Tempted By My Ex's Brother-in-Law (Aria and Grayson) novel Chapter 154

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Chapter 134

Chapter 154

Aria’s POV

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Only three days left before the final trial. And I’d pretty much lost everyone’s support.

Lady Quentina had been going out every day to lobby for me, but I could tell it wasn’t going well. With each day that passed, the gloom sitting on my chest got heavier.

I’d planned to see Damian again today, to try and make a deal that wouldn’t hurt Zane.

But before I could leave, my phone rang.

“Hello?”

“I’m in Spike Hill Pack,” the voice on the other end said.

My breath hitched. I recognized that voice instantly.

“Mom?!” I whispered, hurrying into a corner where no one could hear me. “How the hell did you get here? Aren’t you supposed to be in Red Stone right now? …in Grayson’s jail?”

“Aren’t you happy that your mother got out of the freaking hell?” she snapped.

“No! Of course I’m happy.”

I was just confused.

Before he left, Grayson told his men to keep a close eye on my mom and interrogate her to find a way to free my wolf. His orders were absolute, especially in his own pack. So how she’d escaped untouched was a hell of a

miracle.

“You don’t need to know how I got out. The most important thing is I’m here,” she said vaguely. “Anyway, I’ve been following the news. You are in a lot of trouble right now.”

“Yeah, like I need you to tell me that,” I mumbled.

“Don’t talk to your mother like that!” she snapped. “You know what people have been saying? They say you’re a fucking idiot. A cheap whore. You let Grayson screw you for a year, and for what? You can’t even get his vote to save your life. You’re the biggest joke alive!”

I clenched my fists. I never understood why my own mother had to be so vicious. But she hit her mark. Her

words hurt.

“Now you know how stupid it was to not listen to your mother?” she went on. “You should have made Grayson marry you when you had the chance. Now he’s going back to his gorgeous, high–born wife. He won’t give a damn about a piece of shit like you anymore…”

“Enough.” My voice shook with agony. “Did you come back just to say this to my face? How the hell are you any different from everyone else laughing at me?”

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Chapter 154

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She snorted. “No, I’m here to save you, you fool. And soon you’ll find your mother is the only one who cares about you at the end of the day. Tonight at 8, come to Central Garden Hotel, Room 1123 to find me. Don’t let anyone else know.”

With that, she hung up.

I stared at my phone, stunned.

That was it? No more explanation?

I tried to call back. But her phone was off.

This was so confusing. Why would my mom be able to save me when someone as powerful as Lady Quentina couldn’t? Maybe my mom was just bragging. But again, she did escape Grayson, so maybe she had something real I didn’t know of….

Wait.

A spark flashed in my head, and my breathing sped up.

Maybe she was going to tell me how to get my wolf back!

She’d always used that as leverage to force Grayson to marry me. But now that Grayson’s stance was absolutely clear, maybe she’d decided to ditch the plan and tell me everything.

If I got my wolf back, even if I lost the trial, I might still escape. If not, I could at least survive the punishment.

“Aria, what are you doing here?” a voice cut through my chaotic thoughts.

I turned and saw Lady Quentina coming into the hotel with Torvi and Selena. She walked straight to me, worry on her face. “Who were you talking to? Is everything alright?”

I hesitated.

Mom told me not to tell anyone she was here. Should I tell Lady Quentina?

I made my decision in a heartbeat.

“Nothing. Just a spam call. I’m fine,” I lied, forcing a smile.

She relaxed and patted my shoulder. “Don’t worry too much. Even if we lose, I still won’t let anyone hurt you. Everything will be just fine.”

“Yeah I know. Thank you.”

“Take as much rest as you can get these two days. 3 days from now, I want you glowing when you go into battle.” She winked. “So I’ll see you at dinner?”

“Yeah. Of course,”

She waved and left. Selena shot me a look of disgust before following her lady, but I didn’t have the energy to

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Chapter 154

care about that today.

…

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I’d already decided to go meet my mom. Alone. And I wouldn’t tell anyone. Not even Lady Quentina.

My mom had risked Grayson’s anger to come help me. The least I could do was protect her whereabouts. And if I could fix the trouble myself, I wouldn’t have to keep relying on Lady Quentina. I already owed her too

much.

That night, after a normal–seeming dinner with Quentina, I slipped out, telling everyone I wanted a walk.

I wore a plain tracksuit, pulled a cap low over my face. With how hated I was right now, I didn’t need to be recognized on the street.

Arriving at the hotel, I went straight to the front desk. “Hi. Can you let Mrs. Collins in Room 1123 know I’m here?”

“She left a key for you,” the receptionist said, handing me a card. “You can go right in.”

That’s weird. If my mom was here waiting for me, why not open the door herself?

The thought flickered and vanished. I took the elevator up anyway.

At room 1123, I swiped my key card. The lock beeped, and the door clicked. I pushed it open.

“Mom?” I called.

All lights were switched off. Curtains drawn. It was pitch black in the room. I frowned and took another step forward. There was a smell… something sweet and sickening clinging to the air.

“Mom!” I called again, reaching for the switch. “Why won’t you turn on the lights—”

A scorching hand clamped around my wrist.

I gasped in horror. He lunged from the dark like a beast, slamming me into the wall and pinning my arms over my head.

I screamed and kicked at him with all my whole might. He was too damn strong and he held me easily. His breath was rough and hot as he leaned down, trying to kiss me.

“NO! No don’t-” I wrenched my head away, shaking. “Don’t you touch me… Get the fuck off!”

“Aria… Aria,” he murmured, his lips lingering on my neck, kissing sensitive skin. “I love you. I really love you. You should know I’m the one who’s right for you…‘

“Don’t, Zane,” I said shakily, trying desperately to shove him away. “What the hell is wrong with you? Wake up!”

Yet he only held me tighter, kissing me with hot, frantic hunger. That sweet scent in the air made my head swim. My strength drained out of me. My thoughts unraveled.

I ended up melting in his arms with a weak moan. Everything else fell away.

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Chapter 154

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My last clear memory was him lifting me, carrying me toward the bedroom, and laying me down on the bed.

And then, everything went black.

“…Aria… Aria… Fuck. WAKE UP, ARIA!”

My eyes flew open.

My head was splitting. My body hurt like I’d been run over by a fucking truck. I shot upright on the messy bed and stared at my naked body, horrified. There were sex marks all over my skin.

Zane was in the same bed. Also naked.

“Are you okay?” he asked, panicked, reaching for me.

“Don’t touch me!” I screamed and snatched up the sheet and wrapping it tight around my body, scrambling back. “Get away from me! Stay back!”

He clenched his jaw and put his hands up in the air. “Okay, okay! I’m not going to hurt you so relax OK?… Fuck! I don’t even know what the hell happened. How did we…how did we end up here?!”

I glared at him. “My mom told me to come. You?”

“Damian told me he wanted to talk about the vote and asked me to come to this room,” he said, anger twisting his handsome face. “FUCK! They played us.”

My mom and… Damian?!

How did they even know each other? And why did they do this to us?

It was all too much at once. I couldn’t process all the information. I clutched the sheet, swallowing hard, then asked the question I dreaded most at this moment:

“Did we… did we actually do it?”

His face tightened. He scrubbed a hand through his hair and muttered, “…I–I don’t remember. Last night’s a blur.”

“Fuck!” I snarled, digging my fingers into my hair.

“It’s a trap,” I rasped, forcing myself to come down. “We can’t let anyone know. Especially Grayson. Now get dressed. We need to get out of here now-”

Yet before I could finish, the door exploded inward with a kick.