Aria’s POV
I stood at the base of the Hemsworth Group headquarters, staring up at the skyscraper that towered so impossibly high it made feel small. The glass and steel stretched into the sky like a giant ready to swallow whole.
The sun beat down rcilessly on my cheeks. It was too bright, causing my wolf to bristle under it’s harsh light.
I lowered my head, letting my hair fall forward to shield my eyes as I walked in through the entrance. My senses sharpened instinctively, catching the footsteps and whispers, but none of it grounded .
My steps carried to the reception desk.
The receptionist’s eyes widened the mont she saw . I was wearing my mask, the phantom style mask that covered the part of my face with the scar. There were no questions from her, no screening. She recognized from our last encounter. She simply held out an elevator card, her hands slightly trembling.
"Luna Aria," she murmured with a strange mix of respect and unease. "Please... take the staff elevator. Alpha Nathan is waiting for you on the top floor."
Nathan is waiting.
My wolf growled softly, but not in fear.
I muttered a small thank-you and stepped into the staff elevator. As the doors slid shut, the receptionist let out a quiet, stunned gasp. Even without looking, my sharp ears picked it up perfectly.
She must be shocked the fallen Luna Aria still has the guts to show her face here.
The ding of the elevator carried upward. When the doors opened, my feet moved on instinct. I didn’t need to think. My body rembered every turn, every hallway. After all, I’d walked these corridors as Nathan’s counsel for years.
But never as his wife.
I pushed open the office door without knocking.
My eyes landed on the executive chair where Nathan would usually sit, but it was empty. I scanned the room with my eyes, Nathan was not in it. Collins, his beta, was there instead, sorting through files with chanical precision. When I entered, his head imdiately snapped up.
"Luna Aria Hemsworth," he greeted with a slight nod.
The title scraped against my nerves like claws on stone.
My voice ca out cold. "Where’s Nathan?"
"He’ll arrive shortly. Please sit. I’ll have water brought in."
As if water could soothe the agitation twisting inside .
Collins left soon after, leaving alone in the office, alone with mories I didn’t want.
I scanned the spacious room once more, my gaze resting on the massive leather chair behind his desk. The Alpha throne of this corporate territory. Empty... yet suffocatingly present.
My gradually made my way towards it, my hand drifted to the chair’s edge.
In my mind, I could almost see him sitting there in a suit perfectly tailored, his posture commanding, his eyes sharp enough to pin any wolf in place. His gaze always held this deceptive warmth... but underneath?
All that existed was Ice and steel. Nathan was the definition of a predator wearing the mask of a gentleman.
Voices drifted from the hallway—mbers of staff gossiping. My sharp ears caught every word as clearly as if they whispered into my ear.
"I heard Ms. Sophia Darvin and Alpha Nathan’s wedding is coming up soon."
"If I were him, I’d marry Ms. Sophia instantly. She’s gorgeous and brilliant. They’re perfect together."
"Ms. Sophia is in her office next door right now. Word is, she’s waiting for Alpha Nathan so they can go to dinner."
My wolf bristled.
Sophia... is next door?
My fists curled inside my sleeves, my knuckles burning as they pressed against the fabric in a fit of suppressed rage.
Nathan still hadn’t shown his face.
Of course he hadn’t. This was intentional. It was clearly a reminder of where he stood, and where he wanted to force to kneel. A power play so blatant even a blind person would see it.
I exhaled slowly, my wolf snarling low in my chest.
Fine. I knew exactly why I was here.
It had to do with Sophia. Therefore I decided to go and et her.
I had not expected Sophia’s office to be right next door to Nathan’s, separated by nothing more than a corner wall.
My pace slowed automatically, my instincts sharpening the mont her scent drifted from the room next door. I knocked lightly on the door before opening it.
As soon as I stepped in, Sophia lifted her head lazily, as if she had been waiting for this mont.
"Well, look who’s here again, Aria."
She flashed that falsely sweet smile. I caught the glint of mockery shining in her eyes. It caused a chill to slither down my spine.
I t her gaze with an icy stare. Static crackled between us, my wolf’s hackles rising. For a second, I almost growled.
But my blood surged backward, sothing inside snapping, and I dropped my gaze before I lost control.
"I’m sorry," I forced the words out.
They tasted like iron. They were bitter and humiliating. But if this was what it took to get Nathan off Peter’s back... I would swallow this sha. For Peter, I would.
"What was that?" Sophia cupped her ear dramatically. "Didn’t quite catch it."
I raised my head slowly, my vision sharpening. The triumph in her eyes glistened like a freshly drawn blade.
"I said," I repeated, my voice steady even as my wolf snarled inside , "I’m sorry."
A wave of numb resentnt burned through , leaving my limbs cold.
Sophia blinked, surprised. It lasted just for a heartbeat before she quickly recovered.
Her grin darkened. "Oh, Aria... Mom always said an apology needs sincerity."
I narrowed my eyes. "What exactly do you want from ?"
"Co on, we’re sisters," she crooned. "Even though you slapped , I can’t just hit back without thinking about our bond." Then the ice in her gaze flickered as if she rembered the humiliation I’d dealt her.
She leaned closer, her voice dropping into a conspiratorial whisper. "I think I have a perfect idea"
"What could that be?", I asked.
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