarters with a mystery girl. Who's she?" Her mother spoke without beating around the bush.
She knows Antonia too well. She is aware that Antonia is capable of denying it, hence her decision to get straight to the point.
"She's got a name, mother. She's not mysterious," Antonia frowned.
"Oh, she does?" Her mother replied sarcastically. "Well, it won't be a bad idea for you to spill."
"She's Naomi, Adolphus new Luna," Antonia disclosed and pretended as though nothing had been said.
She certainly knows the kind of reaction to expect from her mother.
"This is a joke, right?
When are you going to debunk it?" Michelle doubted Antonia, just as predicted.
"Mom, I've never been this serious all my life," Antonia said, as if she wanted to leave.
"Sit your ass down, Antonia. We aren't done with this conversation," she ordered Antonia again.
She's the only one who troubles Antonia and makes her want to have crazy nightmares every day.
"Is your brother aware of this? Are you aware that Ainar is yet to be found? What do you think will happen when she returns to discover that a total stranger has taken her place"?
"Mum," Antonia screamed in the loudest voice. "Can you stop talking about that lowlife called Ainar?"
"She's gone and never gonna return to this pack anymore. We just need to move on from her,"
"No way," Her mother stood up in full force. "I call the shots here and not you,"
"You call the shots?" She mocked her mother with wicked laughter that pierced her heart like a dagger.
"Remind me who the leader of the pack is again? You're not even the queen mother." Antonia erupted like a volcano.
She was simply untouchable. She spoke to her mother as though they were rivals who married the same man.
"How dare you?" Mitchell lost her cool and slapped Antonia in the face.
It was a very heavy slap. The type that made Antonia's face reddish as though she had been stung by a bee.
"Mother, you slapped me?" Antonia held her chin in pain.
She tried her best to fight the tears from dropping her chin, and she failed.
This is the first time her mother has ever raised her hands to hit her since her birth.
She never saw that coming. That explains her complacency and calculations that resulted in the target slap to her face.
"Yes, I did. I will do that a thousand times if you choose to be a bitch," Her mother owned up to her shit.
Despite her age, she still seemed forceful and courageous.
"I regret having you as a daughter. You disgust me," Mitchell made the bold statement.
She cursed the day she had Antonia. Mitchell told Antonia to her face that she wished she had aborted the Pregnancy when she was pregnant with her.
Those words increased the tears dropping from Antonia's eyes; they both nearly got drawn into her pool of tears.
"Maybe you should have aborted the pregnancy when you ought to. You're the worst person I've ever met in my life," Antonia retaliated.
She did it in such a way that her mother wished she never had to hit Antonia.
That was the last thing Antonia said before the exit. She left in frustration and nearly slammed the door in her mother's face.
A thousand times her mother called, not once did Antonia respond. She treated her mother like a total stranger.
"Is she really my daughter? Was she swapped at the hospital when she was born?" Mitchell panicked. That's one of the thoughts running through her mind right now.
"I need to inform the elders about it. Adolphus can't get married when Ainar is still out there," she vowed.
She tossed off the sofa and headed for the elders' council. She's prepared to put an end to this madness, regardless of whether it will affect her relationship with Antonia or Adolphus.
She puts her trust in the elders. She's so confident that they will raise a notion that's capable enough of changing Adolphus' thoughts and also make him understand that he's making a big mistake by getting married to Naomi.
"The moon guardian,"
She thought it was another solution. "She must hear about this. Of course, she will. Adolphus listens to her better than anyone. He won't dare disobey her,"