Aria’s POV
Soon after, we arrived at the restaurant.
Rowland stepped on the brakes, and the car ca to a smooth stop. The mont the engine quieted, the tense silence inside the vehicle thickened, pressing against my ears.
I could feel the faint agitation in Rowland’s scent, it was sharp and restless, like a young wolf pacing the edge of its territory.
It irritated and confused at the sa ti.
I reached for the door handle, intent on getting out before that unease rubbed off on .
“Aria.”
Rowland spoke first.
I paused and checked the ti on my phone, it was ten minutes until the appointnt. With a soft exhale, I let my hand fall back into my lap and turned to face him.
At that exact mont, he lifted his head. Our eyes t through the rearview mirror.
For a split second, my heart stuttered. My wolf stirred under my skin, instinctively reacting to the sudden flare of emotion in his gaze. Fire burned in his eyes, raw and unguarded.
“You and Nathan are divorced.”
The words fell abruptly, as if he’d bitten through his own restraint.
I caught the faint tremor in his breathing. His pulse thudded loudly to my sharpened hearing, betraying his nerves. It seed as though he was afraid, afraid he’d overstepped, afraid I’d bare my fangs at him.
“Yeah,” I said calmly. “I rember.”
The air shifted.
Jealousy drifted through the car, unmistakable now. When I looked again, Rowland’s reflection appeared taut and cold, yet beneath it was sothing far more vulnerable, hurt.
“Should I co with you?”
His gaze locked onto mine, intense and searching.
“Of course you can.” I answered without hesitation.
Rowland froze.
“What?”
I had already opened the door and stepped out, closing it behind . “I wouldn’t want to miss the appointnt ti, I am heading inside, you can follow if you want.”
Rowland nearly leapt out of the driver’s seat.
He hurried after , even taking my bag like a dutiful assistant. I watched him from the corner of my eye, and rembering the suffocating silence in the car earlier, I couldn’t help the small smile that curved my lips.
He stayed close, really. His scent lingered at my side, cautious and restrained. Every now and then, he’d glance at , but when our eyes t, he no longer flashed his usual flirtatious grin. Instead, he’d look away, almost shy.
The restaurant sat in a remote corner of Asterfell, hidden like a neutral ground between rival territories. Its décor was elegant and subdued, with a calm atmosphere that reminded faintly of pack council halls. There were few custors inside. This place was perfect for discreet etings.
I glanced at Rowland again, watching him carry my bag silently, his thoughts clearly racing.
I felt his grip tighten on my bag.
“Aria.”
A deep, commanding voice reached us.
My wolf reacted instantly.
My spine straightened as I looked up and saw Nathan seated at the table ahead, dressed in a black suit that fit him like armor. His presence pressed down on the space around him. It was dominant, restrained and unmistakably alpha.
Collins stood behind him, ever watchful.
Across from Nathan sat an elderly woman, her scent sharp with fear. She was swallowing repeatedly, her nerves almost tangible.
I didn’t respond to Nathan imdiately.
Instead, I studied the woman.
“Is this Maria?” I asked calmly, already familiar with that na and her role.
She shot to her feet in panic, accidentally knocking her cup over with a sharp clink.
“Yes...yes, that’s . Hello, miss.”
I gestured gently for her to sit.
Her eyes flicked toward Collins, who nodded once. Only then did she lower herself back into the chair.
“This is Ms. Aria Darvin,” Collins said firmly. “Listen carefully to everything she says. If she asks anything, you answer truthfully.”
Maria nodded so fast I worried her neck might snap.
After setting my bag aside, I hesitated.
The seating was awkward—only two chairs facing each other. Maria occupied one. Nathan sat across from her, as if guarding the space.
“Uncle Nathan, long ti no see.”
Rowland’s earlier gloom vanished completely. Under the crystal chandelier, his eyes lit up as he cheerfully dropped into the seat beside Nathan.
Nathan’s expression darkened instantly.
Two alpha wolves, one table.
I sat beside Maria, making her jump again. Her fear spiked sharply, and I softened my presence instinctively, pulling my aura inward so as not to overwhelm her.
“Um... sir, miss,” Maria said shakily, gathering her courage. “I really can’t stay long. If my employer notices—”
“I’ll only ask a few questions,” I said gently, deliberately ignoring the coffee Nathan slid toward .
For years at Hemsworth Villa, coffee had been part of my mornings, its scent filling the space, entwined with mories I no longer wished to taste.
“You can leave right after. If you want, take the food with you.”
I smiled gently at Maria, deliberately softening my presence.
Almost imdiately, the tension in Maria’s shoulders eased.
“Alright,” she said quickly, patting her chest as if to calm her racing heart. “Ask whatever you need. I’ll tell you everything I know.”
Good. Fear made people lie. Comfort made them talk.
“Why did the Darvin family suddenly want Sophia to reconcile with ?”
I went straight for the throat, no circling, no wasted motion. A hunt was best done cleanly.
Maria blinked, clearly caught off guard.
“I... I don’t really understand it myself,” she admitted slowly. “I clean around the apartnt, and they don’t avoid talking in front of . I heard them ntion sothing about a big plan. Sothing involving the Osborne family... and making a fortune.”
She scratched her head, her brow furrowed in concentration.
A big plan...The Osborne family....A fortune.
My wolf stirred uneasily.
I frowned, my expression sharpening. From the mont Patrick and Sophia started acting out of character, I’d known their target wasn’t alone. But I hadn’t figured out how two desperate traitors thought they could sink their claws into the Osborne family.
Questions stacked up in my mind like unsheathed blades.
For now, I forced my doubts down.
“Which hospital is Sophia in now?”
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