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Chapter Four

The Silver Name

Luca's POV

Aria.

For someone I'd only known for a week, Aria Blackwood occupied far too much space in my head.

My wolf had been restless ever since she became my roommate. Every time she walked into the room, something inside me woke up, alert and demanding, as if it recognized something my human side couldn't.

I didn't understand it.

And I didn't like it.

Aria was annoying, stubborn, infuriatingly fearless—and completely off-limits.

At least, that's what I kept telling myself.

I pushed the thought aside and reached for my phone. Serena’s picture lit up on the screen on my phone.

Serena was my girlfriend. We'd been together since our first year at North Ridge, and everyone knew about us—our friends, our classmates, my parents, even members of my pack. To everyone else, we were perfect.

We weren't.

There had always been something beneath the surface, something I had chosen to ignore because pretending everything was fine was easier than admitting it wasn't.

I grabbed my training bag and headed for Serena’s class. I need to have a conversation with her about the tiny rumors I’ve been hearing about her and the basketball team leader, Jason.

I pushed the door to the locker room, holding the bag of love cards to hide in her locker. Something romantic to set her day going just as I heard a loud moan down the locker hall. I froze on the spot and wanted to turn away just as I caught sight of Serena’s bag at the far end. What is her bag doing here? She should be in classes. Or did someone steal her bag?

I followed the sound until I reached the small storage room at the end of the hallway.

The door was slightly open.

I stopped.

Serena's voice came from inside.

My stomach tightened.

I pushed the door open.

And froze.

Serena's leg was wrapped around Jason's waist. His hands were on her, and their mouths were locked together like they didn't have a care in the world.

For a few seconds, I couldn't move.

I couldn't breathe.

I couldn't even process what I was seeing.

Then the bag of love cards slipped from my hand.

It hit the floor.

The sound made them turn.

Serena's face went completely white.

Jason stepped back.

And suddenly, everything I'd been hearing about the two of them made sense.

They both heard the noise and turned around. It was the basketball leader, Jason. He pulled his hand out of her legs and stared at me, totally surprised.

"So it was true."

The words came out quieter than I expected.

Serena's face crumpled. "Luca, wait—"

I laughed once, but there was nothing funny about it.

"How long?"

She opened her mouth.

Nothing came out.

That was answer enough.

I turned and walked away before she could say another word.

Serena chased after me, tears running down her cheeks, pleading that I listen to her. But I wasn’t prepared for that at this moment. I just wanted to get back to my training. Everyone stopped and stared at us. Serena was trying to make a scene as usual. I pushed out of the crowd, walking away.

I was lying in bed, staring at the ceiling, listening to Aria breathe. She'd fallen asleep an hour ago, sprawled on her stomach, one arm dangling off the mattress. My phone began blowing up with notifications. I opened the school chat, and that was when I saw the last thing I was expecting to see. There was a video of me trending on the school chat, talking rudely to Serena with her crying. Under the video, there were so many hateful comments accusing me of being toxic and abusive.

In the clip, all anyone saw was me standing over Serena while she cried.

No one saw what happened before the camera came up.

No one cared.

They had their villain.

Someone had recorded the argument after I walked out of the storage room. Conveniently, the video started after I discovered Serena and Jason and ended before anyone could see what had caused me to lose my temper.

My coach had already messaged members of the team about the scandal when my phone started ringing again.

It was Marcus, my agent.

"Luca, come to the gate. Your father demands that you come home.”

My phone buzzed, and my dad’s name displayed on the screen. I silenced it, but then it buzzed again. I grabbed it and slipped into the hallway.

"What?"

"You have thirty minutes to be home." My father's voice was controlled fury, the kind that sounded calm right before something shattered.

"I'll be there in the morning. I have trainings to…”

"You heard me!”

"I'll be there," I repeated and hung up.

The Silver estate felt different, like everywhere became tight somehow, like the weight of what was happening had compressed the walls inward. Dad was in his study, whiskey in hand, tie loosened, eyes red-rimmed. Marcus stood by the window, arms crossed, looking like he would rather be anywhere else.

"I raised you to be the perfect heir, and you've spent the last few months destroying that image."

His voice hardened.

"Do you know what people are saying? They're asking what kind of alpha I'm raising. They're questioning whether you're fit to inherit this pack."

My stomach tightened.

"Father, I'll fix it."

"You'd better."

He leaned forward.

"Well, you better fix this or I’ll be forced to make your cousin the next alpha.”

My eyes caught the name printed across the black file.

ARIA BLACKWOOD.

My breath caught.

I opened the folder.

Her photograph stared back at me.

Dark hair. Serious eyes. The same girl who had been driving me insane since the moment she'd walked into my life.

Aria.

Blackwood.

My fingers tightened around the file.

Blackwood.

I knew that name.

Everyone in my family knew that name.

Suddenly, the strange pull I'd felt toward her didn't seem like the only thing I should have been worried about.

"What is Aria’s name doing here?!”

"Blackwood?" I whispered.

My father nodded.

"You know what that family means to us."

I stared at him.

"She doesn't know."

"Then keep it that way."

"What happened between our families has nothing to do with her."

His expression hardened.

"That's where you're wrong. It has everything to do with her.”

"You have forgotten who Blackwood is.”

I felt cold immediately as the surname rang in my head. How did I not realize this is Aria Blackwood? I'd been so distracted by Serena's scandal and Aria's constant arguments with me that I never thought of it.

"Listen to me! Aria could be the key. You would use her.”

"What?"

"That Blackwood girl is vulnerable," Father said. "Marcus will explain the rest."

"Vulnerable how?"

"She's desperate for money. Her family is struggling, and she needs this academy more than anything."

My stomach tightened.

"What does that have to do with me?"

Father looked at me coldly.

"Everything.”

"No."

Father's eyes narrowed.

"Excuse me?"

"Whatever happened between our families, Aria had nothing to do with it. She doesn't even know who I am beyond the arrogant bastard she shares a room with."

"Which makes her easier to manipulate."

My stomach twisted.

"I'm not using her."

Father stepped closer.

"Then you're willing to lose everything?"

I clenched my fists.

He knew exactly where to hit me.

My position. My career. My future as alpha.

Everything I'd spent my life preparing for.

He walked closer. “You don't have a choice. Act dumb or lose your position as the alpha.” He stormed out of the room in fury.

I fell into the chair, taking a deep breath. Serena was about to ruin everything I’ve spent years working so hard for. Not just my career but also my future as the alpha. And now, Father wants me to use Aria. How can she be a Blackwood? She'd sounded so desperate on the phone. And now Father wanted me to use that desperation.

"What do I do, Marcus?” I asked, facing my agent.

"Well, even if you have the video taken down, fixing your image would take a lot of time, and that is what we don’t have. We both know no matter how wealthy your family is, you actually need sponsors to be in North Ridge Academy."

“So what are you proposing?”

"You get into a relationship immediately.”

"What?! Why her?” I screamed, staring at him like he had lost his mind.

Without hesitation, Marcus opens another folder. And brought out a few more pictures of Aria. It contains her achievements….National wrestling champion, perfect disciplinary record, and scholarship student.

Marcus smiles.

"She's exactly what we need, just a clean record with no scandals."

"She'd never agree," I said firmly.

"She doesn't know who you are, remember."

Knowing that even makes it more difficult. "And if she knew..."

"...she'd never even look at me.”

"Your reputation comes first. First, you clear the air and then you get Aria to be your girl. Leave it for me to handle.” Marcus swiftly closes the folder.

"By tomorrow...I'll make her an offer she can't afford to refuse.”

I thought about the conversation I'd overheard outside our room. The desperation in her mother's voice. The way Aria had promised she'd find a way.

She needed money.

And now I was being asked to offer her exactly that.