Chapter 460

So Noah had given him a check that ultimately allowed Silvermoon to finally purchase some new land up north where untapped silver deposits had been found, and all was well. Maybe Noah had helped to curry additional favor from Hannah’s family, hoping Hannah might stay with him, but it was mostly out of the goodness of his own heart. As for his father… well, Marcus never did anything that wasn’t entirely selfish.

“You know,” Marcus went on, oblivious to his son’s inner monologue, “I really was intending to marry you off to Zoe before Hannah’s father presented the deal.”

Noah couldn’t help but laugh. “In all your years of poor decisions, Father, I think that may have been the worst. Thank the Goddess it didn’t come to fruition.”

Marcus pressed his lips into a thin line, eyes flashing, but seemed to control himself. “Yes, well… I suppose her recent… treacherous actions do place a damper on that,” he admitted. “But you cannot deny that she would have made a good Luna.”

“She was planning on killing me,” Noah added incredulously.

“Perhaps. But you know what they say: better a devil you know than a devil you don’t. And Hannah… well, there’s no knowing what she has planned next.”

Noah sat up ramrod straight, eyes wide with shock and anger, but his father continued, “I saw her little ‘phoenix’ performance at her coronation. Perhaps she did rise from her own ashes. But now… whose ashes will she rise from next?”

With that, Marcus finished his whiskey, stood, and set his glass on the coffee table. Noah hadn’t touched his drink, and had no intention of doing so now.

“Let me get this straight,” Noah said slowly, deliberately. “You invite yourself into my home. You imply that my daughter is not my own, then insinuate that she might not even be Hannah’s child. And now you claim that Hannah is, what? Plotting some elaborate destruction of Nightcrest for her own gain?”

Marcus snorted and turned, accepting his jacket from the servant waiting nearby. “Oh, she already has destroyed Nightcrest,” he said as he shrugged his coat on. “Or should I say… Silvercrest?”

Noah shook his head, absolutely floored by the insinuation. He stood, grateful that his father was leaving without having to be asked, and opened the door himself.

“Goodnight, Father. It was a displeasure, as always.”

Marcus smirked as he adjusted his jacket collar. As he passed Noah, his aura seemed colder than the air outside. “Goodnight, Noah. Do keep your wits about you. If you are manipulated by another woman, I’m not sure if our family could recover from the embarrassment.”

And with that, he was gone. Noah didn’t wait for his father to reach his car before slamming and locking the door.

“Some waste that was,” Noah growled, turning and heading upstairs. He was just glad it didn’t go on too long, and that he’d at least have time to spend with Hannah before she fell asleep.

Or so he thought. But when he opened the bedroom door, Hannah was already knocked out on the bed—still fully clothed.

Trying, and failing, to suppress a smirk, Noah walked to her and peered over her shoulder. She’d only had a glass and a half of wine, hardly enough to make her so drunk she’d pass out immediately. But as Noah approached, his smirk fell. Hannah looked pale and was hardly breathing. Something was wrong.

“Hannah?” Noah gently shook her shoulder, but she didn’t stir. He shook her again, a little harder this time, and still she remained unresponsive.

Noah was just beginning to panic, calling out her name in a rising voice, when her eyes slowly opened.

“Wh–What?” she groaned, rubbing her tired eyes. “What’s wrong?”

Noah leaned back, relieved. “You fell asleep in your clothes.”

“Did I?” Hannah sat up with some effort and looked down at her rumpled dress, her hair mussed. “Oh. I guess I did. I was just so tired. I planned to shut my eyes for a few minutes before showering but wound up knocking out.”

“I can see that,” Noah said with a soft laugh, kissing her temple before rising and loosening his tie in front of the mirror.

Hannah yawned and stood, reaching for the zipper of her dress. “How did it go with your father?”

Noah stiffened. “Where do I even begin?”