Maria.

My brows furrowed the moment I stepped into my room, the door shutting softly behind me.

The silence that followed should have been comforting, but it wasn’t. Instead, it only gave my thoughts more space to wander, to replay everything that had just happened.

What exactly did she take me for?

A fool?

I let out a quiet scoff, shaking my head slightly as irritation settled deep within me.

Be my friend?

My lips curled in disbelief.

"Be my friend my foot..." I muttered under my breath, the words laced with pure annoyance.

I walked further into the room, my movements slow, heavy, as if the weight of everything I had been dealing with was finally catching up to me.

Friends?

I didn’t need any.

Not now and maybe not ever.

"In fact..." I whispered softly, more to myself than anything else, "I guess I was never meant to have one in this lifetime."

The thought lingered longer than I expected, because deep down...it didn’t feel entirely wrong.

A foe doesn’t just wake up one day and decide to become a friend.

Not without a reason.

Not without an agenda.

There was always something beneath it, something hidden, something dangerous.

And Sonia?

She was the last person I would ever trust.

With a tired sigh, I threw myself onto the bed, my body sinking into the softness as I stared up at the ceiling.

Everything felt...overwhelming.

So much had happened in such a short time, and yet it felt like my entire life had shifted completely.

I barely recognized where I stood anymore.

"Mother..." I whispered silently in my heart, my gaze fixed on nothing in particular. "I’m getting married soon... wish your daughter luck."

A faint ache settled in my chest at the thought. She wouldn’t be there, no warm smile, no gentle reassurance, no proud presence by my side.

And my father...I let out a bitter breath.

Of course, he wouldn’t come either.

I wasn’t Patricia.

His precious Patricia.

I turned my head to the side, squeezing my eyes shut, trying to push everything away, trying to escape the thoughts that refused to leave me alone.

Sleep.

That was all I needed.

Just sleep...even if only for a little while, but just as I began to settle....

A knock came from the door, sharp and intrusive.

My eyes snapped open instantly, irritation flaring up again. I groaned under my breath as I pushed myself up from the bed.

"Can’t I even get a moment of peace?" I muttered, already making my way toward the door.

"Sonia, I already said I am not interested," I called out as I reached for the handle, my tone firm, clearly annoyed.

Was she seriously going to force a friendship on me now?

I twisted the knob and pulled the door open slightly, still caught up in my thoughts...but the moment the figure standing outside registered in my mind...

I froze.

It wasn’t Sonia.

It was Aidan.

My breath hitched for a split second, surprise flashing across my face before I quickly masked it.

"What do you want, Alpha Aidan?" I asked immediately, my voice guarded as I instinctively pushed the door halfway closed, blocking the entrance to my room.

I wasn’t about to let him in.

"Maria, can we talk?"

His voice was... gentle. 𝓯𝙧𝓮𝓮𝒘𝓮𝙗𝙣𝒐𝒗𝒆𝓵.𝓬𝓸𝒎

Surprisingly so.

For a brief moment, I hesitated, my fingers still wrapped around the edge of the door as I stared at him. That tone didn’t suit him, not after everything, not after the chaos, the pain, the confusion they had all caused.

But I didn’t let it affect me.

"There is nothing to talk about, Alpha Aidan," I replied firmly, my voice steady as I made sure each word carried its full weight. "Besides, an unmarried man and woman shouldn’t be seen together having private conversations."

I watched him closely as I spoke, deliberately slowing down my words, allowing them to sink in, to settle between us like an unbreakable boundary.

He exhaled deeply, as though trying to gather himself.

"Maria...allow me inside," he said, his voice quieter now, almost pleading. "What I am about to say can’t be said out loud in public."

My brows drew together slightly.

Was he serious?

I almost laughed.

I knew the Quadruplets far too well. There was nothing he could possibly say that would justify this, nothing important enough to change anything.

If anything, the only thing they had proven themselves capable of lately...was crossing lines.

Kissing me without permission.

Invading my space.

Disrupting everything I was trying so hard to build.

My jaw tightened at the thought, and I couldn’t allow that again, not when I had already made my choice.

Yes...they were my mates but I had chosen Noah and I owed him loyalty.

The thought alone made something twist inside me.

How would I feel...if I saw Noah holding another woman? Touching her? Kissing her...just days before our wedding?

The image alone was enough to make my chest tighten.

I clenched my fists tightly at my sides, my nails digging into my palms as a flicker of anger surfaced—this time directed more at Adrien.

The memory of his actions...the look on Noah’s face earlier today...I pushed the thoughts aside immediately.

No.

I wouldn’t let this happen again.

"If whatever you have to say can’t be said out loud, Alpha Aidan," I continued, my voice now colder, sharper, "then it only makes it more inappropriate."

I held his gaze firmly, refusing to back down.

"To tell it to me—a woman who is getting married in a few days—in secret... while my fiancé is absent?"

The silence that followed felt heavy, but I didn’t give him a chance to respond, nor did I want to hear whatever excuse or explanation he might come up with.

Instead, I pushed the door shut. The sound echoed through the space between us as I leaned back against it, my chest rising and falling slowly.

For a moment, I just stood there...breathing, trying to steady myself, trying to quiet the storm inside me.

Then I shut my eyes briefly and muttered under my breath...

"To hell with him...them!"