Alpha's Regret, Begging My Convict Luna Back のすべてのチャプター: チャプター 71 - チャプター 80

My fur bristled, instincts screaming."Luna Aria."I spun around. My stomach dropped. A chill raced down my spine.Collins, Nathan's beta, stood a short distance away.My heart dropped like I'd plunged into an icy pit. The cold seeped into my bones, and my wolf growled low in my chest, warning me.Why is Collins here? Why now?His expression unreadable, but his voice carried weight."You need to apologize to Ms. Sophia Darvin."My brows lifted in shock. Peter was hospitalized with a perforated stomach because someone had forced him to drink. And Collins… Collins was standing here, at the hospital, telling me to apologize to Sophia Darvin?It hit me like a thunderclap. My stomach twisted, my face went pale, and the world seemed to shrink."Did you do this?" I demanded sharply, my voice cracking, raw with pain and desperation. My wolf bristled at every syllable, claws unsheathed in my chest, trembling under the surface.Collins pressed his lips together and said nothing, like a machine w

Aria's POVI stood at the base of the Hemsworth Group headquarters, staring up at the skyscraper that towered so impossibly high it made me feel small. The glass and steel stretched into the sky like a giant ready to swallow me whole.The sun beat down mercilessly on my cheeks. It was too bright, causing my wolf to bristle under it's harsh light.I lowered my head, letting my hair fall forward to shield my eyes as I walked in through the entrance. My senses sharpened instinctively, catching the footsteps and whispers, but none of it grounded me.My steps carried me to the reception desk.The receptionist's eyes widened the moment she saw me. I was wearing my mask, the phantom style mask that covered the part of my face with the scar. There were no questions from her, no screening. She recognized me from our last encounter. She simply held out an elevator card, her hands slightly trembling."Luna Aria," she murmured with a strange mix of respect and unease. "Please… take the staff elev

Aria's POVPhones lifted in the air, camera flashes burst like tiny explosions, too bright for my wolf-sensitive eyes. I lowered my head, but the crowd pressed closer, their phones nearly brushing my face.And then—"Collins, tell her to take off the mask."My sharp ears caught Sophia's words, causing my gaze to cut to her. Her lips curled in a smile.She watched me like a spectator watching a circus animal.I could smell her satisfaction.She wanted revenge. Wanted every slap I'd given her to replay through this humiliation.For a moment, Collins hesitated. A look of pity flickered on his face. But then Sophia leaned close to him and whispered some word and he immediately stepped forward."Luna Aria," he said quietly, "please take off your mask."Everything in me went still. My wolf pressed back, her ears flattened, breath trembling.Since leaving prison, I hadn't cared for how I looked. I wore no makeup, nothing to hide the scar that now dragged across my cheek like a permanent woun

Aria's POVI glanced at my cellphone and recognized the caller. It was a call from the hospital. I had gotten the front desk number to keep in touch and get updates about Peter."Ms. Darvin, Mr. Clarke is awake."My heart lurched.Peter was awake.I forced my legs to move faster.By the time I reached the hospital, my breath was shaky but my resolve held.Peter was propped up in bed, a bowl of soup in front of him, a nurse hovering nearby. The IV line trailed from his arm."You're here."The second he saw me, his guarded eyes softened, brightened even.Like he was relieved, like I was someone worth being relieved about."How's he doing?" I asked the nurse, trying to muster a smile."He's recovering well. A few more days of observation and he can be discharged."She took the empty bowl from Peter and slipped out, leaving a quiet stillness behind her.I sank into the chair beside him and let out a breath. Relief loosened the tension in my shoulders."And you?" I asked softly. "Any disco

Aria's POVThe "file" Collins held was for me? I had thought it was for Sophia.Collins gave it to me, It was an envelope. My fingers tingled before I even opened it. My wolf didn't like surprises. When I slipped the flap open and saw the check inside, the scent of fresh ink stung my nose.A million dollars.Collins's voice came out stiff, too controlled. "This is Alpha Nathan's compensation for you."Compensation.My spine locked into place. My wolf bristled, hackles rising beneath my skin. They really thought they could pay me off?I stepped back sharply, letting the check slip from my fingers. The breeze caught it, fluttering it pathetically to the ground like it was trash—which, to me, it was.Collins's eyes widened. He scrambled like a panicked pup, snatching it off the pavement and thrusting it at me again.But I didn't move. I just stared at him, letting every ounce of sarcasm I felt bleed into my gaze. My wolf's eyes flickered beneath the surface, sharpened with instinct and f