Aria’s POV
Twenty-five thousand dollars.
The number wouldn’t leave my head.
My feet carried ho on autopilot. The bus swayed. People pushed past . I didn’t notice any of it.
All I could see were those black-gold eyes. That arrogant smirk. That voice saying *How much do you cost?*
My cheeks burned. From anger. From sha. From sothing else I didn’t want to na.
I’d said no. I’d walked away. But he’d called after .
"Think about it, little Oga. The offer stands."
Little Oga. Like I was a child. A possession. Sothing to be bought.
My phone felt heavy in my pocket. I pulled it out. Stared at the dark screen.
No ssages from Finn. Of course not.
I opened Instagram. I don’t know why. Maybe I was torturing myself. Maybe I just needed to confirm what I already knew.
The first post made my stomach drop.
There he was. My husband. Down on one knee. Not proposing. Just... adjusting Celestia’s coat. Her golden hair caught the light. Her smile was radiant. Perfect.
The caption read: *"Having you by my side is the best dicine."*
Posted two hours ago. Seventy-three likes already. So comnts: *"You two are SO cute together!"*
I locked my phone. Shoved it back in my pocket.
The house was dark when I got ho. Quiet. I used my key. Closed the door softly behind .
"Mommy!"
The voice ca from upstairs. High. Excited.
My heart clenched. I dropped my bag. Took the stairs two at a ti.
Lilith’s door was cracked open. Light spilled into the hallway.
I pushed it wide.
There she was. My baby girl. My whole world. Sitting on her bed in pink pajamas. Her black hair was ssy. Her silver eyes—my eyes—lit up when she saw .
"Mommy!" She held out her arms.
I rushed forward. Scooped her up. Held her tight. Buried my face in her hair.
She slled like baby shampoo and innocence and everything good in this terrible world.
I kissed her forehead. Her cheeks. Her little nose.
"I missed you, baby. I missed you so much."
Lilith squird. Pushed at my shoulders.
Then she wiped her face. Hard. Like I’d gotten sothing dirty on her.
"Mommy, you sll weird."
I froze. "What?"
"You sll funny." She wrinkled her nose. Leaned away from . "Not like Celestia. Celestia slls like flowers and candy."
The words hit like a punch.
"Baby, that’s just perfu. I sll like—"
"I don’t like it." Lilith crossed her arms. "Why can’t you sll pretty like Celestia?"
My throat closed. I set her down on the bed. Tried to smile. "Mommy works hard all day. I don’t have ti for fancy perfu."
"Oh." Lilith didn’t look convinced.
I took a breath. This was it. Ti to ask.
"Lilith, sweetie. Can Mommy ask you sothing?"
"Okay."
"Do you... do you want a baby brother or sister?"
Her face lit up. "Yes! I want a brother! A baby brother!"
My hand moved to my stomach. To the life I’d just decided to end.
I thought about the hospital.About the amniotic fluid embolism that had nearly killed five years ago.
"What if... what if Mommy is scared?"
Lilith tilted her head. Looked at like I was being silly.
"Don’t be selfish, Mommy."
I blinked. "What?"
"You already had ." She counted on her fingers. "So you can do it again. It’s easy, right? Don’t be selfish."
The room spun. Those words. Those exact words.
"Lilith, who taught you—"
"Daddy said you’re being selfish." My daughter’s voice was matter-of-fact. Innocent. Like she was repeating a grocery list. "You won’t give Daddy a boy baby because you’re selfish. But you should. Because you already did it once."
I couldn’t breathe.
"He said that?"
"Uh-huh." Lilith hopped off the bed. Ran to her toy chest. " Celestia said so, too. Celestia knows everything. She’s so smart and pretty. I wish she was my mommy instead."
The words ca out casual. Easy. Like she was talking about the weather.
My five-year-old daughter. The child I’d almost died bringing into this world.
Wished I wasn’t her mother.
"Lilith—"
"I’m calling Celestia now!" She grabbed her tablet from the nightstand. "She promised to tell a bedti story!"
"Baby, wait—"
But she was already FaceTiming. The call connected instantly.
"Celestia!" Lilith’s whole face transford. Pure joy. "I missed you!"
Celestia’s lodic voice floated through the speaker. "Oh, sweetheart! I missed you too! Are you ready for your story?"
"Yes! But first—" Lilith glanced at . Then back at the screen. "Can you tell Mommy to have a baby brother for ? She’s being selfish again."
Silence.
Then Celestia’s gentle laugh. "Oh, honey. That’s between your mommy and daddy. But I’m sure your mommy will do the right thing. She loves you, doesn’t she?"
"I guess." Lilith shrugged.
I stood. My legs shook. I walked to the door.
"Mommy, where are you going?" Lilith barely looked up from the screen.
"Just... downstairs, baby. You talk to Celestia."
"Okay! Bye, Mommy!"
I closed the door. Leaned against the wall.
Artemis howled in my mind. Raw. Broken.
*Our pup. Our baby. She doesn’t even want us.*
I slid down to the floor. Put my head on my knees.
The tears ca. Hot. Endless.
Five years. Five years of sacrificing everything. My body. My dignity. My dreams. All for Lilith.
And she wished soone else was her mother.
My phone rang. Finn’s na flashed on screen.
I almost didn’t answer. But so stupid, desperate part of thought—maybe. Maybe he was calling to check on . To see if I was okay. To be my husband for once.
I swiped to answer. "Hello?"
"What do you want?" His voice was ice. Annoyed. Like I’d interrupted sothing important.
"What...?"
"You called seventeen tis today." Accusation. Not concern. "I’m calling back so you’ll stop."
Seventeen tis? I looked at my call log. I’d called once. This morning.
"Finn, I only—"
"I’m coming back to the house now. Celestia needs to stay here tonight. She’s not feeling well. Don’t make a scene."
My blood ran cold. "You’re bringing her here? To our ho?"
"It’s my ho, Aria. I own it. You just live here."
The line went dead.
I scrambled to my feet. Ran downstairs. Looked out the front window.
Headlights appeared. A sleek car pulled into the driveway.
Finn got out. Walked around to the passenger side. Opened the door.
Celestia erged. Delicate. Beautiful. Wrapped in an expensive coat. Carrying an overnight bag.
She smiled up at him. He smiled back.
I threw open the front door. Marched down the steps.
"Finn."
He looked up. His smile vanished.
"What?"
"We need to talk." I pointed at Celestia. "She can’t stay here. Not around Lilith."
Celestia’s hand went to her throat. "Oh, I’m so sorry. I didn’t an to cause trouble. Finn, maybe I should—"
"No." He cut her off. Turned to . "You don’t get to decide who stays in my house."
"I’m Lilith’s mother—"
"And Celestia will be a better mother than you ever were."
The words hung in the air.
I grabbed his arm. "Finn, please. Just listen—"
He yanked away. Turned on . His face twisted with disgust.
"You want to know what I think of you?" He leaned close. His breath slled like expensive wine. "I think you’re pathetic. Desperate. Clingy. Everything about you repulses ."
My vision blurred.
"The only reason I haven’t rejected you is because the damn mate bond."
He walked into the house. Celestia followed. She looked back at once. Her expression almost... pitying.
The door closed.
I stood in the driveway. Alone. The night air bit through my thin jacket.
Inside, I heard Lilith’s excited scream. "Celestia! You’re staying over?!"
I walked back inside. Upstairs. To my room. The guest room, really. Finn had moved here three years ago.
I closed the door. Locked it. Slid down to the floor.
My phone buzzed in my pocket.
I pulled it out. Stared at the screen through tears.
A news alert: *"Alpha Heir Kael Blood Crown and Beta’s daughter Rebecca Silver Fang Split After Five Years."*
I clicked it. Scanned the article.
*"Sources say the break was mutual and amicable. Both parties are reportedly already dating other people..."*
My phone buzzed again.
A text from an unknown number:
*Good morning, Shadow Moon. Don’t ask how I got your number. The offer still stands. Three dates. The mating ceremony. You have three days to decide.*
I stared at the ssage. My thumb hovered over the delete button.
Twenty-five thousand dollars.
Enough to leave. To start over. To escape this nightmare.
But why would he want ? An Alpha heir. He could have anyone. Why an already-married Oga with a child?
It had to be a ga. So cruel joke.
I should delete it. Block the number. Pretend none of this happened.
But I thought about Lilith. About how she’d looked at tonight. About how she’d wiped away my kisses.
About Finn’s face when he said *Celestia will be a better mother.*
About the divorce papers sitting unsigned on the kitchen table.
About the twenty-five thousand dollars that could buy freedom.
My fingers moved before I could stop them.
*Deal.*
I hit send.
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