Aria’s POV

The scent of disbelief rolled off Chloe in waves.

“I ran into Aria in Duckspire,” Logan replied honestly, blinking as he spoke. “So I followed her here.”

That blunt sincerity only made Chloe narrow her eyes, suspicion sharpening her scent. “Are you pretending to be young?”

Logan’s mouth twitched.

The next second, he shot her a fierce glare. It was sharp, unfiltered and very much him. His aura flared briefly, instinctive dominance leaking through.

Chloe instantly relaxed and patted her chest. “Okay, good. That’s the Logan I know.”

She finally accepted reality and collapsed onto the sofa, sprawling like she owned the place.

“Shouldn’t you be in Crestfall right now?” she asked casually, flipping through the notebook. Then she froze. “Wait. You didn’t bring this thing over, did you?”

“Yep, I did.” Logan shrugged.

Chloe’s teeth clenched audibly. “So you had this treasure and didn’t show it earlier?” 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝓮𝒘𝙚𝙗𝒏𝙤𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝒐𝙢

He grinned, utterly shameless. “I only got it not long ago.”

I watched their back-and-forth without much reaction. Amelia had mentioned before that Chloe had once begged for Logan’s autograph, so this strange familiarity made sense. My wolf simply observed, tail flicking in lazy circles.

“Aria,” Chloe suddenly said, snapping the notebook shut. She turned to me with a seriousness that felt out of place. “You need to make him leave soon. He’s no good. You can’t keep him in your house.”

Logan bristled instantly, his energy flaring like a challenged alpha. “Oh, great, trying to drive a wedge between us now?”

His eyes burned with indignation.

Chloe didn’t even blink. Instead, she leaned closer to me, her voice dropping. “Trust me on this.”

“No way!” Logan snapped.

To me, they looked like a pair of squabbling wolves stuck in a dominance loop. They were loud, dramatic, and strangely entertaining.

I didn’t take either of them seriously. I smiled, nodded at both sides, and murmured vague agreements while my attention stayed on Lana. She gurgled softly, and I smiled down at her, brushing my thumb over her warm cheek.

I missed it.

“Forget it.” Chloe finally sighed, deflating as she stopped arguing with Logan. She turned fully toward me, her tone changing. “You’re going to Darvin Villa tomorrow.”

I looked up.

“Do you really want to make peace with them?”

I met her gaze, my smile slow and unreadable. Somewhere deep inside, my wolf lifted its head, eyes gleaming.

“Maybe.”

“If you need anything, just let me know,” Chloe said, her voice steady but not quite relaxed. “I should head back now.”

Her expression flickered with a mix of worry and hesitation, but she smothered it quickly. She stood, slipped the first-page draft of The Symphony of Prosperity back into the notebook, then gave it a little wave toward me.

I nodded and let her take it.

Grandmother’s things weren’t meant to gather dust. Music wasn’t my battlefield, but it was Chloe’s. My wolf approved of that, resources should go where they’re strongest.

Just as Chloe turned to leave, she paused, as if remembering something.

“Oh...Logan,” she said brightly. “It’s been a while since we caught up. Let’s chat for a bit.”

Before I could ask what she meant, she grabbed Logan by the sleeve and tugged him toward the door. My brows knit together in confusion, but when I caught the hard resolve beneath her smile, I swallowed the question.

My instincts stirred, telling me not to interfere.

Whatever was between those two wasn’t meant for my den.

I watched them leave, then noticed Jackson peeking out from the corner, half-hidden like a cautious pup testing unfamiliar territory.

“What’s wrong?” I asked gently, softening my voice.

He hesitated, his fingers twisting in his shirt. I’d brought him all the way from Duskspire to Asterfell, and even with the guest room prepared at Shevron Estates, he still hadn’t fully settled.

“Aria,” he asked quietly, finally lifting his eyes to mine, “are you going to your own home tomorrow? When can you help me find my mom and dad?”

Hope and fear tangled in his gaze.

My chest tightened.

“After I finish what I need to do tomorrow,” I said firmly, meeting his eyes, “I’ll start looking for your parents.”

He let out a slow breath, shoulders relaxing at last. “Thank you, Aria.”

He waved and tiptoed away, careful and considerate, and I watched until his small figure disappeared down the hallway. A strange ache lingered in my chest.

I’ll keep my word, my wolf promised silently.

The next day. The moment I stepped out of Guly Legal Services, my wolf stirred uneasily beneath my skin.

Patrick’s assistant, Tommy Lindsey, was already waiting, standing in for Sophia. That alone put me on edge.

I slid into the car with the two elderly couple and the middle aged woman. Rowland was already in the driver’s seat, one hand resting casually on the wheel, posture loose, predatory calm masking whatever calculations were running through his mind.

Amelia and Chloe followed in another car, their presence a steady reassurance at my back, while Logan insisted on joining them rather than being separate.

Two luxury cars tailed Tommy’s, engines growling as we sped toward Darvin Villa.

My instincts prickled.

“Why didn’t Sophia come?” I asked, frowning.