Sold to Bastard Alpha after My Divorce! novel Chapter 78

Chapter 78: Chapter 78

Aria’s POV

It happened after work.

I was walking home from my shift. The streetlights were flickering, half of them dead. This neighborhood never got maintenance. Never got attention. The city pretended it didn’t exist.

Most nights, I walked fast. Kept my head down. Got inside as quickly as possible.

But tonight, I heard something.

Voices. Young. High-pitched.

And one of them was crying.

I stopped.

Down the alley to my right, I could see them. Three girls—teenagers, maybe fifteen or sixteen—surrounding a fourth. The fourth was smaller. Cornered against a dumpster. Her clothes were expensive. Designer. Completely out of place in this part of town.

"Please," she was saying. "I don’t have any more money. I already gave you everything."

"Then give us the phone." One of the attackers shoved her. "And that necklace. That looks real."

"My parents—"

"Shut up!" Another shove. Harder this time. The girl stumbled. Hit the wall.

Something inside me snapped.

"HEY!"

My voice echoed down the alley. All four heads turned.

I walked toward them. My heart was hammering. My legs were shaking. I had no weapon. No wolf. No way to defend myself if this went wrong.

But I kept walking.

"Leave her alone."

The leader of the group laughed. "Who the hell are you?"

"Someone who’s calling the cops in about thirty seconds if you don’t back off."

"With what phone?"

I held up my cheap prepaid cell. It was a bluff. The battery was almost dead. But they didn’t know that.

"This one."

The girls exchanged glances. Calculating. Deciding if I was worth the trouble.

"Whatever." The leader spat on the ground. "She’s not worth it anyway."

They scattered. Disappeared into the shadows like cockroaches when the light comes on.

I waited until I couldn’t hear their footsteps anymore. Then I rushed to the victim.

"Are you okay?"

She was crying. Really crying. Big, gulping sobs that shook her whole body.

"I was so scared." Her voice was tiny. "I didn’t know what to do. They just—they came out of nowhere—"

"It’s okay. You’re safe now." I helped her stand. "What’s your name?"

"Sophie." She wiped her face with the back of her hand.

"I’m Aria. What are you doing in this neighborhood, Sophie? No offense, but you don’t exactly blend in."

She let out a watery laugh. "My boyfriend. He was supposed to take me home, but we got in a fight and he just... left me here. I’ve been walking for an hour trying to find a bus stop or something."

"Your boyfriend left you alone in this part of town?" I felt my blood pressure spike. "What kind of asshole does that?"

"He’s not usually—I mean, we were fighting, and—" She stopped. Shook her head. "Okay, yeah. He’s an asshole. A complete and total asshole."

"Good. First step is admitting it."

She looked at me then. Really looked at me. Her eyes were red-rimmed but bright. Intelligent. And filled with something that looked almost like admiration. 𝗳𝗿𝐞𝕖𝘄𝗲𝕓𝗻𝚘𝚟𝕖𝐥.𝚌𝕠𝕞

"You saved my life."

"I wouldn’t go that far—"

"You did!" She grabbed my hands. Squeezed. "You didn’t have to stop. You could have just kept walking like everyone else. But you didn’t. You saved me."

"I just couldn’t watch and do nothing."

"That’s exactly my point." Her grip tightened. "Let me pay you back. Please. Come to my house. My driver can take you home, and we can get you some food or something. It’s the least I can do."

I hesitated. "That’s really not necessary—"

"Please." Her eyes were huge. Pleading. "I really need the company right now. I’m still shaking."

She was. I could feel it through her hands.

And honestly? I could use some company too.

"Okay," I said. "Sure. Why not."

"Yeah." There was no point hiding it. "I’m pregnant."

"Oh my god!" She bounced forward on the couch. "That’s amazing! Congratulations! When are you due?"

"About six months."

"And the father? Is he supportive? Is he helping with everything?"

The question hit me like a wave. I looked down at my tea.

"There is no father," I said quietly. "Not in the picture, anyway."

Sophie’s excitement dimmed. "Oh. I’m sorry. That must be really hard."

"It is what it is." I shrugged. "I’m managing. Trying to save up, but with the job I have..." I shook my head. "It’s not easy. And the harassment makes everything worse. I can’t quit though. I need the money."

Sophie was quiet for a long moment. She was looking at me with an expression I couldn’t quite read.

Then she sat up straight. Her whole demeanor changed.

"Come work for my family’s company."

I blinked. "What?"

"I’m serious!" She leaned forward, her eyes bright with excitement. "We’re always looking for assistants. The work is easy—filing, scheduling, answering phones. The pay is way better than a convenience store. And nobody will harass you because my mom runs a zero-tolerance workplace."

I stared at her. My brain refused to process what she was saying.

"Sophie, you don’t even know me. We just met."

"I know you saved my life. I know you’re brave and kind and you stopped to help a stranger when nobody else would." She grabbed my hands again. "Please, Aria. Let me help you. It’s the least I can do after what you did for me."

My heart was pounding. This couldn’t be real. Things like this didn’t happen to people like me. I didn’t get lucky breaks. I didn’t get rescued by rich girls with mansions and job offers.

But here I was. Sitting in a palace, holding hands with a girl who looked at me like I was something special.

"Are you sure?" My voice cracked. "I don’t have experience. I don’t have references. I’m a nobody from the worst part of town."

"You’re the person who saved me." Sophie’s voice was firm. "That makes you the opposite of a nobody."

The tears came before I could stop them. Hot and fast, streaming down my cheeks.

"Sophie, I don’t know what to say. I—thank you. Thank you so much."

She pulled me into a hug. Tight. Warm. Real.

"No," she whispered. "Thank you."