Marked By The Alpha's Cursed Blue Moon
Chapter 30. Attack Plan

Chapter 30: 30. Attack Plan

As soon as the door closed, Maria’s instincts kicked in.

’Is that really what he came to ask?’ she wondered. ’He’s hiding something. I’m sure of it.’

She laid back on the bed, eyes staring at the ceiling, thoughts swirling, until sleep finally took her...

---

The next morning, Maria arrived at college early, as always. Bernard was absent again—he hadn’t shown up for days.

Not long after, Cassandra and Laura arrived, brightening the morning with their chatter. They all checked the schedule and realized there was no lecture until 10 a.m.

"Let’s go to the garden!" Laura suggested, and they all agreed.

The college garden was serene. Flowers bloomed, birds chirped, and a soft breeze added calm to the air. They laughed and made jokes as they strolled under the trees.

But then, Cassandra threw a curveball.

"Have you ever thought about giving James a chance to be your man?" she asked casually.

Maria froze. Her mind went blank.

Laura turned to Cassandra, equally surprised. "Why would you ask that?"

Cassandra shrugged. "No reason. I just think James is trying really hard. And even though Maria keeps saying they’re just friends, he doesn’t act like it."

Cassandra locked eyes with Maria. "Come on, don’t tell me the thought has never crossed your mind?"

Maria stared back, unsure how to respond. Her mind swirled with questions. ’Am I showing too much? Or... is someone feeding Cassandra information?’

She stayed quiet, but deep inside, she knew the truth was becoming harder to hide.

Maria took a deep breath before answering Cassandra’s shocking question.

"Hmm... I have thought about it," she began, her voice steady, "but I realized that it’s not possible. I just need to learn how to love and tolerate Bernard. At least, he’s my chosen mate and my parents endorsed him before they died. So I can’t be with James."

Cassandra’s expression didn’t change much, but Maria watched her closely for any flicker of emotion.

"So, are you saying you’re no longer looking for those documents and you’re going to stay with Bernard now?" Laura asked, clearly curious and concerned.

"Yes, that’s what I will do," Maria nodded. "I need to respect my parents’ decision. That’s why I need to learn how to love, tolerate, and understand Bernard and his family. At least, he’s always been a very good friend. And I must say, in recent weeks he’s been doing great, and we are getting closer."

Laura smiled warmly. "I believe you know what’s best for you. But please, be careful and always take care of yourself."

"Also," she added, "Bernard hasn’t been coming to school. Hope he’s okay?"

Maria nodded. "Yeah, he’s fine. He just needs to settle some things. He’ll be back soon."

Cassandra remained unusually quiet, forcing a small smile now and then.

Maria began to wonder. Could Cassandra be hiding something from us? Why does she look so uneasy?

Suddenly, they heard footsteps approaching rapidly from behind. Before they could react, masked men surrounded them—five in total.

One of them, clearly the leader, spoke calmly, "We’re not here to drag anything with you ladies. Maria, you alone will come with us. Please don’t try to play smart."

Maria nodded in agreement to protect her friends. But just as they released Cassandra and Laura, Laura launched a fierce attack.

She kicked one of the men hard, knocking him down. Then, with surprising speed and precision, she floored two more with blood pouring from their noses.

One of the assailants pulled a gun, but the leader quickly barked, "Put that away! We can’t shoot here, this is a college campus! We’ll retreat for now!"

The attackers fled, including the injured ones.

Maria, still stunned, turned to Laura in gratitude. "Thank you so much! But girl... where did you learn to fight like that?"

Laura laughed softly. "Nothing special. My dad taught me basic self-defense."

Cassandra raised an eyebrow. "Basic? That was elite level! You looked like an undercover agent!"

They all laughed nervously as they headed to the campus security office.

After explaining the incident to the guards and giving statements with witness support, the security team promised immediate action.

Back in class, Laura was hailed as "The Super Girl." Students approached, wanting selfies.

But Laura pulled her hoodie up and turned them down. "Please leave before I report you to security," she said firmly.

Maria was stunned. "Why were you so harsh? And why hide your face?"

Laura sighed. "Security tip 101. If they post those pictures online, the attackers will trace me. We can’t afford that."

Maria and Cassandra nodded in understanding.

"You should tell Bernard about the attack," Laura advised. "And maybe stay home for a while. We got lucky today—next time might be different."

"Yes, I agree with Laura," Cassandra chimed in. "Please, don’t come to college for now."

Maria smiled gratefully. "I’ll let Bernard and his parents know. Thank you both."

They shared a tight hug...

---

At a safe house miles away, Beta Gilbert paced restlessly.

"Sandro, where are you and your men? I’m already at the safe house," he said into the phone.

"We’re almost there, boss. Less than five minutes," Sandro replied.

True to his word, Sandro soon arrived with a group of men. "Sorry for the delay. We had to prepare everything."

"No problem. Let’s get to work," Beta Gilbert said as he moved to a large table.

Sandro spread out a large map. "This is the intel location. It’s how we’ll track the Shadows and their hideout."

He pointed at different areas. "West and north sides are heavily guarded. The south side is least protected."

"And the attack plan?" Gilbert asked.

"We have fifty men. Ten will go to the guarded zones to create a distraction and pretend to retreat. The remaining thirty will attack through the south."

Gilbert nodded. "Smart. What’s the expected success rate? Can we minimize casualties?"

"We’ve prepared fallback strategies," Sandro assured. "If it goes wrong, we’ll pull back quickly. But we’re estimating a ninety percent success rate."

Gilbert smiled with satisfaction as they began unpacking gear and finalizing preparations for the attack ahead...