The Fake Luna: Marked By The Alpha King

Chapter 67: Chapter 67 I’m sure we will

Aria’s POV

Lucas slipped his hands into his pockets, his posture relaxed despite what had just happened. "Dad sent me. He thought you could use some help navigating the family business."

"Help?" I raised an eyebrow. "Or supervision?"

A small smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. "It’s up to you."

I wasn’t sure I believed that, but I was too tired to argue. The confrontation with Ethan had drained me more than I wanted to admit.

"Well, I appreciate the offer," I said carefully. "But I’m managing fine on my own."

"I’m sure you are." Lucas gestured toward the V&A Corporation building. "Still, having an ally in the family might make things easier. Especially with Sylvia and Nathan circling like sharks."

He had a point. Sylvia wanted me to sign away my inheritance. Nathan wanted me gone entirely. And Victor... well, I still wasn’t sure what Victor wanted.

"Fine," I said finally. "But I’m not making any decisions without knowing all the facts first."

"Fair enough." Lucas held out his hand. "Partners?"

I looked at his outstretched hand, weighing my options. Trusting people hadn’t worked out well for me so far. But I was running out of allies, and Lucas seemed genuine enough.

For now, at least.

I shook his hand. "Partners."

As his fingers closed around mine, I caught a glimpse of movement from the corner of my eye—Ethan, standing by his car across the street, watching us.

Even from this distance, I could feel the weight of his stare. The jealousy. The possessiveness.

Good.

Let him wonder. Let him stew in his own insecurity for once.

I turned my back on him and walked toward the building entrance with Lucas at my side, my head held high.I wasn’t looking back.

Lucas became part of my team after that day. Having him around made navigating the corporate minefield a little easier, though I still kept my guard up.

Trust wasn’t something I handed out freely anymore.

That evening, I checked my phone as I packed up my things. Damian and I had tentatively planned dinner, but there was a message from him instead—he had to leave unexpectedly.

[Sweetheart, I had to fly back to the capital on urgent business. I apologize for the short notice.]

I stared at the screen, telling myself the hollow feeling in my chest was just disappointment, nothing more.

We’d only met a handful of times and had sex a few times. It wasn’t like we had some deep, meaningful connection.

"Everything okay?" Lucas asked from the doorway.

I slipped my phone into my purse. "Yeah. Just tired."

"You should head home. Get some rest."

I nodded, but rest was the last thing on my mind. Instead, I threw myself into work with a vengeance.

Over the next few days, Damian’s silence became a dull ache I refused to acknowledge.

I kept checking my phone between meetings, during lunch breaks, even in the middle of the night when I couldn’t sleep. Nothing.

It was just a transaction anyway. I needed to stop thinking about it.

I had a company to run, a family to outmaneuver, and a mountain of projects that needed my attention.

Who had time to pine over some arrogant Alpha King who couldn’t even be bothered to send a text?

Two days later, everything finally clicked into place.

The project I’d been wrestling with since taking over Vincent’s portfolio—a massive commercial real estate deal that had been bleeding money for months—was finally done.

Lucas had found a legal loophole in the vendor contracts. I’d restructured the entire financing model. The rest of my team had worked around the clock handling every excruciating detail.

When I announced we’d not only finished but come in ahead of schedule, the entire team collapsed onto the couches in my office.

"Oh my God," Diana groaned, throwing an arm over her eyes. "I can’t believe we pulled it off."

"That was brutal," Leo said, but he was grinning. "But working with you, Aria? High intensity, high reward."

"Damn right," I said, unable to keep the satisfaction out of my voice. I stretched, feeling every knotted muscle in my shoulders protest.

"You guys deserve a celebration. I’m taking everyone out tonight. Somewhere nice."

"How nice are we talking?" Lucas asked, leaning against the doorframe with an amused smile.

"The kind of nice that requires reservations three months in advance." I pulled out my phone. "But I happen to know the owner."

The team erupted into cheers again, and I felt something warm unfurl in my chest.

These people had believed in me when my own family wanted me gone. They’d worked themselves to exhaustion because I’d asked them to.

I wasn’t going to let them down.

But first, I had one more person to deal with.

I grabbed the project files and headed for Nathan’s office. He’d been the one to hand me this mess in the first place, probably expecting me to fail spectacularly. Time to prove him wrong.

Nathan looked up when I walked in, his expression carefully neutral. "Aria. What can I do for you?"

"You can review these." I dropped the files on his desk with a satisfying thump. "The Clear Water project. Finished ahead of schedule and fifteen percent under budget."

For a split second, genuine shock flickered across his face. Then he smoothed it away and started flipping through the documents.

"Impressive," he said finally. His tone suggested it was anything but. "I heard you had some help from Alpha King’s investment arm."

There it was. The insinuation that I hadn’t done this on my own. That I’d relied on Damian’s influence to get the deal done.

My temper flared hot and bright. "The Alpha King’s investment was one piece of a very complex puzzle. If you’re questioning whether I earned this, feel free to call them yourself and ask whether they invested in the project or in me personally."

Nathan’s jaw tightened. "That’s not what I meant—"

"Isn’t it?" I planted my hands on his desk and leaned forward. "Because it sounds like you’re trying to undermine my work. "

"I brought in a team, we fixed the disaster you dumped in my lap, and we did it ahead of schedule. The least you could do is say thank you instead of implying I relied on a man."

"Aria." Nathan held up his hands. "You’re overreacting."

"Am I?" I straightened, forcing myself to take a breath.

"You know what? It doesn’t matter. The board agreed that if I completed this project successfully, I’d get full operational control of my inherited assets. "

"So unless you’re planning to go back on that agreement, I suggest you sign off on the paperwork."

Nathan stared at me for a long moment. Then he picked up his phone and tapped the screen a few times.

"Done. The agreement is now active. Once legal processes the documents, you’ll have full access."

"Great." I turned to leave, then paused. "Oh, and Nathan? I look forward to working with you in the future. I’m sure we’ll have many more opportunities to collaborate."

The smile he gave me was absolutely feral. "I’m sure we will."