All Chapters of The Alpha’s Hidden Heiress: Chapter 81 - Chapter 90

ARIA'S POVI blinked, surprised. I hadn’t expected Dante to defend me, not after everything that had happened between us. But there he was, standing up to Linda, his voice laced with frustration.I wanted to say something, to tell him it wasn’t worth it, but I couldn't find the words. My throat suddenly felt tight, like someone had clenched a fist around it.Linda, though, didn’t back down. If anything, her grip on his sleeve tightened. I watched as Dante tried to discreetly pull away, not wanting to cause a scene, but she wasn’t letting go. Her nails were practically digging into the fabric, her possessiveness obvious.“How could Aria possibly be qualified to attend this kind of banquet?” Linda sneered, her voice filled with hate. “I just know she must be here as Adam’s mistress. Doesn’t she have any shame?”The words hit me like a slap, sudden and stinging. My breath caught in my chest, the humiliation overwhelming me. I could feel the eyes of the room now, the whispers that might a

DANTE'S POVI walked back into the banquet hall, the loud hum of voices and clinking glasses filling the air, but none of it reached me.My mind was still reeling from earlier, from Linda’s stupid remark about Aria being Adam Griffith’s mistress.I had brushed it off at the time, not wanting to show her that she had gotten to me, but now, as I glanced around the room and spotted Aria, that anger flared up again.She was standing near the bar, talking to some old man. At first, I didn’t think much of it. Aria could handle herself—she always had. But as I turned to look away, something about their interaction made me feel… suspicious. The way she held herself, stiff and guarded, her lips pulled into that tight, polite smile she wore when she was uncomfortable.And then Linda’s voice echoed in my head again: Mistress… Griffith’s mistress.The thought made my blood boil. Heck! I felt jealous.The idea of her with anyone else, whether it be Adam or Finn, twisted something inside me I didn’

ARIA'S POVThe night air felt thick as I stepped out of the banquet hall.I didn’t look back. I couldn’t.The tension in my shoulders was so intense, and I felt like if I turned around and met Dante’s eyes, everything I had been holding in would come rushing out.I just wanted to be anywhere but here, far away from all the judging eyes and whispered gossip.At that moment, I heard Finn’s footsteps behind me, quicker and more purposeful than mine. “Aria,” he called softly, concern evident in his voice. “Please, wait up.”I slowed down, but I didn’t stop, the heels of my shoes clicking sharply on the pavement. He reached my side in seconds, his hand lightly touching my arm, gentle, but firm enough to let me know he wasn’t going to let me walk away without talking to him.“Are you okay?” he asked, his breath a little ragged, as if he had been running after me.I let out a deep breath, feeling the tightness in my chest start to release, just a little bit. “You've been asking me that quest

ARIA'S POVMy breath hitched, and I felt myself stiffen under his gaze. The car suddenly felt smaller, the air heavier.I wasn’t sure what was happening, but something was shifting between us, something I hadn’t expected. I could feel it, and I knew Finn could feel it too.He shifted slightly in his seat, turning more towards me, his eyes still locked on mine.I wanted to break the silence, to say something to shake off the strange tension that was hanging between us, but the words wouldn’t come. My throat felt tight, like something had lodged itself there, refusing to budge.And then, slowly, Finn leaned closer.My heart skipped a beat. He didn’t speak, didn’t say a word. His eyes flicked down, lingering on my lips, and my breath caught in my chest. My mind seemed to short-circuit as I watched him, frozen in place, not sure of what to do or say.This wasn’t supposed to happen. Not with Finn. Not right now.But there he was, inches away, his eyes dark and focused. I could feel the hea

ARIA'S POVAs soon as I stepped into the house, all thoughts of Finn and the… the kiss disappeared from my mind, replaced by the heavy tension in the air.Adam was sitting on the sofa, his posture rigid, his face tight with an expression I rarely saw on him. And seeing him like this made my stomach twist with uneasiness.“Hey,” I greeted softly, trying to keep my voice steady as I dropped my keys on the small table by the door. “What’s going on?”Adam’s eyes flicked up to meet mine, and for a moment, he said nothing. Just stared, like he was trying to figure out how to break whatever news was sitting on his shoulders.My pulse quickened, and a million thoughts rushed through my mind. Was something wrong with the pack? Had something happened to Father?Then Adam cleared his throat, the sound sharp in the quiet room. “Aria,” he began slowly, his voice low, careful. “We’ve got a problem. A big one.”My heart skipped. A problem? I took a step closer to him, my fingers fidgeting with the s