Aria’s POV

It was one of the men that had been filming me. I glanced up briefly at him and noticed an expression of pity etched across his face. Seeing the scar on my face must have done that to him.

His phone which he had been filming with was now lowered. "I... I’m sorry," he muttered, guilt staining his voice. "I was just chasing views..." He shifted awkwardly. "That car was out of line. I can report them if you want."

I shook my head slowly, my voice raw. "Please," I whispered, pulling my scarf up again, "just delete the video."

He blinked, his throat bobbing. "Yeah, yeah, I’m deleting it—look!" He turned the phone to show me the screen, fumbling nervously.

I nodded faintly. "Thank you," I said, my words barely audible.

My fingers trembled as I picked up the broom, the wooden handle slick beneath my palms. I forced myself to start sweeping again.

Each push of the broom was a battle against exhaustion, against humiliation, against the ache that threatened to consume me whole.

Once this stretch of road was done, I told myself, we’d go. Find somewhere warm. Lana needed food. I couldn’t afCurt to fall apart.

Even if I have to sweep streets for the rest of my life, I thought fiercely, brushing damp hair from my face, I’ll build a future for you, my pup.

I started pushing the cart away, my steps slow but steady.

People’s whispers followed me like the wind.

"She looks so young. What’s she doing cleaning the streets?"

"It is probably a stunt for social media."

"People will do anything for money these days."

"Bet that car was staged—she is absolutely an attention seeker."

I paid them no mind. My wolf stirred weakly inside me, her strength dimmed from hunger and exhaustion—just like mine.

Keep moving, she whispered, her voice faint but firm.

I kept moving, pushing the heavy cleaning cart forward with one hand while holding Lana close to my chest with the other. The metal handle bit into my palm, but I didn’t dare stop.

The cart was too heavy for my small frame, and every step was a battle. My knees trembled as I leaned into the handle, my muscles burning from strain.

Then it happened—one hard jolt from an incoming vehicle on the narrow path hit my cart, causing the wheel to strike a stone. The cart lurched forward.

I stumbled, tightening my hold on Lana. Her tiny body pressed against mine, a fragile heartbeat beneath layers of cloth.

"No—no!" I gasped, lunging to stop the cart.

It tipped. The crash echoed down the empty street as I fell to my knees. Pain tore through me, scraping my skin and pride alike. For a moment, I couldn’t move. The cold seeped into my bones, and shame burned hotter than the sting of my wounds.

But Lana was safe. I checked her immediately, my fingers trembling. She whimpered softly. I could tell she was hungry, tired and a little bit frightened. My heart cracked at the sound.

"I’m sorry, sweetie," I whispered, brushing her cheek with a dirty thumb. "Hang on just a little longer, okay? Mommy will soon be done."

Lana began to cry again. My wolf whimpered inside me, her instincts clawing to comfort the cub.

I gritted my teeth and grabbed the cart, forcing it upright again. My palms burned as I pushed, my knees shaking. My heart was pounding, and my vision blurred from fatigue.

Behind me, an engine idled. I turned, it was the same car that had perhaps accidentally knocked my cart down. I noticed it had lingered for a moment as though it was watching me. For some reason, the car looked very familiar.

Just then, it sped through a puddle, a wave of dirty water splashed up, dousing me as I struggled to get back on my feet.

I froze as I saw a familiar man seating at the back seat of the car... he was distracted, speaking into a phone. He looked immaculately groomed and poised, radiating authority and exuding an air of untochable confidence.

My pulse quickened. I narrowed my eyes, trying to get a better look through the windshield.

"Did I see that wrong?" I whispered.

Is that really Richard?

A small, bitter laugh escaped me. "No... it couldn’t be."

But deep down, my wolf stirred uneasily, as though she was sure that was him.

My chest tightened. I’d trusted Richard more than anyone. I’d thought of him as a brother, my confidant when I still had friends, when my world hadn’t crumbled. I’d even told him my deepest secrets, even my feelings for Nathan.

Despite the rivalry between him and Nathan, I never doubted Richard, not even once.

But everything had changed a year and a half ago when Richard used a confidential document to outsmart Nathan, catapulting him to success overnight.

With that move, he secured his family’s approval and transformed from an outcast bastard into their rightful Alpha heir.

Now, he was basking in glory.

Meanwhile, I had plummeted to rock bottom.

For a long time, I had asked myself why.

Why had he used me? Why had he stepped on me just to climb higher?

The question had haunted me through endless sleepless nights, through cold streets and lonelier days.

I could still remember that day vividly, the day Enforcers took me away. I had looked to Richard for help, for truth. He’d told me to be patient, that he’d defend me, clear my name. I’d believed him.

Goddess above, I’d actually believed him.

But in court, he’d stood against me.

He’d looked me in the eye and testified.

A sharp pain tore through my chest, deep and raw, as if his betrayal had ripped through not just my heart but my wolf’s too. She had howled then, wounded and furious. It had taken months before her voice quieted, before I buried the last fragile pieces of what I felt for him.

Now, when I thought of Richard, I felt nothing. No rage, no grief, just cold emptiness.

Clutching Lana close to me, I braved the bitter wind, my boots crunching over frost-bitten ground.

"Just a little longer, my love," I whispered to my baby, quickening my pace toward the dormitory. My fingers were numb from the cold, and Lana’s warmth was the only thing keeping me going.

After twenty long minutes, I reached the staff building, a small, worn place that at least kept the wind out. Inside, the air was stale but warm enough for Lana.

With the little prepaid money I’d earned from sweeping, I bought her a new bottle. I boiled water in an old kettle and sterilized it the way the nurses had once shown me.

Lana drank eagerly, her tiny hands wrapping around my fingers. Her eyes, bright and full of life watched me with a trust that pierced my chest. I smiled softly, brushing away a drop of milk from her chin.

My thought wandered back to earlier today when I saw Nathan. If he ever found out about Lana—he’d tear her away from me. Alpha or not, father or not, I would never let that happen.

A tremor ran down my spine at the thought.

Sensing my distress, Lana whimpered softly. I set the bottle down and began to pace, rocking her in my arms, humming a lullaby my mother used to sing for me when I was a child. My voice trembled, but the rhythm soothed both of us.

Slowly, Lana’s cries faded. She blinked up at me with that little smile again, her lips moving as if trying to mimic my hum. I laughed softly through my tears.

"Oh, my brave girl," I whispered. "Soon you’ll call me Mama."

Just the thought filled my heart with hope.

The door creaked open and a familiar voice called out. "Aria, you’re back? Finished sweeping the street?"