Chapter 3 The Alpha's Deception

Aria's pov

I lifted my eyes to the man I had loved for seven years.

My smile looked calm, but it never reached my eyes.

I had already decided to leave. I just needed the right moment.

By now, I could read Stephen easily.

His goal was clear.

He wanted everything, a perfect Luna beside him for status and power, and a younger woman to satisfy his excitement.

He really thought he could live this double life as long as no one found out.

But he underestimated a woman's intuition.

He had been careful, maybe too careful, but after seven years together, there were signs he could not hide.

A look or a small change in his voice was enough. Those clues led me straight to her, to Belinda.

Since Stephen had the nerve to fall for someone else and still expected me to protect his pride,

I would make sure he saw exactly what that mistake would cost him.

"Answer me! Why are you packing all your clothes into these boxes?" Stephen's voice rose, his hands gripping my shoulders hard enough to hurt.

I gasped, and he quickly loosened his hold.

His eyes locked on mine, demanding an answer.

I gave a small laugh. "These clothes are out of season, and I don't like them anymore. I'm donating them and buying new ones. What's wrong? Having second thoughts? Yesterday you said I could buy whatever I wanted."

Stephen blinked, caught off guard. "So... these are just for donation?"

I nodded. "Throwing them away would be wasteful. Donating gives them a second life."

He exhaled in relief. "You scared me. I thought you were leaving me."

I smiled faintly. "You haven't done anything that would make me leave. Have you?"

"Of course not. We're too good together for you to leave me."

The delivery driver standing nearby tried not to laugh. His mood brightened. "If you ask me, Mrs. Graves, your husband really loves you. You're a lucky woman. Loyal men like him are rare these days."

Stephen pulled me close again, his arm tight around my waist. "Hear that? Men like me are rare. You should treasure me."

I stepped out of his hold.

"Where's my phone? I need to pay him," I said, my tone cold.

After breakfast, Stephen went to his study for a video meeting.

I put on my jacket and walked out.

At a private gym, I ran until sweat drenched my tank top and my heartbeat echoed like a drum in my ears.

Each step felt like a release, a way for my wolf to burn off the anger clawing inside me. The air smelled faintly of metal and salt, and for a moment, the world narrowed to the rhythm of my breath and the pounding of my feet.

By noon, I finally slowed down, muscles trembling but my mind a little clearer.

I grabbed a taxi outside, planning to get lunch and maybe a few minutes of peace.

The peace didn't last.

The car jolted to a violent stop.

I was thrown forward, hitting the seat in front of me hard enough to knock the breath out of my chest.

The driver cursed under his breath.

"What the hell? Why are they hugging in the middle of the road?" he snapped, slamming his hand against the steering wheel.

I looked up and saw a couple standing not far ahead.

The man bent down to pick something up and handed it to the woman. She covered her face, emotional, then threw her arms around him right there in traffic.

Behind them, several cars screeched to a stop.

A man stepped out of a black sedan, shouting, "Hey! Take your love story somewhere else! You're blocking the road and could get someone killed!"

The man with one arm around the woman raised his free hand in apology. "Sorry! My girlfriend dropped her bracelet. I was just helping her pick it up."

That man was Stephen.

"Even so, you can't just walk into traffic!" another driver snapped. "If you got hit, who would take the blame? And what about everyone you're holding up?"

Stephen stayed calm, his voice steady. "I'm sorry, everyone. If anyone's car was damaged, I'll pay for it. Send your details to my assistant, and I'll give you triple the amount."

Money still worked miracles.

As soon as he said triple, most of the angry drivers backed off, muttering but no longer shouting.

Beta Enzo hurried around collecting names and numbers, and within minutes, traffic started moving again.

The taxi driver looked at me in the mirror, hesitant. "Ma'am, mind if I wait a second? I'll just leave my number and be right back. Won't take long."

He was clearly tempted by the promise of extra cash.

I said calmly, "This ride costs about thirty dollars. Triple that's a hundred. I'll give you a thousand if you just keep driving."

His eyes widened.

"Deal!" He hit the gas immediately, grinning.

Money talks, after all.

I rubbed my temples as a dull ache formed behind my eyes.

"That woman's lucky," the driver said. "She's got a boyfriend who'd risk his life just to grab her bracelet. Unreal."

I didn't reply.

He went on, shaking his head. "But if he's that rich, why not just buy her a new one? Running into traffic like that? Crazy."

I pulled out my phone and dialed. The call connected almost instantly.

"Aria?"

"Stephen, where are you?"

"At the office. Why?"

Through the rearview mirror, I saw him clearly.

Stephen was only a few cars away, holding Belinda's hand while talking to me on the phone.

The irony was almost painful.

Belinda looked like she wanted to speak, but Stephen lifted a hand to silence her. Then he pressed a finger to his lips.

"Aria, do you want me to bring you some pastries from Sugar Nest?" he asked smoothly. "You used to love their tiramisu."

"I'm fine," I said.

"You sure? I thought you still liked it."

"People change," I replied. "Maybe I liked it before, but not anymore."

Stephen's voice softened. "Aria, is something wrong? You sound off."

Lily growled inside me, begging me to confront him, to tear through his lies right now. But I stayed silent. This wasn't the right moment.

"I'm fine," I said quietly. "Go back to work. Goodbye."