The Alpha King's Contracted Luna (Ava and Grayson)
My Billionaire King 23

Chapter 23

-Ava's POV

"I'm still trying to understand how your life got so interesting all of a sudden," Isabella said with a dramatic sigh, handing me a drink.

I couldn't help but laugh, taking a sip. “If you count the absolute chaos I've been dealing with as interesting.....”

She

rolled her eyes and flopped down onto the couch, snuggling into the blanket she'd wrapped herself in. She was right, though- Grayson's mansion really did have everything. From an indoor swimming pool to an outdoor one, and now this private theater room that Isal watching session.

In her words, “Grayson won't mind. You're going to be his wife anyway."

His wife. The words still made me tense up. I hadn't seen Grayson since the moment I'd impulsively told him I wanted to marry him in two w Honestly, I hadn't thought much about the wedding. Not since I'd blurted it out in his office. I'd put off any kind of planning until next week be The thought made my stomach twist in sadness. I didn't expect it to hurt as much as it did, realizing that no one from my family would be the But Grayson had more power than my mother. That much was clear now. I had an interview scheduled at one of the biggest medical centers

moment.

Still but fine.

Until Isabella brought up the one thing I didn't want to think about.

"The ultimatum

quiet.

your

father us for tomorrow... what do you think he's going to do?" she asked, her voice unusually

gave

I sighed, setting the glass down on the table in front of me. “They already disowned me. I doubt he'll go through with the threat. What's left t Isabella didn't respond right away, the room falling into an uneasy silence as we both sat there, the tension gnawing at me. I wanted to push "What are you thinking about for the wedding?” She asked eventually, clearly trying to lighten the mood.

"I don't know," I muttered. "Can we just watch the movie?"

But Isabella wasn't one to let things go that easily. Of course, she pressed on.

"I mean, you have the black card! You could go all out, Lilian. This could be the biggest, most glamorous wedding of the year. Just picture it- lights, cameras, the dress, the venue-"

I groaned. “I don't want that, Bels. I just want something..... simple.”

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Chapter 23

“Simple?” She blinked at me like I'd just said I wanted to get married in a grocery store.

“Yes, simple,” I repeated, more firmly this time. “I don't want a circus. I don't need a spectacle.”

She looked at me for a second before narrowing her eyes. "Wait Don't tell me this is about Grayson. Is he making you feel like you can't-" “No.” I cut her off quickly. “It's not about him. I just don't want a big thing. That's all.”

Isabella raised an eyebrow but didn't argue. She knew better than to push when I was serious. "Fine," she relented. "But you're at least gett I smiled a little, grateful that she was trying to lighten the mood. But even as I sat there, pretending to focus on the movie, my mind kept war What was he thinking? Why hadn't I seen him since our conversation in his office? I didn't expect him to be the kind of guy who'd hover, but waiting for the other shoe to drop.

I thought back to that moment in his office, the way he'd looked at me when I told him I wanted to get married in two weeks. There had beer That kind of power... it terrified me and fascinated me in equal measure.

“Hello?” Isabella waved her hand in front of my face. “You're zoning out again.”

"Sorry." I shook my head, trying to refocus. "Just thinking."

“About Grayson?” She gave me a knowing look

"No," I lied.

Isabella rolled her eyes. "You know, for someone who's about to marry the most powerful man in the city, you sure do spend a lot of time pre "It's not like that," I muttered, sinking back into the couch. But even I didn't believe my own words.

“Uh-

huh. Sure." She took a long sip of her drink, her gaze never leaving me. "Look, Lilian, I know this whole situation is insane, and I know Gray

"That's an understatement."

but he's not the enemy here,” she finished, ignoring my interruption. “You're marrying him because you need to. And let's be real, there are

I knew she was right. But there was something about Grayson-something cold, something distant-

that made my skin prickle with unease. It wasn't that I didn't trust him. It was that I didn't know him. Not really. And that he somehow had this

me.

And yet, in two weeks, I would be his wife.

“I just... I don't know how this is supposed to work,” I admitted quietly, more to myself than to Isabella.

She glanced over at me, her expression softening. "You're going to be fine, Lilian. You're strong. You've handled worse."

I wasn't so sure about that, but I didn't have the energy to argue

The

truth was, no matter how hard I tried to push it away, the weight of what I'd signed up for was starting to settle in. Two

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Chapter 23

weeks. In two weeks, I'd be-parried to Grayson Blackwood-a man I barely knew, a man who

held more I'd ever met. And once I was his wife..... everything would change

than power

anyone

But

what scared me more than anything was the realization that maybe, just maybe, I wasn't ready for that kind of change. Isabella shifted beside me, pulling her blanket up higher. “Come here, let's continue watching the movie and just forget about it all.” "Isn't that sweet?" a voice chimed in, and the lights flicked on. Both Isabella and I turned to see Monica, the woman Grayson had kissed or Monica was flanked by Elaine, and together they projected an air of superiority that made my skin crawl.

“Excuse me?” Isabella shot back, clearly not amused. "We were watching a movie, and in case you're too clueless to realize it, movies are Elaine's eyes narrowed at her, a flash of annoyance crossing her face, but Monica's smile only grew wider as she shifted her attention to me fiancée."

The words hit me like a punch to the gut. What? I blinked, stunned, struggling to process the reality of her claim.

Elaine leaned in, her voice cold and dismissive, “Now the two of you strays, get out. We want to use the theater room.”