Chapter 3 The Lie Beneath His Devotion

Aria's POV.

I didn't open my eyes until Luke and the pack doctor had left. Only then did the tears slide down my cheeks and soak into the pillow.

I bit down hard on my lip, refusing to let a sob escape.

This heart had been found through my father's family connections after enormous effort. I had thought Luke would be happy for the new life waiting for me. I never imagined he had been planning all along to take it, just to hand it over for research for another she-wolf's father.

No wonder Luke's expression had been so strange when he first heard there was hope for a heart source.

I took a deep breath, reached under the pillow, and pulled out my communicator. I sent my father a voice message. "Dad, keep a close watch on the heart donor. Assign your most reliable people to guard them. Do not let anyone from the Perry Pack get near, especially Luke."

Only after sending it did I feel even a little calmer.

"Aria, why did you come out here alone? You should've called for me." Luke found me in the hospital garden and gently pulled me into his arms, looking as if he'd been frightened for me.

A female patient walking nearby smiled and teased, "You're really lucky. Your Alpha dotes on you so much. Unlike me, I've been hospitalized for a week and my husband hasn't even called once."

My chest filled with a hollow ache, and I forced an awkward smile.

She envied me, never seeing the hypocrisy and shamelessness hidden beneath Luke's display of devotion.

I told Luke I was tired of the hospital and wanted to go home. The place reeked of disinfectant.

"Are the roses I planted in the garden still alive?"

Luke's gaze flickered for a moment. "Of course."

He was lying again.

Those roses had long since been ripped out by Layla, replaced with the fragrant lilies she adored.

"Once the heart surgery is over, I'll take you home to recover," Luke said gently, brushing the loose strands of hair from my forehead.

"It's precisely because of the surgery that I want to go back for a couple of days." I gave a bitter smile. "I'm afraid I won't get the chance later."

"Don't say things like that," Luke cut in immediately, his gaze firm. "The surgery will go smoothly. You'll recover. Since you want to go back, I'll have the staff clean the house from top to bottom. I'll make sure you're comfortable."

I sneered inwardly. He wasn't trying to make me comfortable. He wanted to use those two days to erase every trace Layla and her family had left in our home.

I played along with him. "Alright. By the way, have you seen the Heart of the Ocean my mother left me?"

I deliberately touched my neck. "I want to sleep wearing it. It feels like my mother is beside me. That's the only way I can find the courage to face the surgery."

Hesitation flashed through Luke's eyes. After a brief pause, he forced himself to agree. "Alright. I'll bring it to you."

That afternoon, Luke did indeed arrive with the Heart of the Ocean.

What I hadn't expected was that he wasn't alone. He had brought his mistress, Layla, with him.

That woman actually dared to appear before me openly.

Layla wore a plain, elegant dress, playing the part of an innocent patient's family member. She smiled sweetly as she greeted me. "Ms. Green, what a coincidence. My father is a pack doctor, and he'll also be conducting some heart research these days."

Her smile was cloyingly sweet, so fake it made my stomach turn.

I couldn't be bothered to respond. I turned my head and looked out the window instead.

A trace of awkwardness crossed Luke's face. As he bent down to adjust my pillow, he shot Layla a subtle look, then asked me gently, "Do you want some water? I can get it for you."

Before I could answer, Layla leaned in and said with feigned innocence, "Finding two suitable hearts at the same time, Ms. Green, don't you think that's the Moon Goddess watching over us?"

There was a pointed meaning behind her words.

Luke frowned and cut her off sharply. "That's enough. My Luna needs to rest. Don't disturb her here. Leave."

His performance was flawless. The protectiveness and irritation in his tone sounded exactly like an Alpha deeply devoted to his Luna.

Layla's face went ashen. A flash of resentment crossed her eyes, but she didn't dare defy Luke's order. She shot me a venomous glare before turning away unwillingly.

Luke sat down by the bed and reached out to touch my hair. "Get some rest, Aria. Don't let people like that affect your mood."

I tilted my head away from his touch and said coolly, "I'm a little tired. I want to sleep for a while."

He froze for a moment, then nodded. "Alright. I won't disturb you. Call me if you need anything."

Watching his retreating figure, I closed my eyes. Only one thought remained in my mind.

Recover as quickly as possible. Only by stepping onto the operating table in my best condition and completing the transplant successfully could I stay alive long enough to take revenge.

Surviving was the greatest revenge against Luke and Layla.

I didn't know how long I had slept before I jolted awake from a nightmare.

The hospital room was empty. Luke was nowhere to be seen.

I threw on a coat and stepped out of the room.

The corridor was silent in the dead of night, lit only by the faint glow of emergency lights.

As I neared the emergency exit, faint, intimate moans drifted through the air. I recognized Layla's voice.

I stopped in my tracks, then moved closer quietly and peered through the glass in the door.

Inside, Luke and Layla were tangled together, naked, their movements frantic.

"Ah... deeper, Alpha... it's all Aria's fault. She insisted on kicking us out of the house. I couldn't swallow that anger, so I just... You even snapped at me this afternoon. I was so hurt." Clinging to Luke, Layla asked softly, "Alpha, will you regret giving the heart to my father? After all, you love Aria so much..."

"I won't regret it." Luke said firmly, "This heart was meant for your father from the beginning. But you shouldn't have provoked Aria."

"She took you from me, took the house, and now she even wants to take my Heart of the Ocean. I just wanted a small bit of revenge."

"Alright, don't be angry. This heart source will go to your father for research first. I'll have James Ward assist him. Hopefully, their findings will serve the pack in the future."

The sounds grew even more obscene. A chill ran through my entire body.

So this was why Luke had claimed James couldn't operate on me. He was being reassigned to assist Layla's father.

I had thought that once disappointment piled high enough, my heart would stop hurting. I never expected lie after lie to follow, leaving me in pain so intense I could barely breathe.

Forget him, Aria. And if forgetting was impossible, then hate him.