Free Web NovelChapter 38: Chapter 38
Aria’s POV
I chuckled softly, missing whatever emotion hid behind his words. "Life is full of surprises."
My voice drifted like a sigh in the still air.
The rest of the drive was quiet except for Lana’s soft breathing and my murmured lullabies. The sound seemed to calm not only her, but me, too.
When we finally stopped, the car turned into a narrow alley. At the end stood a small house with an open gate and a flicker of warmth in the windows.
"It’s an old place, Luna Aria" Peter said sheepishly as he pulled my luggage out. "Hope you don’t mind."
I smiled, the weight in my chest easing just a little. "Mind? Lana and I should be thanking you for taking us in."
Then I added, quietly, "And call me Aria. I’m not your mentor anymore. Not a luna in my opinion either. Just... me."
I smiled, at least I thought I did, but I could tell from the way Peter looked at me that he saw right through it. The fragility beneath it. The ache I couldn’t quite hide. freewёbn૦νeɭ.com
My wolf stirred uneasily, sensing the emotions I tried to bury.
"Alright, Aria," Peter said quietly. The way he said my name was soft and careful. It held a shyness that made the corners of my lips lift just a little more.
My eyes crinkled with warmth, despite the exhaustion tugging at me. "Thank you, Peter."
"There are plenty of empty rooms inside," he said, tugging my suitcase toward the door. "Just pick whichever one you like."
We reached the front door, and just as he was about to step inside, he stopped abruptly. Turning to me, his expression grew serious, his eyes bright with that same old earnestness I remembered from long ago.
"Aria, even if you never practice law again, you’ll always be the best lawyer I know, you will always be my hero."
For a heartbeat, I just stared at him. My wolf’s ears perked, curious. Hero? That word sounded foreign now, like it belonged to someone else. Someone untainted by betrayal and prison walls.
Still, the sincerity in his voice was real. It warmed me deeply. I found myself chuckling softly. "The honor’s mine," I murmured, my voice barely above a whisper.
When Peter left later that afternoon, returning to his office, briefcase in hand and cheeks still slightly pink, I finally exhaled.
That’s when I learned he hadn’t fully quit Harmsworth Group. He still went there, though rarely. "It was my first real job," he’d said with a smile before leaving. "Some ties are harder to cut."
I understood that better than anyone.
Once the house grew quiet, I finally had a moment to breathe. The air smelled faintly of pinewood and sunlight. It was clean and open. Lana had finished her bottle and was curled up in the crib beside me, her tiny chest rising and falling peacefully. My wolf purred softly, content now that our pup was safe.
I walked to the window and pushed it open. The golden light spilled in like honey, and a cool breeze brushed my face. For a house Peter had called "old," it was surprisingly full of life. It had wide windows, soft furniture, and warmth that reminded me of a time before everything went wrong.
The room I’d chosen was near the bathroom, small but cozy. The bed wasn’t the stiff, thin mattress of the staff dorm I’d lived in before. It was soft, almost cloudlike.
I sat on its edge, resting my chin in my hand, and watched two little birds settle on a branch outside. They chirped softly, their beaks brushing. They were mates, maybe. My wolf’s heart gave a faint ache.
Then something in me changed. A memory tugged at my chest.
I reached into my bag and pulled out the divorce papers, the ones I’d signed before prison. The paper felt rough against my fingertips. I didn’t want to wake Lana, so I slipped into the living room, the floor creaking under my bare feet.
Laying the document across the table, I stared at the bottom where my name, Aria Hemsworth, sat in faded ink. The sight blurred as my eyes burned. I didn’t even know why I’d kept them all this time. Maybe because it was proof that I had once belonged somewhere... to someone.
If I hadn’t run into Peter today, I’d probably be on the streets right now, my pup in my arms, with nowhere to go, no one to turn to.
I looked out the window again. The sky was deep red, streaked with clouds that looked like fire. For a moment, I imagined Lana and me walking beneath that same sky, lost and hungry, wandering with nowhere safe to sleep.
A shiver rippled through me. the image overlapping with my memory of that day at Hemsworth Group’s private hospital when my world had collapsed.
My wolf let out a low growl in my chest, a sound only I could hear. Never again, she vowed.
I laid a hand over my heart and whispered, "Never again."
I lifted my eyes, determination burning in my chest, steady and unrelenting. I was going to find Nathan and make him sign those divorce papers, no more delays, no more excuses.
No more pretending that something dead could ever come back to life.
Only by cutting all ties with him could I finally breathe again. I will live quietly, find a job, and build a life for Lana away from all the chaos, away from him.
After getting Peter’ permission, I fired up the printer. The hum of the machine filled the silence, and I started drafting a new divorce agreement. My wolf stirred faintly within me, restless but approving. Freedom, that’s what she craved too.
When I signed my name, each stroke of my pen felt final. Each letter bled with resolve, like carving my decision into stone.
This time, I wasn’t that fragile woman from a year ago.
Back then, it was a rainy night just like this one. I had sat alone in Hemsworth Villa, watching droplets race down the window as the world blurred into darkness. My heart had still loved Nathan then, pathetically and hopelessly. My wolf had whimpered for her mate, even as I drowned in silence.
But now? That bond felt like a faint scar, no longer bleeding, just a reminder.
I traced my fingers across the bold "DIVORCE" printed at the top of the paper. My eyes were cold and empty, only softening when I glanced toward the bedroom where Lana slept. I could sense her gentle breathing through the walls, her scent calming my wolf instantly.
My heart wasn’t dead, it had simply woken up to the truth.
A knock on the door snapped me out of my thoughts.
"Aria!" Peter’s familiar voice called.
I set the papers back on the table and went to answer.
He stood there in the doorway, wearing a sharp suit that smelled faintly of coffee and city wind. His cheeks were flushed, his eyes bright. "Hey, let’s celebrate our reunion! How about dinner? My treat."
I blinked, surprised. "You’re already being super kind letting us stay here. I can’t let you spend more on us."
"Come on," he said, smiling. "You were one of the top lawyers back then, and you mentored me. Think of it as payback for all those private lessons. Aria, are you really treating me like a stranger now?"
His mock-offended tone made me laugh, a sound that startled even me. It had been a while since I’d laughed without forcing it. freёwebnoѵel.com
"Alright," he said quickly, seizing the moment. "It’s settled. Go get Lana, and I’ll bring the car around."
With that easy grin of his, it was hard to refuse. I nodded and turned toward the bedroom. My wolf gave a quiet huff of amusement, sensing my guard slipping just a little.
As I disappeared down the hallway, I heard Peter step into the living room. A faint rustle followed, the unmistakable sound of paper sliding across the table.
When I returned, Lana asleep in my arms, his gaze met mine. He looked caught, almost guilty.
He lifted the document slowly. "This is..." he began, eyes flicking between the paper and me.
