Marked By The Alpha's Cursed Blue Moon
Chapter 78. A Risk Worth Taking

Chapter 78: 78. A Risk Worth Taking

It was a quiet Saturday morning. The air felt fresh and peaceful as sunlight gently filtered through the curtains in Maria’s room.

She stirred and opened her eyes to check the time, it was just 6:30 a.m. Without wasting a moment, she pushed her covers aside and moved straight into the bathroom to take a quick bath.

She had to prepare for her trip to Paisley with Laura. It was a journey they’d both been anticipating, especially since they were finally going to meet the mysterious Mr. Frederick.

After bathing, Maria stepped out of the bathroom and returned to her room. Unsurprisingly, she found a message from Laura waiting on her phone.

The text was short and urgent: "I’m already at the train station. Please come quickly!"

Maria sighed, realizing she was running late. She dressed as quickly as possible, her mind buzzing, not just with excitement about the trip but with worry.

"What excuse am I going to give Bernard and his family?" she muttered to herself as she fastened the last button on her shirt.

The thought of lying to Beta Gilbert, in particular, made her stomach twist with unease. He had always been very observant, and any poorly thought-out excuse could raise suspicion.

As she made her way to the living room, she found Beta Gilbert already seated on one of the couches, deeply focused on the documents in his hands. The sharp rustle of paper was the only sound in the room.

For a moment, Maria was tempted to sneak a peek at what he was reading, but she quickly pushed the thought aside. Her journey to Paisley was too important to risk getting delayed.

"Good morning, sir," she greeted politely as she walked closer.

Beta Gilbert looked up slowly, his eyes locking with hers. "Good morning, Maria," he responded, his voice calm but curious. "Where are you heading all dressed up this early? Don’t tell me your college has started weekend classes."

Maria took a breath, maintaining eye contact as she replied confidently, "No, sir. We don’t have weekend classes. I’m going to Paisley with a friend. There’s a library there that has some books we need for a difficult course. Exams are getting closer, and we want to be better prepared."

Beta Gilbert didn’t respond immediately. He stared at her for a few seconds, his eyes searching her face as though trying to detect a lie. The pause made Maria nervous.

"Paisley is quite far from here," he finally said. "About an hour and thirty minutes by train. Are you sure you have enough money to cover the trip?"

"Yes, sir," Maria answered quickly. "I’ve got enough with me, and I’ll be fine. I’ll make sure I return home before nightfall."

"Alright then," he said after a short pause. "If you get stranded at any point, don’t hesitate to call someone at home."

"I will. Thank you, sir," Maria replied, relieved that he didn’t press further.

She grabbed her bag and hurried out of the house. After walking a short distance to the main road, she flagged down a cab. The ride to the train station took just about ten minutes, but it felt longer because her mind kept drifting to what lay ahead.

As soon as the cab stopped, she paid the driver and rushed out. Her eyes scanned the station until they found Laura, who was already looking annoyed.

"You kept me waiting for over thirty minutes, Maria!" Laura scolded as Maria approached.

"I know, I’m so sorry," Maria apologized quickly, pulling her into a brief hug. "I had a bit of trouble with my morning schedule."

"No problem," Laura said with a slight smile, calming down. She pulled a train ticket from her bag and handed it to Maria. "Here’s your ticket. Let’s go—we can still catch the train."

The two girls made their way to the boarding area and climbed aboard just in time. The train soon rumbled to life, and within minutes, they were gliding through the Scottish countryside toward Paisley.

The journey lasted about an hour and thirty minutes. As the train neared its destination, Maria couldn’t help but feel a sense of anticipation building inside her. She glanced out the window, taking in the new surroundings, and whispered to herself, "This could be the beginning of something different."

Once they arrived at the station in Paisley, they quickly flagged down another cab and gave the driver the address Laura had written down.

A short ride later, they found themselves in front of a large, elegant restaurant. The place was impressive... spacious enough to host over a hundred guests at once, with a modern design that made it stand out.

Maria turned to Laura with a confused look. "Laura, how on earth are we supposed to find Mr. Frederick in a place this big? Are we going to go table by table?"

Laura chuckled, already pulling out her phone. "Relax. Everything is under control."

She dialed a number and waited. When the person picked up, she spoke clearly into the phone. "She’s with me, and we’re both outside the restaurant." Then she ended the call.

Seconds later, a tall, well-dressed black man with a bright smile and a gentle American accent walked out of the restaurant.

"Hello, ladies. Please come with me," he said politely.

Maria and Laura followed him inside. He led them to a quiet, stylish section of the restaurant—the VIP corner—and offered them comfortable seats. A waiter appeared almost instantly to take their orders.

As they settled in, Maria watched the easy, flowing conversation between Laura and the man. Something about their familiarity made Maria curious.

"Sorry, do you two already know each other?" she asked, looking between them.

The man chuckled and turned to her with a friendly smile. "Oh, I’m Michael. Laura and I were friends back in the U.S. She came over to visit her cousin, and that’s when we met. Small world, huh? Now I manage this restaurant for Mr. Frederick."

"Oh wow," Maria said, pleasantly surprised. "That’s quite the coincidence."

Laura looked apologetic. "I’m really sorry, Maria. I didn’t mean to leave you out of the conversation. It’s just been a while since I last saw Michael."

"No worries," Maria said with a smile. "I just wanted to know what the connection was."

They all shared a light laugh. Michael eventually excused himself to attend to some business elsewhere in the restaurant, leaving Maria and Laura alone again.

They had only been sitting quietly for about thirty minutes when Maria heard footsteps approaching their corner.

Something about the pace and presence felt significant. She turned around and her heart skipped a beat.

Standing behind her was a tall, striking man with sharp features and an air of calm authority. His suit was tailored perfectly, his posture composed. He wasn’t just good-looking, he was magnetic...