Sold to Bastard Alpha after My Divorce! novel Chapter 41

Chapter 41: Chapter 41

Aria’s POV

I didn’t know how I made it through.

My entire body felt like it could collapse at any moment. Every step took effort. Every breath burned. But I couldn’t skip work. I desperately needed this paycheck. I needed to get out of here. Away from this city. Away from him.

So I put on my uniform. Tied my hair back. Covered the dark circles under my eyes with cheap concealer. And walked into Moonlit Velvet like my world hadn’t just ended.

The moment I stepped through the staff entrance, I knew something was wrong.

Conversations stopped. Heads turned. Eyes followed me with that particular gleam of hungry curiosity.

Gossip.

It was buzzing through the club like angry hornets. I caught fragments as I moved toward the bar.

"Did you hear? They’re back together."

"Kael and Rebecca. Like nothing ever happened."

"I heard she was just a game. Some birthday present or something."

"Poor thing. Did she really think she had a chance?"

My chest constricted so tight I thought my ribs might crack. I kept walking. Kept my face blank. Kept pretending I couldn’t hear every word.

They were back together.

Kael and Rebecca.

Of course they were.

This morning, he’d told me the whole thing was a game. Entertainment for his ex-girlfriend. And now here they were, celebrating their reunion in the same club where I served drinks for minimum wage.

The universe had a sick sense of humor.

I grabbed my notepad from behind the bar. Checked my section assignments. Started my shift like a robot running on empty batteries.

Smile. Take orders. Deliver drinks. Clear tables. Repeat.

Don’t think. Don’t feel. Don’t look at the VIP section.

Definitely don’t look at the VIP section.

But my eyes betrayed me. They kept drifting toward that corner booth. The one with the best view. The one reserved for Blood Crown’s elite.

There he was.

Kael.

He looked the same as always. Devastating. Untouchable. His dark hair fell carelessly across his forehead. His jaw was sharp enough to cut glass. Those black-gold eyes stared at his phone, completely absorbed.

Like nothing had happened. Like this morning meant nothing.

Because it didn’t. Not to him.

Rebecca was draped across his arm. Her golden hair cascaded over one shoulder. Her green eyes sparkled with triumph as she surveyed the room. She wore a dress that probably cost more than my monthly rent. Red silk that clung to every curve.

She looked like a queen. And she knew it.

My stomach lurched. Bile rose in my throat.

I turned away. Forced myself to focus on the customer in front of me.

"What can I get you?" My voice came out steady. Somehow.

The next two hours were torture.

I moved through the club on autopilot. Smiling when I needed to smile. Nodding when I needed to nod. Pretending I was fine when I was dying inside.

Every few minutes, I caught another whisper. Another pitying look. Another cruel smirk from someone who’d heard the story.

The Shadow Moon girl who thought she could catch an Alpha heir.

How pathetic.

How stupid.

How naive.

When my break finally came, I practically ran to the staff room. My hands were shaking. My vision was blurring.

Not here. Not in front of everyone.

I slammed the door behind me. Collapsed onto the metal bench. Pressed my back against the cold wall.

And finally let myself cry.

The tears came hot and fast. Silent. Unstoppable. I clamped my hand over my mouth to muffle the sobs tearing from my chest.

I hated this. Hated that he could still destroy me like this. Hated that after everything—after Finn, after my family, after all the lessons I should have learned—I’d let myself hope again.

Hope was poison. Hope was a lie.

Kael had made that perfectly clear.

The door creaked open.

I scrambled to wipe my face. Tried to pull myself together. Failed miserably.

Elara stepped inside. Her pretty face creased with concern when she saw me.

"Aria?" Her voice was soft. Worried.

"It’s nothing." The words came out too fast. Too high. My voice trembled like a leaf in a storm. "Just family stuff. No big deal."

Elara hesitated. She clearly didn’t believe me. But she was too kind to push.

"Okay." She shifted her weight. Looked uncomfortable. "But, um... Rebecca wants you to serve their table."

My heart plummeted through the floor.

"What?" The word came out as barely a whisper.

"She insisted." Elara continued, looking miserable. "Said if you refuse, she’ll talk to the manager."

"Much better." She leaned forward, elbows on the table. Her green eyes glittered with malicious glee. "So tell me. How did it feel? Dating my boyfriend?"

I dug my nails into my palms under the table. Drew blood. Welcomed the pain.

I knew exactly what she was asking. But I wouldn’t give her the satisfaction of a response.

Silence was my only weapon.

"I mean, it must have been amazing, right?" Rebecca continued, leaning closer with obvious delight. "He’s pretty good in bed, isn’t he?"

Heat flooded my face. Shame. Humiliation. Rage.

I said nothing. Stared at the table.

"Cat got your tongue?" Rebecca laughed again. "God, this is pathetic. You’re not even going to defend yourself?"

I didn’t trust my voice. Didn’t trust myself not to scream or cry or break completely.

So I stayed silent.

Rebecca turned to Kael. Pressed a kiss to his cheek. He didn’t move. Didn’t react. Just kept scrolling through his phone like none of this was happening.

Like I wasn’t even there.

My chest felt like it was caving in.

"You should say thank you, you know." Rebecca turned back to me. Her voice dripped with condescension. "If I hadn’t chosen you, would you ever have gotten to touch someone of our... caliber?"

I kept my eyes fixed on the table. Refused to speak.

"Don’t be difficult." Rebecca laughed again. "You want to know something funny? He told me you were the most disgusting thing he’d ever touched. I’m taking him to get tested for STDs after this. Just to be safe."

The words hit me like physical blows.

My already shattered heart turned to ash.

Finally, I raised my head. Looked at Kael through tear-blurred eyes.

For the first time since I’d sat down, I met his gaze directly.

Those black-gold eyes. The ones that had burned with something that looked like passion last night. The ones that had watched me fall apart this morning with cold indifference.

They stared back at me now. Blank. Empty. Like I was a stranger. Like we’d never touched. Never kissed. Never shared anything at all.

My mouth opened. I wanted to say something. To defend myself. To call him a liar. To ask if any of it had been real.

But before I could form a single word—

Pain exploded across my face.

The slap echoed like a gunshot.

Every head in the club turned toward us.

My head snapped to the side. My cheek burned with fire. Stars danced across my vision.

Rebecca’s hand still hung in the air.