Page 64 of The Alpha's Forbidden Heir

“No,” I admit, my voice rough. “Not even close.”

I let out a low growl, my frustration boiling over. The nerve of that man to walk in here, insult my mate, and act as if he has the moral high ground. My hands ball into fists, and I’m about to lash out at the closest object when the door creaks open again.

“Alpha,” Lila’s voice trembles as she steps inside. Her usual composure is replaced with unease, and something about the look on her face sets my teeth on edge.

“What is it?” I snap, my patience hanging by a thread.

She clutches her phone tightly. “It’s... it’s Aria.”

Chapter Twenty

Aria

Ipace the length of my room, the ornate rug muffling my hurried footsteps. My chest tightens with every second that ticks by, every moment that Lila might not have received my frantic message. My father had snatched my phone the instant I’d agreed to leave with him.

The walls of the room feel like they’re closing in.

I stop by the window, pressing my forehead to the cool glass. Outside, guards patrol the estate, their movements precise and mechanical. They’re not here to protect me—they’re here to keep me in.

Please, Lila. Please have seen it.

A knock at the door startles me, and before I can respond, it swings open. Vittorio strides in, his polished shoes clicking against the hardwood floor.

“You’re pacing,” he observes, his tone devoid of concern. “Anxious, are we?”

I whirl to face him, crossing my arms tightly over my chest. “What do you want, Dad?” The word Dad tastes bitter on my tongue now.

Vittorio’s smile is thin, humorless. “You’ll be pleased to know I’ve arranged something wonderful for you, sweetheart.”

My heart skips a beat, but not in the way he expects. “What does that mean?”

“You’re getting married,” he says casually, as if announcing the weather.

My blood runs cold. “What?”

“You heard me,” he says, stepping further into the room. His eyes gleam with satisfaction, like a predator cornering its prey. “It’s time you stopped playing house with those mutts and returned to where you belong.”

I shake my head, my voice rising. “No. Absolutely not. This wasn’t part of the deal!”

“The deal,” Vittorio says, his tone sharpening, “was that you’d return to me. And now that you’re here, I decide what happens next.”

“No!” I shout, my fists clenching. “You don’t get to decide who I marry! I won’t do it!”

His smile vanishes, replaced by a cold, hard glare. “You will do it. Or would you prefer I deal with your bastard child instead?”

I freeze, my breath catching in my throat. “Don’t you dare touch Elias.”

“Then behave,” he says smoothly, as if discussing the weather. “The man I’ve chosen will accept Elias as his own. It’s more than you deserve.”

“I don’t care what you think I deserve!” I snap. “I won’t marry some stranger just because you want to play puppet master.”

Vittorio steps closer, his towering presence making the room feel smaller. “You will. Because if you don’t, Elias won’t make it through the night.”

The words are a dagger to my chest. My knees feel weak, but I force myself to stand tall. My voice is quieter now, trembling with restrained anger. “You wouldn’t.”

He smirks, leaning in just enough to make his point clear. “Try me.”

I bite my lip so hard it stings, my hands trembling at my sides. I want to scream, to fight, to rip apart every inch of this man who dares to call himself my father. But I can’t. Not when Elias’s life is on the line.

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