My fingers tighten around the phone 60

Emma’s POV
I nearly crushed my phone when Bella’s words registered. My fingers trembled with rage as I gripped the device harder,
imagining it was Aria’s throat instead.
“Say that again,” I hissed, pacing across my penthouse’s marble floors. “What exactly did you see?”
“Oh, Emma.” Bella’s voice dripped with artificial sympathy. “You should have seen them together. Ethan was like her
personal bodyguard all evening. The way he hovered around her, anticipating her every need…” She paused for dramatic
effect. “He even found that brat with her, bought medicine for her hand and drove her home afterward.”
My wolf thrashed beneath my skin, clawing to get out. I caught my reflection in the floor-to-ceiling windows – my
perfectly arranged blonde hair now disheveled, my manicured nails digging crescents into my palms. The city lights
spread out below seemed to mock me, twinkling like the stars that had witnessed my carefully laid plans beginning to
unravel.
“And the brat?” I forced myself to ask, my voice barely above a whisper. “What happened with Lucas?”
“Unfortunately, some boutique took him in.” Bella clicked her tongue in disappointment. “But Emma, you should have
seen how Ethan looked at them together. Like they were his responsibility… his family.”
The crystal tumbler in my free hand shattered, sending shards of glass and expensive bourbon across my imported Italian
marble. Blood welled from a small cut on my palm, but I barely noticed the pain through my rage.
“This changes nothing,” I snarled, watching a drop of blood fall to join the spilled liquor. My voice hardened. “Does
anyone suspect?”
“Please.” Bella’s laugh tinkled like broken glass. “I played the distraught aunt perfectly. Even Marcus bought it, though
he’s keeping me away from Lucas now. But really, Emma…” Her voice took on a calculating edge. “Have you looked
closely at the boy? Those green eyes…”
“Shut up.” The words came out as a growl. “Just keep playing your part. And Bella?” I traced a finger through the spilled
bourbon, drawing patterns that looked suspiciously like blood spatter. “If you breathe a word about your suspicions to
anyone…”
“I know, I know.” She sighed dramatically. “My lips are sealed. But you might want to move faster. The way Ethan’s been
looking at that child…”
I ended the call before she could finish, hurling my phone across the room. It hit the wall with a satisfying crack before
falling to join the mess of glass and liquor on the floor.
Running my hands through my hair, I stalked to my drink cart, selecting another crystal tumbler with trembling fingers.
The bourbon burned going down, but it did nothing to calm the storm raging inside me. My wolf paced restlessly,
growing more agitated with each passing moment.
“Sarah,” I muttered, pulling up our latest text exchange. My fingers flew across the screen: “Keep watching her. Every move, every conversation. Especially with Ethan.”
The response came almost immediately: “Already on it…”
Aria’s POV
Morning sunlight painted golden patterns across the schoolyard as I watched Lucas disappear through the heavy wooden doors of the wolf academy. My heart refused to beat normally until I saw him safely inside, a new habit born
from Bella’s recent “accident.” Only when he vanished from view did I allow myself to exhale fully.
The phone felt unusually heavy in my pocket as I pulled it out, my fingers hovering over Ethan’s number. Each tap of the
dial tone sent my pulse racing a little faster, though I blamed it on residual anxiety from the morning rush.
“Your mother,” I said without preamble when he answered, proud of how steady my voice sounded. “When would be
convenient for her to meet?”
His deep chuckle rumbled through the connection, the sound doing strange things to my stomach. “Now, actually. I’m
already waiting outside the training facility.”
True to his word, his sleek black Range Rover idled at the curb, its powerful engine purring softly like a satisfied predator.
The sight of him behind the wheel made my mouth go inexplicably dry. His custom-tailored suit emphasized broad
shoulders that spoke of power carefully contained, while those forest-green eyes seemed to see straight through my
carefully maintained facade.
“Instructor Reynolds?” Sarah’s voice made me jump. She’d appeared beside me with the silent grace of a well-trained wolf, her eager smile just a fraction too perfect.
Something flashed in Sarah’s eyes when she spotted me heading toward the parking lot. Since Lucas’s “accident,” I’d
found myself studying every expression, analyzing every seemingly casual interaction. Old habits were resurfacing; trust,
once broken, doesn’t easily mend.
“Heading out?” Sarah materialized beside me.
“Pack business,” I replied curtly, keeping my stride purposeful. After what happened with Lucas, I’d learned to keep my
plans close to my chest.
Sarah’s eyes widened as Ethan’s black Range Rover came into view, his commanding presence visible even through the
tinted windows. “Oh, with the Shadow Fang heir?” Her lips curved into a knowing smile. “A private meeting? Could this
be a date?”
“Don’t be ridiculous,” I said, my tone carrying a sharp edge that made her step back slightly. “As I said, it’s pack business.”
As I reached for the car door, I caught Sarah’s reflection in the window. Her phone was already in her hand, fingers moving rapidly across the screen.
She seemed to have a chat with someone.
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