Aria’s POV

I brushed invisible dust off my dress and smiled. His looked me up and down.

"Does this dress remind you of anything?" I asked. "Didn’t Clarence wear the same dress the other day? She’s gone now and this is her funeral... isn’t it?"

I had specifically worn the same dress Clarence wore the last time we met, to make a statement.

My eyes gleamed gold. Patrick’s heartbeat stuttered. I could smell his fear.

"Aria," he growled. "This is your Aunt Clarence’s funeral. I let your past go. I did not forbid you to attend. But if you disrupt this, don’t blame me for forgetting our father-daughter bond."

My wolf snarled. Father?

That word was rotting fruit in my ears.

Jonathan raised a brow. "I heard Aria severed ties with the Darvin family. Is there still father and daughter to speak of?"

Rowland laughed, dark. "And if something happens, who are you planning to blame?"

The air crackled with wolf instinct, dominance and threat. I could taste Patrick’s terror as he stared at the men.

His gaze flitted to Nathan.

Nathan remained silent, his eyes stayed on me.

It was as though he was a predator lurking around as if daring anyone to attempt lifting a finger on me.

Ignoring him, I stepped forward, focusing my attention on Patrick.

"Alpha Jonathan is right," I said. "I cut ties long ago. I’m not here as a Darvin. I’m here as a representative of a new legal aid firm."

I flicked my wrist, presenting my card like a blade.

ARIA LEGAL SERVICES.

Rowland lifted his phone to capture it; flashes exploded like bursts of moonlight.

"To our journalist friends, thank you for your support. We plan to go public in a few months. I hope you all help spread the word." I said out loud.

Claps rippled, cameras devoured me.

This funeral... had become my stage.

My wolf stood tall inside me, fur bristling with triumph.

Patrick shook with rage, his jaw clenched.

He looked like he wanted to tear me apart.

But he wouldn’t dare.

Not with all the alphas behind me.

Not with the truth finally on my side.

"Mr. Darvin," I said, my voice calm, my smile sharpened like a claw, "you’re welcome to visit our firm. Though honestly... I doubt you’ll still be around when we go public in a few months."

I handed Patrick my business card. Our fingers didn’t touch. My eyes met his, just for a heartbeat, and I let him see the truth burning behind mine.

He flinched.

By the time he blinked, I had already distanced myself from him.

Journalists swarmed, their cameras flashing like lightning, their scent thick with adrenaline and curiosity.

"Ms. Aria," one barked, shoving a mic at me, "your lawyer’s license was revoked last year. Why start a legal company now?"

"Is it true you’ve severed ties with the Darvin family?" 𝐟𝗿𝐞𝚎𝚠𝐞𝚋𝕟𝐨𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝕔𝕠𝚖

"Are you here to cause trouble, like Mr. Darvin and Ms. Darvin claim?"

"My license doesn’t affect my ability to start a firm," I replied, my smile never wavering. My wolf prowled beneath my skin, unsettled by the crowd. "As the founder, I don’t need to be hands-on."

"As for the license issue, I’m investigating. I’ve always maintained my innocence regarding the incident that caused my imprisonment. The truth will eventually come out. I want my license back more than anyone."

"As for causing trouble," I purred, "that’s a matter of interpretation."

I winked at the cameras, letting my eyes flash gold for just a second.

A live stream caught that moment. The comments started spilling across the internet. There were over 200,000 of them.

"Didn’t she go to prison? Why does she look so confident?"

"I know it’s a funeral but I can’t stop watching."

"Aria is STUNNING. When she winked I nearly passed out!"

"Something’s fishy. She says she’s investigating her case?"

"Tell us something we don’t know!!"

My wolf grinned inside me. Attention... wasn’t always a weapon. Sometimes it was a shield.

Margaret arrived then. She smelled of sleepless nights and cold medicine; exhaustion clung to her like a second skin. She didn’t speak to me, she just tugged Patrick away.

Her eyes flicked over my group, wincing at the colors and pride in our clothes.

I raised a hand, signaling the media to give space. They obeyed, whether out of respect or fear, I didn’t know.

Silence fell, heavy and solemn.

Patrick glared at me before turning to leave. His gaze flicked briefly to Nathan who was watching him with eyes like frozen oceans. Fear clouded Patrick’s scent. Of all the Alphas here present, it was obvious Nathan was the man he feared most.

Few days ago, Nathan had bought the Darvin Group’s shares and presented them to me. Now he showed up at the funeral wearing a navy blue suit I have never seen him wear before. What was his deal?

I shoved the questions down. The funeral was starting.

Patrick climbed the platform, grabbing the microphone like it could anchor him.

"Ladies and gentlemen," he began, his voice strained, "I have organized this long-delayed funeral to address the rumors circulating online. Here, today, are the crematorium staff who handled Clarence’s remains, the doctor who confirmed her passing, and the nurse who transported her to the morgue."

Sophia escorted them in.

They presented their licenses. The screens behind them lit up with credentials, IDs.

"Clarence is dead," Patrick declared. "And these individuals can confirm that."

The crematorium worker spoke first: "I personally oversaw her cremation. I ensured the remains were completely incinerated."

My lips curled in a smirk.

The doctor and nurse chimed in, giving rehearsed speeches.

"Words are not enough," Patrick said. "So we retrieved this footage..."