Alex Perez felt like her soul left her body at that moment. She felt like the ghosts she tried to bury in the past really came back to life just to haunt her.
When she saw Aria talking to Kiana, she was so sure that the omega would definitely recognize her child but the Moon seemed on her side when she remembered that she put Kiana on a scent blocker.
Her eyes snapped when she saw the child running back to her so she quickly picked her up and carried her outside.
She almost dropped her when she was startled by Cyrus’s voice.
"Alex, I was looking for you." Cyrus asked when he sensed the distress scent of the other alpha.
Alex tries her best to calm herself as she forces another of her annoyingly sweet smiles.
"You were looking for us? I mean, how did you even get here? We were waiting at the entrance." Alex asked while leading the father & daughter back to the car because she didn't know what fate had in store for her the rest of the evening.
"Oh, I took the other door. I didn't realize you were waiting. Anyway, here's your strawberry dip, my princess." Cyrus waves the box of the sweet treats in front of his pup.
"Tenchu daddy!" The little girl excitedly grabbed the box of her favorite dessert before she settled in her car seat at the back of the car.
Cyrus smiles as he watches his daughter through the rear mirror doing her tiny dance while holding the box.
When the pure blood alpha is sure that Kiana was safe on her seat already, he finally drives away from the restaurant.
It is only then when Alex finally lets go of the air she didn’t know she was holding in her chest.
"Woah, what was that for?" Cyrus asked, smirking when he noticed the other alpha's deep sigh.
"Nothing, I just---"
"Daddy! I saw pretty pwincess!" Kiana suddenly yelled in excitement upon remembering the pretty omega she met just a while ago.
Alex felt like a huge rock was about to fall in his head the moment he heard the little girl. He hates how Luna is a second away to ruining everything he has worked on for years.
"Pretty princess? like you?" Cyrus replied to his daughter not knowing that Alex who was sitting beside him was already losing her shit because of the said Princess.
"Na ah! She’s so pwetty daddy, pwettier than barbie!" Kiana said with her eyes sparkling while describing the omega she met a while ago.
Cyrus raised an eyebrow upon hearing his pup because for Kiana, Barbie is the prettiest of all. His daughter loved the doll even when she was just a baby.
"Wow, she must be pretty then. What's her name?" Cyrus asked again but this time Alex turned at the back seat to glare at the child hoping that she could scare her.
Kiana just darted out her tongue when she saw the alpha's eyes. She might just be a baby but she is a daughter of two pure blooded wolves so she isn't really someone who gets easily scared.
To Alex’s surprise, Kiana’s eyes turned to gold when she was trying to scare her. It was his first time she had seen the little girl's eye and her mouth hangs open when she realized that just like her Mother, Kiana is a pure blood omega.
"A pure blood." Alex didn't even realize that she already voiced out her thoughts.
"Alex, are you okay?" Cyrus asked when the alpha's distress scent got a little stronger.
"Cyrus, Kiana...she's pure blood?" She felt like a complete idiot when she said that but she has been with the little girl for more than 3 years and yet it is only now that she realized the real rank of the baby girl who's now leaning on her seat behind them.
"Oh, I'm surprised you really thought that she would be just an ordinary omega when she was born from pure blood. She is my daughter Alex. She's a Carter and nothing is ordinary when it comes to my blood." Cyrus said before winking at his daughter through the mirror again.
Kiana seemed like she understood everything they were talking about because the girl giggled at the back at Alex's annoyance again.
"I'm sorry. I just..well you know her mo--"
"Not now Alex, you know we can't talk about her in front of Kiana." Cyrus purposely lowered his voice once he sensed that the alpha will talk about his ex wife.
Alex nods in understanding. It's actually better for her if Cyrus would forever avoid the topic. It only meant he really didn’t want to do anything with Aria Thomson nymore.
Oh how wrong she was
The three arrive at the Carter mansion and since Alex made an excuse a while ago, she had to leave immediately too.
She tried to get closer to the pure blood and hoped for at least a simple peck from him but Carter just walked past her while carrying his daughter who was now sleeping in her father's arms.
"Good night Alex and thank you for tonight." Cyrus said before finally walking away to tuck his daughter in her bed.
Alex had no choice but to leave. She had a lot of questions in her head too. She is very certain that it was Aria she saw at the restaurant but why was she with Knight Ashbourne?
The two were hugging each other when she saw them so it could mean they were really close to be l that intimate in a public place.
The alpha female fished out her phone from her pocket and dialed her cousin's number. They have to devise a plan just in case Aria suddenly showed up again.
"Hello? Lex what's up?"
"Rina, we need to talk." She said before she finally drove away from the Carter mansion.
***
Now back in Knight’s penthouse, Aria kept tossing and turning in bed.
"Kiki..." she uttered again as she remembered the sparkling eyes of the little pup she met.
The girl looked like she was holding the moon and stars in her eyes while talking to her.
Everything about her was so perfect but Aria felt bad because she is certain that the little girl was wearing a scent blocker at an early age.
"But why would her parents do that? Oh..maybe she's the daughter of a very important person?"
Aria mumbles to herself again before she pulls another pillow to hug.
She didn’t even know why she was annoyed with the person that put the girl on a scent blocker when she didn’t even know them.
"Kiki" she uttered again and this time she felt a familiar rush of emotions in her body.
She may never admit it out loud but she knows that she is losing sleep over a random pup because she reminds her of her own pup.
Aria didn’t even know when she started to tear up. She was surprised when she realized that her pillow was already drenched with her tears.
"Kiana my angel...i miss you so much." She mumbles one last time before exhaustion and darkness finally swallows her.
THREE MONTHS LATER
"Miss. Thomson, the boys are here. Shall I send them to you or you'll be down at the recording booth with them?" The receptionist informed Kyra who was busy polishing the song she had prepared for the group that would sing his next batch of songs.
"Send them in, Mary, I’ve been waiting for them," Aria replied before she continued to play on the piano inside her studio.
It's been three months since Aria started to work under Gems-Harmony, the entertainment agency owned by her friend Travis, and despite that she has her own studio because of all the blessings she has been receiving ever since she returned.
Since Travis knows of her predicament regarding her identity and safety, the CEO agreed to register his music under his producer name Ivy.
She still doesn't know how it happened but in less than 3 months, the first song she produced made it to the top of the charts.
She wrote the song while she was still in New Zealand but only completed it when she joined Gems-harmony.
Travis gave the song to their soloist and everything just exploded because the song she produced and wrote became a hit song and even used in a famous drama.
Now, she is set to produce another set of songs, but this time it's for a new boy group that is set to debut soon.
She still couldn’t believe that her boss entrusted her with a big responsibility so she really is excited to work with them
Aria was still in her deep thoughts when a knock startled her.
"Good morning, Miss. Ivy." The boy whom he recognized as the leader of the group greeted her politely followed by the other members of the band.
"Jay isn't it?"
"Yes, Miss." Jay also introduced the other band members to her.
She flinched a little when the leader of the group introduced their main singer Dorian. The young boy's eyes reminded her of someone she had been trying not to think about since she came back.
Aria shoves the thoughts away when she feels the boys are suddenly weirded out of his silence.
"I'm looking forward to working with you. I've heard a lot about your group. I hope we can produce songs that will make you top of the chart too." Aria says and gives the boys encouraging smiles before she leads them to the recording booth.
Aria and the group started to work. They listened to the song, studied it, and started to record too.
Aria spent the whole day with them so she was really surprised when Travis knocked into the glass that was dividing the recording booth and her office.
"Ivy? Their manager is already complaining about you tiring out the kids. Why don't you give them a break and just continue tomorrow? It's past 6 pm already. I'm sure your alpha is already waiting for you." Travis teases his favorite producer.
"Oh, Luna! Travis!" Aria is scandalized because she can't believe that the CEO himself came to stop her from overworking the boys as he says to the ground and to tease her again about Knight.
Aria dismisses the boys first before turning to her boss/friend. "Travis, what if someone hears about this? I will----"
"What? I'm just telling the truth. He always waits for you as if he’s your personal driver." Travis points out that it's the truth.
Ever since Aria opened up to Knight that night at the restaurant they became closer. The alpha became so protective of her.
More often than not, the heir of the Prime Minister is always at the parking lot waiting for her too.
"He's not here today. He won't be here for at least another week." Aria says while getting her things ready because she also wants to go home.
"Oh, so where did he go this time? Why does he need to leave whenever he gets his ruts? Why won't he just spend it---"
"Oh, my goodness Travis! we're not going to talk about his rut please.”
Travis’s eyes were full of mischief when he turned to look at the younger again.
"Riri, don't you think it's time for you to stop taking in suppressants too? I mean you are already divorced. I'm sure your ex has his own life now so I don't think you still have to hide." Travis’s voice is full of concern.
Aria knows her friend really treats her like a younger sister and she knows he has a point.
The problem is, no one among her friends now knows who her ex is.
They only know the story but they actually don't know who she is dealing with.
The omega smiled softly at her friend.
"Thank you but I'm happy with what I have now. I only want to make music and make the world listen to them and I am doing it now already."
Aria even pointed at the framed certificate of his first song that topped the chart.
"But wouldn’t it be better if you sang them yourself so the world can feel the messages of your songs? Aria I'm not saying this as your boss and definitely not as your friend but as a fellow music producer too. You have a beautiful voice perfect for your own music. I can help you debut as a soloist too and I know you know that."
Travis poured out because ever since he first heard her voice, he fell in love with it.
He knows that the omega will make it big in the industry because of her talent will put every other artist to shame.
Aria has all the qualities of a star and yet the omega doesn't want to do anything in front of the cameras.
"Thank you so much for all the support and trust Travis but just like I've said, I'm fine with this. Now you will be the one in trouble if you keep nagging me . I'm sure Alyssa is already waiting for you!" Aria said, trying to change the route of the conversation.
Travis’s eyes widened as soon as he heard his mate's name as if it snapped something inside him.
"Oh shoot! Right, we're having dinner with a friend tonight. I'll go ahead Aria but please think of my offer again!." Travis said before he scurried to meet his mate at the lobby.
Aria couldn’t help but smile bitterly thinking about the days she used to dream of becoming a singer.
She remembers how much she loved to perform in front of a crowd, how she beams everytime he hears his audience ask for more songs from her when she was still working at Lucas’s restaurant.
Her smile slowly fades away when she remembers how all her dreams vanished. She remembers how she was thrown away like a used toy and how she wasn't even able to see her own daughter for one last time.
Aria is on the verge of tears when a knock on her door startled her.
"Ivy, aren't you going home yet?" Kyrie, her fellow female producer asked.
"Oh, you can go ahead Kai. I Need to do something first before I go home." Aria replies with a smile.
The other producer gave her a smile before she finally left.
The omega tried to calm herself down before she followed a few minutes later.
She is not in a hurry because she knows that Knight isn't home yet.
The pure blood alpha is spending his rut at his rest house to make sure Aria is safe.
At first, it was so awkward between them but thanks to Justin they finally smoothly talked it out.
Since Aria was on suppressants, she doesn't go into heat unlike Knight who goes into ruts every month.
Aria tried to suggest that she just get her own apartment but Knight strongly refused the idea that's why the alpha ends up leaving his own home to make sure Aria is safe and comfortable.
The omega couldn’t help but smile at the thought of Knight.
The pure blood alpha is very kind and thoughtful. He is also very handsome even though he isn't as handsome as Cyr—No! Aria’s mind screamed with the idea of thinking of her estranged mate again.
She hated how she always ended up comparing the two. She knows she's being ridiculous for thinking of Cyrus all those years and she sincerely wanted to stop but sometimes he just couldn’t help it.
Aria sighs as she picks up her bag and walks towards the door. She decided to just leave her studio to avoid the thoughts running in her head.
Aria is already walking outside their company building towards the bus station when she bumps into someone.
"Oh my!"
"I'm sorry I……Aria?!"
Aria’s eyes widened the moment she recognized the alpha she bumped into.
"R…Rina??!" She blurted and even before she managed to say something again, Rina pulls her into a bone crushing hug.