Nathan’s POV
Aria’s tone hit like claws against my chest.
My wolf bristled instantly, hackles rising beneath my skin as irritation surged through my veins.
Aria could be gentle, warm even, to everyone else, even soone like Alia. But with , it was always war. Every word of her were sharpened, every look edged with distance. The contempt she tried to hide still cut deep.
And it stung more than I cared to admit.
I felt my own temper coil, Alpha instincts pushing forward as my voice hardened. “What does Sophia have to do with this?” I snapped. “We have surveillance footage of the nanny buying the salt. She confessed. She acted out of resentnt after you reprimanded her.” I leaned forward, my eyes dark. “Isn’t that proof enough?”
My wolf snarled quietly, impatient, demanding clarity.
“What exactly do you want, Aria?”
She slowly looked up at .
The air changed.
Her eyes were filled with frost as she glared at . The temperature in the room seed to drop, the silence stretching tight as a drawn bow.
“Nathan,” she said coolly, “do you seriously believe a nanny would risk everything over sothing so trivial?” Her lips curved faintly. “Am I supposed to call you naive?”
Her gaze pierced straight through .
Those cold, rciless eyes were like a winter wind cutting across my throat. For a split second, my confidence wavered.
Doubt sank its claws in. Could she be right?
My jaw tightened. No. I’d chased down leads and didn’t find Sophia’s connection.
“I pulled every resource,” I said firmly. “Checked every available cara at the villa. You accuse Sophia, but there’s no evidence linking her to this.”
Aria laughed.
The sound was cold and mocking. It echoed faintly in the room, devoid of warmth or humor.
She turned her face away, eyes distant, emptied of emotion. “Fine. But Alpha Nathan,” she said flatly, “please leave. I need to rest with my child.”
I was dismissed.
My wolf growled low, furious at being driven out of my own territory. I rose slowly, my face hardening into stone. Without another word, I turned and left, closing the door gently.
Even as I walked away, frustration burned in my chest.
Aria’s POV
Once the door closed, the mask slipped. The storm I’d been holding back finally broke.
I stared at the solid wood in front of , my vision darkening as my wolf stirred violently beneath my skin. It felt like a dagger twisting slow and deliberate in my chest, each turn sharper than the last. Nathan’s footsteps faded down the hallway, and with them went the last thread of restraint I’d been clinging to.
So this was it.
I knew Nathan favored Sophia. I’d always known. But I never imagined he’d dismiss sothing that nearly cost Lana her life. Never imagined he’d turn a blind eye so easily.
He might be blind, but I wasn’t.
The villa had no surveillance caras inside the nursery, but I didn’t need them. I’d seen it with my own eyes. Lana’s weak cries. Her skin flushed wrong and Sophia just happened to be there with her at that mont.
I wouldn’t let her walk away.
Never. My fingers curled into a tight fist, my nails biting into my palm as disappointnt curdled into sothing colder. Nathan wasn’t just failing , he was failing Lana as a father.
“I want to be discharged.”
The words left my mouth like an order as I slamd the call button.
The nurse arrived quickly, startled by the force in my voice. “Luna Aria, a discharge requires a full check-up. If your body hasn’t fully recovered, it could be dangerous. And Alpha Nathan won’t be happy—”
The mont she said his na, my anger flared hot and bright.
“I need his permission to leave?” I cut in, my eyes flashing. My wolf bared its teeth. “If he has a problem, send him to see at Hemsworth Villa.”
I wasn’t bluffing.
I glared at the nurse and repeated slowly, “I want to be discharged. Now.”
She hesitated, then nodded.
Soon, I was outside the hospital, Lana cradled against my chest. My posture was calm, elegant, but inside I was coiled tight as a spring. People stared. So whispered sympathetically at the sight of my pale face and the infant in my arms.
I ignored them all.
The taxi I boarded took to a eting point where Kara was already waiting.
“Kara,” I said softly but firmly, handing Lana over, “I need you to look after her. I can’t trust anyone else right now.”
She didn’t ask questions. She nodded imdiately, clutching Lana close as if she understood the gravity of it.
As the taxi window rolled up, my expression hardened into steel.
If Nathan wouldn’t act, I would.
“Driver,” I said evenly, “take to the apartnt. I sent you the address.”
He hesitated, glancing at through the rearview mirror. “Miss, that’s where so of the most influential people in Asterfell live. Why are you going there?”
I didn’t answer.
My hands clenched inside my sleeves, my wolf pacing restlessly, blood humming in my ears.
“We’re here,” he finally said.
I stepped out, thanked him briefly, and lifted my gaze to the towering luxury building before . His words echoed in my mind...people of influence live here.
Was Sophia among them now?
I bit my lip and walked inside.
“Miss, may I—” the security guard started, stepping in my path.
One look.
One cold, lethal glance paired with my na was enough. “Open,” I said quietly.
The door opened.
“Knock, knock...”
“Who is it?” Sophia called out as she opened the door.
As soon as she saw , she froze.
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