Chapter 106 Ungrateful fools
Aria’s POV
The hospital corridor felt sterile and cold as I approached Grandma Rose’s room. Sophie and Margaret were standing outside, mid-conversation.
The moment they spotted me, their eyes met in that knowing way—the kind of silent communication that always preceded trouble.
"Well, well. Look who decided to grace us with her presence." Sophie’s lips curved into a smile that didn’t reach her eyes. "I honestly thought you’d washed your hands of us Holts entirely."
Margaret’s gaze raked over me from head to toe, lingering on my tailored suit. I could practically hear her mental calculator adding up the cost of every piece I was wearing.
"You’re absolutely right," Margaret chimed in, her voice saccharine sweet. "These days, a Luna can freeload off her Pack, fail to produce an heir, and still act like we’re the problem. "
"We’re supposed to just smile and take it, aren’t we? Heaven forbid we offend her delicate sensibilities."
"Freeload?" I met her eyes steadily. "Funny. I wasn’t aware that the ninety percent of revenue I’ve personally generated over the past two years counted as ’freeload.’ But please, continue."
Sophie’s smile faltered. She recovered quickly, gesturing toward the gift basket in my hand with barely concealed disdain.
"At least you brought something, I suppose. Though that plastic bag is certainly a choice. We went with Bergdorf’s gift services ourselves."
They wanted to play this game? Fine.
"Let me clarify something," I said, my voice dropping to that quiet register that made pack members instinctively straighten their spines.
"When you say ’family,’ do you mean the kind that treats their son’s mate like unpaid labor? The kind that turns a blind eye while he—"
"How dare you—" Margaret started.
"I’m not finished." The words cut through her protest like a blade. "You want to talk about what I’m owed versus what I’ve taken? "
"We can have that conversation. Right here. Right now. Would you like me to start with the employment contracts I never signed? Or should we jump straight to the revenue reports?"
Margaret’s face flushed an ugly shade of red. Sophie opened her mouth, then closed it again, clearly recalculating her approach.
"Besides," I continued, adjusting my grip on the basket, "I’d be happy to discuss my reproductive health with you both. Since you seem so invested in it."
That got their attention. Sophie’s eyes widened fractionally.
"I had a full medical workup done recently," I said conversationally. "Turns out, I’m perfectly healthy. Fertility markers are excellent, actually. The doctor said I should have no trouble conceiving at all."
The color drained from Margaret’s face. "That’s... that’s not possible. The pre-bonding exam—"
"Was apparently flawed. Or falsified. I haven’t quite figured out which yet." I tilted my head, watching her process this.
"But it does raise an interesting question, doesn’t it? If I’m not the one with the problem..."
Sophie’s hand flew to her mouth. "You can’t seriously be suggesting—"
"I’m not suggesting anything. I’m stating facts." I shifted the basket to my other arm. "Ethan was the one who insisted on adopting Marcus so quickly. "
"Ethan was the one who avoided completing our bond. So if you have questions about why your bloodline hasn’t expanded, maybe you should ask him."
"That’s impossible." Sophie’s voice came out strangled. "Ethan doesn’t have issues. Mar—"
"Sophie." Margaret’s warning cut through the air like a whip crack.
Sophie clamped her mouth shut, but the damage was done. The way they’d both reacted, the panic in Margaret’s eyes—it was exactly what I’d expected.
They had no idea I already knew the truth.It was almost amusing, watching them scramble to keep their little secret.
"Aria."
Ethan’s voice came from behind me. Of course. He always did have impeccable timing for the worst possible moments.
"Ethan."
I didn’t turn around. Didn’t need to. I could picture his face—that careful mask of composure he wore so well, already starting to crack at the edges.
"When did you get tested?" he asked.
"Recently." I kept my tone casual, unbothered. "It came up during a routine checkup."
He moved into my peripheral vision, his expression a calculated mix of surprise and concern.
"Which hospital? Because the pre-marriage screening clearly showed—" He caught himself, softening his voice.
"If there was a mistake back then, that’s... that’s actually wonderful news, Aria. But why didn’t you tell me?"
I finally looked at him. Really looked at him.
God, he was good at this. The perfect blend of hurt and hope, the way his eyes searched mine like I was the only thing that mattered.
Two years ago, I would have melted. Two years ago, I would have apologized for keeping secrets.
Now, I just felt cold.
"I hadn’t found the right time," I said. "And honestly, I was worried. Because if it’s not me..."
I let the implication hang in the air, glancing between Margaret and Ethan. "The adoption was *your* idea, after all."
The subtext couldn’t have been clearer: *If I’m not the problem, then you are.*
Margaret looked like she’d swallowed glass. Sophie had gone completely silent, probably imagining how this would play out in Pack gossip circles.
*The great Alpha Ethan Holt, unable to produce an heir with his own Fated Mate.*
"That’s ridiculous," Ethan said quickly. "There’s nothing wrong with me. If you’re concerned, I’ll get tested too—"
I stepped past him toward the hospital room door. "I’m here to see Grandma Rose, not debate fertility."
Margaret grabbed Ethan’s arm as he moved to follow me. "What is she talking about? I thought she was the one who couldn’t—"
"It was probably a misdiagnosis," Ethan said shortly, cutting her off. "We’ll deal with it later."
He slipped into the room after me before Margaret could ask anything else.
Grandma Rose’s face lit up when she saw me. She reached for my hands immediately, pulling me close to the bed.
"Aria, sweetheart, you came! And look at you—more beautiful every time I see you."
Her grip was warm, affectionate. But something felt different this time.
I couldn’t quite put my finger on it. The words were right, the smile was genuine, but there was a distance there that hadn’t existed before.
Or maybe it had always been there, and I was only just now seeing it clearly.
"Grandma Rose, I brought you some things." I lifted the plastic bag. "Please take care of yourself. Don’t let anything upset you. Nothing is worth risking your health."
Whatever else happened, I’d always be grateful to her. She’d defended me more than once when the rest of the family treated me like hired help.
"Aria, you’ve got to be kidding me." Sophie’s voice dripped with disdain as she followed us into the room.
"Grandma Rose has been nothing but kind to you, and *this* is what you bring her? Something you picked up from a corner store in a plastic bag?"
She gestured dramatically at the tower of expensive gift plastic bags stacked on the side table—silk ribbons, imported chocolates, premium teas in elaborate tins.
"Look at you, dressed head to toe in designer labels, and you can’t even be bothered to get proper packaging for an elderly woman who’s been hospitalized."
Sophie’s laugh was sharp. "I guess we know where your priorities are."
"Aria, if you couldn’t afford something nice, you shouldn’t have brought anything at all."
Margaret added, her nose wrinkled in distaste. She gestured to the nurse hovering nearby. "Throw that out, please. It’s embarrassing."
A plain black plastic bag like I’d brought trash instead of a gift.
Ungrateful fools.They had no idea what they were dismissing.