Semua Bab Moonlit Secrets: Bab 31 - Bab 40

A low wind stirred outside, slipping through the cracks of the cottage like it belonged there. The wooden shutters trembled. Aria stood in the centre of her living room, sleeves rolled to her elbows, a scarf wrapped loosely around her neck. She hadn’t turned on the heater. The chill matched her mood.Boxes lined the floor.Not many. She didn’t own much.A few medical journals, her mother’s shawl, a half-filled jar of thyme she never used but couldn’t throw away. She wrapped everything slowly, her movements careful, like she was packing memories, not things.Each item she touched brought a quiet ache. Not grief—she’d already grieved. This was something softer. A final sorting of what she could take and what she had to leave behind. A decision with every fold, every tie of string.She moved through the house as if the walls were watching.In the kitchen, she ran her fingertips over the empty windowsill where sage and mint once grew. In the living room, her eyes caught the frayed cushion

Xander wasn’t used to silence. Not this kind. The kind that settled into the floorboards and slipped into the corners of the hallways. The kind that followed him like a question he didn’t know how to answer.He entered his study, expecting the usual rhythm of his day—meetings, reports, decisions. But instead, there was a single envelope waiting on the desk. Plain. No seal. Just his name, written in handwriting he would know anywhere.Aria’s.He stared at it for a second longer than he should have, as if not touching it would change what was inside. His fingers moved anyway, breaking it open. No hesitation. But everything in him stilled the moment he read the first line.Please accept my resignation…The words were short. Cold, even. Professional. No warmth. No softness. No room to respond.He read the letter twice, then again, as if meaning would shift between readings. But it didn’t. She was gone. Not thinking about it. Not planning it. Gone.His hand dropped to his side. The letter

The council estate felt heavier than usual. The grand hall, filled with ancient portraits and heavy tapestries, bore the weight of every decision made within its walls. The air itself seemed thick with power, but also tension. The Alpha council wasn’t just about strategy and alliances—it was about control, and today, Xander could feel that control slipping through his fingers.Xander entered the chamber, every step purposeful, a reflection of the Alpha he was. His black wool cloak, stitched with the insignia of his rank, swirled around him, but his mind was far from the meeting at hand. Since Aria’s departure, the estate felt colder, emptier. Her absence gnawed at him in a way he didn’t fully understand, and today, it was impossible to ignore.Taking his seat at the council table, Xander exchanged brief, practiced greetings with the others. They were the usual suspects—leaders who had earned their place through power and experience. They didn’t waste words, and neither did he.As the

Riverbend was the kind of place you passed through, not the kind you stayed in. Its cobblestone streets were always filled with market chatter and the familiar clink of coins, but there was a quiet calm about it—one that Aria hadn’t realized she’d been craving. For a moment, the weight of her new life lifted, and she felt lighter, walking through the streets.She had put off this trip for weeks. Telling herself that she could make do with what she had—simple dresses and shawls. But Xander’s invitation, with the seal marked in blood, made it impossible to ignore. No more plain linen. No more hiding. If she was going to walk into the gala, she needed to do it with dignity, with presence.The bell above the boutique door chimed softly as Aria entered. She hesitated for a second, caught by her reflection in the glass. The reserved tilt of her chin, the way she held her hands gently over her growing belly—it all felt foreign, yet familiar. There was a small pang of longing, but she pushed

The grand hall hummed with the soft strains of the orchestra, a slow, inviting waltz that seemed to pull at the heartstrings of everyone in the room. The evening wore on, and the flickering candlelight cast a golden hue over the marble pillars and gilded railings, their glow reflecting off the shimmering gowns and polished suits. Outside, the world had slipped into midnight blue, but here, within these walls, it felt as though time had stilled, hanging in the balance between the past and something yet to come.Aria Hartfield stood on the edge of the dance floor, her hands gently resting over the soft fabric of her silver gown. The music swirled around her, mixing with the gentle hum of conversation, the low murmur of ambassadors and old rivals. Couples danced gracefully under the chandeliers, each move a blend of familiarity and new connection. Yet, despite being surrounded by so many, Aria felt a quiet distance. Not unwelcome, but untouched. As though she were watching from afar, flo