V

bChapter /bb42 /b

Nyssa bpov /b

b“/bAnd why did you dare betray my daughterb?/bb” /b

That bwas /bwhat bhe /bsaid and it bwas /benough to make Aria take a bstep /bbback/b, the intense brage /bradiating off him in bwaves/b. Aria trembled, parting her lips to speak, to defend herself, but no words came out. Before anyone could breact/b, her blegs /bbgave /bout bbeneath /bher from bfear/b, and she fell to the ground with a loud thud.

I watched bas /bshe yelped and hissed in pain, and my father’s expression didn’t change in the slightest. That part bI /bcould understand- my father had no reason to care about Aria. But what I couldn’t understand bwas /bKieran.

He stood there silently, his beyes /bcold as they stared at Aria without the faintest intention of helping her. He didn’t move, didn’t even acknowledge her plea when Aria instinctively nced his way and he took his gaze away and fixed them on my father.

“I-” Aria murmured, her voice barely above a whisper, her hands clenched into fists bas /bshe stared down at the floor. “bI /bwould never betray bNyssa-/bb” /b

b“/bYou are mistaken, Alpha,” Kieran cut her off, his voice devoid of emotion. “I would never do something like that to Nyssa. I love her, and I would never want her to be hurt by my actions. The video you saw was the Lycan King shoving me against the wall for touching Nyssa. And while there is nothing between Aria and me, we are still friends. She ran up to help me. bPlease /bdo not misunderstand our rtionship. I’m sure, if I could just speak with Nyssa, she would understand.”

I raised a brow, the corner of my lips lifting into a small, humorless smile as I watched the scene unfold.

Hmm. So Kieran really was a bastard even to his own mate. He hadn’t spared her a second nce when she fell, and yet, the moment he had been shoved by Darius, she was already rushing to his side.

I reached up to stroke my chin, leaning casually against the doorframe. No one had noticed I was standing there yet- probably too consumed by the tension thick in the room. I had no intention of announcing myself. Not yet. I might as well stay back… and enjoy the show.

My father raised a brow, but his expression quickly darkened. His eyes red with anger as he turned his re onto Kieran.

“Nyssa would understand?” he repeated, his voice low and dangerous.

I noticed Caleb and Benjamin exchange a tense nce behind him, fully aware that the Alpha’s fury was reaching its peak and he was barely holding it back.

b“/bYou bastard!” my father roared, standing up to his feet. “She admitted that she knew all along! Why do you think she canceled the wedding? Why do you think she was angry at you? bI /bsensed something was wrong, but who could have imagined it was bbecause /byou were cheating on my daughter?”

His voice thundered through the room, and for the first time, Kieran’s mask cracked. His eyes widened, his body stiffened, and in a whisper barely louder than a breath, he said—

“What?b” /b

Aria bgasped/b, staring at my father in disbelief. But he didn’t stop there, his re darkened as he turned to her, pointing a trembling finger in raw fury.

“Do you even know what’s worseb?/b” he barked.

“I wasn’t surprised by this bastard bhere/bb. /bbI /bbnever /bliked him- not onceb. /bI hated the way he looked at my bdaughter /bwhile she

Chapter b42 /b

looked bat /bhim with blove /bin bher /bbeyes/b. bI /bbknew /bbhe /bbwas /bbusing /bher. But because Nyssa loved him, bI /bdecided to let it go. I bwas /breadyb. /bbto /blet her marry him, to bkeep /bba /bclose watch on him so he wouldn’t hurt bher/bb. /bbBecause /bbif /bbshe /bbwas /bhappy, then nothing else bmattered/bb. /b

He btook /bba /bbbreath/bb, /bhis eyes burning bas /bthey locked onto Aria again.

b“/bBut byou/b, Aria. You… truly disappointed me.” He shook his head slowly. “I trusted you. Nyssa trusted you. So how could you do this to herb? /bYou’ve bbeen /btogether since you were children, and she loved you more bthan /banything. How could you betray bher /blike this? Don’t you know how much this will hurt her?” he asked, not raising his voiceb, /byet the weight of his words still made Aria flinch. She shook her head, tears spilling down her cheeks, but I knew itoo /iwell bthey /bbwere /bbfake/bb. /b

bMy /bsmile faded, and 1 shifted my gaze to my father, studying his bexpression/b.

He truly was disappointed, he couldn’t believe Aria would do something like this to me.

But what would he say when he found out that Aria cheating was just the tip of it all? That she conspired with Kieran to ughter the entire pack, used me to help Kieran rise to power, only to n to kill me in the end?

Would he be hurt by Aria… or furious at me?

I wasn’t sure. But watching him like this, watching the pain in his face, made my chest tighten unbearably.

b“/bUncle-”

“Don’t call me that!!” he roared, his Alpha voice shaking the room. The windows trembled, and even the door I was leaning on rattled violently.

“Don’t call me that! It’s Alpha to you. I am your Alpha, and you will address me as such. Do I make myself clear?” He stepped closer to Kieran and Aria, his tone deadly.

I watched as Aria broke down in heavier sobs and Kieran’s body stiffened, trembling despite trying to hide it.

“Do I make myself clear?” he asked again, his cold gaze narrowing in on Aria.

“Y–bYes/b, Alpha. Yesb, /bAlpha, I understand,” she stammered through her tears.

My father turned to Kieran, his fury unrelenting, but before he could speak, Kieran raised his head, eyes defiant.

“This bis /ba misunderstanding, Alpha. Please, let me speak to Nyssa. I’ll fix this— I love her. I can’t let her go,” he said, voice thick with desperation.

But before my father could respond, I tilted my head slightly, my voice echoing through the air.

“But do you really love me?” bI /basked calmly.

All ever chifted to me hut mine remained locked on Kieran Mu frou deenened.

“Or