The Truth Room

I sat in the waiting room beside the interrogation chamber, staring through the glass wall that separated me from the scene unfolding inside.

When I first followed them here, I wasn't sure what I expected.

Maybe I wanted to see Kael finally lose that arrogant confidence of his. Maybe I wanted to see Vale's perfect mask crack.

Or maybe I was just curious.

After all, how often did someone get the privilege of watching an Alpha answer for his own mistakes in front of the Lycan King?

"An Alpha gallivanting around with a lowborn while tampering with the pack's funds."

Alaric's voice echoed through the room. The cold aura in his voice enveloped the entire room.

The kind of voice that made even silence feel afraid.

I watched Kael's expression change.

For the first time since I had known him, he didn't look like the untouchable Alpha who believed the world existed beneath his feet.

He looked nervous.

I almost laughed.

Vale stood beside him, her usual confidence nowhere to be found. The same woman who had walked into my life and taken whatever she wanted now looked like she wished she could disappear into the floor.

Funny how quickly pride vanished when there was no audience to impress.

"Your Majesty, this is a misunderstanding," Kael said.

A misunderstanding? Of course, he'd say that.

Apparently, stealing from your own pack was now a misunderstanding. I wondered if forgetting to return a borrowed dress would also count as a tragic accident in his world.

Alaric didn't even blink.

"Then explain."

Alaric stared him down. His blue eyes slowly shifted, the beast beneath the calm surface revealing itself.

And for the first time, Kael had no escape plan.

Alaric touched the whip resting on the table gently as his raw wolf presence filled the entire building.

"According to ancient Lycan law, embezzlement is a crime punishable by one hundred lashes and suspension from your position for a month," he said coldly. "Do you accept your punishment, Kael Draven?"

Kael remained silent for a moment before slowly falling to his knees. His voice had turned hoarse from pleading for mercy.

I sat up straighter in my seat. Ancient wolf laws could be cruel. This was enough humiliation for his scum self. Like I knew karma would eventually find its way to him.

"My Lord, spare Alpha Kael!"

Vale rushed forward and grabbed Alaric's arm. Her soaked eyes were filled with tears, her face desperate as she pleaded for him.

"How dare you!"

Alaric's voice thundered through the room.

The next second, his hand moved.

The sound of the slap echoed.

I shot up from my seat in shock, my hand flying to my mouth.

Did he really just do that?

Vale crashed to the ground, blood spilling from her lips. Her eyes rolled back, and she fainted instantly.

Alaric remained unfazed, but Kael's reaction said everything. His face twisted in disbelief as he stared at Vale's unconscious body, his entire body trembling.

"Someone, remove her."

Before he finished speaking, two royal Betas entered and dragged Vale away exactly as the Lycan King commanded.

Alaric turned his cold gaze back to Kael. This time, his eyes glowed crimson.

Guess they had finally pushed his patience too far.

"Alpha Kael Draven, do you accept your punishment?"

"Yes."

Who wouldn't?

After feeling the cold wrath of a Lycan King, even I would have accepted my fate without hesitation.

Whoosh!

The sound reached my ears before the whip landed.

Crack!

Kael's expensive clothing tore beneath the force of the strike. A thin line of fresh blood appeared against his pale skin.

His painful groan echoed through the Truth Room.

I had seen it all. His humiliation. His downfall. His once untouchable pride finally shattered. And I was done experiencing his shame firsthand.

Cold air rushed against my face as I stepped out of the waiting room. Kael's agonizing voice echoed through the building behind me.

Every staff member I passed wore the same expression on their faces. Fear.

I was vindicated without lifting a finger. I was proven right without having to explain myself. Karma came to my help without me ever asking for it.

I walked out of that building with my head held high.

It could have ended differently, but the writer's blood running through my veins wanted to see the final chapter before closing the book.

Just as I stepped outside, my phone rang.

Father.

"Come home now!"

Beep.

The call ended before I could even say a word.

My father had always been biased toward me since I was little. And I was certain Vale had already filled his ears with her version of the story.

But she wasn't the only one with words.

I had plenty to say too.

I entered my car and started driving. Before I even reached the main road, I called my assistant, or better yet... my private spy.

"I'll give you ten minutes. Print everything you have on Vale and Isolde Ashford. That mother and daughter. I want every detail before I get home."

"Yes, my lady."

The call ended.

"Let's see how much you enjoy this, Vale." A smile tugged at my lips. "I can't wait to see your precious mother's face when her perfect little world comes crashing down."

I laughed.

I had a hidden secret.

A hidden Aria.

Some people knew the woman who wrote stories.

They didn't know the woman who could rewrite someone's ending.

You could call me a two-faced bitch.

I could save a world with one hand and destroy it with the other without feeling a single ounce of remorse.

And if you thought Alaric was dangerous...

Then you hadn't met me yet.

.........

Elena was already waiting for me at the gate when I arrived home. She was dressed in her usual strange combination, a tank top with a jacket thrown over it despite the sunny weather. It was something I had stopped questioning a long time ago. Elena never cared about what anyone thought of her.

I halted beside her with a genuine good smile.

"Back to the good old days, my lady."

She smiled widely, her white teeth radiating nothing but joy.

She looked happier than I was.

"Not really. I just want to stir a few pots at home."

Her laughter filled the air.

"Bringing the war home now?"

I laughed genuinely because Elena was the only person who understood me besides my mother, but in a completely different way.

"Vale needs a lesson or two."

I stretched out my hand as Elena passed the documents to me.

"Hope all the evidence is here?"

"Rest assured, my lady."

"Good. I'll call you."

She only nodded, but there was meaning behind that simple gesture.

I drove inside and parked the car.

The moment I stepped through the door, chaos erupted.

"There you are, Aria."

Lady Isolde was in her evening gown when I walked in. Servants were going about their duties, yet she still chose today to be nasty.

Father sat with his hands resting on his lap, patiently waiting to give me an earful, while Vale sat close to her mother. I could still see the handprint Alpha Alaric had plastered across her cheek.

I held in the laughter that was struggling to force its way out.

"Good evening, Father," I said.

I took the seat opposite them and settled comfortably.

"What's good about this evening, Aria?" he asked, pointing his index finger at me. "Why were you bullying your sister?"

I was flabbergasted.

I could've laughed, but it was no use. Not when everyone was acting foolishly in my presence.

"Father, do I not matter to you? Have you even asked yourself that maybe... just maybe I was the one who was wronged?"

He chuckled as though what I said was a complete bluff.

"Vale wronged you? You know she's the sick one and needs all the attention, including yours. Shouldn't you be the big sister and let your sister have the final say?"

I stared at him.

For a moment, I was quiet.

But he was serious.

He meant every horrible word coming out of his mouth.

A cold smirk spread across my lips.

Vale saw it and bit her lip bitterly. She wanted to see me trembling in front of her. Her mother's grip on the sofa's armrest tightened.

"Guess she told you everything? Did she tell you I caught her in bed with Kael in the pack's building?"

Father's head snapped toward Vale as she lowered her face. Lady Isolde's expression screamed, Vale! so loudly her eyes looked ready to pop out of their sockets.

I stood and placed the document on the table.

"After today, I'll make my own choices. Right down to choosing my own spouse."

Father's eyes shifted between me and Vale more than usual. I'd written those emotions before.

They were the eyes of a man who had finally realized his household had never truly been under his control.

"This document is for you. Read it and see who you've been defending while Mother, your Luna, stays sick in this house." I shot him a death glare. "You have little to no respect for her. I am ashamed to call you my father."

I'd finally spoken my mind.

The peace that came with it washed over me.

I turned to leave.

Just as I reached the foot of the stairs, Father's voice stopped me.

"The day after tomorrow is the Luna Selection. Both you and Vale will attend."

I didn't turn back.

But I didn't refuse either.

I simply continued climbing the stairs.

I finally reached the farthest, gloomiest part of the house.

Taking a deep breath, I pushed the door open.

"Mo—"

I stopped abruptly.

I stood quietly at the doorway, my hand still resting on the doorknob.

Mom looked so peaceful.

For the first time in days, she wasn't tossing and turning in her sleep. I didn't have the heart to wake her.

"Sleep well, Mom," I whispered before gently closing the door behind me.

My phone rang.

"My lady..." Elena's voice shook. "I think I know what happened to your mother."