“I should, uh... I should get back to work,” I said, forcing a tiny smile before quickly turning away and wishing I could just shrink into oblivion. What had gotten into me? “Aria...” The way he said my name made my heart stutter, but I couldn’t bring myself to turn around. I hurried past him, fee
Aria Sarah’s accusation hit me like a knife to the gut. “She’s the one who attacked me!” “Attacked you?” I sputtered. “What the hell are you talking about, Sarah?” She pointed at the angry bruise on her face. “Don’t play stupid, Aria. You followed me home last night, and for what? You alread
With that, I let my skirt fall back into place. “Or how about the time you cornered me in the barn?” My voice wavered, the memory of that day clawing its way to the surface yet again. “You attacked me, and if it weren’t for that stray dog I’d been feeding, you would’ve really hurt me that day.” Fo
Darren I felt like a fool. More than that, really. A moron, a pawn—an outright idiot. And what burned worse than the shame itself was the realization that I had let it go on for so long. For years, I had been in the palm of Sarah’s hand, letting her spin her little web of manipulations, every
There was a guardedness to her back then, no doubt because she was still living in that awful place with those awful people. But it was definitely her. She had the exact same green eyes, the exact same face. She was just a little younger and… dorkier. Adorably dorkier. I cursed under my breath, ru
Aria It was safe to say that the events of that morning had left me a little more than rattled. My mind kept replaying that confrontation, my so-called family’s accusations, the disgust on my mother’s face, the disappointment in my father’s eyes. But most importantly, there was Sarah… her evil l
The rest of the afternoon passed surprisingly quickly, and by the time five o’clock rolled around, I was ready to head home and collapse on my couch with a blanket and a glass of wine. I’d just shrugged into my coat and was about to grab my bag when the sound of a deep voice coming from behind start
Aria The whole place felt a little… personal, like some kind of romantic date setting. Only I was with Darren, my boss, who was leading me toward a table overlooking the city. He slid off his coat, handing it to the attendant, before taking mine too. His hands brushed my shoulders as he slid my
I glared at him. “I’m not planning on starting anything.” “Your wolf says otherwise,” he remarked. “I can practically feel the tension rolling off you.” I tore my gaze away from Aria and the panther shifter, focusing on the ice melting in my glass. Maybe he was right. “It’s none of my business.”
Darren I swirled the amber liquid in my glass, watching as the dim lights of the ballroom reflected off its surface. The masquerade was in full swing—lavish costumes, ornate masks, and the hum of meaningless chatter filled the air. These events were never my scene, but as the CEO of Lunar Labs, I
Bella put a hand on my shoulder. “It’s okay, Aria. We’ll figure something out.” “But—” Just then, a smooth voice interrupted. “Is there a problem here?” We turned to see a tall man approaching, his dark suit impeccably tailored. His mask was sleek and black, covering half of his face but revea
Aria We’d been at this for hours now, primping and prodding in preparation for the masquerade tonight. Bella was like my drill sergeant, commanding me to don this color eyeshadow, smear this lipstick shade across my lips, spray just the right amount of perfume. It felt like we were teens again, ba
“Sarah,” I greeted coolly. “What brings you here?” She eyed the bags in our hands, noticing the mask peeking out of mine. “Shopping for the masquerade, I see? How… quaint.” Bella arched an eyebrow. “And what’s wrong with that?” Sarah let out a mocking laugh and checked her nails. “Oh, nothing.
Aria “Come on, Aria! This one is perfect for you!” Bella exclaimed, holding up a floor-length emerald gown that shimmered under the thrift shop’s dim lighting. I laughed, shaking my head. “Bella, that dress would make me look like a sequined asparagus.” She burst into giggles. “Yeah, but you’d
Bella raised an eyebrow. “Are you?” “No!” I exclaimed. “Well, maybe. I don't know. Darren and I talked about it, and he admitted that he might have been a bit... lenient with me.” “Hmm,” she mused, swirling her wine. “Well, at least he acknowledged it.” “Yeah, but it’s more complicated than th
Aria I hesitated for a moment but then nodded, following Darren as he led me to a fallen log near the edge of the clearing. He sat down and gestured for me to join him. I sat, but kept a small distance between us. “Listen,” Darren began, “I’ve been thinking a lot about what you said the other ni
Tracy frowned, genuine concern etched into her face. “Oh no, that wasn’t my intention at all. I just thought she was checking in on you, maybe worried about your workload.” I sighed, once again feeling at a loss for words. Tracy seemed genuinely apologetic, even if it was unprofessional of her to