Aria’s POV
I knew exactly what Kara ant.
I answered her simply even though I knew that was not the answer she needed.
“One’s my ex-husband’s nephew,” I said as I carried Lana from her, rocking her in my arms, “the other is a business partner.”
My voice stayed calm, but my wolf flicked her tail in mild amusent.
Kara’s jaw dropped. She already knew those definitions I had given her.
I felt her gaze linger on . She rubbed her chin thoughtfully.
I nudged her arm gently.
“Huh?” she blinked.
“Lana might be hungry,” I reminded her.
Kara instantly hurried to the kitchen to prepare a bottle of food for Lana.
Left alone, I carried Lana into my study. The room slled faintly of paper, graphite, and cedar.
It was comforting and familiar. I settled into my chair, Lana warm and solid against , and reached for my sketchbook.
The mont my pencil touched paper, my phone rang.
“Hey,” Francis’s voice ca through, clear and steady. “I heard you’re out of the hospital. How are you holding up?”
“I’m fine,” I replied, already sketching sharp lines that softened into curves. “How’s your case with Lucious going?”
“The third hearing’s the day after tomorrow,” he said. “Do you think you could co?”
I paused only briefly.
After my safe return, the tide had turned. Public opinion had snapped back like a pack realizing they’d chased the wrong prey. With Alia back as a presiding judge, the verdict was practically written.
“If Alia’s the judge,” I said confidently, “you just need to show up and wait for the ruling in your favor.”
Francis chuckled softly. “You really trust her.”
“She’s earned it,” I replied firmly.
He hesitated, then added, “I heard Sophia is in the hospital. I’m not sure she’ll appear. That’s why I thought it might be good if you were there.”
Warmth spread through my chest. So that was it. He was concerned about .
My mind flicked to Sophia’s swollen, distorted face, barely recognizable beneath bruises and fear. My lips curved slightly.
“That’s right. Sophia will not make it,” I said calmly.
Francis paused at my words, but didn’t press.
Just as I was about to end the call, another number flashed on my screen. It was an unknown number.
I declined it.
I told Francis I wouldn’t be at the research institute for a few days. He understood imdiately, reminding that my hours were flexible.
The unknown number called again.
And again.
My brows knit. Sothing felt... off. My wolf stirred, her ears lifting.
I switched calls.
“Hello, is this Alpha Nathan’s wife?” an anxious voice asked.
I stilled.
Nathan?
Before I could respond, another voice cut in urgently. In the background, I heard clinking glasses, layered conversations and beneath it all, a faint, slurred sound that might have been Nathan.
He was drunk.
“I’m—” I began.
“I’m with him Aria,” a confident voice interrupted.
Rowland. What was Rowland doing with Nathan? Where were they?
“Leave him to ,” Rowland said coolly, and the call ended.
I stared at my phone for a mont, listening to the dead tone.
It was just Nathan being drunk, there was nothing new about that. Nothing I needed to involve myself in, especially if Rowland was already there.
I set my phone aside.
My gaze drifted to the left, where a neatly prepared divorce agreent lay on my desk.
Divorce.
It was ti about ti that finally happened.
I was done being tangled in Nathan’s orbit. Done being Sophia’s imagined rival, a convenient target that put everyone around in danger.
Nathan’s POV
Rowland sat across from , and even through the haze of alcohol, I could feel him.
The bar below was loud. It was filled with music, laughter and clinking glasses. But up here in the second-floor lounge, the noise dulled into a distant hum. Still, it scraped against my skull, aggravating the slow throb behind my eyes.
I was sobering up unfortunately. I hated that he ca and interrupted the call I had a waiter put through to Aria.
“What are you doing here?” I asked Rowland, my voice rough, the words tasting bitter on my tongue.
Rowland didn’t answer right away. He reached for a bottle instead, the cork popping softly. The sharp scent of wine spread through the air, and my wolf stirred, annoyed at the intrusion into my space. He poured himself a glass, unhurried, then took a long drink.
“It was Collins,” he said finally. “He tried calling you. You disappeared.”
He drained the glass, his eyes gleaming with satisfaction, then frowned, as if it hadn’t been enough, and tipped the bottle straight to his lips.
My jaw tightened.
“If there’s nothing else,” I said curtly, “leave.”
He paused just as he was about to swallow and glanced at , amusent dancing in his eyes.
“Uncle Nathan,” he drawled, “you’re not as drunk as you pretend to be.”
My fingers tightened around my glass, my knuckles whitening, before I forced them to relax. Showing restraint took effort. My wolf didn’t like being tested.
“That is none of your business, my drinking has nothing to do with you,” I scoffed.
“But it has everything to do with Aria,” he replied easily. “Her matters are my matters.”
He grinned. It was wide, carefree, and just a little feral.
The sight of it darkened my mood.
My gaze lingered on him despite myself, and mories surfaced uninvited. mories from earlier at Hemsworth Villa. The way Aria hadn’t even looked at , how she’d drawn lines so cleanly, so cruelly. Since her return earlier, I have not been allowed into her room.
Yet Rowland... Rowland had been allowed inside.
The thought lodged in my chest like a splinter, sharp and impossible to ignore. My wolf growled low, the sound vibrating through my bones.
“Your matters?” I said coldly. “Aria is my wife. You’re my nephew. It’s not your place to interfere.”
Rowland chuckled, dismissive. “Whether she is or isn’t,” he said lightly, “it’s only a matter of ti.”
The air between us froze.
I stared at him, my eyes hard, dominance flaring. Rowland t my gaze without blinking. For the first ti, I saw it clearly. He was interested in her in a romantic way.
“So you think,” I said slowly, venom lacing every word, “that even if we divorce, you’d have a chance?”
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