The Silent Luna's Trial (Maple and Finn) novel Chapter 65

Chapter 11

For days on end, Ryan scoured every corner in search of Tessa, yet no sign of her emerged. It was as if she had simply disappeared into thin air, leaving no clue behind. The gnawing anxiety consumed him relentlessly, his mind clinging to the faintest hope that some news would reach him about her whereabouts. But all that came were crushing waves of disappointment and silence.

He sat alone in the dimly lit house, the weight of solitude pressing down on his chest. Calls from Chloe buzzed insistently on his phone, but he refused to answer. Each time her name crossed his thoughts, a surge of disgust welled up inside him, twisting his emotions into bitterness. If it weren’t for Chloe, Tessa might never have walked away from him.

In a moment of quiet defiance, Ryan switched off his phone, severing himself from any possibility of hearing about Chloe or her schemes. He began to search through every drawer and cabinet, desperate to find something—anything—that Tessa might have left behind as a sign, a message, a clue. But his efforts were in vain. Nothing surfaced except a crumpled medical report, carelessly discarded in the trash.

His eyes locked onto the faded text, and a sudden realization struck him hard: Tessa had donated six vials of blood. The memory of the doctor’s words echoed in his mind—because of the torment she endured at the hands of pack members during her youth, Tessa’s tolerance for pain was far below average, causing even minor injuries to feel unbearable.

Ryan’s fingers clenched tightly around the paper, his breath ragged and uneven. Scenes from that painful day replayed vividly in his mind. By then, Tessa had already known everything—every secret, every betrayal. She must have hated him deeply, enough to vanish without a single word, without leaving even the smallest trace behind. Not a message. Not a sign.

He recalled the moment they had first acknowledged each other as mates, when he had sworn to protect her for life and shield her from any harm. Now, all the pain Tessa endured was because of him. The bitter truth weighed heavily on his soul, and he could no longer deny it—he regretted everything.

Meanwhile, Chloe’s relentless calls went unanswered, her frustration mounting with each ring. When she realized Ryan’s phone was off, rage consumed her. In a burst of fury, she flung her phone to the floor, shattering the silence.

“All because of Tessa?” she spat, voice trembling with anger. “He won’t even pick up the phone for days!”

Fuming, Chloe stormed into Tessa’s old room, her heart still gripped by the hope that Tessa might return. She began hastily packing up whatever belongings were left, stuffing them into a box with trembling hands.

“Burn it all! Get rid of everything!” she commanded sharply.

As the maid carried the box past Audrey, the older woman immediately recognized it. Without a word, Audrey knew the contents belonged to Tessa. Despite her usual indifference toward the girl, a creeping sense of dread settled deep within her chest.

Grabbing the maid’s arm firmly, Audrey said quietly, “Leave it there. Don’t touch it.”

By now, Audrey had grown numb to Chloe’s outbursts. She no longer felt compelled to soothe her. Instead, she turned her attention to the box, curiosity stirring within her. She remembered that Tessa had once packed her things before—surely, she would have taken everything with her then. What could possibly remain?

Unable to resist, Audrey carefully opened the box. Her eyes widened in shock as she took in its contents: tattered dolls and worn stuffed animals, accompanied by a diary. She hesitated for a moment before flipping through the fragile pages, revealing crooked handwriting that stretched back to when Tessa was only ten years old.

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