Aria’s POVAt work, Cathy, Piper, and I gather in the office that morning over coffee. At my insistence, Cathy didn’t bring the newspaper with my photo on it, but to my dismay, Piper already had one. I believed she was fully ready to frame it and hang it behind her desk.“You know that my identity i
Weak with heartsickness, I peeled back the cover of the diary and began to read a later chapter, from nearer the end of our marriage.Dear Diary,Tomorrow is Lucian’s birthday. While he’s never been much for celebrating, I still want to do something special for him. With hope, maybe this will start
Lucian’s POVAs I watched, Sheila’s entire demeanor shifted, from happy and curious to increasingly upset and alarmed.“That’s Aria’s room,” she said.“Yes,” I replied, seeing no need to hide it.“Why were you in Aria’s room?”It wasn’t any of her business, but I knew I couldn’t just say that to She
She slammed the door to her room loud enough to echo through the hallways.Sighing, I wondered if I had any hope of detangling myself from Sheila and this guilt without marrying her.At this point, I just didn’t know.Aria’s POVPiper was on break and Cathy was in a different section of the hospital
Lucian’s POVWhile I didn’t agree with Sheila that Aria should be totally forgotten, I could acknowledge, at least to myself, that my clinging onto the past wasn’t healthy. So, after installing a lock on Aria’s old bedroom door, I resolved to keep it locked and not visit it again.Every time I had s
Lucian’s POVWithout another word, Sheila pushed past Dr. A and her assistant and burst into the hallway.“Sheila!” I called after her, both annoyed and confused by her outburst. Must she act so erratically?I followed her into the hallway, with Dr. A and her assistant in tow.Sheila was halfway to
Lucian’s POV“I want the truth, Sheila,” I demanded.The longer Sheila looked at me, the more her wide-eyed nervous gaze shifted into one of fury. “You trust him over me?”“Give me a reason not to.”In the past, I had let my guilt over having introduced Sheila to Travis to fully critique her story.
Looking past her, I motioned toward Ben, my Beta. “Take her away, Beta. I want her in lockup until the time for a trial can be arrange.”“A trial?” Sheila gasped.“Yes,” I said, looking at her. “You will face punishment for your crimes. I will personally see to that.”“But, Lucian –”“Do not say any
But Jasper’s words still rang true. When was the last time, as Alpha, I had ever been happy?The job made me miserable, even before Aria had left me. Constant pressure, constant responsibility, constant ridicule, limited thanks. Years and years of it had worn me down, eroded like a rock in the water
Lucian’s POVJasper’s punch caught me by surprised. I stumbled back, nearly into the elevator again as the doors started to close. He definitely broke my nose. Holding it, I stepped forward again, back off the elevator. Blood dripped down onto my shirt.Jasper had several different reasons to be pis
Over the next few days, I didn’t see Lucian at all. Presumably he saw the kids after I took them to spend time with their grandparents. Harold was out of the hospital and eager to see the kids.With the kids there, I returned to Cathy’s and started packing up my clothes and that of the kids. Cathy w
Aria’s POV“Lucian…”I could tell he was hanging on my every word, nervously anticipating my answer.I hated that I was about to break him. But surely he would understand.“I’m sorry,” I said. “I can’t marry you.” Before he could say anything, and he clearly wanted by how quickly he opened his mouth
Aria’s POVWe all waited with bated breath to see how Harold would handle the medicine. Perhaps I had been too late in providing it? The heart monitor was still beating too quickly. Harold was moaning in pain. The nearby Healers seemed ready to help him along with his passing. Piper and I physically
Aria’s POVAt the hospital, Lucian gave me a final squeeze. “Please help him,” he said.“I’ll do my best,” I promised. Then, breaking away from him, leaving him with Julia in the waiting room, I rushed to the emergency room to see what was going on.Fortunately, one of the nurses lent me a hair-tie
“But the food hasn’t arrived yet,” he said.I couldn’t wait. Feeling like I was going to pass out, I needed out of here.I pushed my chair back and stood. “I’m sorry,” I said.Turning, I hurried away from the table, from the dining room, from the restaurant. I threw the door open and ran outside.Wh
Aria’s POVSilas’s words haunted me long after the phone conversation, and that, combined with my discussion with Cathy and Piper convinced me to at least hear Lucian out. Because of this, when he called me to talk, and asked me to go out on a date with him, I decided to say yes.Now, after dressing
Aria’s POVHow was it, even after all this time, after all this distance, after all the hurt that sat piled up between us – I still so easily fell back into Lucian’s web.I wanted to be stronger, to be harder, and keep up the walls with him, yet every time we’d been around each other, he seemed to s