Aria’s POV
I had gotten dressed, ready to leave the house. I lowered my eyes, thoughts turning sharply, branching and looping in seconds.
“Grace.” I called out softly from the doorway.
The nanny appeared almost imdiately. After yesterday’s reprimand, she kept her head lowered, avoiding my gaze.
“Don’t let anyone else handle Lana,” I said. “I’ll be back soon.”
My tone was colder than usual. The kind that ca not from anger, but from instinct.
She nodded repeatedly. “Yes, Luna Aria.”
I hesitated before leaving, glancing back once... twice... my wolf uneasy despite the calm. Only when Lana’s cheerful deanor reassured did I finally step away.
Though things had been cleared, I had no intention of attending the second trial. I wouldn’t give anyone a reason to twist shadows into accusations. Still, as a mber of Starsource Research Institution, I had to participate in internal discussions surrounding the case.
I hailed a cab.
As it pulled away, I made a silent decision.
Once this trial was over, aside from work, my ti would belong to Lana fully. No more distractions. No more storms stealing monts ant for my pup.
*****
Later, I stepped out of Starsource Research Institution with Francis walking beside .
“Stephan will handle everything from here,” he said calmly. “You’ve just weathered a storm. It’s best to stay out of sight for now.”
I nodded and offered a soft smile. Then my chest tightened. The smile vanished instantly.
Sothing was wrong.
A sharp, unsettling sensation spread beneath my ribs, like my wolf had suddenly slamd into an invisible wall. My breath caught, instincts screaming without words.
“What’s wrong?” Francis asked at once.
I pressed my hand to my chest, trying to suppress the rising panic. The feeling was distant yet urgent, like a desperate howl carried on the wind.
I shook my head. “It’s nothing. I’m heading back ho.”
My tone ca out more severe than I intended.
Francis frowned, clearly unconvinced, but didn’t push. He opened the car door for . I gave him a brief nod and slid into the seat.
The urgency swelled in my chest.
“Sir,” I said sharply to the driver, “Drive to Hemsworth Villa. Please, hurry.”
The mont he heard the address, he stiffened and hit the gas without question. The car surged forward, speed climbing rapidly.
My wolf paced wildly now.
As soon as we arrived, I dashed out of the cab and into the villa.
I heard shouts.
Fragnted voices echoed from inside like shattered glass.
“What’s all this ss?!”
“Where’s the nanny?!”
“Ms. Darvin...hold on, I’m coming!”
My blood ran cold.
Sophia was here? Again?
My vision snapped into focus. My wolf surged forward with a snarl, and I kicked the door open without thinking.
Boom!
The sound thundered through the villa.
My hand froze on the doorknob as the scene before slamd into my senses.
“Luna Aria, you are ho already?!”
The nanny’s pupils grew wide with terror, her face draining of all color.
I saw Lana on the floor, retching. My knees nearly buckled as rage flooded my veins. I shoved past them, my wolf roaring now, deafening in my head.
As if she sensed , her violent retching stopped abruptly, but her cries grew louder, hoarser, tearing straight through my chest.
“Baby...”
I scooped her into my arms, patting her tiny back desperately. Her body was burning, trembling uncontrollably. My wolf howled in anguish as my gaze dropped to the floor.
The Persian carpet worth more than most cars, was ruined. Sticky sludge soaked deep into the fibers, sared across the ceramic tiles.
Porridge...The porridge I had fed her myself.
My blood turned to ice.
“What did you do?!” I demanded.
Lana’s little body felt frighteningly light. Her eyes which were normally bright were beginning to glaze, her lashes fluttering weakly. Her body was burning up. My heart cracked open.
Sophia stood there, wearing a mask of shocked innocence.
“Aria...Sister,” she said softly, as if she were the victim, “I felt guilty about yesterday. Since you cleared your na, I wanted to apologize... celebrate a little. When I saw Lana alone, I thought I’d keep her company...”
Lana clutched tightly to my chest, her face was pale.
“You call this playing?” I snarled, my voice no longer human. “Playing until she’s completely drained?”
“I didn’t an to...”
Smack!
The sound echoed violently.
Sophia’s head snapped to the side. Her eyes widened as she scread, clutching her burning cheek.
“You hit ?!”
She might as well have been invisible.
I dialed the ergency contact for an ambulance with shaking fingers, my voice razor-sharp.
“Hello...yes, ergency...my child...she’s vomiting and burning up...please send an ambulance now.”
The mont they confird help was on the way, sothing inside snapped fully loose.
If before I had been cod, I was feral now.
I turned slowly, my gaze locking onto Sophia. My hair had fallen loose around my face, my breathing ragged, my wolf clawing for blood.
“I warned you,” I said, every word dripping with lethal calm. “Never enter Hemsworth Villa without permission. Yesterday Nathan was here. Today, you’re alone.”
My eyes burned.
“Who let you in?”
Sophia froze.
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