All Chapters of Broken Ring, Hidden Queen: Chapter 71 - Chapter 80

Aria's POV"Omegas are always so desperate," Brenda sneered, casting a slimy, judgment-filled look in my direction. "She hasn't even presented her gift yet, and she's already demanding a return on it."I ignored Brenda, keeping my eyes locked on the old Alpha."Is that okay, Alpha Edgar?""Aria, that is very inappropriate," Julian cut in, his brow knotting as his scent soured into a sharp sting of burnt charcoal.He took a rigid step toward me, looking deeply embarrassed."Just go fetch your gift for Grandpa right now."I wasn't surprised.His ego was everything to him.Edgar, however, didn't seem to care about Brenda's petty comment at all."Of course, Aria," Edgar said smoothly.Then he turned his sharp eyes toward Julian, his expression hardening."Julian, Aria is your mate, not your maid. You shouldn't talk to her like that.""Yes, Grandpa," Julian muttered, lowering his eyes as his wolf t

Third Person's POVAfter the party, Edgar called Issac over and asked Julian to bring him home together.The little stunt at the pool had shattered whatever affection the old Alpha had left for his grandson. And he simply wanted to keep him out of his sight.Edgar heard that Aria was back to work with her old friend, despite strong pushback from Julian and Fiona.To Edgar, he wasn't overly concerned. He was convinced that once Aria took a few brutal beatings in the corporate trenches, she would realize how much easier her life was as Julian's mate. When that day came, she would drop this ridiculous obsession with severing their mate bond.When Aria slipped out toward the parking lot, Julian hurried after her.Against his own pride, he couldn't deny that she had handled herself remarkably well today."You did pretty good today," Julian began, keeping pace with her."Is that so?" Aria replied, her voice completely devoid of emotion."By the way, how much was that painting?" Julian asked

Aria's POV"Well, it's nothing special," I let out a self-deprecating chuckle, looking down at my hands. "Just survival instincts at work.""How do you turn on the background recording so fast? Is there a shortcut key or something?" Ramon asked, looking surprisingly intrigued. "Mind showing me how to set it up?""Sure. Pass me your phone."Ramon tapped the screen of his phone sitting on the console between us and handed it over. "The passcode is..." He rattled off a string of numbers, his gaze lingering on my face with an unreadable intensity.I focused on setting up the gesture command on his screen, not thinking much of it."Aria.""Yeah?" I answered without looking up."Do you remember saving a stray puppy when you were a kid?"My fingers froze on the screen. I blinked, looking up at Ramon in total confusion."Nope. Why?"Ramon went quiet.His eyes slowly dropped down to my hands holding his phone

Third Person's POVSince Aria was the reason Ramon had to endure Ralph's home cooking at his place, she'd offered to treat him to a nice meal to make amends.Little did she expect he would deliberately track down a restaurant with even more "creative" fusion abominations than Ralph's!"You know what? I think I just saw a really nice Italian place downstairs a minute ago," Aria suggested, offering a tight, forced smile. "Shall we...""Well, I'm actually fine with these dishes," Ramon interjected casually, resting his chin on his palm while his golden eyes sparkled with amusement. "But if you don't like it, I'm okay to switch...""Fine, I like it too. Let's order!" Aria gave up with a bitter laugh.Ramon was practically the perfect Alpha—except for the fact that he was a little bit petty and vindictive.Well, just a little bit...Meanwhile, on the lower level, Brenda was ranting to Clara about how Aria had thoroughly humili

Aria's POVThe sudden memory of that candle lit years ago flashed through my mind like a poison pill coated in sugar. It was a sweet relic of a past that was dead, leaving only a bitter aftertaste in my mouth.Right now, the heavy, suffocating darkness of the restaurant was slowly creeping over me. The lack of light made my chest tighten, turning every breath into a shallow struggle.My head began to spin in dizzying circles, and an uncontrollable tremble took over my body."It's okay. I'm here."A warm, steady hand suddenly rested on my upper back, gently patting me in a slow, rhythmic pattern. The rich, soothing scent of winter pine and crisp cedar wood instantly washed over my senses, creating a protective shield against the dark.Ramon was right beside me.A moment later, the backup generators kicked on, and the grand chandeliers flickered back to life, flooding the room with bright light.My eyes adjusted, and the first th