Aria
“Okay, everyone calm the hell down,” I mutter, resting my elbow on the table and glancing around. The room’s buzzing with chatter, forks clinking against plates, and nobody seems to notice the chaos brewing at our table. “We have to be careful. The culprit might be here.”
Mia leans forward, her eyes wide like fucking saucer. “That’s why this is so fucking crazy! We can’t just keep quiet about it, Aria. We need to report it.”
“She’s right,” Lily adds, her fingers tightening around her coffee mug. “This is insane. I mean, it’s you. Aren’t you scared?”
I let out a breath, running my hand through my hair. “Of course I’m scared! But I wanna figure out who did this shit first.” My voice drops to a whisper. “This isn’t just some prank.”
“Uh, what about the finger? Like, what if someone finds it in the trash?” Lily sips her coffee like she didn’t just say the most horrifying thing ever.
“Great,” Mia groans, pushing her plate away. “Now I’m imagining someone opening the trash and finding it. Instant therapy bill.”
“Can we not?” I glare at her, but honestly, she’s not wrong. My stomach twists at the thought.
“Okay, but seriously,” Lily says, her voice quieter now. “That’s someone’s finger. Who does that? And who the hell is it supposed to belong to?”
I don’t have an answer. None of us do. I tap my fork against my plate, the sound grating against my nerves. “We’ll figure it out. We have to.” But the words feel hollow.
Mia shifts in her seat, her face serious for once. “Aria, I’m sorry, but I really think we should tell Alpha Lucas about this.”
“No,” I say quickly, shaking my head. “Guys, calm down. If we do, he’s gonna freak out, and I don’t want that.”
Mia looks like she’s about to argue, but I hold up a hand. “Listen. What if he gets scared? What if he decides to break up with me because of this? I feel like whoever’s behind this is trying to scare me into leaving Lucas.”
“So,” Lily leans forward, her eyes narrowing. “Who do you think it is?”
Mia crosses her arms, clearly unimpressed. “This isn’t a prank, Aria. It’s more like… attempted murder. You saw the finger!”
“Keep your voice down!” I hiss, glancing around. Thankfully, no one’s paying attention.
“Fine,” I whisper. “I think it’s Ethan. That bastard was fucking pissed last night. It’s totally his style.”
“Nah,” Lily shakes her head, looking skeptical. “Alpha Ethan’s too much of a narcissist. If it were him, he’d be strutting around here, smirking at you just to make sure you knew it was him.”
Okay, fair point. Ethan does love to make everything about himself.
“What about Vanessa?” Lily suggests, leaning closer. “She was livid after what Ethan pulled at the party. Maybe she’s trying to mess with you instead of confronting him.”
“Why would Vanessa care about her relationship with Alpha Lucas?” Mia asks, raising a brow. “If anything, she should be happy she’s with him. That leaves Ethan all to herself.”
“She just hates Aria,” Lily mutters, taking another sip of coffee.
“Honestly? I’m starting to think it’s that red-haired girl from yesterday,” Mia says, and my brows shoot up.
“Serena?” I ask, scrunching my nose. “I asked Lucas, and he said she’s irrelevant.”
Mia doesn’t look convinced. “I don’t know, Aria. What if he’s hiding something?”
“Oh, please.” I roll my eyes, but a tiny voice in my head nags at me. What if she’s right?
“And besides,” Mia continues, her voice gaining a conspiratorial edge, “I’ve never seen that girl before yesterday. Who the hell is she?”
“Probably nobody,” I mutter, irritation bubbling up. “I trust Lucas.”
“Alright, everyone chill,” Lily says, leaning back in her chair. “We’re turning into wannabe detectives over here.”
I sigh, staring at my plate. “This whole thing ruined my appetite. I can’t even look at these pancakes without seeing that bloody finger.”
“Ugh, gross,” Mia groans, pushing her plate away. But then her eyes go wide, and she freezes. “Oh, my goddess. Isn’t that her?”
I follow her gaze to the cashier. Sure enough, Serena stands there, her red hair practically glowing under the shitty fluorescent lights. She grabs a coffee and starts walking toward the exit, her tight mini dress and boots making her look like she walked out of a CW drama.
“Come on, let’s follow her,” I whisper, standing up.
Lily looks horrified. “Are you insane? What if she sees us?”
“She won’t,” I insist, already moving. “This is our chance to figure out who she is.”
Mia stands, clearly on board. Lily groans but follows anyway, muttering something about how this is how people die in horror movies.
I take a deep breath and step out of the cafeteria, my heart pounding in my chest. If Serena’s up to something, we’re about to find out.
We’re tailing Serena, keeping a safe distance, but damn, this girl is walking like she’s late for an Olympic sprint. Her long legs eat up the hallway, and she’s weaving through people like she’s in a Fast & Furious movie.
“Why’s she walking so fast?” Mia whispers, barely keeping up, her breath coming out in short puffs.
“Beats me,” I mutter, trying to keep my voice low. “Let’s just keep going.”
We trail her through the crowded hallway, dodging random people. Suddenly, she makes a sharp turn down a corner, instead of heading straight like any normal person would.
“Come on,” I hiss, motioning for Mia and Lily to pick up the pace. We round the corner, but when we get there, Serena’s gone. Poof. Vanished like some red-haired Houdini.
“What the fuck?” Lily mutters, spinning around in circles like she’s trying to spot Waldo in a crowd. “Did she go into that restaurant?” She points at a cozy little spot tucked into the corner.
“Maybe.” I shrug and push open the door. Inside, it’s quiet, just a few people casually eating their overpriced avocado toasts. No Serena.
We step out quickly, and Mia points to a boutique a few steps away. “What about there?”
I hesitate, staring at the boutique. “That’s the one Lucas took me to that day. I doubt she’d-” I pause, then nod. “Screw it. Let’s check it out.”
We walk in, and immediately, Max, the boutique manager, spots me. His face lights up like a kid.
“Aria!” He strides over, his tailored suit looking like he stepped straight out of a fashion show as usual. “What a lovely surprise!”
“Hey, Max,” I mumble, forcing a smile. His gaze flicks to Mia and Lily, and he practically sparkles.
“And who are these gorgeous ladies?” Max grins, waving dramatically at my friends.
“That’s Mia and Lily,” I mutter, not really in the mood for his usual theatrics.
“Charmed.” He gives them a little bow. “Are you here to shop?”
“Not exactly.” I glance around the boutique. The shoppers inside are too busy fussing over racks of clothes, and not one of them is Serena. “Actually, did you see a tall, red-haired girl come in? You know, curvy, kinda hard to miss?”
Max tilts his head, clearly confused. “Sorry, love. Haven’t seen anyone like that today.”
“Are you sure?”
“Positive,” he says, his brow furrowing. “Is everything okay?”
“Yeah, totally fine.” I force another smile and start dragging Mia and Lily toward the door. “Thanks, Max. I’ll see you later!”
“Anytime, darling!” he calls after us, his voice fading as we step back outside.
Mia lets out a dramatic sigh. “Well, that was awkward as hell.”
“Tell me about it.” I cross my arms, staring down the hallway like Serena’s going to magically reappear. “But seriously, where the hell did she go? That’s a dead end, so she’s either in the restaurant or the boutique.”
“Maybe Max lied,” Lily suggests with a shrug.
“But why would he?” I frown, the thought nagging at me.
“Guys…” Mia’s voice cuts through my thoughts.
I turn to her, raising a brow. “What now?”
She doesn’t answer, just points toward a trash can a few feet away.
All three of us turn to look, and my stomach drops. Sitting there, plain as day, is the same fucking box we threw away this morning.
“Is that-” Lily’s voice trembles. “Is that the box?”
“It was empty when we passed earlier,” Mia whispers, her face pale.
My heart pounds, and I take a shaky breath, stepping toward the trash can.
“Aria, don’t,” Lily warns, grabbing my arm.
I shake her off, my curiosity outweighing my fear. Leaning over, I peer into the trash and carefully lift the lid on the box.
The second I see what’s inside, I gasp, stumbling back like I’ve been punched.
“It’s the finger,” I choke out, my voice barely audible.
Mia clutches her chest like she’s about to faint. “What the actual fuck? We threw it in the trash below deck. How the hell is it here?”
“I don’t know,” I whisper, my hands shaking. “But someone’s fucking with us.”