Free Web NovelChapter 23: Chapter 23
Aria’s POV
The lobby smelled of marble polish, coffee, and fear, my fear.
"I’m here to see Nathan Hemsworth," I told the receptionist in a voice that appeared steady. I could hear the tremor underneath it and feel my wolf pacing in my chest.
The woman blinked, clearly startled by the sight of me. I was a slightly soaked mess, clutching my baby close to my chest.
She picked up the phone.
"Mr. Collins," she said, lowering her voice. "There’s... a strange woman here. She won’t say why, just insists on seeing Alpha Nathan. Oh, and she’s holding a baby — looks about eight months old."
A strange woman. My lips curled before I could stop them. Again, I wasn’t surprised that I was unrecognizable. I have become entirely different from how I used to be.
From the faint hiss of static, I caught a Collins voice on the other end. It was clipped and irritated. "Is she crazy, or what? Kick her out."
Kick me out? Just like that?
The receptionist hesitated, her gaze flicking to Lana. "But, Mr. Collins, the baby she is holding really looks like Alpha Nathan. Should we just send her away?"
Her words hung heavy in the air. I could feel the blood rushing in my ears, my wolf straining beneath my skin, a low, dangerous rumble vibrating in my chest. The baby looked like him? Even they could see it.
"Get rid of her," Collins barked. "Ms. Sophia is coming soon. Don’t cause trouble for Alpha Nathan."
Sophia Darvin. The name hit like ice water down my spine.
The receptionist hung up and turned to me, guilt softening her pretty face. "Ms., Alpha Nathan isn’t here." She lied. "Maybe... try another day?"
Another day. As if I hadn’t crossed half the city despite the storm, as if I hadn’t already lost enough blood and pride.
I stood there, trembling from anger, not the cold. My wolf wanted to bare her teeth, to snarl and make them see. But I couldn’t, not here, not with Lana in my arms.
I pressed my lips together, biting down until I tasted iron. "Right," I said hoarsely. "Another day."
But my voice broke anyway.
Rainwater dripped from my hair, soaking through my clothes. Lana whimpered softly, her tiny fingers clutching at my collar. I pulled her closer, wrapping my coat tighter around her. My coat was already drenched and useless, but I had nothing else to give.
No one in the grand, shining lobby recognized me. Not the guards watching me as though I was a threat. Not the staff whose eyes slid past me as if I were dirt on their polished floors.
Over a year ago, I’d walked through these halls in heels and silk, my briefcase in hand, my head high. I was a lawyer. A woman with a future, and most importantly, an Alpha’s wife.
Now I was just another wet, desperate mother holding a baby.
I let out a soft, bitter laugh that cracked slightly. "Look at us, Lana," I whispered. "We can’t even make it past the front desk."
Lana’s tiny body trembled against mine. She wasn’t crying, though, she was just staring up at me with those big blue eyes. My little cub. Stronger than she should ever have to be.
The rain outside battered the glass doors, the sound like distant growling. No car had stopped for us on the way here, not one. I’d carried her through puddles and lightning and stares, and still she hadn’t cried.
Lana clung to my finger now, trusting me completely. My heart broke under the weight of that trust.
My lips were cold, trembling as I forced the words out. "Tell Nathan... it’s...."
Before the last syllable left my mouth, the air shifted. A commotion rippled through the lobby, causing my wolf to stiffen.
Then I saw her.
She glided in through the glass doors like she owned the damn world. A tall, polished figure in a crimson dress that fit her like blood on silk. Two-inch heels, a bodyguard holding an umbrella above her, an assistant trailing behind with a designer bag, a nanny draping a down jacket over her shoulders.
It was Sophia Darwin.
The crowd parted around her as if some invisible force demanded it. Their eyes followed her with admiration, envy and awe. It was always like that with her.
My mouth fell open, a tremor running through me. My wolf was restless and snarling beneath my skin at the sight of Sophia. She was the woman who’d stood beside me in court, swearing she wanted justice, only to drive the knife in herself. She was the one I had called sister.
"It’s Sophia," I whispered, though the name tasted like ash.
"She’s stunning," someone murmured behind me. I barely heard them. My heartbeat drowned everything else.
The elevator chimed.
And then, I saw Nathan.
He stepped out in a dark suit that clung to his tall frame, his expression unreadable at first — until he saw Sophia. Then, for the first time in a long while, I saw his face soften.
That smile. I hadn’t seen it since before everything fell apart.
Sophia stomped one heel, feigning shyness, then ran right into his arms. "Nathan, I knew you’d come meet me yourself."
I couldn’t breathe. My wolf went deathly silent.
He pushed her back gently, his tone even and professional. "Don’t get carried away. Mr. Patrick, your senior colleague, said you did well. Your insights were sharp. He told me to praise you in person."
Collins stood beside them, smiling his polite, empty smile. "Ms. Sophia Darwin, Alpha Nathan has arranged a welcome-back dinner for you. You worked hard on your trip, and he’s been thinking of you."
"Thinking of you." fɾeewebnoveℓ.co๓
The words burned.
Sophia’s face faltered for half a second at the formal tone, then she masked it with a demure smile. I could read her, though, I always could. She wanted his name beside hers, wanted everything that used to be mine.
She brushed a lock of hair behind her ear, looping her arm through his. My vision blurred for a moment with unshed tears.
And then she saw me. ƒrēewebnoѵёl.cσm
Our eyes met. Hers widened in shock, mine were blazing. I felt my wolf rise within me, my muscles tightening, my breath catching on the edge of a growl.
She narrowed her eyes at me.
I saw the color drain from her face. She recognized me.
"What are you looking at?" Nathan asked her, his voice low. He followed her gaze.
For one suspended heartbeat, our worlds collided again.
His eyes brushed over me, over the woman standing in soaked clothes, clutching a child.
Sophia immediately pulled his attention away.
"Alpha Nathan, I didn’t..." she started, stammering.
I slipped into the side corridor, not on my own, someone had pulled me away. My lungs were burning, Lana heavy in my arms. I didn’t realize I was shaking until I heard the person’s voice.
"Everything Sophia has was supposed to be yours, Aria", he said.
My heart dropped. I glanced up and realized who it was.
