Chapter 4 Burning Memories

Aria's pov

That evening, Stephen came home carrying a single cupcake in a white paper box.

I was sitting cross-legged on the living-room floor, old photo albums scattered around me like pieces of a broken timeline.

We'd known each other so long that our college memories alone filled four thick albums.

Seeing the photos, Stephen's expression softened.

He stepped behind me, his arm sliding easily around my waist. "Why are you looking through our old pictures?"

"Why are you home so early?" I countered.

He chuckled under his breath. "I missed you, so I left work early."

I carefully stacked the albums and slipped them into a cardboard box.

The lighter hidden in my palm felt heavy, almost guilty, before I slid it into my jeans pocket.

I'd assumed he would be with Belinda and had planned to burn everything while he was gone. Now, he'd completely ruined my plan.

"Sweetheart, why do I get the feeling you're not happy I came home early?" he asked, his wolf senses already catching the tension in my body.

I stood up, moving out of reach. "Work should come first."

Stephen followed right behind me and wouldn't give me space. "No, you're always my first priority," he said.

He leaned close to my ear and whispered, "Darling, you've been distant lately. Did I do something wrong?"

The intimacy that once felt tender now made my skin crawl.

The arms around my waist had likely just been around another woman; the lips trying to kiss me had probably kissed someone else hours ago.

Just imagining it made Lily growl inside me, and my stomach twist.

I shoved Stephen away and bolted for the bathroom, barely reaching the sink before I threw up.

He followed, handing me tissues and rubbing my back.

His brow furrowed with concern that looked painfully real. "Why are you suddenly sick? Food poisoning? Emma!"

Emma rushed in. "Yes, Luna Aria?"

"What did she eat this afternoon? Was the food fresh? Her stomach is sensitive. That's why I hired you. Why is she throwing up now?"

Emma blinked, startled. "Luna Aria wasn't home for lunch, Alpha. She went out. Maybe it's something she ate while she was out?"

Stephen's jaw tightened; his voice dropped low. "Outside food isn't clean, and pre-packaged meals are full of chemicals. If you're hungry, tell Emma what you want and she'll make it here. Why eat out?"

Already dizzy from vomiting, his lecture hit me like ice water.

"Jesus, Stephen. Am I supposed to be locked up in this house? Don't I have the right to go out?"

"I'm just trying to protect you," he said sharply. "I worry when you're out alone. You know what? From now on, I'll go with you."

I scoffed. "And when would you have time for that?"

What was he?

A man who thought he could run a company and his pack, cheat, and still pretend to be the perfect mate?

Stephen looked at me for a long moment and wiped the sweat off his forehead with a tissue. "What are you talking about? Of course I have time if you need me. After all these years, don't you know how much I care about you?"

I had learned a lot about him, just not what he wanted me to believe.

Suddenly, Emma gasped, clapping her hands together. "Luna Aria has been emotional lately, and now she's vomiting... could she be pregnant?"

Stephen looked startled. "Aria, are you..."

"No," I cut him off. "I just found your scent strange, and it made me sick. That's all."

"We should get you checked..."

"Stephen!" I snapped. "You, of all people, know we haven't even done that in the last three months."

The thought was almost funny.

For the past three months, Stephen had rarely come home for dinner.

There was always another meeting, another "client dinner," or some vague excuse about eating with the team.

At first, I didn't think much of it.

With his position and the endless social whirl that came with it, people were always lining up to share a table with him.

One night, while half-watching a late-night talk show, I heard the host joke, "When a man stops eating at home, it's usually because someone else is feeding him."

The words hit me harder than I expected.

They tore away the comfortable lies I had been living with and left only the truth.

Stephen's expression turned serious. "So that's why you've been upset with me. I'm sorry, Aria. The company's been insane lately, and the pack's security patrols needed reorganizing. I know I've neglected you, but I promise I'll start coming home for dinner every night, okay?"

"I don't need you to do that. I wouldn't want to interfere with your business," I said, my voice edged with sarcasm that even Lily couldn't hide.

"Don't be like that, Aria. There's no need to be upset."

"Is that what you think I am? Upset?"

My eyes dropped to his wrist, where he wore a simple red braided bracelet. No jewels. Just a rough little charm in the shape of a crescent moon.

Definitely handmade.

Noticing my stare, Stephen quickly raised his wrist. "Oh, this? The admin team gave these to everyone at work. It's some kind of gift for the summer solstice. Everyone got one."

I looked away. "Is that so?"

"Do you like it? I can ask them to make me another one for you."

"No, thanks. I hate jewelry."

"Can you give me a minute?" I said. "I need to change."

Stephen laughed softly. "Aria, we've been together seven years."

"I don't like being watched while I change."

He pressed a quick kiss to my forehead. "Fine. Whatever you want. I'll wait in the dining room. Let's have dinner together."

"Of course."

After he left, Emma followed him out.

I pulled out my phone and refreshed my feed.

The first post on my screen made my stomach drop.

May I be your star, and you be my moon, shining together every night. I almost lost you today, but because of him, I found you again.

In the photo, Belinda's delicate hand wore a red braided bracelet with a small star-shaped charm.

It matched Stephen's moon charm perfectly.

They looked like a perfect pair.

Without a second thought, I struck the lighter.

The flame caught fast, curling the edges of the old photos until our smiles turned black and fell apart.

When the last page crumbled, I gathered the ashes and flushed them away.

The water carried what was left of us down the drain, clean and final.

I stood and walked toward the bedroom.

In the mirror, the woman staring back at me looked calm, her makeup flawless, her smile perfectly controlled.

My hair was twisted up neatly, not a single strand out of place. The deep red lipstick curved over my mouth like sin and confidence rolled into one, bold enough to make a statement without saying a word. Diamond studs winked at my ears, small but sharp, and my eyes, lined just right, gave nothing away.

Tonight, I was ready to crack the perfect surface of our peace and show him what it truly cost to betray me.