<b>Chapter </b><b>52 </b>
Aria’s POV
My hand was shaking, sweat slicking the ph
“No. That can’t be tre“1 said automatically. “He might hate that I ran from him, but he’d never hurt my family. He wouldn’t go that far. That’s…..chaty
not who he is.”
“Are you
slyst defending him?” May’s voice broke with disbelief. “The days ago, a group of soldiers charged into the nursing home and dragged your grandmother out in front of everyonel that poor olddy- she had no idea what was going on. She just kept asking where you were as they wheeled her away……
I pped a hand over my mouths. Tears streamed down my cheeks.
Oh no, Grandma.
“The doctors and I tried to stop them, and you know what they said? That it was your fault. That your grandmother didn’t deserve good care or decent meds. That you should’ve never crossed Alpha <b>Grayson </b><b>or </b>his family. And get this–the one leading them was Beta Harold Tell me who else but the Alpha can order the Beta around?”
She was right.
In a pack, only the Alpha gives orders to the Beta
So it had to be Grayson. He’s punishing me for escaping.
I clutched the bed sheets, my tears falling onto my fists.
I couldn’t believe it
I worked so hard to give my only family a good life. And now, the one hurting her the most turned <b>out </b>to be me.
“So where are you now?” I asked, my voice choked.
“We’re still in the <b>hospital</b>. <b>They’ve </b>locked us in like prisoners. Your grandma had another sessionst night. I pounded on the door for help, but no one came…Aria, they’re going to kill her ty <b>your </b>don’t <b>do </b>something
“No. No. I won’t let that happen.” I bit down my tongue hard until tasted <b>blood</b>.
“You need to <b>figure </b>something out. Fast. I bribed a guy <b>on </b>the <b>meal </b>shift just to get this phone. I may not get another chance to call you. You need to get us out before your grandma’s time runs out.
“I know, I know.” I pressed the phone tighter against my ear, as if that would bring me closer to them, “I’m so sorry, May, for everything I put you through… Please, please take care of her. I’m begging you.”
“I will. But I can only do so much. So be quick.”
She hung up.
I wiped my <b>face </b>with my sleeve, barely catching my breath before Mrs. Jones came back into the room.
“Finished your call?”
Inodded and handed the phone back, called the hospital. They said my grandmother is doing well Alpha Grayson hasn’t made things hard for her, has
“Of course not,” she replied with a smile. “Once he learned was at a nursing home, he personally made sure that she be looked <b>after </b>with <b>the </b><b>best </b>
services and medical attention. You <b>have </b>nothing to worry about
Lies.
tant, disgusting lies
Seriously, these rich people. They really t
ly think the rest of us are just idiots waiting to be yed.
“need to speak to Alpha Grayson,” I told her.
She looked reluctant. “That… might not be possible. The Alpha’s been very busytely, I’m not sure he’ll have time
“He had time to send helicopters and a fleet to cover our ship. He had time to show up in person with a gun to drag me back. And now he doesn’t have time to see me? Or is he just too much of a reward to face me?”
She was stunned by my sharp to
tone, and she gave me a strained look. “Please don’t provoke him, Aria
“I won’t Just pass on my request”
She sighed and nodded. “I’ll see what I can do.”
As soon as she left, I started pacing around the room. I couldn’t even sit still with all the anxiety boiling in my blood
Those bastards
How dare they touch my grandmother?! Uhh i hated them so much! Every single one of them!
I’d swallowed it down when Delh and Jace stole everything I worked for, <b>I’d </b>swallowed it again when Grayson chose to protect his family over me.
But they crossed a line messing with my family.
May said time was running out- knew it. Grandma’s condition <b>wasn’t </b>good, and she couldn’t <b>survive </b>long in that kind of ce, especially without proper care or medication.
I thought about calling the <b>police</b>. But how fucking ironic. The ones doing this basically ownedw enforcement.
And I was locked in this very room myself. What could I possibly do for them?
I walked <b>slowly </b>to the window and looked down,
Fuck I was at least ten floors up. I wasn’t sure my wolf could <b>survive </b>a fall from that height. She wasn’t that strong….
“Thinking of escape again!”
-A cold voice sliced through the air behind me.
I whipped around.
He stood in the doorway, staring at me with a detached, <b>icy </b><b>look</b>. He wore a ck <b>coat</b>, sharp and sleek, and the color made him look cold <b>and </b>pale–like winter itself <b>had </b>walked into the room
“Jumping out of a window isn’t a great n,” he said, stepping in and <b>closing </b>the door behind him. “You’d break both your <b>legs</b>.
His gray eyes swept over me.
“You <b>look </b>better, Aria.”
My wolf growled at him in fury. Every instinct told me to grab the vase and smash it into his perfect, arrogant face.
FIL
But I held it back
Not now
Ineeded him to work with me.
“I’ve fully recovered,” I said evenly
“Good, And Jones said you wanted to see me His face was unreadabile.
“Yes. Because you haven’t given me a chance to exin since dragging me back… and I think I deserve that much“I took a deep breath and continue, ” didn’t n to run away with Zane. Aber Delh’s party, I felt awful. So Zane offered to take me out to chill out and I said <b>yes</b>. That’s all it was”
He let out a <b>cold </bugh. “So he never offered to take you away from me!”
That Zane did say. <b>So </b>I wasn’t going to answer that. “Even if you hadn’te for us, I would’vee back. Youpletely overreacted so I’m asking you–please, stop punishing Zane. Stop punishing my family
He suddenly closed the distance between us, his eyes zing with rage.
“That ship was one mile from crossing continent lines. One more mile and I’d lost you forever. That’s not fucking overreacting
“I told you I’de back! Don’t you t
trust me at all!!”
His hand came up and cupped my cheek. His palm was so hot that it burned against my skin.
“Do you deserve my trust, Aria?” His voice <b>was </b>low and lethal asked you to transfer to another branch to stop causing drama–you didn’t. I told you toe home–you defied me <b>and </b>showed up at that damn party with Zane. I gave you onest chance to walk back to me and you took a bullet for him instead. Everything <b>you’ve </b>done–it screams fucking betrayal!”
I found myself shaking. From head to toe
If he wasn’t holding me up by my neck, I would’ve copsed.
<b>“</b>So you think I’m a traitor then. And traitors need to be punished?” I gasped. “My grandmother and May… that was you, wasn’tit?!”
“They’re the only people you care about,” he said coldly.
That’s it. He admitted it
He was <b>the </b>one who hurt them
I screamed andunched at him, my woll snapping. I sank my teeth into his shoulder, hard
His eyes red with shock and rage. He seized my arm. But to my horror, the bite I just gave him had begun to heal right in front of my eyes.
Fuck. Fuck he and his strong w
woll
“You want to fucking kill me? For Zane?” he growled at my ear. “But don’t you forget I’m your Alpha! You can’t hurt me.”
Tears of anger streamed down my face. “So what? Only you get to hurt me then! Just because I’m poor and weak and you get tramp over me however you want?!”
He <b>cursed </b>and roared toward the door. “Doctor Where the fuck is the doctor?”
I struggled, <b>wing </b>at him. “I want to end this goddamn contract I’m done Leave me and my family alone!”
“No fucking way,” he shapped, mming me onto the bed. “I decide when this ends.”
23.29 Fri, 8 Aug
The door burst open, and the doctor rushed in, holding a sedative, I screamed and begged, but they still jabbed the n like a fucking animal.
Tears spilled again as the world went blurry, I stared up at him and whispered, “Please don’t hurt them….
But his
s voice was cold and heartless “We’ll talk when you’ve calined <b>down</b>.”
Fuck. Him
This time they didn’t knock me outpletely.
Just left me woozy, dazed on the bed.
Soon night fell. Another day had gone waste. And my grandma was still out there suffering.
The door creaked open again. A nurse walked in, wearing a mask and holding meds.
“More sedatives?” I said weakly. “Why don’t you just knock me outpletely?”
She didn’t answer.
She locked the door, then stopped to my bedside.
“Miss Collins?” she whispered, leaning in “I work for Mr. Elrod, He sent me to find you
(AD
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