Free Web NovelChapter 185: Chapter 185
Aria’s POV
I chuckled at his words.
He shook his head in amazement. “I still cannot believe that I just hired Asterfell’s youngest chief attorney.”
His hand landed briefly on my shoulder. That was who I used to be. Maybe who I could still become.
Chief attorney. ƒrēewebnovel.com
For a moment, my breath hitched. Memories rushed in—the courtroom lights, the adrenaline, the thrill of a perfectly timed objection, the electric awareness of victory humming beneath my skin. Those days felt like another lifetime. A different version of me. One who hadn’t been broken, betrayed, or forced into a life that didn’t fit her anymore.
My lashes fluttered as I pulled myself together.
“When you told me you were ready to take on my offer and work with me, I was over the moon. This is going to be a very pleasant experience”, he smiled.
“I’ll do my best,” I said quietly, more to myself than to him. I’ll fight my way back. Claw my way up if I have to.
Francis watched me carefully, he always read people too well. He saw how my expression shifted, and I caught the faintest spark of satisfaction in his eyes. Then he handed me a file.
“You’ve got perfect timing,” he said with a laugh. “Here’s a case that needs your expertise.”
I opened it. It was a plagiarism dispute. Simple on the surface—yet complicated enough to make my wolf perk up with interest. The institute had solid proof of originality, but the opposing side accused them of exceeding production standards and using rare materials. Not illegal, but enough to throw suspicion at a new research institute in the US.
“So, I’m counting on you,” Francis said, giving me additional documents.
When it came to law, something in me shifted automatically. My spine straightened, my lips tightened, and my wolf went still and focused. “I understand,” I said. “Give me some time.”
Francis didn’t doubt me for a second. He trusted me more than I currently trusted myself.
We talked until evening. He planned to take me to dinner, then home, but an emergency call dragged him away. He apologized, telling me to take a cab. I didn’t mind. After all the chaos in my life, a quiet ride back to Hemsworth Villa felt like a blessing.
By the time I returned, the sky was fully dark, moonlight softening the edges of everything. My wolf stretched within me, restless from being out all day. As soon as I stepped inside, I headed straight for the bedroom. Guilt pricked my chest.
I didn’t spend any time with Lana today. ƒreeωebnovel.ƈom
My girl...My little wolf pup.
With my own childhood scars carved deep inside me, missing even a single moment with her felt like a betrayal.
I hurried past the living room, already reaching out with my senses to check if she was awake—
And then a deep male voice sliced through the silence, stopping me cold.
“Over here.”
Nathan’s POV
I looked up the moment I heard Aria’s light, quick footsteps. They were edged with caution. I called out to her.
My gaze locked onto her, sharp and instinctive, and I caught the faint hitch in her breath as her eyes landed on the scene before her.
Me and Lana, together on the sofa.
Her expression twisted with confusion first, then something like disbelief. I felt Lana shift in my arms, her tiny mouth babbling nonsense, her bright eyes narrowing with pure wolf-pup delight. The scent of her happiness lingered in the air.
Aria knew her pup better than anyone. Lana was content, very content.
And she was in my arms.
Her eyes snapped to mine, suspicious. Always suspicious.
Her child—so small against my broad chest—looked like some delicate carved moonstone. The contrast was... striking. Even I could see that. Something tight and unfamiliar, tugged at my chest.
Is this the power of blood? Or something else entirely?
Her eyes flickered with surprise that she quickly buried.
“Sit,” I said, jerking my chin toward the sofa across from me.
She didn’t obey immediately, of course she didn’t. Instead, she crossed the room like a protective she-wolf and scooped the pup out of my arms. The warmth vanished instantly. My arms felt strangely empty and cold.
My instinctive growl almost slipped out, but I clamped it back. And yet... when I looked at her again, something softened in me anyway.
“I don’t have much free time, so you better have found the mastermind,” she said, her chin tipped up, defiant.
Her boldness shouldn’t surprise me anymore, but it still tugged at my wolf sometimes. The fact that she had Francis tie someone up in an alley meant she knew that I had my men follow her from a distance to protect her.
I hid my amusement behind a flat expression. “Grayson—that’s the name of the man who kidnapped you—his mental health certification is fake.”
For the first time, her composure slipped. She stared at me, waiting, expecting more. I continued.
“Remember I told you Crescent City has a port that handles overseas operations?”
Her eyes widened. “They wouldn’t be planning to throw me into the ocean to feed the fish, would they?”
I didn’t answer.
I didn’t need to. She saw everything in my eyes...the possibility... and how close she’d come.
Her breath hitched. A chill clung to her scent, sharp like frost. Even Lana shifted uneasily in her arms, sensing her mother’s fear.
“If Grayson was sane, he wouldn’t do something that extreme just because he doesn’t like me,” she said, her trembling fingers tightening around the pup. “There must be someone behind this.”
“We do not know yet,” I admitted, jaw tense. “We found their phones, but there’s nothing concrete.”
Her heart dropped...I could hear it in the way her pulse faltered. In Asterfell, very few people could evade me. Whoever this was... was dangerous.
“But I’ve already sent someone to give them a warning,” I added, letting a sliver of my authority bleed into my voice. “The immediate threat has been neutralized.”
She looked at me—briefly.
There was no warmth...no gratitude, but she didn’t doubt me. Not when it came to protection.
My dark eyes bore into hers as I changed the subject.
“You met Francis today,” I said. It was a statement, not a question.
