Sold to Bastard Alpha after My Divorce!-Chapter 172

Aria’s POV

I stood frozen in the doorway.

Lilith was clinging to me. Sobbing. Her whole body shaking like a leaf in a storm.

And I couldn’t move.

Couldn’t think.

Couldn’t breathe.

My mind was racing through a thousand questions all at once.

How did she find me?

Why was she here?

Where was Finn? Where was Celestia?

Why was she alone in the middle of the night?

"Lilith." My voice came out strangled. Barely audible. "Lilith, I need you to calm down for a second. I need you to tell me what’s happening."

She just sobbed harder. Her fingers digging into my shirt like I might disappear if she let go.

I looked around the hallway. Scanned the shadows. Checked every corner.

Empty.

No one else was here. No Finn lurking nearby. No Celestia waiting to ambush me. No bodyguards or drivers or anyone else who should have been accompanying a child.

My heart clenched despite everything.

"Are you by yourself?" The question came out sharper than I intended. "Did someone bring you here? Where’s your father?"

"J-just me." Her voice was muffled against my stomach. "Only m-me."

Only her.

"Lilith, look at me." I gripped her shoulders. Gently but firmly. "How did you find this place? How did you know where I live?"

She pulled back slightly. Her face was blotchy and red. Tears streaming down her cheeks. Her nose running. She looked absolutely miserable.

"I h-heard them talking." She hiccupped. Tried to wipe her face with her wet sleeve. "Daddy and C-Celestia. They were f-fighting again. And Daddy said your address. So I... I remembered it. And I c-came."

"What do you mean ’again’?" I asked carefully. "How often do they fight?"

"All the time!" The words burst from her. Fresh tears spilling over. "Every day! Sometimes twice a day! They yell so loud! And throw things! And... and..."

She dissolved into sobs again.

I pulled her inside. Shut the door. Locked it.

My hands were shaking.

"Lilith." I crouched down to her level. Made her look at me. "Why did you come here? What happened?"

"They h-hate me!" She wailed. "Daddy and Celestia! They hate me! They only l-love the baby! They give him everything! And I get nothing! Not even f-food sometimes!"

My blood turned cold.

"What?"

"They say I’m expensive!" Her voice pitched higher. Hysterical now. "They say they d-don’t have money for me anymore! That I eat too much! That I’m t-too much trouble!"

She was shaking so hard her teeth were chattering.

"And when they fight... when they get really m-mad... they..." She trailed off. Her eyes dropping to the floor.

Dread settled in my stomach like lead.

"They what, Lilith?"

She didn’t answer.

Just stood there. Trembling. Crying quietly now.

Finally, slowly, she held out her arm.

I pushed up her sleeve.

And my vision went red.

Bruises.

Dark purple and yellow marks covering her forearm. Some fresh. Some older. Some shaped like fingers.

Like someone had grabbed her. Hard. Hard enough to leave marks.

My hands started shaking. Actually shaking.

"Who did this?" The question came out deadly quiet.

Lilith’s bottom lip trembled. "I... I was being b-bad. I deserved it. Daddy said—"

I took a breath. Forced myself to calm down.

"You didn’t deserve this." Each word was deliberate. Measured. "No child deserves this. Ever."

Fresh tears spilled down her cheeks.

"But I was bad!" She insisted. Voice rising again. "I broke C-Celestia’s vase! And I talked back to Daddy! And I... I said mean things about the baby!"

"That doesn’t matter." I pulled her sleeve back down. Carefully. Gently. "Children make mistakes. That’s normal. That’s part of growing up. But hitting you? Hurting you? That’s NEVER okay."

She stared at me with those huge eyes. So much like Finn’s. So full of pain and confusion and desperate hope.

She threw herself at me again. Arms wrapping around my neck this time. Face buried against my shoulder.

"I’m sorry, Mommy!" The words tumbled out between sobs. "I’m so sorry! The things I said before! About you being smelly! About not wanting you! I didn’t mean it! I was stupid! I was a bad daughter!"

My throat tightened.

"Celestia and Daddy... they t-told me to say those things. They said you were b-bad. That you didn’t love me. That I should push you away."

My eyes burned.

"They lied." She continued. Voice breaking. "They lied about everything! And now they don’t w-want me anymore! "

I held her. Let her cry. Let her get it all out.

"It’s okay." I whispered into her hair. "You’re safe now. I’ve got you."

"D-don’t send me back!" She pulled away. Grabbed my face with both hands. "Please, Mommy! Please! I’ll be good! I promise! I’ll do whatever you want! Just don’t make me go back there!"

I stood. Scooped her up. She was heavier than I remembered. Taller. Growing up.

"Let’s get you cleaned up." I carried her toward the bathroom. "You’re freezing. We need to get you warm and dry."

"Okay." She sniffled against my shoulder.

I set her down in the bathroom. Started running warm water in the tub.

"Take off those wet clothes." I grabbed a towel. "Get in the bath. Warm up. I’ll find you something dry to wear."

She nodded. Started peeling off her soaked shirt.

I turned to leave. Give her privacy.

A small sound made me look up.

Lina stood at the end of the hallway.

Wearing her unicorn pajamas. Clutching her favorite stuffed animal. Her dark hair messy from sleep.

Those black-gold eyes—so much like her father’s—were wide. Confused.

She walked toward me slowly. Stopped right in front of me.

Her small hand reached out. Tugged gently at my sleeve.

"Mommy?" Her voice was tiny. Uncertain. "Who’s the girl over there?"