Free Web NovelChapter 202: Chapter 202
Aria’s POV
I was caught off guard by the sudden gravity in Jonathan’s voice. My wolf, which had been lazily curled inside me moments ago, lifted its head at once, ears pricked. I nodded slightly, signaling for him to continue.
Jonathan inhaled, then said calmly, “Aria, I want to marry you. Marry me, and I’ll give you everything I have...fame, power, wealth. Whatever you choose.”
For a heartbeat, the world went quiet.
My eyes widened before I could stop myself. I stared at him, searching his face for any sign of jest, any flicker of mockery or impulsive recklessness.
There was none.
Jonathan seemed to sense my disbelief. He shook his head slowly, his gaze unwavering. “Aria, I am quite serious.”
Heat rushed to my cheeks, an unfamiliar fluster spreading through me. A marriage proposal so direct and unguarded had never been part of my plans. Nathan’s words from yesterday echoed in my mind. The injustice I carried still clung to me like a shadow, my name stained with a criminal record that wasn’t truly mine. And beyond that...
I had a child.
Jonathan lowered his eyes to Lana, who was babbling softly in his arms, her small fingers clutching his sleeve. His expression softened in a way that surprised me.
“I adore Lana. I liked her from the very first moment,” he said, looking down at Lana.
My wolf blinked, momentarily stunned. So was I.
A quiet laugh echoed in my mind. Of all the reasons someone might propose, I hadn’t expected my first to involve my child. Still, I knew it wasn’t only that. Jonathan wasn’t the kind of man who married on a whim or out of obligation, like the exaggerated dramas I’d seen television.
I could feel it, his interest ran deeper.
Jonathan said nothing further, wisely choosing not to press. The silence gave me room to breathe, to think, to let my wolf settle.
“This is all too sudden,” I said at last, my voice soft but firm. “And I won’t be finalizing my divorce anytime soon.”
It was a refusal, but not a cruel one.
Jonathan’s expression didn’t falter. He smiled instead, warm and patient, as if he had already anticipated my answer. “Then I hope you’ll consider me once your divorce is finalized.”
He lifted his glass of orange juice toward me in a casual toast.
I returned his smile, offering no promise or certainty.
Nathan’s POV
For some reason, I felt uneasy. There was a restless pull in my chest, the sharp prickle along my spine—my wolf stirring uneasily. Just then my cellphone buzzed.
I checked it and to my shock, news about Aria was on the Internet again. A low growl rumbled in my throat as I scrolled through my phone, my golden eyes flashing faintly in the reflection of the screen.
Someone had been watching Aria.
Sharp-eyed vultures, hiding behind lenses and usernames, had captured Aria’s scene and tossed it to the internet like raw meat. People were howling again.
Yesterday’s event should have ended it.
I had stood there, publicly declaring my stance. Jonathan Anderson had backed her without hesitation. Together, we’d crushed the slander and had watched it scatter like ash beneath a wolf’s claws. The rumors had gone quiet.
For a moment, Aria’s name had been clean again. fгeewebnovёl.com
But now, new photos of her surfaced...grainy, intimate photos of her with Jonathan having a meal at a restaurant. They were not alone. They were with Lana.
My jaw tightened.
The comments refreshed faster than I could blink.
“Isn’t that Alpha Jonathan? Aria’s out having a meal with him and she brought her child along?”
My claws bit into my palm.
“Remember the rumors? It wasn’t just about counterfeit goods and her identity. There was that mysterious child too. Someone powerful suppressed the trending topics back then. Not a single photo of the child ever surfaced.”
My wolf snarled, hackles rising.
Another comment flashed.
“Could the child be Alpha Jonathan’s? Did Aria get together with him years ago? Is that why he crossed oceans to support her?”
A low, dangerous growl escaped me this time.
The room felt smaller, the air thicker. My wolf paced restlessly inside me, eyes locked on the image of Aria laughing softly across a table with Jonathan Anderson.
I knew his type. They were usally refined and patient. The kind of men who smiled while quietly circling thier prey. And the way he looked at Lana in those photos—
My chest burned.
The online chatter spiraled, speculation stacking on speculation, each comment more reckless than the last. They didn’t care about truth. They never did. They cared about tearing flesh, about watching a woman bleed in public while pretending it was curiosity.
And Aria was once again at the center of the hunt.
I set my phone down slowly, forcing my claws to retract. Rage was useless if it wasn’t controlled. An Alpha didn’t lash out blindly, he planned.
I rose to my feet and grabbed my car keys.
Lana was mine to protect.
And Aria—
Whether she remembered it or not, she was still my mate.
And it was my job to protect them from an Alpha who clearly has ulterior motives.
