The True Luna's Forbidden Temptation - Chapter 56: Chapter 56
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I step away from Tyler.
“Thank you for the dance,” I say.
He doesn’t respond. It doesn’t seem like he has recovered from his shock. I don’t blame him. I would be shocked out of my wits, too, if I were him. He spends years trying to climb up the corporate ladder. He is desperate for it. He is busy rubbing elbows and flattering the feathers of people like Lorraine. He doesn’t know that Peter McGregor’s heiress actually gives up everything for him. And over the years, he takes me for granted—for his ambition.
Yeah. Life can be ironic—and cruel, sometimes.
I move toward the crowd, leaving Tyler still frozen and open-mouthed on the dance floor. I can still feel the weight of countless pairs of eyes on me. It feels suffocating somehow.
I need air. I need space to breathe. To take a breather from all these pretenses. And a moment to savor this small victory of finally putting Tyler in his place.
The Moonstruck pendant rests cool against my collarbone. It feels like a talisman of the power I reclaim. Finally, I don’t have to hide anything from anyone. I am finally free.
Revenge is sweeter than I imagine, but still, my lungs scream for a bit of fresh air.
Suddenly, Julian appears at my side, like a loyal bodyguard. “Are you alright, Ms. McGregor?”
“Analise,” I correct him. He raises a brow at me. “Just call me Analise.”
“Fine. Everything alright, Analise?” he asks again.
“I just need some air,” I whisper, forcing a smile on my face, for the benefit of those who might be watching. “Is there a balcony here somewhere?”
He nods, gesturing discreetly toward a set of glass doors across the ballroom. “Take your time. I’ll handle the press and the other curious shareholders.”
I quietly walk toward the balcony and discreetly slip through the doors, hoping nobody notices me. The night air rushes to greet me—cool against my flushed skin.
Thankfully, the balcony is empty. I take in a deep breath. The air smells of earth, dew, and grass. It feels refreshing. I feel like, for the first time in hours, I can finally breathe freely.
The night is peaceful. There’s a crescent moon above, and the stars twinkle brightly across the night sky.
“You did it, Analise,” I whisper to myself, a smile curving my lips. “You finally got Tyler Lewis open-mouthed and speechless. Now, he certainly knows that he had a good thing—and he threw it all away.”
My hands tremble slightly as I reach up to touch the Moonstruck pendant. Sebastian is right. This pendant is always meant to be mine, just as this moment of triumph is always my destiny.
Behind me, the glass slides open. Perhaps, it’s Julian. And he’s going to tell me that time’s up—I need to meet up with the other shareholders.
But even after a few seconds, I still don’t hear Julian calling me. And suddenly, the energy shifts. The air feels gloomy and mean.
“Let me guess, Analise—” Vivian’s voice is all venom and feigned sweetness, “You sold your body and soul to someone high up in SB Capitals to get this job.”
It isn’t even a question. It’s a statement. It means my former mother-in-law already makes up her own conclusions.
I close my eyes briefly, steeling myself before turning to face her. Vivian stands with her arms folded across her chest, her smile looks phony and feels venomous. Beside her, Tanya leans against the doorframe, her narrowed eyes are full of malice.
“Of course, you would think that. After all, your tiny brains aren’t capable of coming up with more creative reasons.”
“Because we all know how these things work,” Tanya adds, her voice dropping to a theatrical whisper. “It’s either you fuck your way into their bedrooms, or you sell your pitiful stories in their boardrooms, telling lies about how Tyler stole your designs.”
I take a deep breath, pushing down the ugly surge of anger that threatens to choke me.
I can’t believe I endure six years with these horrible people!
Six years of being looked down on, insulted, and treated like I am always beneath them—and that I should be thankful I’m breathing the same air.
“I don’t sleep with anyone. I don’t need to,” I say, trying to keep my voice steady. “Julian Hayes already told you—I am the reason they invest in Tyler’s company in the first place.”
Vivian gives a brittle laugh, the sound like glass shattering. “Oh, please. Who would believe that? That suddenly, after all these years, some big corporation just decides you’re CEO material?” She steps closer, the diamonds at her throat catching the moonlight. “What do you think of us? Stupid?”
“I have it on good authority that it’s very debatable.”
Tanya’s mouth twists in anger. “You think you’re so clever, don’t you? Coming here, making a scene, humiliating my brother in front of everyone.”
“I don’t need to make a scene. Tyler does that all by himself. He doesn’t need to ask me to dance.”
“So you’re saying Tyler would’ve failed without your designs?” Vivian’s lips curl as she retorts. “How convenient. Now that he’s built something successful, you want to claim all the credit.”
I step away from the railing, straightening my shoulders. The night air no longer feels refreshing—it’s sharp with their hatred, heavy with years of resentment.
“Everything Tyler builds, he owes to me—every contract, every iconic line.” I let each word land with deliberate weight. “Remember that when you go to bed tonight. Think about it every time you put on a TL Glam earring or necklace. Your precious son builds his empire on my talent, and he knows it. He can’t even promote me because he can’t find another designer to replace me. And while he exploits my talent, he makes me believe I mean nothing to him!”
Tanya scoffs, moving closer to her mother, a united front of designer dresses and disdain. “You really believe you’re worth the risk? You’re a nobody. Mud doesn’t magically turn to gold.”
I laugh, the sound surprising even me. “Are you referring to yourselves? Because last I checked, you aren’t exactly raking in cash before Tyler sells my designs to SB Capitals and strikes gold.” I take a confident step toward them. “You don’t know the woman I am before Tyler. You never bother to ask—to look beyond what you want to see.” I touch the pendant again, drawing strength from its weight. “I give up my birthright for him—yet here you are, blind to the truth.”
“Birthright?” Vivian sneers. “What birthright? You don’t even have a family. Nobody even comes to your wedding! Back then, we think your parents are too poor to afford decent clothes. Now, I think they just can’t stand to be around you.”
The words hit like a slap, but I don’t flinch. “Did you miss my introduction? Now that I’ve divorced Tyler, I go by my maiden name—Analise Emerald Lander McGregor.”
“You must be so jealous of Lorraine,” she says. “You’re imitating her surname.”
“I’m actually Peter McGregor’s daughter.”
Tanya blinks, confusion momentarily replacing her sneer. “What?”
“You’ve heard of him, right? Peter McGregor. Owner of McGregor Holdings. Co-founder of Luxe Emerald with my mother, Margaret Lander.” I savor the dawning shock on their faces. “The man who builds an empire that makes TL Glam look like a corner store.”
Vivian’s face drains of color. “You’re lying. Tyler would know—”
“Tyler never asks. He’s too busy being Tyler Lewis, self-made man. Too busy using me to build his brand while keeping me hidden.” The words pour out of me now—years of silence breaking. “My father cuts me off when I marry your son. He warns me Tyler is just using me for my talent, for my connections. But I’m too in love to listen.”
“This is absurd,” Tanya says, but her voice wavers. “If you’re such an heiress, why are you baking cakes in that pathetic little shop?”
“Because I choose my own path. I believe in love. But my father believes Tyler is only after my wealth and trust fund. Unfortunately, I don’t listen to him.”
I step closer, emboldened by their uncertainty.
“And when my father cuts me off, I adapt. I believe in Tyler, and I choose him over my family’s legacy. To be honest, I can’t remember why I do that. I realize how stupid it is to give up my maids and butlers to live with you horrible people.”
Vivian’s face contorts with rage. “You ungrateful bitch! We take you in—”
“You tolerate me,” I correct her. “You look down on me. You treat me like I’m beneath you, when in reality, I come from more wealth and influence than your family ever dreams of.”
Somehow, it feels good to say these things freely.
“I don’t know whether to laugh or get angry when I see you worship the ground Lorraine walks on because she’s Peter McGregor’s daughter.”
I narrow my eyes at them. “For your information, Lorraine is my father’s adopted daughter. I’m his biological daughter. Luxe Emerald is the company my biological mother builds and leaves for me.”
“If that’s true, then why don’t you go crawling back to Daddy when things get tough?” Vivian challenges, finding her voice again. “Why stay with Tyler at all?”
“Because I love him. I believe if you love someone, you don’t leave when things get tough.” I shrug. “Anyway, I’m done explaining myself to people who never bother to see me as more than an accessory.”
Vivian’s eyes narrow to slits. “You’re a liar. A manipulator. And I bet one day the truth comes out! The world will know you’re a fraud! Tyler warns us about you.”
“Did he tell you about his games? About sleeping with my stepsister while I’m losing our baby?” The words hang in the air between us, razor-sharp and bleeding. “Did he tell you how he’s in Lorraine’s bed while I’m in the hospital, hemorrhaging alone?”
For a moment, genuine surprise flickers across Vivian’s face—then it’s gone, replaced by cold fury. “You’re making this up. All of it. Just to hurt us, just to—”
“To what?” I challenge. “To take back what’s mine? To show the world who Tyler Lewis really is? He builds his career on my talent, and now the world knows it.”
“You’re a liar—” Vivian hisses, stepping forward with her hand raised.
I brace myself for the slap, refusing to flinch, refusing to give her the satisfaction of seeing me cower—
But the blow never lands.
I look up and see a large hand holding Vivian’s wrist mid-air, stopping just inches from my face. The air shifts. It fills with the scent of pine and mint that I recognize anywhere.
“You have no right to hurt her,” Sebastian growls, his voice low and dangerous. “Back off!”
Keeping Vivian’s arm in his, he steps between us. His stance is firm and protective. His eyes—those blue eyes that match the jade in my pendant—stare down at Vivian with lethal intensity.
“You’re hurting me,” Vivian whimpers, trying to pull away.
“No. Not yet,” Sebastian says quietly. “But if you ever raise a hand to Analise again, you’ll find out what hurt really means.”
Vivian doesn’t answer. Instead, she whimpers.
“Do you understand?” Sebastian growls.
“Y-yes!”
I smile to myself as I watch Vivian and Tanya cower before Sebastian.
For once, I wasn’t the one trembling in fear.
“Thank you for the dance,” I say.
He doesn’t respond. It doesn’t seem like he has recovered from his shock. I don’t blame him. I would be shocked out of my wits, too, if I were him. He spends years trying to climb up the corporate ladder. He is desperate for it. He is busy rubbing elbows and flattering the feathers of people like Lorraine. He doesn’t know that Peter McGregor’s heiress actually gives up everything for him. And over the years, he takes me for granted—for his ambition.
Yeah. Life can be ironic—and cruel, sometimes.
I move toward the crowd, leaving Tyler still frozen and open-mouthed on the dance floor. I can still feel the weight of countless pairs of eyes on me. It feels suffocating somehow.
I need air. I need space to breathe. To take a breather from all these pretenses. And a moment to savor this small victory of finally putting Tyler in his place.
The Moonstruck pendant rests cool against my collarbone. It feels like a talisman of the power I reclaim. Finally, I don’t have to hide anything from anyone. I am finally free.
Revenge is sweeter than I imagine, but still, my lungs scream for a bit of fresh air.
Suddenly, Julian appears at my side, like a loyal bodyguard. “Are you alright, Ms. McGregor?”
“Analise,” I correct him. He raises a brow at me. “Just call me Analise.”
“Fine. Everything alright, Analise?” he asks again.
“I just need some air,” I whisper, forcing a smile on my face, for the benefit of those who might be watching. “Is there a balcony here somewhere?”
He nods, gesturing discreetly toward a set of glass doors across the ballroom. “Take your time. I’ll handle the press and the other curious shareholders.”
I quietly walk toward the balcony and discreetly slip through the doors, hoping nobody notices me. The night air rushes to greet me—cool against my flushed skin.
Thankfully, the balcony is empty. I take in a deep breath. The air smells of earth, dew, and grass. It feels refreshing. I feel like, for the first time in hours, I can finally breathe freely.
The night is peaceful. There’s a crescent moon above, and the stars twinkle brightly across the night sky.
“You did it, Analise,” I whisper to myself, a smile curving my lips. “You finally got Tyler Lewis open-mouthed and speechless. Now, he certainly knows that he had a good thing—and he threw it all away.”
My hands tremble slightly as I reach up to touch the Moonstruck pendant. Sebastian is right. This pendant is always meant to be mine, just as this moment of triumph is always my destiny.
Behind me, the glass slides open. Perhaps, it’s Julian. And he’s going to tell me that time’s up—I need to meet up with the other shareholders.
But even after a few seconds, I still don’t hear Julian calling me. And suddenly, the energy shifts. The air feels gloomy and mean.
“Let me guess, Analise—” Vivian’s voice is all venom and feigned sweetness, “You sold your body and soul to someone high up in SB Capitals to get this job.”
It isn’t even a question. It’s a statement. It means my former mother-in-law already makes up her own conclusions.
I close my eyes briefly, steeling myself before turning to face her. Vivian stands with her arms folded across her chest, her smile looks phony and feels venomous. Beside her, Tanya leans against the doorframe, her narrowed eyes are full of malice.
“Of course, you would think that. After all, your tiny brains aren’t capable of coming up with more creative reasons.”
“Because we all know how these things work,” Tanya adds, her voice dropping to a theatrical whisper. “It’s either you fuck your way into their bedrooms, or you sell your pitiful stories in their boardrooms, telling lies about how Tyler stole your designs.”
I take a deep breath, pushing down the ugly surge of anger that threatens to choke me.
I can’t believe I endure six years with these horrible people!
Six years of being looked down on, insulted, and treated like I am always beneath them—and that I should be thankful I’m breathing the same air.
“I don’t sleep with anyone. I don’t need to,” I say, trying to keep my voice steady. “Julian Hayes already told you—I am the reason they invest in Tyler’s company in the first place.”
Vivian gives a brittle laugh, the sound like glass shattering. “Oh, please. Who would believe that? That suddenly, after all these years, some big corporation just decides you’re CEO material?” She steps closer, the diamonds at her throat catching the moonlight. “What do you think of us? Stupid?”
“I have it on good authority that it’s very debatable.”
Tanya’s mouth twists in anger. “You think you’re so clever, don’t you? Coming here, making a scene, humiliating my brother in front of everyone.”
“I don’t need to make a scene. Tyler does that all by himself. He doesn’t need to ask me to dance.”
“So you’re saying Tyler would’ve failed without your designs?” Vivian’s lips curl as she retorts. “How convenient. Now that he’s built something successful, you want to claim all the credit.”
I step away from the railing, straightening my shoulders. The night air no longer feels refreshing—it’s sharp with their hatred, heavy with years of resentment.
“Everything Tyler builds, he owes to me—every contract, every iconic line.” I let each word land with deliberate weight. “Remember that when you go to bed tonight. Think about it every time you put on a TL Glam earring or necklace. Your precious son builds his empire on my talent, and he knows it. He can’t even promote me because he can’t find another designer to replace me. And while he exploits my talent, he makes me believe I mean nothing to him!”
Tanya scoffs, moving closer to her mother, a united front of designer dresses and disdain. “You really believe you’re worth the risk? You’re a nobody. Mud doesn’t magically turn to gold.”
I laugh, the sound surprising even me. “Are you referring to yourselves? Because last I checked, you aren’t exactly raking in cash before Tyler sells my designs to SB Capitals and strikes gold.” I take a confident step toward them. “You don’t know the woman I am before Tyler. You never bother to ask—to look beyond what you want to see.” I touch the pendant again, drawing strength from its weight. “I give up my birthright for him—yet here you are, blind to the truth.”
“Birthright?” Vivian sneers. “What birthright? You don’t even have a family. Nobody even comes to your wedding! Back then, we think your parents are too poor to afford decent clothes. Now, I think they just can’t stand to be around you.”
The words hit like a slap, but I don’t flinch. “Did you miss my introduction? Now that I’ve divorced Tyler, I go by my maiden name—Analise Emerald Lander McGregor.”
“You must be so jealous of Lorraine,” she says. “You’re imitating her surname.”
“I’m actually Peter McGregor’s daughter.”
Tanya blinks, confusion momentarily replacing her sneer. “What?”
“You’ve heard of him, right? Peter McGregor. Owner of McGregor Holdings. Co-founder of Luxe Emerald with my mother, Margaret Lander.” I savor the dawning shock on their faces. “The man who builds an empire that makes TL Glam look like a corner store.”
Vivian’s face drains of color. “You’re lying. Tyler would know—”
“Tyler never asks. He’s too busy being Tyler Lewis, self-made man. Too busy using me to build his brand while keeping me hidden.” The words pour out of me now—years of silence breaking. “My father cuts me off when I marry your son. He warns me Tyler is just using me for my talent, for my connections. But I’m too in love to listen.”
“This is absurd,” Tanya says, but her voice wavers. “If you’re such an heiress, why are you baking cakes in that pathetic little shop?”
“Because I choose my own path. I believe in love. But my father believes Tyler is only after my wealth and trust fund. Unfortunately, I don’t listen to him.”
I step closer, emboldened by their uncertainty.
“And when my father cuts me off, I adapt. I believe in Tyler, and I choose him over my family’s legacy. To be honest, I can’t remember why I do that. I realize how stupid it is to give up my maids and butlers to live with you horrible people.”
Vivian’s face contorts with rage. “You ungrateful bitch! We take you in—”
“You tolerate me,” I correct her. “You look down on me. You treat me like I’m beneath you, when in reality, I come from more wealth and influence than your family ever dreams of.”
Somehow, it feels good to say these things freely.
“I don’t know whether to laugh or get angry when I see you worship the ground Lorraine walks on because she’s Peter McGregor’s daughter.”
I narrow my eyes at them. “For your information, Lorraine is my father’s adopted daughter. I’m his biological daughter. Luxe Emerald is the company my biological mother builds and leaves for me.”
“If that’s true, then why don’t you go crawling back to Daddy when things get tough?” Vivian challenges, finding her voice again. “Why stay with Tyler at all?”
“Because I love him. I believe if you love someone, you don’t leave when things get tough.” I shrug. “Anyway, I’m done explaining myself to people who never bother to see me as more than an accessory.”
Vivian’s eyes narrow to slits. “You’re a liar. A manipulator. And I bet one day the truth comes out! The world will know you’re a fraud! Tyler warns us about you.”
“Did he tell you about his games? About sleeping with my stepsister while I’m losing our baby?” The words hang in the air between us, razor-sharp and bleeding. “Did he tell you how he’s in Lorraine’s bed while I’m in the hospital, hemorrhaging alone?”
For a moment, genuine surprise flickers across Vivian’s face—then it’s gone, replaced by cold fury. “You’re making this up. All of it. Just to hurt us, just to—”
“To what?” I challenge. “To take back what’s mine? To show the world who Tyler Lewis really is? He builds his career on my talent, and now the world knows it.”
“You’re a liar—” Vivian hisses, stepping forward with her hand raised.
I brace myself for the slap, refusing to flinch, refusing to give her the satisfaction of seeing me cower—
But the blow never lands.
I look up and see a large hand holding Vivian’s wrist mid-air, stopping just inches from my face. The air shifts. It fills with the scent of pine and mint that I recognize anywhere.
“You have no right to hurt her,” Sebastian growls, his voice low and dangerous. “Back off!”
Keeping Vivian’s arm in his, he steps between us. His stance is firm and protective. His eyes—those blue eyes that match the jade in my pendant—stare down at Vivian with lethal intensity.
“You’re hurting me,” Vivian whimpers, trying to pull away.
“No. Not yet,” Sebastian says quietly. “But if you ever raise a hand to Analise again, you’ll find out what hurt really means.”
Vivian doesn’t answer. Instead, she whimpers.
“Do you understand?” Sebastian growls.
“Y-yes!”
I smile to myself as I watch Vivian and Tanya cower before Sebastian.
For once, I wasn’t the one trembling in fear.
End of The True Luna's Forbidden Temptation Chapter 56. Continue reading Chapter 57 or return to The True Luna's Forbidden Temptation book page.