Free Web NovelChapter 51: Chapter 51
Aria’s POV
I turned to find her standing there behind me, a smirk playing on her lips, her eyes gleaming with disdain. My vision blurred, my muscles tensed. How dare she?
My eyes, already glowing with the faintest hint of golden with my wolf—narrowed, my breath quickening. I could feel it. The rage. The beast clawing at my skin, trying to tear its way free.
Sophia was the one who had let kate die, letting her believe I was guilty.
Whereas It was her, not me.
She was the reason my grandma died.
I took a step forward, my body trembling with the fury I barely contained. "Did you do it on purpose? Why? What did grandma ever do to you?" My voice was raw, jagged like a howl trying to break free.
Before she could react, I lunged, my fingers gripping her collar in a flash of anger. My wolf was hungry for justice, for retribution. My eyes locked onto hers, my ashen face a mask of fury. freewёbnoνel.com
Sophia froze, her eyes wide in terror. She wasn’t expecting this. This wasn’t the calm, controlled Aria she’d known. This was a broken, ferocious creature, an animal desperate for a reason to lash out, to make someone pay for kate’s death.
I clenched my teeth, the urge to rip into her rising like an uncontrollable tide. I could feel the power in my veins, my wolf wanting to tear her apart for what she’d done. But then, like a crash, the reality hit me. I staggered back, releasing my grip, my legs unsteady as a flood of exhaustion and helplessness washed over me.
I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to stop the grief from overwhelming me. ƒree𝑤ebnσvel.com
Kate is gone.
And Sophia? She wasn’t worth it. She wasn’t worth the risk of losing everything for a moment of vengeance.
I looked at her, my chest tightening. Lana needed me. If I got myself thrown back in prison, she’d be left with nothing—no mother, no one to care for her.
Sophia was going to pay, but Lana couldn’t lose her mother.
I gasped for breath, feeling the weight of it all. Sophia stumbled back, clutching her throat, her eyes wide with fear, as she put distance between us.
She gulped in desperate breaths, her words still sharp, cutting through the air like a knife. "Aria, you don’t even deserve to exist."
I let out a bitter, self-mocking laugh, the sound jagged in my throat. I couldn’t help it. What a joke I’ve been. All my kindness, my care, all wasted on people who didn’t deserve it.
I turned away, my gaze empty, and walked toward the hall. My steps were light, almost silent, but hollow.
"Where’s Sophia?" Margaret’s voice cut through the quiet as I reached the hall, her eyes searching past me, expecting her precious daughter to be close by.
I didn’t respond. Instead, I pressed my lips together, keeping silent as I stood before Kate’s portrait. My body felt rigid, like it didn’t belong to me anymore.
I stared at the painting, the soft, sad lines of her face. Her gentle eyes, full of love, love I never deserved. I stood there, expressionless, my mind a storm.
Margaret’s disapproval was palpable. I could almost feel it radiating off her like a bitter cloud. She furrowed her brows, glancing at me like I was a puzzle she couldn’t solve.
"What’s with that attitude?" Her gaze lingered on me, studying my posture, her disappointment obvious.
She had once told me that between her two daughters, it was always Sophia who’d been the "thoughtful" one, the "warm" one. She had at that time also said she wished Sophia was her real daughter.
I ignored her, my focus never wavering from Kate’s portrait. The room was quiet again, and I let myself feel the weight of kate’s absence.
I bowed deeply, my chest tight with emotions I couldn’t articulate.
Grandma, I’m so sorry. You suffered because of me, and I couldn’t even be there when you passed. You deserved more.
As I straightened up, Sophia entered the room, her face back to its usual smirk.
Margaret didn’t even let the silence linger. "Aria, your grandmother left an inheritance before she died." Her words were blunt, sharp as a knife cutting through me.
I already knew that, from the text message I had gotten from my grandma’s lawyer.
My mother’s next words made me freeze in shock.
"I’ve decided to transfer it to Sophia’s name for her future wedding fund."
A crack splintered through the cup I was holding, the fragile glass shattering under my grip. I looked down in shock at the fractured pieces, the sting of the glass almost as sharp as the realization hitting me.
Kate had given me a sign. She was telling me, even from beyond the grave, that I should never have let this happen. That inheritance was mine.
My wolf snarled within me. I couldn’t stay silent, not this time.
"I won’t agree to this."
Margaret’s eyes widened, caught off guard by my rare defiance.
A cold smirk twisted on her lips. "You don’t get a say. I’m your mother." Her voice turned sharp, like a whip lashing through the air.
Sophia’s eyes gleamed. She was watching me now, her expression hungry. She didn’t even bother to hide her amusement.
She flashed me a smug smile, shooting me a glance full of triumph.
I didn’t even look at her. My fingers trembled as I set the cracked cup down on the table. The room felt too small, too suffocating, the air thick with tension. I turned to face Margaret, my expression cold and unyielding.
"That inheritance is from my grandmother," I said, my voice steady, even as my wolf bristled within me. "If anyone deserves it, it’s not some adopted girl with no blood tie to her. I won’t back down this time. No one’s taking what Grandma left for me!"
