The Secret Heirs of the Lycan King (by Misha K) novel Chapter 32

**When Midnight Winds Carry Secrets Toward Worlds Yet Unknown**

**Chapter 32**

**Maya**

Ever since that fateful day when Bella had the audacity to outsmart me and arrange an early meeting with Isla, I had been simmering with frustration. The very thought of it churned in my stomach like a stormy sea, and I could hardly contain my irritation.

As I stepped into the main room, the sight that greeted me was my Grandmother, deeply engrossed in a chaotic spread of papers and her tablet. Her glasses were precariously perched at the end of her nose, and she scrolled through the screen with an intensity that suggested she was on the verge of discovering something monumental. Her lips moved slightly, forming silent words that seemed to dance in the air around her.

“Grandma?” I called out, taking a few tentative steps closer to her. “What are you up to?”

Without lifting her gaze from the screen, she replied, “Looking for marriage counselors.”

“Marriage counselors?” I blinked, my brow furrowing in confusion. “For whom?”

At last, she looked up, tucking a rebellious strand of her silver hair behind her ear with a hint of exasperation. “For myself, of course! Who else would I be looking for them?” she quipped dryly, rolling her eyes as if I had asked the most ridiculous question in the world. “No, it’s for Bella. She and her husband are having a tough time. I believe a good counselor could help them navigate through this rough patch.”

Her words struck me like a physical blow to the gut. Bella and her husband—my jaw clenched involuntarily, the ache in my teeth a reminder of the anger bubbling within me.

Isla, ever the enthusiastic cheerleader, nodded eagerly, her excitement only fueling my irritation. “Yes! You should have seen them together! Oh, what a charming man he is! So well-mannered, incredibly handsome, and quite wealthy, too! He owns several businesses, I think. And the way he gazed at Bella! It was clear he still holds deep feelings for her.” She tsked and sighed dramatically. “Why on earth is Bella thinking about divorcing him?”

My hands balled into tight fists behind my back, the nails digging into my palms as I struggled to keep my composure. Since Bella’s visit to Grandmother, Isla had been singing her praises non-stop. What infuriated me the most was the fact that she was married to a man who was not only handsome but wealthy as well. And here was Grandmother, practically worshipping them.

I forced a smile, though it felt like a mask over my true feelings. “He must be quite the gentleman, indeed.”

“Oh, more than just a gentleman,” she sighed dreamily, her eyes sparkling with admiration. “The man looks as if he was carved from marble by the gods themselves. Such grace, such presence, such an aura! You’ll understand when you finally meet him.”

Meet him? Oh, I would certainly make that happen. The thought slithered into my mind like sweet poison. If Bella’s husband was truly richer and more handsome than Craig, then perhaps I could… reevaluate my own relationship priorities. After all, Bella’s marriage seemed to be teetering on the edge of disaster. She was far too soft-hearted to fight for a man who showed interest elsewhere. If I encountered him, I would undoubtedly attempt to charm him, to weave my Maya-magic around him.

The tantalizing prospect brought a genuine smile to my face for the first time that day. “Grandma, would you like to meet Bella again?”

Isla perked up at once, her eyes lighting up with excitement. “Do you know where she lives?”

“Yes, I do,” I replied smoothly, a plan already forming in my mind.

“Oh, wonderful!” she exclaimed, clapping her hands together like a child on Christmas morning. “Then let’s go see her!”

And so, within a mere fifteen minutes, I found myself seated beside Isla in her vintage car, my foot tapping anxiously against the floorboard. If it were up to me, Isla would have been long gone, perhaps residing in an old age home, far from my life. But my stepfather adored his mother and refused to entertain any notion of sending her away.

As we drove through the streets, I decided to probe the waters carefully. “Grandma, have you mentioned Bella to Father yet?”

She shook her head, her expression serious. “No, not yet. But I plan to soon. It’s about time she returns to the home where she truly belongs.”

My stomach twisted at the thought. That could not happen. If Bella returned, especially with her children in tow, my father’s weak heart would undoubtedly soften, and all the inheritance I had meticulously planned for myself would shift in her direction. Her twins would become the rightful heirs, and I couldn’t allow that to occur.

“I don’t think that’s a wise idea,” I interjected quickly, my voice laced with feigned concern.

Isla frowned, her expression turning skeptical. “Why not?”

“Because Father is too fragile to handle emotional upheavals,” I explained, adopting a sympathetic tone to mask my true intentions. “If he suddenly hears about Bella and her children, it could be too much for him. You know how delicate his condition is. We should break the news to him gradually.”

She narrowed her eyes at me, annoyance flickering across her face, but she seemed too weary to argue further. “Perhaps you’re right,” she conceded reluctantly.

I smiled sweetly, suppressing the urge to smirk. We arrived at the hotel where Bella had been staying, and Isla exited the car first, adjusting her shawl with a flourish as she approached the reception desk. I, however, slipped past her with a determined stride, eager to ask Bella to come down without her children tagging along.

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