Lahat ng Kabanata ng His Christmas Mate : Kabanata 31 - Kabanata 40

_Aria’s POV_The next morning, Lucien mentioned the security upgrades as if he were talking about the weather.We were having breakfast in the main dining room. Sunlight streamed through the tall windows and painted the long table in soft gold. Everything looked calm and peaceful.....too peaceful for how tight my chest felt.Lucien sat across from me. He was dressed neatly as always. He sipped his coffee with an easy expression. Servants moved quietly around us, placing fresh fruit, bread and tea on the table.I barely tasted anything.“By the way,” Lucien said casually while setting his cup down, “I ordered some security upgrades last night.”My hand froze around my spoon.I kept my face neutral. “Security upgrades?”“Yes,” he replied calmly. “The guards noticed some unusual activity near the eastern wing.”My heart skipped.I forced myself to look at him. “Unusual activity?”He nodded. “Yes. There were footsteps, sounds and movement where there shouldn’t be any.” His eyes stayed on

_Aria’s POV_I decided to go out for a walk to clear my head.Staying inside the room was making everything worse. The walls felt too close. The air felt heavy. Every thought circled back to the same things again and again. Lucien. Ryan. The amulet. The eastern wing. The voice in my head.I needed space.I wrapped a light shawl around my shoulders and stepped outside. The morning air was cool and fresh. The sky was pale with soft clouds drifting slowly. The grounds were quiet but not empty. A few pack members were returning from their morning run. Their clothes were dark with sweat. Their faces were calm and focused.I walked slowly along the stone path, breathing in deeply, trying to calm my racing thoughts.That was when I noticed the horses.Several pack members were leading them back into the stables. The horses were large and strong. Their coats shone in the light. I could hear the soft sound of hooves against the ground. One of the horses snorted softly and shook its mane.I sto

_Aria’s POV_I was tense.Every part of my body felt tight as if I were stretched too thin and might snap at any moment. I sat on the edge of the bed, my hands clenched in my lap, my phone resting between my palms.I had messaged Ryan again.And again.And again.But there was no reply. The screen stayed silent. My heart beat fast and uneven. Each second that passed made the fear grow heavier inside my chest. Ryan had promised he would figure something out. He had promised I was not alone.So why wasn’t he answering?I typed another message, my fingers shaking.Where are you?Please reply.Nothing.I swallowed hard and stared at the door. For the first time, I truly thought about running.What if I just opened the window? What if I slipped out quietly and ran as far as I could? What if I didn’t look back?The thought gave me a small spark of hope. I stood up slowly and walked toward the door. I pressed my ear against it and listened.There were voices. I carefully opened the door ju

_Aria’s POV_When we reached the mansion, Lucien did not waste a second.He guided me through the halls with one hand resting firmly on my back, as if he was afraid I might disappear if he let go. The guards bowed as we passed. Servants stepped aside. Everything felt normal on the surface.But inside me, nothing was calm.“You look pale,” Lucien said as we walked. “Your face is tight.”“I’m fine,” I replied softly. “Just a little uncomfortable.”He stopped in front of our room and turned to face me.“No,” he said. “You’re not fine. You told me you had stomach ache.”Before I could say anything else, he turned and walked toward the cabinet near the wall. He opened it and took out a small bottle and a glass.“You shouldn’t ignore your health,” he said calmly. “Especially tonight.”He poured clear liquid into the glass and held it out to me.“Drink this,” he said. “It will help your stomach.”My heart started pounding.Instead of me giving him the potion, he was giving me medicine. I to

_Aria’s POV_I stared at the man in front of me and my body refused to move. For a second, I thought my mind was playing tricks on me. I thought fear had finally broken something inside my head.The man standing there was dirty and broken. His dark hair hung in uneven strands around his face. His skin was pale, almost grey, and smeared with old, dried blood. There were cuts along his arms and shoulders, some healed badly, others still raw. Bruises marked his neck and wrists like dark shadows that never left.Heavy metal chains wrapped around his arms and legs. They were thick and cruel, digging into his skin. His shoulders slumped forward as if the weight of the chains was too much to carry. His eyes were sunken and dull with exhaustion and pain.He looked sad, tired and hopeless. But that was not what made my heart stop.It was his face.His face was Lucien’s face.The same sharp jaw. The same dark brows. The same cold and dangerous beauty. He was Lucien's exact copy. They were twin