Chapter 19

Lucas remained frozen, his hand rising slowly to touch his reddening cheek, stunned disbelief

written across his unshaven face.

"You're... real?" he whispered, staring at her as if she might evaporate.

Aria had reached her absolute limit with this absurd day. She laughed-a sharp, brittle sound utterly devoid of humor.

"Real? Sure. Apparently I'm trapped in a real-life horror movie where my supposed death wasn't enough to get you out of my life."

Without deigning to look at him again, she pivoted sharply toward the staircase.

"Aria, wait-please!"

Lucas lunged after her, alcohol and desperation making his movements clumsy. As he grabbed for her wrist, the combination of his unsteady state and her quick evasion created disaster-her foot slipped on the polished marble step.

"Look out!"

Despite his impaired reflexes, Lucas managed to pull her against him as they fell, positioning his body to take the impact.

Their bodies hit the marble stairs with a sickening thud that echoed through the foyer.

Cushioned by Lucas's intervention, Aria escaped with minor disorientation. Lucas, however, wasn't as fortunate-a crimson stain began spreading across the white marble beneath his head.

"Alpha!" Davis's horrified voice cut through the sudden stunned silence.

The household erupted into chaos. After fifteen minutes, both were being loaded into separate ambulances.

hospitalized, Aria decided it was finally

escape.

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Chapter 19

headed confidently for the main entrance, only to

immediately hardened

glances. "Luna, we

premises

her. "Are you seriously trying to hold me prisoner? That's a bold

choice."

formulate a response, she attempted to push past them

doors.

clearly unwilling woman, the guards hesitated to use force, instead trailing after

reconsider-Alpha Thornwood was

pathetic pleas only accelerated Aria's determined stride toward the

stop directly in her path. The rear door swung open to reveal Lucas-pale and bandaged,

with an unsettling combination of relief

revulsion contorting her features. "It makes my skin crawl hearing it in

prepared for an eventual confrontation with Lucas. She'd recognized the reality that neither she nor her family could match the Thornwood pack's resources or

responses if they did encounter each other, nothing that might escalate the situation or draw

hadn't anticipated was how her careful restraint would be misinterpreted. Her silence

her performances, sending messages she systematically ignored. When blocked, he'd found new channels, seemingly content that she

his orbit.

16:41

Chapter 19

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