As the doors swung open, Dante's eyes widened in horror as he took in the sight of Aria lying lifeless on the ground. "ARIA!" he shouted, his voice echoing through the hallway. He fell to his knees, his hands gently cradling her cheeks as he pleaded for her to wake up. When she didn't stir, he scooped her into his arms and strode towards his chamber, Heaven, Aria's personal maid, following closely behind.
Freya, who had been sitting outside her chamber with her maids, witnessed the scene unfold. Her expression turned icy as she watched Dante cradle Aria in his arms. Her anger boiled over, and she snapped the delicate tea cup in her hand, shattering it on the floor. The fragments scattered across the floor, a testament to her growing rage.
"How dare she act weak to get Dante's attention," Freya seethed, her voice barely above a whisper. "Is she trying to get Dante's affection?" Her maids exchanged knowing glances, and one of them spoke up, "I think we should teach her a lesson. She's been left alone for too long. We need to put her in her place." Greta's expression showed her agreement, her eyes flashing with a similar sentiment.
Meanwhile, Dante reached his chamber and gently laid Aria on the bed. He turned to Heaven, his expression commanding, "Bring water and a towel, and go get food for her immediately." Heaven's worried gaze flicked to Aria before she hastened to comply.
As Dante sat beside Aria, his fingers tenderly caressed her cheeks, and he gently brushed the hair from her face. "I thought you were tough, but you can't hold hunger for two days," he said, his voice laced with concern. Heaven returned with the water and towel, carefully placing them on the table beside the bed before bowing and exiting the room.
Dante dipped the towel into the water, wrung it out, and placed it on Aria's forehead. He repeated the process, expecting Heaven to return with the food. However, the door opened, and Freya stood in the doorway, her expression a mix of anger and jealousy.
"Put it there on the table and leave," Dante said, assuming it was Heaven with the food. Freya's confusion was evident as she replied, "What?" Dante turned, his irritation clear, "What are you doing here, Freya?"
Freya's nervous expression faltered as she stammered, "I...I came to check up on Aria. I heard she fainted." Dante's response was curt, "As you can see, she's not okay. And don't act like you care about her because you don't." Freya's anger flared, "Nobody cares about that bastard, even you don't like her, so don't deceive yourself because she is your mate."
Dante's cold expression silenced Freya, and he ordered, "Get out now." The tension between them was palpable as Freya's anger and jealousy simmered, waiting to boil over.
Freya stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind her. Dante turned his attention to Aria, whose eyes were fluttering as if she was trying to wake up. The loud conversation between Dante and Freya had apparently roused her from her unconscious state. Dante held her hands, trying to gauge her level of awareness. "Aria, can you hear me?" he asked, his expression a mix of concern and curiosity.
Aria's eyes slowly opened, and she was met with a blur of light. As her vision cleared, she saw Dante's face inches from hers, his intense gaze making her heart skip a beat with fear. "Is he trying to kill me?" she wondered, her voice barely above a whisper. Dante's expression was confused, and he looked at her with a mixture of surprise and annoyance.
"Kill you? I would kill you with my fangs if I wanted to kill you. I wouldn't sit here with you, taking care of you," he said, his voice laced with frustration. "You act tough, but you're just a soft woman." Aria's eyes flashed with anger, and she shot back, "You were the one who locked me up with no food, in that suffocating chamber." Her voice was laced with resentment, and she turned her back on Dante, her expression still angry.
Dante scoffed, surprised by her words. "Your attitude, what made you start to have that new attitude?" he asked, his voice tinged with curiosity. Just then, Heaven entered the room with a tray of food in her hands, her expression a mix of concern and happiness.
She noticed the tension in the room and Aria's awakened state. "My lady," she exclaimed, her voice filled with relief. Aria turned to Heaven with a weak smile, "Heaven," she whispered. Heaven asked, "Are you okay? I was worried about you." Aria's smile grew slightly, "I'm fine," she said, "but I'm so hungry." Her gaze drifted to Dante, her expression sarcastic, "But your lovely Alpha wants me to die."
Dante stood up, his expression angry, and left the room without a word. Heaven walked closer to Aria, her expression softening. "The Alpha was worried about you, Aria," she said. "He took care of you immediately when he carried you from that chamber." Aria's expression was surprised, "Dante took care of me?" she asked, her voice laced with skepticism. "That's not possible," she said, her eyes still questioning.
"Let's not talk about it. I'm so hungry," Aria said, pushing herself up from the bed and making her way to the chair, where she began to devour her food with reckless abandon.
"Slow down, Aria, don't choke on your food," Heaven cautioned, her brow furrowed with concern. Aria continued to eat hastily, her hunger overriding her manners, while Heaven watched over her with a warm smile, happy to see her recovering.
As Aria finished her meal, she instructed Heaven to clear the dishes. "I think I've regained my strength," Aria said, her expression reflecting her newfound determination. Heaven nodded in agreement, "Yeah, you have. You look much healthier now," she added with a smile, before taking the tray of food and exiting the chamber.
Aria settled onto the bed, her mind racing with thoughts of how to initiate her plan to take down Dante and his pack. She hadn't forgotten her purpose in being there, and her resolve remained unwavering. "I have to come up with a plan as soon as possible," Aria thought to herself, her expression set in a determined gaze.