Aria's POV
"Ma'am, I've checked the system three times. There's no marriage record under your name. Are you certain about the date?"
I stood frozen outside the County Clerk's office, the clerk's words still ringing in my ears.
Two years of believing I was Ethan Holt's wife, his Luna.
As the only human Luna, we had also applied for a marriage certificate in my human community, and it now sat in the nightstand drawer in my bedroom.
Real enough that I never questioned our relationship, even though we never had a mating ceremony with his pack.
Until three days ago, when Marcus tore it to shreds during one of his tantrums. That was what brought me here today—to get a replacement copy of our marriage certificate.
But now, standing here with trembling hands...
How could our certificate possibly be fake?!
Then my phone buzzed. I glanced down at the screen, still numb. An unknown number. Normally I would have ignored it, but something made me answer.
"Ms. Smith? Aria Smith?"
"Speaking." My voice sounded distant, like it belonged to someone else.
"My name is Richard Castellano. I'm the attorney handling the estate of Vincent Smith. I apologize for the abrupt contact, but it's imperative that we meet as soon as possible. You are the sole heir to your father's estate."
I blinked. "I'm sorry, what? I don't have a father. My parents abandoned me when I was born."
"Ms. Smith, Vincent Smith passed away two weeks ago. The DNA test and his will are both conclusive. You are his only legitimate biological child."
My jaw nearly hit the floor. Vincent Smith—that name was nothing short of legendary in both human society and the werewolf world.
Orphaned as a child and taken in by a wolf pack, he had displayed extraordinary business genius from an early age.
As an adult, with the backing of his adoptive Alpha brother, he forged a massive commercial empire that seamlessly connected the human and supernatural realms.
And now someone was telling me that I, as his sole daughter, stood to inherit the bulk of his fortune?
"The estate is substantial, including commercial holdings across multiple Pack territories. We need to begin the inheritance process immediately."
Of course. No one dared underestimate the extent of Vincent Smith's wealth. My brain felt like it was being pummeled by this earth-shattering news.
"I need to confirm something first," I heard myself say. "I'll call you back."
The most important thing now was to verify my marriage status with my husband.
If this was real, Ethan and I wouldn't have to worry about the pack's questioning looks anymore.
I could complete the final mating ceremony with him smoothly, become the pack's Luna, and lead them to even greater prosperity.
The drive to Silver Creek Pack's main building took twenty minutes.
Twenty minutes later, I stepped onto the third floor. The hallway was unusually quiet.
As I approached Ethan's office, voices drifted through the half-open door.
A woman's voice.
"Ethan—yes—right there—"
His voice, ragged and raw, "You feel so good, Clara."
Clara. My best friend!
Then, something even worse than being betrayed by my best friend and mate hit like a freight train.
"When are you going to get rid of her, Ethan?"
"Our son is already three years old. I'm tired of pretending." Clara's voice was sharp with impatience.
Marcus. The little boy Ethan claimed we'd adopted because my human body supposedly couldn't handle pregnancy, and the pack needed a pup to serve as the Alpha's heir.
I couldn't breathe. The pup I had lovingly raised was Ethan and Clara's biological child! My heart was bleeding—how dare they!
Inside the office, Ethan sighed. "Just a little longer."
His voice was cold. "We still need her. The Pack's finances are stable because of her work. Once we've locked everything down, I'll cut her loose."
"What am I supposed to do until then? Keep playing victim while she parades around as Luna?"
"You know she's nothing to me. Just a tool. Once we've squeezed every last drop of value out of her..."