Marked By The Alpha's Cursed Blue Moon
Chapter 62. A Strategy for Vengeance

Chapter 62: 62. A Strategy for Vengeance

Everyone gathered in the dining room for breakfast. It was quiet, with an undercurrent of tension no one needed to speak about. Maria sat silently, her appetite nearly absent, but she forced herself to eat.

Once breakfast was over, they all made their way out to the cars waiting outside.

The drive to the safe house began. Beta Gilbert and Victoria were in the same vehicle, while Maria found herself seated beside Bernard in another.

He clearly looked uncomfortable being near her, but Maria didn’t care. Whatever thoughts or judgments he had didn’t matter right now—what she had in mind was far more important.

After what felt like a long and silent ride, they arrived.

Maria’s eyes narrowed at the sight of the building. The safe house was massive, but it looked run-down and eerie, like an abandoned warehouse long forgotten.

Its filthy, decaying exterior sent a small chill down her spine.

They all stepped out of the vehicles. Beta Gilbert took the lead, walking side by side with Victoria, while the others—including Maria—followed closely behind.

But once they stepped inside, the entire atmosphere changed.

Maria blinked, stunned at the stark contrast. The interior was nothing like the outside. It was clean, well-lit, and fitted with modern, high-tech equipment. Computers lined the walls, where several men were already working.

Others were monitoring CCTV feeds, while dozens of guards stood watch, each dressed in sleek black Italian suits and carrying weapons of varying sizes.

As the group walked in, all the guards stood and bowed respectfully toward Bernard and Beta Gilbert before resuming their duties.

They entered a large room that resembled a boardroom. A long table stretched across the center with many chairs surrounding it.

Beta Gilbert walked straight to a microphone positioned near the head of the table and addressed everyone with authority in his voice.

"Everyone, move to the boardroom now. Only those handling the CCTV and the guards stationed outside should remain at their posts!" his voice echoed.

Soon, everyone was seated. Bernard remained standing. He removed his suit jacket and placed it neatly over the back of a chair, his expression sharp and focused. He looked like a man ready for war.

When Beta Gilbert gave him a nod, Bernard walked over to the large screen at the front, which now displayed maps and images of the mansion.

"Let’s get straight into business," Bernard began, rolling up his sleeves. "Everyone, please pay full attention."

"But first," he continued, "for security reasons, we’ll all hand in our phones. Put them in the box in front of me. Quickly, please. Let’s stay calm and cooperate."

One by one, they moved toward the box and dropped their phones inside, picking up a small number card placed on each phone to avoid mix-ups. Maria handed hers in too, watching everyone closely.

Bernard turned back to the screen. "What you see here are the aerial images of our mansion. What most of you don’t know is that beneath it lies a hidden underground apartment, nearly ten feet deep. It’s well-organized and secure."

Maria leaned forward in her seat, listening carefully.

"We have intel that an attack is coming—and soon," Bernard continued. "Our strategy is simple. We use an absorb-and-retaliate approach. No need for full-blown combat. The goal is to capture their leader—Elijah Simons."

The room fell into a deeper silence.

"We’ll play weak," Bernard added. "Let them believe we’re unprepared. It’s exactly what they expect. They’ll come with the mindset that we’re vulnerable... that we don’t stand a chance."

A guard raised his hand and spoke up. "Why would we pretend to be weaker? Isn’t that dangerous?"

"That’s a good question," Bernard said, nodding. "Because overconfidence is their weakness. Once they see us looking defeated, they’ll assume the fight is already over. My parents and I will act like sitting ducks. They’ll think they’ve won."

He pointed to one of the guards. "Tell me—how would you feel if you walked into a battle and immediately had the enemy leader at your mercy?"

The guard shrugged. "I’d celebrate. It would feel like a free win."

"Exactly," Bernard said. "They’ll drop their guard. That’s when we strike. We’ll take the upper hand before they even realize it."

Another guard spoke up. "But what if they don’t let their guard down?"

"Good," Bernard replied. "Plan B is what we call the ’Full Strike.’ We’ve got close to a hundred fighters. Twenty of them will be stationed outside the building, fully geared up in bulletproof vests and helmets. They’ll act as the outer wall."

Maria’s gaze didn’t leave Bernard. She watched every move, caught every word.

"The place where my parents and I will be seated... it’s actually a disguised entry to the underground bunker. The moment Elijah steps forward, we trigger the switch—boom!—we drop below ground and take control."

One guard raised a brow. "What do you mean by ’game over’?"

Bernard smirked. "Simple. Everyone underground will be waiting, armed and ready. The second we descend, aim at any intruder who follows. No hesitation."

Maria’s fingers curled slightly around the edge of her chair. There was something missing from this plan—something she needed clarity on. She raised her voice.

"What happens to Elijah Simons once he’s caught?" she asked, her tone laced with restrained emotion.

Bernard paused, but before he could speak, Beta Gilbert stepped in.

"We haven’t finalized that part yet," he said. "But rest assured, he will face justice—true justice—for everything he’s done. That, I swear on everything I stand for, both here and in the Blue Moon Pack."

Maria nodded slowly. On the outside, she seemed calm, accepting the answer. But inside, she burned with frustration.

She wanted Elijah dead.

But she knew better than to speak further. If they sensed her rage, if they suspected her true intentions, they might never let her near the battlefield. So she stayed quiet, masking her emotions.

Yet the fury within her was like a roaring fire.

’You destroyed my life, Elijah Simons,’ she thought bitterly. ’You will pay for what you did to my parents. Every ounce of pain you gave me—I’ll return it tenfold.’

Her jaw clenched. Her eyes stayed fixed on the screen, but her thoughts were miles away...