The Fake Luna: Marked By The Alpha King

Chapter 122: Chapter 122 Clara didn’t leave

Author’s POV

What Aria didn’t know was that Damian wasn’t just making empty promises.

He’d heard about the news article that afternoon—the moment it broke, he’d ordered his team to kill the trending topic and launch a full investigation.

His timing had overlapped with Aria’s own swift action. By the time Damian’s people moved, the culprit had just been handed over to the authorities.

But that didn’t mean he was letting this go. Not even close.

Someone had dared to hurt his mate. And Damian Blackwood didn’t forgive easily.

Late that night, a new bombshell dropped online.

A leaked audio recording surfaced—snippets of a phone conversation between Clara Voss and a man named Ryan Cole.

In the recording, Clara’s voice was dripping with venom as she systematically tore Aria apart.

She coached Ryan through "remembering" incidents from their college days, fabricating stories designed to destroy Aria’s reputation.

"Just think back to anything that made her look bad. Anything at all. People love a scandal."

The recording was followed by screenshots of wire transfers—money Clara had paid Ryan to spread the lies.

The reversal hit like a sledgehammer.

Within hours, Aria’s name vanished from the headlines. Clara’s took its place.

The internet tore into her with relentless fury.

**"Former Campus Beauty Queen Exposed: Secret Vendetta Against Best Friend"** dominated every major platform.

Former classmates flooded comment sections, their shock palpable.

*"I can’t believe this. Clara was always so sweet in school. How could she do something like this?"*

*"She seemed so kind to everyone. This is terrifying."*

*"Wait—wasn’t she close with Aria’s husband back in the day? What if there’s more to this story?"*

That last theory sparked a wildfire of speculation.

Some users began digging deeper, connecting dots between Clara and Ethan Holt. Old photos surfaced—group shots from college where Clara always seemed to position herself beside Ethan.

Comments from years ago where she’d tagged him in posts with heart emojis.

The pattern was damning.

But most of the public fury remained laser-focused on Clara herself—the shattered image of the perfect, gracious woman everyone had believed her to be.

---

It was well past midnight when Clara’s phone started vibrating nonstop.

She jolted awake, disoriented. Beside her, Ethan groaned and reached for his own phone, squinting at the screen.

Fifteen missed calls. All from his mother, Margaret.

Clara’s phone lit up with a barrage of messages—friends, acquaintances, even people she barely knew, all asking the same frantic questions.

*What’s going on?*

*Is this real?*

*Clara, what did you do?*

Her hands trembled as she opened her social media.

The first thing she saw was her name. Trending. Everywhere.

And beneath it, a tidal wave of hate.

Her college group chat was exploding. Dozens of messages demanding answers, calling her out, asking how she could betray Aria like this.

Even people who’d once been her friends were turning on her.

*"I can’t believe I defended you."*

*"You owe Aria an apology. This is disgusting."*

Clara’s stomach turned violently. She backed out of the chat, but it didn’t matter. The damage was everywhere.

She glanced at Ethan. He was already out of bed, pulling on his shirt with sharp, angry movements.

"Ethan—" Her voice cracked. "What do I do? This is... this is ruined. Everything’s ruined."

"You should’ve thought of that before you pulled this stunt." His tone was ice-cold. "I warned you to be careful. But you couldn’t help yourself, could you?"

"Don’t you dare—" Clara’s fear twisted into fury. "You *knew* what I was doing! You didn’t stop me!"

"I didn’t think you’d be stupid enough to leave a trail!" Ethan snapped.

He ran a hand through his hair, pacing. "Now Aria’s going to know it was you. Do you have any idea what this does to me? To us?"

Clara’s chest tightened. "So that’s what you care about? How this affects *you*?"

"Of course that’s what I care about!" Ethan whirled on her. "Aria already suspects something between us. Now this? She’s going to think we were in on it together!"

Clara stared at him, tears streaming down her face. "Then help me. Please. You have to help me."

Ethan’s jaw clenched. For a long moment, he said nothing.

Then he grabbed her suitcase from the closet and threw it onto the bed.

"Pack your things. I’m putting you on a flight. Tonight."

Clara’s blood ran cold. "What? No. Ethan, I can’t just leave—"

"You don’t have a choice." His voice was flat, final. "If you stay here, the Pack will tear you apart. My mother will have your head. And if Aria finds out Marcus is ours—"

He stopped himself, shaking his head. "You’re leaving. End of discussion."

"But Marcus—"

"Marcus stays here. He’s safer with me."

The words hit like a physical blow.

Clara stood frozen as Ethan methodically began packing her things—clothes, documents, the essentials. Nothing more.

"Ethan, please." Her voice broke. "Don’t do this."

"I’m doing this *for* you." He didn’t even look at her. "If you stay, you’ll end up in a cell. Or worse. I’m getting you out while I still can."

She wanted to argue. To scream. To make him see reason.

But the cold, detached look in his eyes told her everything she needed to know.

He wasn’t doing this to protect her.

He was doing this to protect himself.

---

An hour later, they arrived at the airport.

Ethan had purchased a ticket to a neighboring country—one that didn’t require a visa for entry. Temporary. Hasty.

"You’ll lie low for a while," he said, his voice clipped and businesslike.

"I’ll have someone arrange a student visa. Get you enrolled in a program abroad. Once things settle down, I’ll bring Marcus to you."

Clara’s hands shook as she clutched her boarding pass. "What if I can’t come back? What if they ban me from re-entering the country?"

Ethan’s expression softened—just slightly. He pulled her into his arms, his hand stroking her hair.

"Then I’ll come to you," he murmured. "I promise."

Clara closed her eyes, letting herself sink into the lie.

Because that’s all it was. A lie.

"You’re sending me away because of her, aren’t you?" Clara whispered against his chest. "Because you’re afraid Aria will find out about us."

Ethan stiffened. "That’s not—"

"Don’t lie to me." She pulled back, searching his face. "We have a bond, I can feel your emotions. Did you forget?"

"Clara, stop." His voice turned sharp. "You’re my wife. Aria is... an arrangement. Business. You know that."

Ethan cupped her face, forcing her to meet his eyes.

"I made you a promise, Clara. Ten years ago. And I’m keeping it. You’re the one I’ll spend my life with. Not her."

The words sounded hollow. Even to him.

Clara nodded slowly, not believing a single syllable.

But she let him kiss her forehead. Let him hold her one last time.

And when her boarding call echoed through the terminal, she walked toward security without looking back.

Ethan stood there, watching until she disappeared from view.

Then he turned and left.

He didn’t see Clara slip out of the security line five minutes later.

She emerged from the terminal in a different outfit—dark jeans, a plain hoodie, a baseball cap pulled low over her face. She hailed a cab and disappeared into the night.