[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-the-lunar-curse-a-second-chance-with-alpha-drave":3,"chapter-the-lunar-curse-a-second-chance-with-alpha-drave-the-lunar-curse-a-second-chance-with-alpha-drave-chapter-480":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","The Lunar Curse: A Second Chance With Alpha Draven",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":20,"prevChapterSlug":21,"totalChapters":22,"novelImage":23},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":16,"volume":17,"translator":18,"content_hash":19},924052,1212,"Chapter 480: The Simple Gesture Mattered","the-lunar-curse-a-second-chance-with-alpha-drave-chapter-480",480,"\u003Cp>[Third Person].\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>~Fellowes Residence~\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wanda sat before her vanity, brushing through the last strand of her hair with slow, thoughtful strokes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her mind hadn’t stopped replaying yesterday’s events at the Oatrun estate. The horse race. The knife-throwing. The strategy game.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And Meredith.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wanda’s jaw flexed as she remembered how effortlessly Meredith slipped into the attention of the men, especially Draven.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wanda had expected Meredith to embarrass herself at some point. To reveal a flaw, a weakness, something she could exploit. But instead...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wanda closed her eyes, exhaling slowly. She had realized something yesterday—something that changed everything:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Draven valued respect for his wife above all else. Not beauty, strength, or even history. And definitely not loyalty from childhood or even her unwavering devotion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just—respect for Meredith. That was the key.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If she wanted Draven’s attention, if she wanted proximity, if she wanted to re-enter the circle she once lived in effortlessly, then she had to play by his rules.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wanda opened her eyes, her reflection sharp and cold. ’Respect Meredith. Pretend. Smile. Endure. And wait.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She almost laughed—soft, bitter, calculating. ’Draven, you unknowingly gave me the perfect path.Thank you for the expo. I won’t waste the lesson.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She stood gracefully, smoothed her gown, and left her bedroom.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>---\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The dining room was quiet except for the clinking of silverware and the mild morning sunlight filtering through the large windows.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Levi and Vivian were already seated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wanda’s heels clicked softly as she entered. \"Good morning,\" she said evenly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Vivian responded politely. Levi stared at her longer, but Wanda ignored it and took her seat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Reginald soon entered, and all three rose to greet him. \"Father,\" they said in unison.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He acknowledged them with a single nod before sitting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Breakfast began in silence, Reginald’s preferred atmosphere. Halfway through the meal, he turned to Levi.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Since you both are leaving this morning,\" he said, \"take the fresh game hunted today.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Levi inclined his head. \"Thank you, Father.\" Vivian smiled gratefully.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wanda ate quietly, lost in her own thoughts—plans forming with sealed emotions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>---\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After breakfast, Levi and Vivian prepared to leave. Wanda followed them out to the courtyard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Vivian offered a gentle, polite farewell, and Wanda returned it with a composed nod.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then Levi turned to her. He leaned in, kissed both of her cheeks, then rested his hands on her shoulders while he searched her face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Take care of yourself, Wanda,\" he said softly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wanda smiled, but the smile didn’t reach her eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Of course I will,\" she replied, with a sweet, hollow voice. \"If I don’t, who will?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Levi sighed, the weight of her words settling into him. He let his hands fall away and stepped back before getting into the car.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wanda stood still as the vehicle rolled down the long driveway and disappeared through the gates.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only then did the smile slide off her face—cleanly, instantly. Her eyes hardened. Her spine straightened. And her mind focused.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She had work to do.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And Meredith Carter, the wolfless wife who somehow won Draven’s heart, was now an opponent worth keeping. And worth crushing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>***\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Meredith].\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>~Oatrun Estate~\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xamira sat on her little stool, tongue poking slightly from the corner of her mouth as she concentrated on her knitting needles.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The loops were uneven, the yarn slack in some places and too tight in others. But watching her work with so much determination made something warm bloom in my chest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She wasn’t perfect, but she was learning. And she tried so hard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’Good girl,’ I thought silently.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just then, the door opened, and Lucy, who had left for a while, stepped inside again—this time accompanied by two women dressed in soft grey uniforms with toolkits and catalogue books in their hands.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I straightened slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They immediately bowed, voices respectful and synchronized. \"Good afternoon, Luna.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I nodded calmly. \"Good afternoon. You may sit.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They settled politely in the chairs across from me. Then I leaned forward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Just like you might have been told,\" I began, \"I want this room redecorated for my daughter—something suitable for a child her age. Warm, bright, and lively. Nothing cold or formal.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They nodded and began taking notes quickly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Briefly, I turned to Xamira. Her little fingers were still tangled in yarn, but she lifted her head when she sensed my gaze.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Xamira,\" I called gently, \"what is your favourite colour?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her golden eyes brightened. \"Green!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I lifted a brow. \"Green? You want a room that matches your eyes?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She grinned shyly. \"Yes.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I smiled and nodded once. \"Then green it is.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The two women jotted it down instantly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I outlined what I wanted—soft drapes, comfortable furniture, warm lights, playful décor, storage for her toys and books—a room where a child could actually feel safe.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When we were done, I said, \"Begin the renovation tomorrow. I want everything changed.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Both women bowed again. \"Yes, Luna.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lucy followed them out, closing the door behind her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xamira was still knitting, but when I stood, she looked up, bright as ever.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It’s time for lunch,\" I told her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She dropped her yarn immediately and scrambled to her feet, slipping her small hand into mine without hesitation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>We stepped out into the hallway. Her tiny footsteps echoed beside mine, quiet but cheerful.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Halfway down the corridor, my phone vibrated. I glanced at it and saw it was a message from Draven.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"My Queen, it’s time for lunch. Come downstairs.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I smiled and typed back:\"Xamira and I are on our way.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>---\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When Xamira and I stepped into the dining room, the first thing I noticed was the absence of Randall. Only Draven, Dennis, Jeffery, and Oscar were there.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The moment they saw me, all three men—Dennis, Jeffery, and Oscar, began to rise to their feet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I lifted a hand and smiled. \"Please, sit.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They obeyed immediately. But inside, something warm stirred. Their standing up to greet me was proof that they respected me as their Luna, because I hadn’t walked in with Draven just now as I usually did.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It wasn’t much, just a simple gesture, but it mattered.\u003C\u002Fp>",1006,"2026-06-03T06:41:07.526Z","2026-06-03T06:41:13.871Z",1,"novelbin.me","77331fad236695aeafd42ccb8caaae44d0abd183fe9f7cf6f795979330259311","the-lunar-curse-a-second-chance-with-alpha-drave-chapter-481","the-lunar-curse-a-second-chance-with-alpha-drave-chapter-479",685,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-lunar-curse-a-second-chance-with-alpha-drave-cover.jpg"]