Chapter 34: The Matriarch’s Return 

Chapter 34 The Matriarch’s Return 

(Eleanor’s POV) 

I sat rigidly in my chair, glaring at Olivia Winters with undisguised contempt. The Stone Ancestral Hall’s cold atmosphere matched the ice in my veins as I watched her stand before me, her shoulders squared despite 

her precarious position. 

How I loathed this woman. This nobody who had somehow ensnared my nephew and gained a position she didn’t deserve. 

“You have nothing to say for yourself?” I demanded, my voice echoing against the stone walls 

Olivia pressed her lips together, swallowing whatever justification she might have offered Smart girl. Nothing she could say would matter anyway 

Ethan had made his choice clear. Victoria Frost and her daughter Emma were his priority now, not this pathetic excuse for a Luna who couldn’t even protect her own child. 

“Your silence speaks volumes,” I said, rising from my seat. “You know you’re guilty.” 

Victoria stood beside me, her perfect features arranged in an expression of righteous indignation. She had played her part flawlessly, as always. 

“To think you would target an innocent child,” I continued, circling Olivia like a predator. “A child who has just undergone a kidney transplant, no less.” 

Olivia’s emerald eyes flashed with something dangerous–anger, perhaps, or the bitter recognition that she stood alone against us. Without Ethan’s support, she was powerless in the pack hierarchy. 

“Pathetic,” I spat, enjoying how she flinched at my words. 

(Isabelle’s POV) 

I stepped forward, unable to contain my excitement. Finally, after years of watching this nobody steal my brother’s attention and my grandmother’s affection, justice would be served. 

“Kneel,” I commanded, savoring the word on my tongue. 

Olivia remained standing, her stubborn defiance igniting my rage. Who did she think she was? 

“I said kneel!” I repeated, emphasizing each syllable. 

When she still refused, I delivered a swift kick to the back of her knees. The satisfying sound of her body 

hitting the stone floor sent a thrill through me. 

Two servants grabbed her shoulders, forcing her to stay down. Her emerald eyes glared up at me, filled with a 

hatred that matched my own. 

“Mother,” I said, turning to Eleanor with barely contained glee, “shall we proceed with the family punishment?” 

Mother nodded, her cold eyes fixed on Olivia’s kneeling form. “Begin.” 

One of the servants handed me the Alpha’s Discipline Rod, its polished surface gleaming in the dim light of the ancestral hall. The ancient runes carved into the wood seemed to pulse with anticipation. 

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I raised it high, then brought it down across Olivia’s back with all my strength. The sound of wood striking 

flesh echoed through the hall 

To my disappointment, Olivia didn’t cry out. Her jaw clenched, but no sound escaped her lips. 

I struck again, and again. Each blow harder than the last, driven by years of simmering resentment. 

Still, she remained silent, her stoicism only fueling my anger. The servants held her firmly in place as the 

punishment continued, their faces impassive 

“You think you’re strong?” I hissed, leaning close to her ear. “You’re nothing. You’ve always been nothing 

When the rod failed to break her spirit, I tossed it aside in frustration. My eyes fell on the Ancestral Pack Whip hanging on the wall–a brutal instrument reserved for the most severe transgressions against pack law. 

No one had used it in decades. Its nine leather tails, each embedded with moonstone fragments, were 

designed to cause maximum pain without leaving permanent scars. 

I grabbed it, feeling its weight in my hand. The servants‘ eyes widened, but they dared not question me 

“Perhaps this will loosen your tongue,” I said, unfurling the whip with a dramatic flourish. 

I raised my arm, preparing to bring the whip down across Olivia’s already bruised back. The anticipation of her screams made my heart race with dark excitement. 

(Olivia’s POV) 

I braced myself for the bite of the whip, my back already throbbing from the Discipline Rod. Through the haze of pain, I heard the door burst open with a thunderous bang. 

“I’d like to see who dares touch my Olivial” 

The voice that echoed through the Stone Ancestral Hall sent a wave of relief washing over me. Matriarch Evelyn Stone stood in the doorway, her diminutive frame somehow filling the entire space with her presence. 

Fear rippled through the room like a tangible force. 

Isabelle flinched violently, losing her grip on the whip. The leather tails recoiled, striking her own leg. She let out a piercing scream, dropping to the floor as blood seeped through her expensive pants. 

Eleanor’s face drained of color. “Mother,” she stammered, ‘you’re back.” 

Isabelle whimpered from the floor, clutching her injured leg. “Grandmother!” 

The servants trembled, bowing deeply. “Matriarch!” 

But I only felt joy flooding through my veins. With a surge of strength, I scrambled to my feet and rushed toward Matriarch Evelyn, 

“Grandmother!” I cried, tears of relief streaming down my face. 

She opened her arms, enfolding me in a protective embrace. Her familiar scent–moonlight herbs. wisdom–surrounded me like a shield. 

“My dear Olivia, are you alright?” she asked, her aged hands gently examining my face. 

“I’m fine,” I assured her, though my back screamed in protest. Tears welled in my eyes as a torrent of questions poured out. “Grandmother, when did you wake up? Why did you come back alone? Are you well?” 

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Her eyes, sharp despite her years, softened as she patted my hand reassuringly I’m fine, Grandmother is 

strongl” 

Her touch was a comforting balm, soothing the ache of betrayal and isolation Id carried for so long 

(Victoria’s POV) 

I sat beside Emma’s bed, watching her sleep peacefully. Her tears had dried on her cheeks, leaving 

tracks that tugged at my heart. 

g faint 

My own tears of frustration were still wet as I wiped thern away. Everything had been going perfectly Olivia was finally getting what she deserved–punishment for daring to stand between me and what I wanted. 

A soft knock at the door interrupted my thoughts. A servant entered, his expression anxious. 

“Mrs. Frost, Alpha Stone requests your presence downstairs immediately,” he said, his voice trembling slightly. “Matriarch Evelyn has returned.” 

My blood ran cold. Matriarch Evelyn? The old woman who had been stuck in the past for five years? 

I rose shakily, smoothing my dress with trembling hands. “Is she… Is she lucid?” 

The servant nodded, his eyes darting nervously. “Very much so, ma’am. And she’s asking for you, Alpha Stone, and Miss Emma.” 

I glanced at my sleeping daughter, dread spreading through me like poison. If Matriarch Evelyn had truly returned to her senses, everything I had built could come crashing down. 

The truth about what happened five years ago–a truth I had meticulously buried–was now in jeopardy. 

I gently woke Emma, whispering reassurances as I helped her dress. Her small face scrunched with 

confusion. 

“Mommy, who’s Matriarch Evelyn?” she asked innocently. 

“Alpha Stone’s grandmother,” I replied, forcing a smile. “A very important lady who wants to meet you.” 

As we descended the stairs, I saw Ethan’s face light up with joy at the sight of his grandmother. My heart. 

sank further 

While Ethan embraced the old woman, I hung back, an unfamiliar sensation of fear crawling up my spine. 

(Olivia’s POV) 

I stood beside Matriarch Evelyn, drawing strength from her presence as Ethan approached. His face transformed with genuine joy as he embraced his grandmother. 

“Grandmother, I’ve missed you,” he said, his voice warm with affection. 

Matriarch Evelyn patted his cheek lovingly, though her eyes held questions she wasn’t yet asking. “My boy, you’ve grown even more handsome.” 

Her gaze hardened when it fell on Victoria, who clung to Ethan’s side like a shadow. Without acknowledging her, Matriarch Evelyn turned pointedly away, tightening her grip on my hand. 

The silent gesture spoke volumes. She knew I was suffering and was letting me know I wasn’t alone 

anymore. 

Her sharp eyes scanned the room, taking in Eleanor’s stiff posture, Isabelle’s bandaged leg, and the servants‘ 

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Chapter The Matrarch 

fearful expressions. Finally, her gaze settled on me, noting my disheveled appearance and the way I winced 

when moving. 

“Olivia, what happened?” she asked directly. 

Before I could answer, Isabelle jumped forward eagerly. 

“Grandmother, Olivia is vicious!” she exclaimed, her voice high with excitement. “Emma is only five years old, and in such cold weather, she actually pushed Emma into the pool. That’s why Mother and brother punished 

her.” 

Matriarch Evelyn’s expression remained neutral as she turned to me. “Olivia, you tell me!” 

“Grandmother, I didn’t,” I said simply, meeting her eyes. 

Isabelle couldn’t contain herself. “Olivia, you still dare to say you didn’t do it? I saw it with my own eyes…” 

“Did you?” I interrupted, my voice cutting like ice. “Are you sure you saw it with your own eyes?” 

Isabelle faltered under my steady gaze. She knew as well as I did that the garden path was obscured by tall. hedges. There was no way she could have witnessed anything from there. 

“Grandmother,” I said, turning to Matriarch Evelyn with newfound confidence, “I have proof.” 

Without waiting for a response, I led one of the security guards back to the Moonlit Reflection Pool. My phone lay hidden in the grass where I’d placed it before Emma’s arrival. 

I checked the recording–almost an hour long, capturing everything from the moment I’d left that kiss mark 

on Ethan’s neck in the kitchen. I’d started recording as a precaution, anticipating Victoria’s fury. 

What I hadn’t expected was Emma deliberately jumping into the pool to frame me. 

Back in the living room, all eyes were on me as I handed the phone to Matriarch Evelyn. 

“The proof is here.” 

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