The Lunar Curse: A Second Chance With Alpha Draven-Chapter 65: Meredith Fires Back at Wanda

**(Third Person)**

The tension from the encounter with the little boy lingered, but Meredith forced herself to focus as she stepped into another boutique. The lighting was warm, and the space quieter.

The shopkeeper gave her a brief nod before returning to folding scarves behind the counter.

The boutique was lined with flowing dresses—elegant cuts in soft hues and modern patterns. Meredith brushed her fingers over the delicate fabrics, drawn to a pale violet dress with soft embroidery at the hem. It reminded her of the early spring rains in Stormveil. And the colour of her eyes.

Azul stepped closer. "That one would look good on you, my lady."

Meredith smiled under her veil. "I think so too." She pulled the dress gently from the rack and held it up to herself. Arya and Cora stepped forward, nodding in approval.

Then Meredith turned, scanning the rows again. Her eyes softened as she began picking out more items—one dress each for Arya, Cora, Azul, Kira and even Deidra, who had been pretending not to be interested.

"This one’s perfect for you," Meredith told Arya, handing her a soft blue gown.

Arya blinked. "For me?"

Meredith nodded. "Yes. You deserve something nice."

Cora gave a surprised grin, holding her own dress close. "We don’t usually get this kind of treatment."

"You have been loyal to me," Meredith said simply. "You are more than just servants. You are my people. My friends."

Azul didn’t speak, but her eyes glistened just slightly.

As Meredith took their selections to the register, one of the warriors outside entered and took the growing stack of shopping bags from the counter.

Behind him, two more walked in—straining with armfuls of large bags covered in high-end logos. All of them belonged to Wanda.

Meredith glanced toward the entrance, watching as Wanda breezed into the boutique with a smug air, her attention briefly scanning the room.

One of the warriors fumbled as a bag slipped from his grasp, and Wanda snapped at him with a glare. He scrambled to pick it up.

Meredith’s lips curved into a quiet scoff.

She turned back to the shopkeeper who raised Draven’s card to her, asking if she should add the bill there.

Meredith nodded and immediately, her items were cleared. Meredith thanked her. The moment the receipt and the card was about to be handed over, a clipped voice called behind her.

"Meredith."

She paused before turning.

Wanda stood a few steps away, arms crossed, her tone already soaked in judgment. "I need a word." Then she signalled one of the warriors to get the card and the receipt from the shopkeeper.

The others instinctively moved aside, giving them space. Meredith followed Wanda to the side of the boutique, away from earshot.

Wanda’s gaze flicked to the shopping bags in Arya and Cora’s hands, then settled on Meredith. "So, you have started buying gifts for your maids now?"

Meredith blinked, head tilting just slightly. "Why, is there a problem with that?"

"With Draven’s money?" Wanda snapped, barely keeping her voice down. "You do realize they are already being paid wages every month, right? This—" she pointed behind Meredith, "—is unnecessary."

Meredith found her statement ridiculous and didn’t speak, letting her continue.

"You’ve probably never worked a day in your life, have you?" Wanda said, voice low and bitter. "That’s why you don’t understand the value of hard-earned money. You don’t know how to spend it responsibly."

The words struck sharper than Meredith expected. But she kept her expression even, calm. Her voice, when it came, was composed.

Wanda was the one who spent ten shopping bags worth of Draven’s money on herself, and should probably be more careful about what she accused others of.

"If you have a problem with what I’ve done," she said, "then I will talk to Draven myself and explain it to him. If he disagrees with my decision, I will refund the money."

Wanda scoffed, giving her a condescending look, like she had just heard the lamest joke of the century.

"And how are you going to pay for that? By selling your body?"

As soon as she said that, Meredith’s gaze hardened. She clenched her fingers into flits. "I see that’s what you did to get here," she snapped without holding back.

Then without waiting for Wanda’s reaction, she turned and walked back into the boutique without another glance.

Wanda’s mouth opened, but no words came out. She was shocked by Meredith’s biting retort.

Those words tasted so sour in her mouth that she couldn’t swallow them. But she was definitely very comfortable and confident dishing them to Meredith.

Meredith rejoined her maidservants, who were waiting quietly, sensing the tension. One of the warriors handed her the last of her bags, and they began walking toward the next section of the mall.

Meredith was no longer mad at Wanda, but she couldn’t help cursing her out in her head.

"She dared to talk to me about spending Draven’s money when she got to flaunt his card and buy the entire world for herself. What a hypocrite!" freeωebnovēl.c૦m

But an emotion and a thought began stirring inside her. She wondered why it bothered her so much.

Her eyes flicked briefly toward Wanda, still at the back of the store who was now fussing over handbags as if they didn’t just exchange ugly words.

Am I... jealous?

The realization hit harder than she liked. The thought of another woman spending Draven’s money however she pleased—it made her chest twist in a way she couldn’t explain. And worse, she hated that it mattered to her.

What’s wrong with me?

She gave herself a quiet scolding. "Get a grip, Meredith. You are not some shallow, possessive fool. You are better than this."

But the feeling didn’t fade entirely. It sat in her chest, tight and foreign.

"I must be sick," she finally concluded bitterly.

Her gaze darkened as it returned to Wanda. "And it’s her fault. She’s the sickness."

Meredith’s gaze remained sour at the next boutique and suddenly, she wanted to go home.

"My lady, are you tired? Do you want to sit?" Azul asked, concern flickering in her eyes.