Aria’s POV

I crossed my arms over my chest, my fingers tapping lightly against my sleeve as I listened. The motion was unconscious, a small habit I had whenever my emotions threatened to surface.

Sophia’s eyes suddenly brightened, her expression warming as if she were bathed in soft light.

"I came here mainly to clear up this misunderstanding with you," she said quickly, her voice gentle and earnest, "so you won’t be misled by appearances. I also wanted to take this opportunity to bury the hatchet between us."

My wolf snorted. Lies always had a smell and it clung to her words.

"Mom has been separated from Dad for a while now," Sophia continued, her eyes shimmering, "and she’s been all alone at home, feeling lonely and missing you terribly."

Her performance was flawless. If I didn’t know the truth, I might have believed her too.

"Aria, come home with me," she pressed on, step by step, each word carefully placed.

"Everything Dad and Mom said before was just said in anger. How could they possibly disown you? Since you left, Mom has gradually come to understand how important you are to her. Everyone regrets it."

She sounded heartfelt. Almost convincing.

I watched her coldly, my expression calm, my heart utterly unmoved.

Years ago, the bond between parent and child in me had already snapped with an audible crack. Even my wolf no longer responded to the mention of "home."

"That’s right, Ms. Aria Darvin," a sudden voice chimed in from the crowd. "When people are anxious, they sometimes unconsciously do things that aren’t entirely appropriate. Ms. Sophia Darvin was probably just desperate to save you at the time."

My head turned instinctively, senses sharpening as I searched for the speaker. But there were too many people, faces packed together like a restless herd. I scanned the crowd, but the voice vanished as quickly as it had appeared.

Another person spoke up.

"And from what she’s saying, your parents do sound pitiful. The Darvin Group is struggling, and you cut ties with them. Now the two of you keep getting dragged into scandals. That can’t be easy for anyone."

Voices piled on top of voices, one after another.

"Every parent loves their child."

"Parents just express love differently."

"They favor Sophia because she’s their benefactor’s child."

"You should understand that now that you’re an adult."

My gaze swept slowly over the circle of people. Their expressions were filled with concern, sympathy, and righteousness, but to my eyes, it all looked fake and hollow.

It was ridiculous.

Just days ago, the same mouths had devoured every vicious headline about my conflict with the Darvin family. Now they stood here, wagging tongues at me from some imagined moral high ground.

I withdrew my gaze and focused back on Sophia.

"So what you’re saying is..." I drawled lightly, "...bringing all those reporters to storm into my room was just to save me?"

I narrowed my eyes, a faint smile tugging at the corners of my lips. My wolf lifted its head, sensing blood in the water.

The light in Sophia’s eyes flickered. For a split second, her heartbeat skipped, and I caught the subtle change in her breathing. Fear. She felt it too.

She knew how absurd the explanation sounded, but whatever Patrick had promised her to put up this show must have been worth the risk. I knew this was his doing. She clenched her jaw and nodded.

"Yes... that’s right..."

"Ha. Ha."

The laugh burst out of me before I could stop it. I even clapped my hands, the sound crisp and mocking.

"Amazing."

Sophia frowned slightly, her fingers curling into fists at her sides. She looked like someone standing on thin ice, unsure where the cracks would spread.

Then my voice cooled, slicing clean through the noise.

"So when you thought I might be in danger," I said calmly, "your first instinct wasn’t to call the enforcers but to call the media?"

The crowd froze.

They’d been swayed a moment ago, but now realization dawned. If she truly wanted to save me, why wouldn’t she call the enforcers first?

Sophia bit her lip, her face draining of color.

"Well... it’s because if the police were involved, you would’ve definitely been taken to the station with Alpha Richard for questioning. If people saw that, it would be hard to explain."

I tilted my head slightly, studying her like prey.

"Is giving a statement at a station something shameful?" I asked softly. "In any wrongdoing, shouldn’t the guilty party be the one afraid?"

I lifted my chin, my voice steady and cold.

Her lips trembled.

"Be honest Sophia" I said, my gaze sharpening. "Did you not bring all those reporters because were you were hoping to catch some compromising footage of Richard and me?"