CHAPTER TWO: THE ENGAGEMENT PARTY

Aria's POV 

I woke up to the lively chatter of people spilling in from the living room.

Groggily, I pushed myself out of bed. My muscles screamed with every move, stiff from a night of restless tossing. How could I sleep after that? Jax’s voice—his joy—echoed in my head, sharp as a blade.

I dragged myself to the bathroom and leaned against the sink, lifting my gaze to the mirror. 

An unkempt version of myself stared back at me. My curly blonde hair had transformed into a frizzy, tangled mess, framing a face drained of color. My eyes were puffy, dark circles smudging beneath them, proof of the tears I’d fought back. 

I pressed my fingertips to the puffiness, as if that could erase it, then sighed. I looked nothing like the woman who was supposed to get engaged today. 

The noise downstairs grew louder, laughter mixed with clinking glasses, so bright it almost felt cruel against the dull ache running through me. 

Why are they so happy? I thought bitterly. Was there another reason to celebrate besides my proposal today? Nobody told me anything, but whatever they were celebrating, I already hated it.

I splashed water on my face and pulled on the nearest dress I could find, nothing fancy, just something to make me look presentable. My hands trembled as I tied my hair into a ponytail.

Then I forced myself to open the bedroom door.

The sound hit me first. Laughter, chatter, applause. The smell of champagne and freshly baked pastries drifted up the staircase, taunting me. My chest tightened with unease, my instincts screaming that something was wrong.

Step by step, I descended, my hand lingering on the railing for balance. What’s happening?

Halfway down, I caught sight of the scene.

The living room was decorated with white lilies and golden ribbons. A giant banner hung across the mantelpiece with bold, cursive letters: Congratulations, Jax and Lyra.

My feet froze. How did they make this banner so fast? Were they planning this all along?

I scanned the crowd for Lyra. There she was, glowing in a pink silk dress, her brown hair cascading perfectly. And beside her, smiling like he did nothing wrong was Jax. My Jax. 

His arm draped around her shoulders protectively, his other hand resting possessively over her stomach.

My breath caught, my knees almost buckling. Gods. They didn't even care that I was at home.

“Cheers to the newly engaged couples,” Someone screamed, popping open a bottle of champagne, the cork hitting the ceiling. Glasses clinked in celebration.

Meanwhile, I was sinking into the floor.

“What’s happening?” I whispered, though no one heard me.

Lyra's hand was proudly displayed so everyone could gawk at the ring on her finger. Shock rippled through me as my gaze landed on my father. He stood at the center of it all, smiling wider than I’d seen in years, shaking Jax’s hand with firm approval.

No. This wasn’t real. It couldn’t be real. My father, the man I trusted most, applauding my ruin? He had promised to— And just like that realization dawned on me. He knew all along. He had been aware of everything.

The crowd began chanting, “Speech, speech!”

Jax cleared his throat, smiling with practiced charm. 

“Thank you all for being here today. It means the world to us. This—” he squeezed Lyra’s hand “—was not planned. But life has a way of surprising us. Lyra has given me the greatest gift I could ever hope for, and I intend to honor her and our pup with everything I am.”

I clutched the railing so tightly my knuckles turned white. My ears rang. My stomach lurched at the word. Pup.

There was no shame in his voice or face. Nothing to say it was truly unplanned.

I staggered back up a step, fighting to keep my breathing steady. Nobody even noticed me standing there in the shadows, like some unwanted ghost in my own home.

Lyra giggled and leaned against Jax, her eyes sparkling with victory as she placed his hand more firmly over her stomach. She was glowing—not just with pregnancy, but with triumph.

The knife in my chest twisted deeper. I wanted to run. Gods, I wanted to run upstairs, crawl under my covers, and scream until my throat tore open. But my body betrayed me. 

My legs carried me forward before I could think, out into the open, where the laughter and chatter of the guests dimmed against the roaring in my ears.

A single glass slipped from someone’s hand when they spotted me, shattering against the floor. The sound cracked through the room like lightning, dragging every gaze in my direction.

The air shifted. Laughter died. Conversations cut short mid-sentence. A ripple of silence fell, heavy and suffocating.

I stood at the base of the staircase, my hands trembling at my sides, my breath coming in short, ragged pulls.

I opened my mouth, my voice cracking before it found strength. “Why?”

Jax turned, the perfect mask he always wore slipping just for a moment. His sharp jaw clenched, and his eyes darted between me and the sea of people who were now witnesses. He should’ve looked guilty. Ashamed. Instead, he looked… annoyed.

“Aria,” he said, voice low, almost warning.

“Don’t,” I snapped, my voice breaking with the force of it. “Don’t you dare say my name like that. Not after—” I pointed between him and my half-sister, who sat so smugly at the center of the celebration, her hand perched delicately on his arm as though she owned him. “Not after this.”

Whispers broke out around us, hushed gasps and murmurs, but no one dared interrupt.

I stepped closer, my fists shaking. “Tell me why, Jax. Tell me why you did this to me.”

For the first time that morning, he smiled. Not soft or kind—the way he used to when it was just us under the moonlight. No. This smile was cruel, razor-sharp, and meant to cut me open in front of everyone.

“Because I could never marry you, Aria,” he said, his voice loud enough now for every soul in the room to hear.

My stomach dropped.

“You,” he went on, his words deliberate, his tone dripping with venom, “are wolf-less. Do you think I could ever tie myself to someone like that? To a weakling with no shift, no strength, no claim to anything but pity?”