Aria’s POV
By late afternoon, I was back on my feet, my broom in hand, pushing through the last shift of the day. The sun was sliding low, painting the sky in dull amber, and the air slled faintly of rain and exhaust.
Lana was bundled against my chest, she was quiet for once. Every few minutes she’d lift her head, her big eyes scanning everything before drooping shut again.
After an hour, I paused on a bench to stretch my back and wipe the drool from Lana’s chin. I brushed my thumb over her cheek, grounding myself in her softness before getting up to finish the job.
The garbage truck rumbled up, filling the air with diesel and rot. I hauled a bin toward it, the muscles in my arms tightening, my wolf wrinkling her nose in disgust.
That’s when I saw her.
An elderly woman with silver hair was walking slowly down the sidewalk, muttering to herself, her eyes scanning the ground. When she spotted , her eyes lit up with hope.
"Excuse , dear," she said, her voice trembling, "have you seen a sapphire ring around here?"
I blinked, taken aback. "No, ma’am," I said softly, setting the broom aside. "But I can help you look. When did you last notice it?"
She pressed a tissue to her eyes. "It was a gift from my late husband," she said, her voice breaking. "He gave it to when we were young. I’ve worn it every day since. Now that he’s gone... that ring is all I have left of him."
The sadness in her words made my chest ache. I knew that kind of loss, the kind that haunts you, keeps you awake at night.
"I’ll help you find it," I said gently. "Try to think back, maybe you dropped it sowhere near here?"
She frowned, lost in thought. "I’ve searched the park already. This was the only other place I passed." Her voice was small now and fragile.
I guided her to a nearby bench, helping her sit down, and handed her a bottle of water. "Here," I said. "Don’t worry. You might still get it back."
As she took a sip, a mory flashed in my mind — Jas , the street cleaner from the next block, the very man Kara had warned about.
Ten minutes ago, I’d seen him glance around nervously before slipping sothing shiny into his pocket. My wolf caught the scent of deceit even then, but I’d brushed it off.
Now I wasn’t so sure.
Before I could decide what to do, a group of bodyguards in black suits jogged over. Their footsteps were heavy and purposeful. The mont they stopped in front of the woman, their posture changed. Their heads were bowed slightly and their tone, reverent.
"Mrs. Mrs. Jennifer, we couldn’t find the item," one said.
The hope in her eyes vanished. "No... What am I supposed to do now?"
Her voice trembled, breaking the way my own used to when I thought no one could hear.
I watched her as she sorrowed quietly. The n around her treated her like royalty. She was soone people listened to. Soone the world bent toward.
A pang of envy twisted through .
Once, I’d had influence too. Once, I’d been Aria Thorne, the rising star of Asterfell. The kind of woman people respected, feared even. But that was before prison, before betrayal.
Now I was a street cleaner, I was disposable.
People always said the only way to fight power was with more power. And maybe they were right.
My gaze drifted back to Mrs. Mrs. Jennifer. Soone like her didn’t survive the world by being soft.
Maybe, just maybe, she could help .
I took a step forward, my voice steady but sure. "Mrs.," I said, eting her eyes, "I can help you find your ring."
"Co back tomorrow morning at nine-thirty. I’ll have it returned to you by then." I said it like I ant it. My wolf prowled under my skin, low and hungry for the truth to be found.
She looked up at as if she’d been handed a puzzle that might be worth solving. She looked tired but my words seed to wake up sothing in her. Maybe hope.
"You really think you can?" she asked, studying . I could feel the question sizing up, asuring my life against hers: a janitor’s uniform, a baby tucked close under layers, a dirt-smudged face.
She saw what she wanted to see — a woman scraping by.
"Yes," I said simply.
She cocked an eyebrow. "And what’s your na, young lady?"
"Aria Thorne."
"Alright, Ms. Thorne." She rose with the help of her guards, regal and tired at once. "For the sake of your child, and because I do feel for a single mother struggling, I’ll take you at your word."
Her eyes snapped colder. "But if that ring isn’t returned, I won’t make it easy for you."
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