**Aria's perspective**

My truck skidded sideways on the icy road after I applied the brakes so forcefully.

Marcus Stone had his phone pressed to his ear as he ran toward my truck. I could see his mouth moving quickly even through the snow falling. He had a conversation with someone. about me.

I put the truck in drive and pushed the gas pedal to the floor, my hands shaking. I sped into the night as the tires caught after spinning on the ice.

I could still see Marcus standing in the middle of the road, watching me vanish, even though he was getting smaller and smaller in my rearview mirror. I felt my skin crawl when he smiled.

My phone rang. Elena.

Before I could even say hello, she asked, "What's wrong?" "You seem to be in a panic."

I checked my mirrors once more and whispered, "Marcus Stone knows who I am." Even though the road behind me was deserted, I still felt unsafe.

"What? That isn't feasible. They are military-grade scent blockers. Nobody ought to be able to—"

"He knew who I was, Elena. He seemed to have been waiting for me to arrive because he was looking directly at me.

On the other end, there was silence. Then Elena's worried voice said, "You must go, Aria. Now. Put the revenge plan out of your mind. It's too risky.

After pulling into my hotel's parking lot, I switched off the engine. My hands continued to shake. "No. I've put in too much effort for this. Elena, five years. Five years of meticulous planning.

"And what if Marcus reveals your true identity to Dominic?"

I felt as though I had been punched in the stomach by the question. I closed my eyes, and all of a sudden I was in the same ballroom where I would be working tomorrow, at the age of eighteen. chilly. embarrassed. Broken.

* Dominic's voice was like ice as he said, "The pack has spoken." "Ariana Matthews, you are not deserving of being my partner. You only add frailty to our lineage. *

The pack had chuckled. In fact, I laughed as my heart broke into a million fragments.

* "Get out of here and don't come back." You're not welcome here anymore."*

That night, my cheeks were frozen with tears as I ran into the woods. I was unable to see five feet ahead of me due to the severity of the snowstorm. I hit my head on a rock after tripping and falling down a steep hill. Everything turned dark.

Three weird wolves were standing over me when I woke up. Rogues, traversing the region. They ought to have let me perish. Rather, they saved my life.

"Why?" I had muttered through pursed lips.

Their leader had stated, "Because everyone deserves a second chance." "Even outcasts."

They had taken me far from the land of Blackwood. aided in my recovery. taught me to be resilient. I had a new name, a new dream, and a new start in a new city when I was ready.

I had started my event planning company from scratch, putting in eighteen hours a day and saving every cent. For now only. All in order to return and demonstrate to Dominic Stone what he had discarded.

"Aria?" I was brought back to the present by Elena's voice. "Are you still there?"

I wiped my eyes and said, "I'm here." "And I'm not going anywhere."

"However, if Marcus is aware—"

"I'll take care of Marcus after that." I exited my truck and made my way to the hotel's entrance. "This might be even better. I might be able to eliminate both Stone brothers at once if he tries to stop me.

"You're not like that, Aria. You're not mean."

I stopped moving. Elena was correct. I wasn't mean when I was younger. However, the previous version of myself had also been gullible and weak. I used to think that fairy tales and happy endings were real.

I said, "When Dominic threw me away like trash, he was the cruel one." "I'm just giving something back."

However, something twisted in my chest as I spoke. Dominic's eyes had been sad when he looked at me today. True sorrow. He seemed to be carrying a lot of weight that I couldn't see.

I gave a firm shake of my head. I no longer had that issue.

"I have to go," I informed Elena. "I have to get ready for tomorrow."

"Just... watch out, shall we? Additionally, keep in mind that revenge never turns out the way you had hoped.

I sat on my hotel bed and opened my laptop after we hung up. It's time to go over my plan again.

Phase One: Hire someone to organize their Christmas celebration. ✓ Finalized.

Phase Two: As Dominic watched helplessly, gradually destroy everything that meant anything to him.

Phase Three: At the ideal time, when his world was collapsing, I revealed who I truly was.

The plan was sound. An ideal strategy. I had considered every aspect for five years.

I opened the "Blackwood Intel" folder on my PC. Dominic's pictures from pack meetings. articles discussing the resort's financial issues. lists of their suppliers and vendors. Details regarding the politics of the pack and the people who backed Dominic's leadership.

From a thousand miles away, I had been getting ready for this war.

My finger lingered on a picture of Dominic from the previous month. He was conversing with a few pack members while he stood outside the resort. He appeared worn out. older. His eyes had lines around them that had not existed during our adolescence.

"Good," I told myself. I wish him a miserable life.

However, my foolish heart fluttered once more, exactly as it had done when he had grinned at me today.

I closed the laptop and prepared to go to bed. The real start came tomorrow. I would begin demolishing everything Dominic Stone had constructed tomorrow.

My phone rang after I had just switched off the lights. Unknown figure.

"Hello?" I gave a thoughtful response.

The other end was breathing heavily. Then I heard a low voice that made my skin crawl.

"Aria Matthews."

Marcus.

I tried to maintain my composure as I said, "I'm sorry, you have the wrong number."

"Do I?" The most malevolent sound I had ever heard was Marcus's laughter. "Little Omega, I know exactly who you are. I've been anticipating your return.

My blood froze. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Oh, but you do. You see, five years ago, I was the one who persuaded my brother to turn you down. I muttered in his ear how frail you were. How you would damage his standing. How an Alpha with such a pitiful mate would never be respected by the pack.

I dropped the phone. I managed to catch it before it hit the ground.

"What?" I muttered.

Aria is a poor little girl. Did you honestly believe Dominic came up with the plan to discard you? He was completely enamored with you. Even obsessed. However, I couldn't allow that to occur. I couldn't allow an omega who didn't belong to our pack to become Luna.

Now my entire body trembled. "You're lying."

"Am I? What do you think caused him to appear so damaged that evening? What do you think has caused his five years of misery? Sweet Aria, my brother didn't want to turn you down. I forced him to do it.

The room whirled around me. My entire world was collapsing.

Marcus went on, "But here's the really fun part," in a poisonous tone. "I am aware that you are seeking retribution. I am aware that you have been responsible for numerous minor mishaps at the resort. And I will permit you to continue doing so."

"What?"

"Because I'll be there to pick up the pieces when you finally destroy my brother." As I always intended, I will become Alpha. Keep playing your games, little omega. You're carrying out my wishes precisely."

The line died.

My phone was gripped tightly in my shaking hands as I sat there in the dimly lit hotel room. It ruined my perfect plan. I was mistaken about everything I believed to be true.

Dominic didn't want to turn me away. Marcus had made him do it.

However, that didn't alter the course of events. Even so, Dominic had favored his pack over me. He would still allow me to be humiliated. Even so, he had abandoned me to perish in the forest.

Had he not?

As hot tears streamed down my cheeks, I buried my face in my hands. Five years of preparation. Hatred for five years has kept me strong. And I was no longer sure what was real.

I froze when I heard a gentle knock on my door.

"Ms. Blake?" A deep, recognizable voice called softly. It's Dominic Stone. Are you okay? I wanted to make sure you arrived safely even though I saw your truck arrive. Tonight's roads are hazardous.

My heart ceased to beat. Dominic was present. outside my door. Similar to how, when we were teenagers, he would surreptitiously enter my cabin out of concern for me.

I called back, "I'm fine," but my voice broke.

"Are you certain? You sound agitated.

I leaned my back against the door and closed my eyes. Even through my blockers, I could smell his scent because he was so close. My wolf whimpered with longing for pine, leather, and something that was exclusively Dominic.

"Ms. Blake?"

I started to tell him to leave. to abandon me. However, what emerged instead was:

"Dominic?"

On the other side of the door, there was an unending silence. Then, very subtly, I nearly missed it:

"Aria?"

And in that one word, I heard the mingling of five years of suffering, regret, and hope.

Before I could stop myself, my hand went to the door handle.

Then I recalled the laughter, though. The humiliation. The loneliness of dying in the snow.

Whispering through the door, I yanked my hand back:

"Aria Matthews has passed away. She passed away in these woods five years ago.

Another long silence. Then there were footsteps leaving.

I cried more than I had in years as I sat on the floor after sliding down the door.

I would confront him once more tomorrow. I would have to act as though I was unaware that he recognized me tomorrow.

My ideal revenge plan would continue tomorrow.

But tonight, with Dominic's broken voice calling my name and Marcus's words reverberating in my mind, I was no longer certain who the true enemy was.

Furthermore, I wasn't sure if I had the strength to ruin the only man I had ever loved, particularly if he hadn't intended to harm me in the first place.