Aria’s POV.
“Hello, Giselle,” I murmured coldly. “I didn’t expect you to be here either, considering the stories I have heard about you.”
Giselle’s brow rose in question at my words, her eyes darting from my own to her sister’s. “Oh, is that so?”
I felt my body tense up as I watched her. “Anyway, I only came to pay my kind neighbor a visit,” I replied coldly, my words clipped. I stood my ground, ready to face Giselle down. If she thought she could intimidate me, she was sorely mistaken.
But before things could escalate, Mia placed a gentle hand on my shoulder. “Aria, please… it’s not worth it,” she whispered. “She’s looking for a fight. Just let it go.”
I looked into her eyes, saw the weariness there, and knew I couldn’t add to her burden. Reluctantly, I nodded and stepped back, retreating to a corner of the room. I didn’t want to cause a scene, especially not in front of Mia, but the urge to protect her from Giselle’s venom was strong.
Giselle’s eyes flicked between the two of us again, clearly pleased with herself for silencing me so easily. “Still living in this drab little cottage, Mia?” she asked. “One would think you’d have found something better by now. But I suppose it suits you. You’ve always loved to live like an urchin, despite coming from a rich and highly respected Alpha wolf family.”
Mia’s face remained calm, though I could see the faint tightening of her jaw. “It’s enough for me,” she replied quietly. “I don’t need to live in a large mansion before I can be comfortable.”
Giselle let out a short, mocking laugh. “Of course, it is enough for you. After all, you’ve always been so easy to please. No ambition, no desire for anything more. It’s quite sad. Well, I thank Alpha Denderick for putting a roof over your head, at the very least. One can only wonder how you’d be able to survive on your own.”
I felt my hands ball into fists at my sides, but I forced myself to stay silent. Mia didn’t need me to defend her. I knew she was strong enough on her own. Enduring taunts from Giselle all of her life must have made her skin tough, but that didn’t make it any easier to watch Giselle tear her down like this.
“And what about the father of your unborn child?” Giselle continued, eyeing her sister with disdain. “Last time I came around here, you told me he was only gone for a few months. Has he abandoned you too? Or is he just as useless as you are?”
Mia stiffened, the pain flashing in her eyes for just a moment before she masked it again. “That’s none of your concern, Giselle.”
“Isn’t it?” Giselle’s smile widened, like a predator who had caught the scent of blood. “You’re family, Mia. I’m only looking out for you. It would be such a shame if you ended up alone, with no one to support you or your child.”
I wanted to scream, to tell Giselle to stop, but I bit my tongue. This wasn’t my fight, as much as I wanted to make it so.
Giselle continued, undeterred by Mia’s silence. “Perhaps you should consider coming back to the pack house after the child is born. It would be better for the baby, don’t you think? Proper education, proper upbringing… things you never had.”
Mia’s hands trembled slightly, but she kept them clasped together, refusing to show any more weakness. “The child will be fine here.”
Giselle raised an eyebrow, her smile turning cruel. “Oh, Mia, don’t be foolish. You’ve already squandered your chances at a decent life. Don’t do the same to your child. Bring it to the pack house. I’m sure Alpha Denderick would be willing to help… for the child’s sake, of course. Not yours.”
It took everything in me not to intervene, to let Mia handle this on her terms. My heart ached for her, for the way Giselle was trying to break her spirit, but I had to trust that Mia knew how to stand up to her sister in her way.
Before Mia could respond, Giselle turned to the guards who had followed her in. “Bring in the food items I brought for my dear sister,” she ordered, her tone brisk, as if she were doing her sister a grand favor.
The guards moved to obey, but Mia found her voice, her tone firmer than before. “I don’t want your food or your money, Giselle. Not if it means enduring harsh words like these.”
Giselle paused, turning back to face her sister. For a moment, there was silence, then she laughed-a cold, empty sound that felt like nails on a chalkboard for me. “You’re quite pathetic, Mia. Do you think you can survive without my help? You’d starve to death if left on your own.”
Mia’s eyes blazed with sudden fire, and her voice rose with anger. “I endured ten years without your help, Giselle. I won’t die if you stop ‘helping’ now.”
Giselle’s smile faded, replaced by a look of icy contempt. “Such bravery, coming from someone who’s never had to fend for themselves. You’re a fool, Mia. Always have been, always will be.”
She reached into the folds of her dress and pulled out a small, heavy bag. Without warning, she hurled it at Mia, the bag hitting her squarely in the chest before falling to the floor with a dull thud. Golden coins spilled out, glinting in the dim light.
“Get some new clothes,” Giselle sneered. “The ones you’re wearing are full of holes.”
Mia flinched but didn’t move to pick up the coins. She stood there, chin raised, refusing to let Giselle see how much her words hurt.
I couldn’t stay quiet any longer. I took a step forward, ready to give Giselle a piece of my mind, but the look Mia gave me stopped me in my tracks. She didn’t want me to fight this battle for her. It was clear she needed to face Giselle on her terms, no matter how much it pained me to watch.
Giselle’s cold gaze shifted back to me, a mocking smile playing on her lips as if she knew exactly what I was thinking. “Well, Aria, I hope you enjoy your little visit with your ‘kind neighbor’. But don’t get too comfortable. After all, who knows how long Mia can keep this up?”
Then Giselle turned on her heel and walked out of the cottage, leaving a trail of icy malice in her wake.