Free Web NovelChapter 165: Chapter 165
Aria’s POV
The music softened as if acknowledging the truce I had forged with my heart. My wolf, still restless, sensed the tension and the lies swirling like smoke in the ballroom.
Then my sharp ears picked Sophia’s words. Her voice, soft but eager, floated to me across the room: “Nathan, can we dance?” I could smell a mix of fear and excitement in her scent. Knowing who she is, she must have convinced herself that this party, orchestrated entirely for her by Nathan, would cement her position in his life.
My wolf bristled. Through the corner of my eye, I watched as Nathan extended his hand, polite and commanding all at once. Sophia didn’t even hesitate, she immediately placed her hand in his.
The moment Nathan and Sophia hit the stage, everyone’s dance steps faltered. Every head turned toward them. They were like a shining pair, the center of attraction.
The chandelier above them burned brighter than the full moon, scattering silver-gold light across the marble floor. It poured over Sophia’s gown, making it shimmer like a river of starlight. My wolf bristled beneath my skin, a low growl curling in my chest even though I kept my expression cold.
Sophia lifted her chin, the faintest hint of pride on her lips. She slipped off her shawl with deliberate grace, exposing her pale shoulders as if presenting herself for worship.
Show-off, my wolf hissed.
Gasps rose from the crowd once again.
“Wow, I’ve never seen such a beautiful dress,” a woman said.
“That shoulder design is Dior’s newest exclusive, isn’t it?” someone added.
Compliments multiplied like flies drawn to honey. The scent of admiration; sugary and cloying, filled the air, prickling my heightened senses.
Her dress resembled a butterfly about to take flight. She straightened her back proudly, and the wings embroidered on her bodice seemed to rustle and glimmer.
“Dior’s high-end couture is already impossible to get, but an exclusive piece like this? One in the world?, Alpha Nathan must adore her to get this for her.”
Their whispers crawled under my skin like thorns.
Sophia soaked up the attention, her eyes sweeping the room with that familiar haughty gleam... until they reached Nathan. Then her gaze softened like warm honey.
“Nathan...” she breathed.
Even her voice sounded like she was marking him. freeωebnovēl.c૦m
Nathan barely seemed present. His aura, usually steady, commanding, flickered with distraction. Still, he wrapped an arm around her waist as they moved to the rhythm of the melody I was producing on the piano.
The music reached its final note. Sophia dipped dramatically and the piano cut off.
Thunderous applause erupted.
“Ms. Sophia Darvin dances beautifully,” someone said.
“Ms. Sophia Darvin and Alpha Nathan are a perfect match.”
“This whole event feels like his way of showing affection for her.”
“Perfect match.”
“Showing affection.”
The words slammed into me like blows.
Sophia smiled sweetly and victoriously as a flock of girls gathered around her. She was the star tonight, and she knew it.
I lifted my eyes, letting my expression cool into ice. My senses sharpened; my wolf surged closer to the surface. I focused on Sophia’s bashful little smile... and then on the woman whispering beside her.
My sharp ears caught her words. “Aria is just someone Alpha Nathan married to appease his family. She can’t compare to you. Look how considerate Alpha Nathan is toward you.”
My jaw tightened.
Sophia put on a strained expression. “How can you say that?” she said gently. “Even though Aria insisted on marrying Nathan, which caused him stress... they are husband and wife. You shouldn’t talk like this.”
Sophia’s feigned defiance, her polite words defending me while belittling me, made my heart spike.
I decided right at that very moment to give them a little surprise.
Nathan’s POV
Suddenly, an ugly, off-key chord crashed through the ballroom, it was sharp enough to make even my wolf flinch. The guests closest to the stage winced, some whipping their heads toward the piano with irritation. The sound vibrated through my heightened hearing like a claw dragged across stone.
My thoughts, already a tangled mess stilled. My gaze settled on the woman sitting at the piano, the international act I had hired. Earlier, I had brushed off the compelling thought from my wolf that the woman sitting there was our mate. There was no way that was true. They probably just shared a striking back view resemblance.
I frowned and was about to signal Collins to go fix whatever had gone wrong, but then the slender figure slowly rose from the piano bench bad turned.
My breath stalled.
It was really...Aria.
She stood tall and composed, but I could see the tremor she was trying to hide. Her dark hair fell across her shoulders like a shadow, her presence cutting clean through the noise and light as if the entire ballroom dimmed for her alone.
For a moment, I forgot Sophia, forgot the guests. Forgot every damn thing. Everything narrowed into that one figure on stage.
My eyes widened before I could control the reaction.
When did Aria get here?
How long had she been sitting there? Was she the one playing the entire time?
My wolf paced inside me, excited.
I told you it was her.
But why... why didn’t I smell her scent?
