Free Web NovelChapter 173: Chapter 173
Aria’s POV
Nathan’s voice cut through the room like an icy blade.
“Aria.” His tone was cold and controlled. The kind of tone an Alpha uses when he’s one breath away from losing it.
I didn’t look at him. I didn’t dare.
“Please... just leave,” I murmured, my voice barely more than a breath. Even speaking felt heavy, like my ribs were full of sand.
A wave of exhaustion washed over me, I was tired and drained. My wolf whimpered inside me, curling in on herself, ashamed that we were this weak. I squinted at the floor, feeling both lonely and powerless... emotions a werewolf should never admit to.
The room was suffocatingly still, the tension thick enough to choke on. Then Nathan left and the door clicked shut behind him, and the moment his scent faded from the room, I sagged back against the pillow.
My shoulders, which were too thin, too fragile for a creature born to survive, sank deeper into the softness behind me. I closed my eyes.
Francis pulled his chair closer.
“Was it Sophia who pushed you?” he asked, his tone soft but edged with anger.
I swallowed. “Yeah.”
The word tasted bitter. My wolf bristled at the memory.
Francis’s concern wrapped around me like a warm scent. He lifted his hand as though to touch my head, then hesitated and sighed, letting it drop. ƒгeewёbnovel.com
“It’s okay,” he whispered. “I’m back in Asterfell now. You’re not alone. You have me.”
I blinked at him, startled. That warmth... I hadn’t really felt it in so long. A small spark lit in my chest, surprising my wolf too.
My nose tingled, and I swallowed hard.
Then his face tightened, becoming serious.
“By the way...” He pulled up something on his phone and placed it in my hands.”I saw this and felt something was off, I did some digging and discovered you were at the hospital.”
My brows furrowed as I scanned the headline.
“Aria Wears Fake Designer Dress at Sophia’s Celebration.”
My heart thudded once, hard enough that my wolf jerked awake.
Fake?
My wolf snarled. These are pure lies.
I scrolled, seeing the photo of me from behind, wearing the dress they tagged a Chanel dress.
As I scrolled the comments...I saw that in just two hours, there were already tens of thousands of comments.
They hit like claws.
[Does she have to be so dishonest? Can’t afford the real thing?]
[She ruined her career and now she’s ruining her sister’s celebration.]
[I feel no sympathy for a criminal like Luna Aria.]
A lone comment defending me drowned instantly under the tide of cruelty, the user was bullied into deleting it.
My wolf growled low in my chest, furious and hurting at the same time. I kept my face blank, but inside my heart throbbed painfully.
Francis leaned closer. “People online bark louder than they bite. Their loyalty changes with the wind. Don’t take it personally.”
I shook my head, forcing a smile. “I won’t.”
I met his gaze deliberately, letting him see that I wasn’t broken, at least not fully.
My hand tightened around the bedsheet until the fabric wrinkled under my protruding claws.
But I didn’t need to guess who orchestrated this.
It is no other person than Sophia. She just couldn’t stand to see me breathe freely.
My eyes hardened. My wolf lifted her head. Maybe it’s time to stop waiting...Maybe it’s time to bite back.
Francis sensed the change in my mood instantly. “Whatever you need to do... I’m with you.”
I looked at him, a slow, measured smile forming on my lips. “This time, I want to handle it myself. But I’ll need your help.” freewebnoveℓ.com
“Of course.”
He didn’t even hesitate.
The tension in the room eased just a little.
Still... something didn’t sit right.
Fake Chanel? My dress was custom-made—no label, no logo, nothing recognizable.
So how did they identify it?
This left me deeply puzzled but one thing was sure Sophia wanted to ruin me with lies sharpened to a deadly point.
And in the world of high-society wolves, being the wife of Asterfell’s richest Alpha and being caught wearing counterfeits wasn’t just embarrassing, It was a public execution.
Nathan’s POV
The PR department of the Hemsworth Group had barely survived the last crisis. Two days of rest, and now they were thrown back into the flames.
And all because someone dared to drag my family, my pack, into the mud.
I sat in my office, my jaw clenched so tightly my wolf snarled in my head. The photos on the screen burned into my vision. They were photos of Lana’s face.
“How dare they show Lana’s face?” I growled, my voice dropping to that low, dangerous tone that made subordinates tremble. My wolf was already pushing at my skin, pacing furiously.
Collins stood stiffly in front of me. The scent of his fear filled the room.
“Alpha Nathan, I’ve already sent people to remove the news and delete all photos of Lana and Luna Aria as quickly as possible.”
“Find out who did this,” I snapped, slamming my palm onto the desk. The expensive, solid oak wood cracked beneath my hand. “And make sure they don’t get away with it.”
