Aria’s POV
My mind was spinning. Racing through everything that had happened in the past few minutes.
Kael had just sworn on his life that he didn’t have a daughter with Rebecca.
The certainty in his voice. The fury in his eyes when I ntioned her na. The absolute conviction.
Kael Blood Crown was telling the truth.
Which ant Rebecca had lied.
My chest tightened. Anger bubbled up hot and sharp.
The office fell silent except for the soft rustle of papers. The distant hum of the building around us.
I should probably leave. Go back to my desk. Let Kael handle this alone.
But my feet wouldn’t move.
I wanted to see this. Needed to see this.
Needed to watch Rebecca try to lie her way out of what she’d done.
Minutes ticked by.
Each one felt like an hour.
My palms were sweaty. My heart was racing. That familiar anxiety creeping up my spine.
What if Rebecca had so explanation? So way to twist the truth? So lie that Kael would believe?
What if—
KNOCK KNOCK.
The sound made jump.
Kael’s head snapped up. His eyes fixed on the door like a predator spotting prey.
"Co in."
The words were calm. Professional. Nothing in his tone betrayed the fury I knew was simring underneath.
The door opened.
And there she was.
Rebecca Silver Fang.
She looked exactly the sa as three years ago. Maybe even more polished. More perfect.
Her blonde hair was styled in elegant waves that probably took hours. Her makeup was flawless. Heavy but expertly applied. Gold eyeshadow. Perfect winged liner. Lips painted a deep red.
She was wearing a designer dress that probably cost more than my entire wardrobe. Erald green. Fitted. Showing off every curve.
High heels that added at least four inches to her height. Making her tower over even more than usual.
She looked like she’d just stepped off a runway.
Like she belonged in Kael’s world in a way I never would.
My stomach twisted.
Rebecca’s eyes scanned the office. Found Kael first. Her face lit up imdiately.
That predatory smile. All teeth and no warmth.
Then her gaze shifted. Landed on .
And her expression changed.
The smile disappeared. Replaced by sothing ugly. Contemptuous.
Her green eyes narrowed into slits. Looking up and down. Taking in my simple black dress. My modest heels. My attempts at professional appearance that suddenly felt laughably inadequate.
She rolled her eyes.
Actually rolled them. Like my presence was so kind of personal insult.
Then she walked forward.
Deliberately. Purposefully.
Her shoulder slamd into mine as she passed.
Hard enough to make stumble. Hard enough that it couldn’t possibly be an accident.
"Oops." Her voice dripped with false sweetness. "Sorry. Didn’t see you there."
The lie was so blatant it was almost funny.
I caught my balance. Pressed my lips together. Refused to react.
Don’t give her the satisfaction.
Rebecca didn’t spare another glance. Just kept walking until she reached Kael’s desk.
Then she transford.
The contempt lted away. Replaced by warmth. Affection. That doe-eyed look that probably worked on most n.
"Kael!" She breathed his na like a prayer. "It’s been so long! When Damon said you wanted to see , I ca right away. I’ve missed you so much!"
Her hand reached out. Grabbed his arm. Fingers trailing up the fabric of his suit jacket.
Possessive. Familiar. Like she had every right to touch him.
Kael’s expression didn’t change. He looked down at her hand on his arm.
Then, slowly, deliberately, he pulled away.
Not rough. Not aggressive. Just... removed himself from her grip.
Like shaking off sothing unpleasant.
Rebecca’s smile faltered. Just for a second. Then it was back. Brighter than before.
"What did you want to talk about?" She leaned against his desk. Her body language screaming availability. "I hope it’s sothing fun. Maybe dinner? Or drinks? We could catch up properly. It’s been too long since—"
"I heard sothing interesting." Kael cut her off smoothly. His voice was conversational. Almost casual. "About you. Thought you might want to clarify."
Rebecca blinked. Confusion flickered across her face.
"Clarify what?"
Kael’s eyebrow rose. That subtle movent that could an a dozen different things.
"Apparently, you’ve been telling people that you and I have a daughter together."
Silence.
Complete, absolute silence.
I watched Rebecca’s face carefully. Watched the emotions flash across her features too fast to fully process.
Surprise. Panic. Then calculation.
All in the span of a heartbeat.
"What?" Her laugh ca out too high. Too forced. "That’s ridiculous! Who told you that?"
"Does it matter who told ?" Kael’s voice remained calm. But there was steel underneath. "I’m asking if it’s true."
"Of course it’s not true!" Rebecca’s hands flew up. Defensive. "Kael, how could you even ask that? I’ve never said anything like that!"
She sounded so sincere. So offended.
If I hadn’t been standing right there three years ago. If I hadn’t heard the lies from her own mouth. I might have believed her.
"Really." Kael leaned back in his chair. Steepled his fingers. "So you never told anyone we had a child?"
"Never!" Rebecca’s voice pitched higher. More desperate. "I don’t know where this is coming from, but soone is clearly trying to cause trouble between us!"
Her eyes darted toward . Sharp. Accusing.
ssage received loud and clear.
She was blaming .
Of course she was.
"I an," Rebecca continued, her voice softening into sothing almost pleading, "I DID go to that preschool a while back. Rember? I told you about it. My cousin needed help picking up her daughter. I was just doing a favor."
She reached for Kael’s hand again. He didn’t pull away this ti. Just let her take it while watching her face carefully.
"Maybe soone saw there and... and made assumptions?" Rebecca’s eyes were wide now. Innocent. "You know how people talk. They see a woman at a preschool and automatically think she must be a mother."
I wanted to scream.
Wanted to call her out right there. Tell Kael exactly what she’d said to . How she’d looked so smug. So satisfied. How she’d made sure I knew Kael had moved on.
But my throat was tight. My voice wouldn’t work.
Rebecca was still talking. Building her lie. Making it more convincing with every word.
"Soone must have misheard. Or misinterpreted." She squeezed Kael’s hand. "You know I would never lie about sothing like that. Especially not to you."
Then her gaze cut to again. Sharp. Venomous.
When she spoke, her voice dripped with false concern.
"Although..." She tilted her head. Studied like I was an interesting insect. "I suppose SO PEOPLE might have gotten confused."
The emphasis on "so people" made it crystal clear who she ant.
"I rember now." Rebecca’s smile turned sharp. "I was at the preschool. And I did say sothing. Out loud. To myself, really. Just a passing comnt."
She looked back at Kael. Her expression softening into sothing wistful.
"I said how nice it would be. To have a child with you soday. How I’d always imagined us having a family together."
Her fingers tightened on his hand.
"Maybe soone overheard that. And twisted it into sothing it wasn’t." Another pointed look at . "Maybe CERTAIN PEOPLE heard what they wanted to hear."
My hands curled into fists at my sides.
Turning the whole thing around. Making look like the liar. The troublemaker. The one who misunderstood.
And worst of all? She was doing it while looking completely innocent. Completely sincere.
Like she genuinely believed every word coming out of her mouth.
Kael was quiet.
Too quiet.
I couldn’t read his expression. Couldn’t tell if he believed her or not.
The silence stretched. Heavy. Suffocating.
Then Kael spoke.
"I see."
Two words. Nothing more.
Rebecca’s face brightened. "So you understand? It was just a misunderstanding?"
"Oh, I understand perfectly." Kael pulled his hand free from her grip. Stood up. "Which is why I need to make sothing very clear."
He walked around the desk. Putting space between them.
"Rebecca." His voice was firm now. Professional. The Alpha giving orders. "You need to stop saying things like that. Even in passing. Even to yourself."
Rebecca’s smile wavered.
"What do you an?"
"I an," Kael continued, his tone leaving no room for argunt, "we broke up three years ago. THREE YEARS. We are not together. We will not be together. There is no future where we have a family."
Each sentence hit like a hamr.
I watched Rebecca’s face. Watched the mask start to crack.
"There is no possibility of us getting back together." He said it clearly. Definitively. Right in front of . "None. Ever."
Rebecca’s face went pale beneath her makeup. She stood there. Frozen. Her mouth opening and closing like a fish.
Then her eyes found mine.
And the look she gave was pure hatred.
Raw. Undisguised. Absolutely venomous.
Like this was sohow my fault. Like I’d orchestrated this whole thing just to humiliate her.
The door burst open at this mont.
Damon practically fell into the room. His face was flushed. His breathing heavy. Like he’d been running.
"Alpha!" He gasped. "We found sothing! About three years ago! The kidnapping!"
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