Aria’s POV

I exhaled through my nose. Fine. I could agree to that, for now.

The elderly woman had been too enthusiastic, too sincere. Rejecting her again would feel like snapping at an elder wolf who’d offered protection. I nodded once. “Alright.”

She seemed to understand the burden of her gesture. She didn’t push further, only smiled and nodded, satisfied.

Rowland, however, was no longer listening to anyone.

I could feel his gaze on me, sliding from my hair down the curve of my cheek, lingering far too long. My wolf bristled, torn between irritation and an uninvited awareness.

“Aria,” he murmured, leaning close, his breath warm against my ear, “if you don’t ease up, you’re going to be the one helping me walk out of here.”

Heat rushed to my face instantly. Damn him.

I coughed lightly, masking my reaction, and pulled my foot back at last. As I turned away, I shot him a sharp glare from the corner of my eye.

He didn’t even pretend to feel guilty. He just smiled in a slow, smug, unmistakably pleased manner.

“Rowland rushed here from Veridale,” Amelia said, stepping in smoothly, reclaiming the role of host. “And from what you said earlier, you all just got off a plane, right? It’s late, why don’t we get dinner nearby?”

Her smile was warm and genuine.

“Yes, please,” Chloe said quickly. “I’m starving.”

“All right,” the middle aged woman said finally, her voice gentle but resolute. “Let’s go together.”

*****

Later that day, at night, I was at Shevron Estates with Chloe and Logan who had returned the previous night.

“Aria, did you know?”

Chloe crept over with a conspiratorial look, lowering her voice as if she were about to reveal a state secret.

I was seated on the sofa, feeding Lana. The little one’s scent was warm and milky, soothing my restless wolf. I glanced up at Chloe briefly. “Know what?”

“I heard The Symphony of Prosperity has over ten pages in total,” she said, lowering herself beside me. “And you only gave me one.” She poked the single sheet dramatically, then pouted. “After all the work I’ve done for you, I feel... severely underfed.”

Despite her words, she stroked the page like it was a sacred relic.

I fell silent.

My fingers paused mid-motion. Lana let out a tiny sound, and my wolf stirred, as if nudging me. I handed her gently to Kara, who took her without a word, then stood and walked straight toward the bedroom.

“Hey! Where are you going?” Chloe called after me.

I didn’t answer.

Behind me, I could practically hear Chloe scratching her head, her confusion wafting through the air like static.

A moment later, I returned with a worn notebook in my hands. Its cover was plain, but to my senses, it carried the faint, aged scent of old paper.

Chloe blinked. “What’s that? Is this what you went to get?”

She tilted her head, studying me like I’d suddenly grown a tail.

“Didn’t you say you felt shortchanged?” I said calmly. “What if I give you this instead?”

I placed the notebook in her hands.

She scoffed theatrically. “That’s still pretty unfair. I’m an internationally top-tier hacker and a world-class principal pianist. You work me to the bone, and now you think you can appease me with one notebook huh?”

She was clearly enjoying herself.

Then she opened it.

The moment her eyes landed on the first page, all the color drained from her face. 𝕗𝕣𝐞𝐞𝘄𝐞𝚋𝚗𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹.𝚌𝕠𝚖

“This... this is...”

She flipped to the next page. Then another. Faster. Her fingers trembled as she turned page after page, until she reached the end.

She froze.

Fifteen pages. It was Complete.

Slowly, she lifted her head and stared at me like I’d just descended from the moon. “How did you get this? You didn’t give me a fake, did you?”

The corner of my mouth twitched.

Before I could answer, a lazy voice cut in. “It’s not fake.”

Logan strolled past us, crunching loudly on a bag of chips. He was wearing the ridiculous cartoon pajamas I’d bought for Jackson. It was far too small for him and his golden hair was a complete mess, sticking out like a startled bird’s nest. Only his mouth was visible beneath the chaos.

“I stole it from my grandpa,” he added casually.

Chloe went completely still.

Her gaze snapped from Logan to me, her eyes widening in slow, dawning horror like she’d just realized she’d been living beside a hidden alpha this whole time.

So this is the real you, her expression screamed.

My wolf sighed in my chest.

I suddenly felt tired.

“Well, well,” Chloe said at last, recovering far too quickly. A grin spread across her face as she sprang to her feet. “Looks like you’ve been hiding a boy toy this whole time!”

She marched straight toward Logan, reaching up to sweep his hair aside so she could see his face.

I rubbed my forehead, already feeling my wolf stir with a familiar mix of amusement and warning. Chaos always followed Chloe like an untrained pup.

True enough, the moment she brushed Logan’s hair aside, she froze, then stumbled backward several steps as if she’d just seen a ghost shift under a full moon.

“Logan!”

Her shriek shot straight through the room.

I watched her dramatic retreat with helpless resignation and didn’t bother intervening. Instead, I took Lana back into my arms and gently covered her ears. My wolf hummed softly, a soothing sound meant for pups. Lana blinked, then settled, her tiny fingers curling against my sleeve.

“What are you doing here?” Chloe demanded, her eyes so wide they looked ready to pop out of her skull. “And when did you two hook up?!”