Free Web NovelChapter 25: Chapter 25
Aria’s POV
I tried to sniff the driver’s scent. He probably wasn’t like me who never went out without smearing myself with scent masking potion or drinking it, to avoid being recognized my anyone.
Unfortunately, I couldn’t sniff any familiar scent from him.
I turned away, clutching Lana tighter. My pulse pounded like war drums.
The car soon slowed to a stop, and a short tap of the horn jolted me out of my haze. My vision swam for a moment before I realized where we were — the narrow path leading to the staff dorms.
"Thank you," I murmured, my voice rough and weak. It barely sounded like me.
My arm shook as I reached for the door, the other instinctively wrapping around Lana, shielding her small, warm body from the rain and the chill. Something as simple as opening a door felt like trying to lift a mountain.
When I got down, I thanked the driver and he replied with a nod. I made my way to the dorm and climbed the dorm steps, clutching Lana tighter.
By the time I made it to my small, dim dorm room, the world was spinning. My fever was spreading fast.
But instinct guided me. Even half-conscious, my first thought wasn’t of myself, it was Lana. It has always been Lana. frёeweɓηovel.coɱ
I stripped her wet clothes, wrapped her in something warm, and mixed her formula with trembling hands. The moment she drank, a wave of relief rippled through me.
"Lana, sweetheart," I whispered, pressing a kiss to her downy hair. "Mommy’s so tired. I just need a little rest..."
The darkness came for me fast, heavy and deep — like sinking into a swamp.
Richard’s POV
I peeled off my mask and cap, the cool night air brushing against my skin. My gaze locked on Aria’s retreating figure as she disappeared into the dorm.
It had been a herculean task suppressing my scent through aura control so she wouldn’t find out it was me.
My wolf stirred uneasily inside me, a low rumble echoing in my chest. Something about the way she walked in a weak and unsteady manner made my heart twist painfully.
I clenched my jaw. What the hell had happened to her?
A car door clicked open behind me, breaking through the pounding in my head.
Jude stepped out. He’d been trailing two cars behind us as I had instructed him. I had told him to be discreet. I didn’t want Aria suspicious about anything, I didn’t want her to know that I was the one who had disguised as her taxi driver.
Jude came up beside my window, bowing his head slightly. "Alpha Richard"
I lowered the window, my tone sharper than I intended. "Get someone to deliver fever medicine to her."
Jude nodded without question, already reaching for his phone.
I leaned back against the seat, pressing my thumb to my temple. The image ofAria’s pale, trembling face wouldn’t leave me. My chest tightened, my wolf pacing restlessly beneath my skin.
How had my radiant, defiant Aria turned into this fragile creature? The one who once met my every challenge with a fire in her eyes now barely had the strength to stand.
I took a long breath, steadying the storm in my veins. Jude’s voice murmured outside, making arrangements. But my mind drifted back to the conversation earlier, when I’d told Aria that Sophia was pregnant with Nathan’s child.
I could still see Jude’s stunned expression when Aria left. "Alpha Richard," he’d asked cautiously, "since when is Ms. Sophia Darwin pregnant? How did I not know?"
He had reason to be puzzled—Jude was my best at gathering intel. Nothing slipped past him.
Truth is, I had lied. I needed to say something that would stop Aria from going to meet Nathan. I was being selfish.
I remembered the cold mask that had slipped over my own face when I turned to him. "Leak to the media that Sophia is pregnant," I’d ordered flatly.
"Tell Sophia not to deny it. I don’t care how she deals with Nathan, but I want Aria’s hopes of returning to him crushed completely. Also, arrange a car and bring me the keys now."
When I picked Aria up and disguised myself as a mute driver, I couldn’t help but watch her through the rearview mirror, I noticed how she fought to stay awake right there in the back seat. She looked like a ghost of the girl I used to know.
She swayed with every bump in the road, biting her lip to stay conscious. I saw her pinch her thigh hard—again and again—just to keep herself from collapsing. My wolf whimpered softly in my chest. Why is she doing this to herself?
Under the brim of my cap, I stared, unable to look away. The girl who once whined over a tiny cold was now entirely soaked and forcing her broken body to endure. A faint scar traced her cheek. I knew that mark hadn’t been there before she went to prison.
My claws itched to tear into whoever had hurt her.
I swallowed hard, my voice barely above a whisper. "Aria... I never meant to hurt you."
One look at the baby, and my gut twisted. She was unmistakably Nathan’s. They looked very much alike.
I remembered what Sophia had once said—how Nathan and Aria’s marriage had been crumbling long before Aria went to prison. If that was true, then why the hell had he let her carry his child? And why... why did he let her end up like this?
