Aria’s POV
I hurried towards the won, glancing between them as I asked in a slightly steady voice, "Why are they looking for the woman?".
They exchanged glances before returning their gazes to .
"I think they ntioned sothing about compensating her", one of them replied.
I drew in a deep breath, trying to suppress the fury fraying my nerves.
They wanted to compensate after my child nearly died. I huffed and went back to my seat.
When the nurse finally called, "Lana?", I rose, holding my little girl close. Her small arms looped around my neck, her warmth steadying .
After the checkup, I sat outside the pediatric exam room, waiting for the results.
The rhythmic sound of footsteps and muffled conversations filled the air, but my mind was elsewhere, floating between exhaustion and that dull ache that never really left.
Then my gaze drifted toward the ultrasound room nearby.
To my greatest shock, Sophia stood there, perfectly grood as always, clutching an ultrasound image like it was a trophy.
My wolf’s ears perked, instincts sharpening. Beside her stood a man with tall, broad-shoulders. He was achingly familiar but it wasn’t Nathan.
When he turned, my breath hitched. My heartbeat stumbled, then pounded hard against my ribs.
Richard.
What in the Moon Goddess’s na was he doing with her?
I double-checked the sign above the door, as if that would change what I was seeing. But it was still the ultrasound room.
The rumors about Sophia’s pregnancy were already everywhere online.
One thought tugged at though. Why was Sophia here with Richard instead of Nathan?
She was obviously here for prenatal checkup.
Were both of them still entangled with each other?.
A bitter smile tugged at my lips before I could stop it. Of course, that had to be it.
So all that concern Richard had shown, when he stopped from eting Nathan the last ti was all part of the act. He wasn’t protecting . He was clearing the path for Nathan and Sophia to waltz around freely.
What a noble sacrifice, I thought, my lips curling into a mocking smirk. How selfless of him, to sacrifice his own happiness for Sophia’s.
The smirk hadn’t faded when his eyes found mine.
Our gazes locked for a heartbeat. The air between us crackled. I froze, then schooled my expression into indifference, tearing my gaze away as if he were nothing more than another stranger in a hospital room.
But even without looking, I could feel his gaze still on but I pretended not to notice.
I bowed my head, my bangs falling like a curtain over my face. It was easier that way. I needed to hide the flicker of emotion I didn’t want him to see.
My wolf stirred uneasily beneath my skin, her senses prickling at the weight of his gaze still burning into .
I kept my eyes fixed on the tiled floor, refusing to et his.
My sharp ears caught Sophia’s nervous words as she spoke to him. She must have noticed his distraction. "What’s wrong, Richard? Are Nathan’s people nearby?"
I caught on fragnts of their conversion.
Eventually Richard told her curtly, "Take a cab back. I’ve got sothing to handle,"
I froze.
Sothing to handle.
I didn’t need to wonder who that "sothing" was.
I knew it had to do with .
Sophia hesitated but didn’t argue. She covered her face and hurried off.
My pulse quickened. Not again. I grabbed my bag and stood, ready to make my escape before our paths crossed.
"Aria."
His voice slid through the air behind . My feet faltered for just a second before I forced myself forward. I kept my expression blank, every muscle tight, pretending I hadn’t heard.
Then his hand caught my wrist.
My wolf snarled in protest, wanting to rip free.
"What do you want?" I snapped, spinning around. My voice ca out sharper than I intended, brittle with anger and sothing dangerously close to pain.
Richard looked montarily lost, his eyes flickering with sothing I couldn’t na. "I..." he started, but the words crumbled before they reached .
"Just listen to ," he finally pleaded, desperation bleeding into his tone.
"Your explanations have nothing to do with ," I shot back, my voice cold and steady even as my wolf bristled, pacing beneath my skin.
He flinched, his eyes dimming. "Aria, you’d rather go back to Nathan than give a second glance? We were so close once. Have you forgotten everything?"
I laughed, but the sound that ca out wasn’t of joy, it was jagged and bitter, like broken glass. "Forgotten? Oh no, Richard, I rember everything. I rember every lie, every manipulation, every ti you used as your shield while you played hero for soone else."
I stepped closer, my wolf pushing against the surface, letting her presence edge into my tone. "Looking at you now makes my skin crawl. So do us both a favor and stay the hell out of my life."
The words hung heavy in the air between us. He t my eyes, really t them, but all he saw was ice. Whatever warmth used to live there had long since frozen over.
Just then, the nurse called Lana’s na, I turned and headed towards her without sparing Richard another glance.
I walked swiftly toward the examination room with Lana in my arms.
The doctor’s calm voice steadied . "The fever’s broken, and the chest X-ray shows everything’s clear."
I exhaled slowly, relief flooding through like cool water. My shoulders finally loosened. The tight coil of worry that had gripped since last night unraveled a little
"Thank you," I murmured, bowing slightly in gratitude to the doctor and nurse before turning to leave.
Lana’s soft breaths ward against my neck.
As I stepped into the hallway, I didn’t realize Richard was still there. My focus was only on getting Lana ho, feeding her, letting her rest.
I adjusted Lana in my arms and kept walking, never looking back.
Outside, the sky was bright and sunny. I stood by the roadside to halt a taxi when a shadow fell across my path, blocking my way.
I froze. My wolf snapped to attention, claws scraping at the edge of my consciousness.
"Aria, it really is you." The person said.
My heart clenched.
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