Aria’s POV
I was still trying to get over the fact that Rowland had called Nathan his uncle when Rowland’s voice cut through the heat like a blade of ice.
He spoke slowly, each word edged with frost, his gaze locked on Sophia. The sun beat down on him, catching in his hair, casting shadows across his face...but his eyes... they were sharp enough to slice through lies.
Sophia froze.
Her scent soured with fear and embarrassnt. She opened her mouth, but nothing ca out.
She wasn’t dumb. She knew perfectly well Rowland was calling her out for what she’d done to .
The silence stretched so long even my wolf stiffened, her ears tilting in discomfort.
Then Rowland laughed softly, not kindly.
“Aren’t you the lead attorney at the Hemsworth Group? You can’t even answer sothing this simple?”
He crossed his arms, glanced lazily toward Nathan and his next words were a punch.
“Uncle Nathan, doesn’t your company have basic entry requirents? Does anyone get in?”
Gasps scattered through the small crowd that gathered. They whispered, stared and held their breath.
From the conversation, they had realized who Rowland and were. My sharp ears caught onto so of their whispers.
“That lady looks like a bit like Alpha Nathan’s wife? Could that be her?”
“Why is Alpha Nathan’s nephew roasting Sophia alive in public?”
Instinctively, their eyes flicked toward Nathan, waiting for the explosion.
But Nathan didn’t move.
His expression remained cold stone, his lips pressed tight, his eyes unreadable.
He was not defending Sophia, not helping her. He was just silent.
My chest tightened for reasons I didn’t want to examine.
Sophia looked like soone had yanked the ground out from under her. Her eyes darted to Nathan again and again, silently begging him to save her.
He didn’t even blink.
I could practically feel her heart cracking... and her jealousy turning venomous. She looked at like I was the cause of every humiliation she’d ever endured.
Her fists tightened beneath her sleeves, her anger mixing with a spike of resentnt that made my wolf want to bare her teeth.
Then Sophia did sothing desperate.
She lifted her chin, her voice trembling.
“Nathan... the archives can’t stay open for too long. Let’s go back to the office.”
She forced a smile, one ant to look soft and sweet.
Nathan finally looked at her.
But the expression he gave wasn’t warmth. There was no affection, no protection. Just a cold, distant stare that made even the hairs on my neck rise.
“Let’s go?” I echoed sharply before I could stop myself.
My body moved faster than my thought, wolf instinct taking over. I stepped forward, Lana in my arms, blocking Sophia’s escape.
With Rowland no longer shielding , Sophia suddenly found her courage.
“Aria, what are you doing?” she snapped. “You hit ! I haven’t even said anything to you yet, why make this harder?”
Her bottom lip trembled, tears sparkling like crystal drops.
And just like that, sympathy drifted through the crowd.
“Yes! We saw her!” soone shouted.
“Luna Aria was trying to hit Ms. Darvin!”
A chorus followed, their whispers aid like stones.
My wolf bristled, her tail lashing invisibly behind .
I was not afraid of their accusations.
I stroked Lana’s tiny hand, grounding both of us, and spoke coldly:
“Sophia struck first. I defended myself. And next ti you open your mouth on soone’s behalf, rember this, don’t choose sides when you don’t know the truth. Good intentions an nothing to soone willing to use you.”
I tapped Rowland’s arm and pointed upward at the security cara.
“My witnesses and evidence are all up there.”
Rowland raised a brow behind , intrigued, his attention never leaving .
For so long, I’d tried to be calm and gentle like a rabbit hiding its scars.
But standing here...Surrounded by accusations...Facing an enemy dressed like a victim, triggered ...I just could not remain silent.
Rowland’s eyes glowed with an interest I didn’t quite understand, but it burned hot enough for my wolf to notice.
At my words, Sophia’s expression flickered with a mix of anger, panic qnd guilt until her mouth opened but nothing ca out. My words must have hit like silver.
Those around us noticed this change in Sophia’s expression and realization rippled through them like wind through dry leaves.
A woman stepped forward.
“I was just shopping nearby. I clearly saw Ms. Sophia Darvin try to hit Luna Aria. Alpha Nathan’s nephew stopped her.”
Another voice chid in.
“I never thought Ms. Sophia would do sothing like that!”
Gasps and whispers spread fast. Sophia’s face drained of color, her aura collapsing inward.
“You only saw that I wanted to act!” Sophia suddenly shouted. “But you don’t know why I was doing it!”
The crowd fell silent.
My wolf’s ears perked at the change, they were searching for soone to side with. These werewolves didn’t like uncertainty. They wanted a story.
“That’s true,” a man muttered. “Ms. Sophia was always gentle and pampered by Alpha Nathan. Why would she hit soone for no reason? Maybe Luna Aria pushed her.”
“Yeah,” soone else added quickly. “She went to prison, didn’t she? What credibility does she have?”
My jaw tightened, but I didn’t flinch.
Compared to what I’d already survived, these were nothing more than pebbles thrown at a fortress.
Then soone shouted:
“Ms. Sophia Darvin, please tell us what happened! We’ll believe you!”
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