Free Web NovelChapter 263: Chapter 263
Aria’s POV
The ride felt too smooth and calm for the storm brewing in my chest.
I cleared my throat. “So... what happened with that case?” I asked Amelia, my voice came out steadier than I felt.
Amelia tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, elegance pouring off her like moonlight on water. “Lucious was fined five million dollars, and Cooke Tech has to issue a public apology to the Starsource Research Institution. Francis’ reputation has been restored.” Her smile was soft but lethal—like velvet hiding claws. “Oh, and Francis countersued Paul for slander. They crushed him obviously.”
Her confidence washed over me like a scent trail. A growl of admiration rumbled low in my chest. “Seems like you’ve been thriving since you got back,” I said. I meant it.
“Absolutely.” She raised a brow, pulling her credentials from her briefcase like they were a trophy she’d ripped from an enemy’s throat. “I was promoted twice. If you were me, you’d be proud too.” Her eyes sparkled.
I smiled, genuinely. My gaze drifted out the window. The forest blurred past, trees stretching like claws toward the sky, calling to me. My wolf stirred, restless and hungry.
Even though I was happy for Amelia, my heart ached. I couldn’t help but wonder...when would I get back what I’d lost?
“You’ll get back there too.”
Amelia’s voice cut through the noise in my head. I met her eyes. She believed it, believed in me.
No one used to believe in me.
I nodded, unable to say a word.
Kara whistled at Amelia’s credentials. “Girl, your connections are insane! Aria, you’ve got powerful friends.”
I chuckled. For once, I didn’t shy away from the compliment. freewebnøvel.coɱ
But my amusement faded as we neared the Darvin estate. When we reached the gate, the guards recognized me and stepped aside instinctively.
We parked inside. I told Amelia to wait in the car while Kara and I went inside. We crossed the lawn, the grass shivering under my steps.
As I got closer to the entrance of the house, I heard familiar voices.
“Dad, what did Grandma leave behind?” Sophia asked, her sugary sweet.
I walked in and saw them. Sophia leaned cozily on Patrick’s arm. The scene punched a hole in my chest. Everything I’d ever wanted...love, warmth, belonging...she had it handed to her like it was her birthright. frёewebnoѵel.ƈo๓
My wolf snarled. I let her.
“You don’t need to know,” I said, stepping forward, my shadow cutting into the room. My voice was cold and sharp. “Because it belongs to me.”
Every head snapped toward me.
“Aria?” Patrick’s face twisted. “How dare you come back?”
I bared my teeth. “I came back to take what’s mine. And trust me, if you make me fight for it, I will.”
He surged to his feet, fury rolling off him like a wildfire. “Did the Darvin family teach you no values and respect? Are you really no better than a dog?”
A dog.
The insult slithered down my spine.
“The Darvin family values?” I scoffed. “I will tell you what they are...lies, manipulation, hypocrisy” I flicked my gaze to Sophia, who shrank. “also lawlessness and ignorance. We can see all that evident in Sophia.”
Margaret approached, reeking of hostility. I raised my chin, my wolf stretching like a blade unsheathed.
“I was raised by Grandma,” I said, my voice ringing with power. “And thank the Moon for that...otherwise I might’ve turned out as vile as you.”
Patrick’s hand slammed onto a table. “Wretched child! Spewing nonsense! Sophia, fetch the whip! She’ll pay for laying hands on you!”
The word whip stirred old scars...memories from my days at the prison.
Sophia’s eyes went wide. She rushed to Patrick, clinging to him. “Dad, no! She was just upset. I’m only adopted... she has every right to vent on me...”
Her voice trembled like a rabbit pretending to be a lamb. My wolf growled.
How convenient. She was playing the victim again.
“Adopted? You are our chosen daughter!” Patrick barked. “Aria is the unworthy one! The disgrace!”
My smile was slow, predatory.
“Finished talking?”
My voice sliced through the room like claws. I lounged back, boredom heavy in my bones, picking at my nails as my wolf yawned within me.
I looked up, my eyes cold. “Hand over what Grandma left me.”
Patrick’s jaw tightened, the air around him sharp with fear and arrogance, an ugly mix. “I said it at the hospital. You refused to donate blood to Sophia. You are no longer part of the Darvin family. Don’t think you can take anything from us.” He turned away like I was something foul.
My wolf bristled. He was lucky I was holding her back.
I raised an eyebrow, slow, lazy, dangerous.
“Kara.”
At her name, the air shifted. Kara stepped out from behind me.
Patrick and Margaret stiffened. They should. Kara was a strong woman. She is from the Nightsparrow Pack in Asterfell. According to her, her father was their Alpha’s beta and she was a trained warrior who left her family many years ago in search of greener pastures.
She grabbed Patrick’s collar like he was a toy. “Hand it over,” she snarled, her eyes flickering gold, “or we’ll take it.”
Patrick dangled, his feet barely steady. Heat flushed his face. He was right now like a predator toppled by a bigger predator. The irony was delicious.
He glared at me, his voice shaking. “Aria! How are you hanging around with these... animal?—get her off me!”
