Aria nods with a smile and was about to leave with the older when she suddenly remembered something.

"Justin?"

"Yes?"

"You said you don't live here, but…"

"Oh, I forgot to tell you. Knight is my best friend. I was not supposed to be his assistant but I guess no one else does the job better than I did. I met him when we were in university. I was a scholar and he was a super rich  guy who hated studying. I'm sure you already have an idea why we became best friends." Justin laughs as he opens the door and leads the younger towards the dining area.

Knight was already waiting for them when the two arrived at the dining area.

Aria almost immediately drools upon seeing the food on the table but because she was still shy about the whole situation, she gave her host a small smile.

"So Aria , how do you like your room? I mean do you need anything? I asked Aria to prepare it for you and I hope you have everything you need in there." Knight asked 

Justin smiled to himself when he noticed how his  friend put a piece of the chicken on Aria’s plate first before he took one for himself.

Aria thanked the alpha for the food before she replied about his room.

" Mr. Ashbourne the room is too much already, thank you so much for letting me stay the night. I promise to find an apartment so I could---"

"You don't want to stay here?" Knight cuts her off the moment she mentioned looking for another place to stay.

"It's not that I don't want to stay here but your penthouse is too...uhmm I can't afford to stay in a place like this." Aria mumbled as she looked down because she feels like she can't meet the pure blood alpha's gaze.

Knight pouts.

"First of all, why do I get to be called Mr. Ashbourne but Justin is a being  called by his first name? Also, Aria who told you about paying rent or house fee here? Haven't I told you that I promised Harris that I will take care of you? Please don't even bother to think about looking for another place just because you're worried that I'm going to ask you to pay rent here." Knight said hoping that the younger won't look for an apartment anymore.

Aria starts to bite her lower lip, a clear indication that she's being shy or nervous again so Justin breaks the tension in the room by complimenting the food.

"Knight, don't  scare her. Why don't you offer her a job instead so she can feel more comfortable staying here?" Justin suggested.

At that Aria looked up.

"Oh, that's a wonderful idea but Harris told me that Aria already had a plan about the career she wants to pursue here. Isn't that right Aria?" Knight’s attention is back on her again.

" ah Yes Mr.Ashbourne”

"See, there's ‘Mr. Ashbourne’  again. Please just call me Knight." He corrected the younger who was now smiling at the alpha.

"Oh, okay Knight. I am actually planning to meet with a friend I met in Wellington. He's a music producer too." She decided to open up.

"Well, that's great! I'm sure you'll get the job Aria. Harris informed me about your passion for Music. I wish you could share it with us too." Knight said before they all started to eat

 Aria finally relaxes in the presence of the two alphas. The conversation about her passion for music makes it easier for her to be more talkative. 

Justin even mentioned that Knight was a fan of music and he also played some instruments that's why he has a piano in the penthouse. 

The three carried along their conversation until they finished dinner.

******At the Carter’s mansion.******

The pure blood alpha was staring at his sleeping daughter. He managed to feed her the moment he arrived a few hours ago. 

According to her nanny, Kiana didn’t want to eat because she was too busy playing with her new piano.

If there was one thing Kiana loved the most aside from him, it's music. 

Cyrus doesn't want to think that it has something to do with her mother but deep in his heart he knows that just like him, his daughter must be probably longing for her mama.

The pure blood alpha sighs again as he watches her sleep peacefully as if she wasn't just crying a while ago. 

There are times he wanted to just take his daughter with him and just vanish too. There are times when he just wants to be a good father to her too but he's so scared that the moment he quits, once he leaves politics, he might lose himself too.

He only drowned himself in work and politics after his mate left. He thought he was going crazy if it wasn't for his daughter that kept him sane during the time Aria left them.

"I saw her today my love, I saw your mama again." Cyrus whispered to his sleeping daughter knowing that she couldn't hear him.

"She still looks so beautiful just like you." he continues to mumble while brushing his daughter's hair away from her face.

"I promise to find her my star...and maybe you'll stop crying every night." The pure blood alpha leaned closer to leave a peck on his daughter's forehead before he finally stood up and went out of the room.

Cyrus walked towards his mini bar to grab himself a drink when he noticed that Alex was already pouring him a whisky.

"I heard what happened today. Have you found her?" Alex asked while giving him the glass.

Cyrus thanked her as he took the drink from her before he settled on the couch in his living room. 

Ever since Aria left, Rina and Alex were there for both him and Kiana. 

At first, he hated their presence in his space because they only reminded him of his runaway mate. 

But as time went by, he learned to tolerate them and accept that they're good for his daughter especially as he became so busy with work.

Both Rina and Alex became closer to Kiana. They were always there for them. They celebrated Kiana’s birthdays and milestones together too. 

But Cyrus is not oblivious though, he knows that Alex was not doing this out of friendship or because of her adoration for his pup.

 She had already shown him her motive a year after Aria left. Alex told him she liked  him despite the fact that they have the same rank.  

Cyrus rejected her and he even thought that Alex would cut ties with them but the alpha remained by his side to be a friend.

"NO. We're not even sure she’s the one." Cyrus chose to reply after taking a sip of his drink.

Alex nods in silence, a smirk on her lips knowing that Cyrus probably mistook someone else as Aria because she  is very sure that Aria would never come back.

"Well, I hope you can find her soon if she’s the one you saw. After all, you and Kiana deserve a valid explanation why she just left." Alex lied about wanting Cyrus to find Aria but of course, she has to say that to look good in front of the alpha.

Cyrus just nodded and didn't comment on the topic .

"Anyway, thank you for checking on Kiana again today Alex. I really appreciate it." Cyrus said with a forced smile.

"How about a dinner for it then? Tomorrow night, we could bring Kiana if you want." Alex knows Cyrus would once again refuse her invitation but to her surprise the pure blood alpha agreed.

 "I guess that's a good idea. It's been a while since I took Kiana out. Let's go out for dinner tomorrow evening then." Cyrus said before finishing his drink in his glass.

That night Alex left the  mansion with a wide grin on her face not knowing that the bond she had tried so hard to erase for years might spark again just because of the dinner she set up.

Aria has faced numerous challenges in her life. She became an orphan at the age of three and was raised in an orphanage with hundreds of other children. She started work when she was 16 so she could pursue her dream to be a musician.

She met her mate when she was 22, got married, and mated in the same year. She got pregnant and was divorced by the time she was 23 and now here she was staring at the ceiling of the penthouse where she will be staying temporarily.

Her life was never easy and yet she never thought of giving up on it. 

There were times she thought she had no reason to live and yet she always found something to remind her that as long as she lived, she would have a chance in life. 

Despite all the hardships and painful past things that happened to her, she still chooses to give herself a chance to be happy.

Aria does not know how she still manages to live life knowing that she has lost her heart already.

 She slowly lifted her hand to touch the side of her neck where Cyrus’s mark was still very visible.

She may never say it out loud but she knows deep inside her that the mark was a symbol of hope for her. 

As long as the mark is still there, she knows she will always find a reason to survive.

That evening, Aria let the thoughts of Cyrus flow in her mind again. This was one of the rare nights she would allow herself to go back on memory lane just to relive the beautiful moments with her mate.

Flashback

22-year-old Aria was very busy with her schoolwork when the head nun from the orphanage called her to inform her about the Thanksgiving celebration they were planning to do in the orphanage. 

At first, she thought she wouldn’t be able to attend the event because of her busy schedule but thanks to one of her best friends, Alex helped her finish her work so she could go.

She was busy feeding one of the little ones in the orphanage when she heard the commotion outside. 

She could hear the excitement of everyone while welcoming their guests but since she was too busy with the children in front of her, she just shrugged her shoulders and continued to feed the little girl beside her.

She was singing a song while cleaning up the table of the children when she first took a whiff of the most wonderful scent she had ever smelled in her entire life. 

Her head automatically snapped towards the direction of the door to see where the scent was coming from only to meet the most beautiful pure-blood alpha she had ever seen.

Soulmates among wolves are rare. Alphas, Betas, and Omegas can mate and marry each other even when they're not each other's soulmates. 

But in a rare case of two wolves destined and chosen by the moon to be together, then their bond would be so much stronger.

 They would automatically imprint on each other and would want to mark and mate each other on the spot and that was what she and Cyrus experienced right at that moment they laid their eyes on each other.

"A-alpha," Aria uttered the moment he saw the wolf form of the man standing in front of her.

This was one of the magical things that happens after finding a soulmate among wolves since wolves rarely shift.

 The alpha and the omega will both see each other's wolf form towering their human form the moment they see each other for the first time.

Aria had never seen a perfect pitch-black wolf with diamond-shaped white fur on its forehead it was as if the pure blood alpha was wearing a crown on his wolf form because of it.

Cyrus on the other hand felt like all the oxygen in his body had left him because damn, the white wolf towering over the human in front of him is divine. 

The Omega, his omega is flawlessly beautiful with her blue eyes.

At that very moment, Cyrus and Aria knew that they had found their soulmates. At first, the alpha was too shy to approach the omega until his cousin appeared behind him.

"Your omega would think that you don't like her if you wait another minute before you introduce yourself Cy." the older alpha whispered in his ear.

Cyrus’s eyes widened at the thought of hurting his mate like that so he gathered all his courage and introduced himself to the omega who was also staring at him.

"Hello, my name is Cyrus. Uhmm, your wolf is so w-white, so pretty." The alpha hated himself for stammering because he feels like an idiot in front of his mate but when Aria giggled, being an idiot forever is what he would do  if that's what it takes to hear the musical sound of his mate’s laugh.

"Yeah, my wolf's fur is white but I'm tan so... I hope you still find me pretty," Aria replied with a tiny smile on her lips and a pretty shade of pink blooming on her cheeks.

"Oh, of course! You're the prettiest, so beautiful. You even have long lashes and a perfectly chiseled nose. I mean, yeah.. The mole on your lips makes you cuter too." Cyrus keeps blabbering while Aria keeps blushing and giggling.

"I have never seen such cute pure blood. My name is Aria." Aria finally lifted her hand to accept Cyrus' hand too.

The two shook each other's hands all the while their eyes were focused on each other's faces.

 Cyrus is positive, he is the luckiest wolf in the whole universe not only because he has found his mate but because he has the perfect mate. She is perfect.

"Aria, even your name is beautiful. It suits you perfectly." Cyrus replied with a smile.

Dylan who was watching the two could not help but smile. He is beyond happy knowing that his cousin found his destiny.

He is so happy that his cousin's destiny is not just pretty but is someone simple and warm.

He always wished for Cyrus to find someone who would  make him happy and at the same time someone that could make sure he would never become like his father. 

Seeing Aria with her oversized shirt and pretty little earrings, Dylan knows that the omega would be the best addition to his cousin's life.

"Cyrus, why don't you take your mate for a ride? I'll take care of the ceremony." Dylan even tossed the key of his BMW to his cousin knowing that the two wolves were dying to mate and claim each other.

Cyrus grinned at his cousin and mouthed a little ‘thank you’ before he grabbed Aria’s hand and dragged her out.

The two young wolves end up at Dylan's vacation house. 

Cyrus took his mate to his cousin's favorite spot so they could have some privacy too.

There, Cyrus Carter claimed and marked his omega.

END OF FLASHBACK

Aria wipes away the tears in her eyes while trying to bring up the wall in her heart again. 

She didn’t want to think about how Cyrus claimed her in the past because that would just remind her of their past again.

It's been 3 years since Cyrus forcefully kicked her out of his life. She needed to move on already. She needed to start building her own life back up again and that is what she is going to do.

That night, Aria fell asleep with tears in her eyes again but this time, with a determination to change her ugly fate. 

She wants to live, she wants her Kiana, her baby  to be proud of her even wherever she is in the afterlife.

The next morning, Aria  woke up early because she had an appointment with Travis Cromwell, the producer she met. He had sent her the address to his workplace. 

She had also informed Knight about her appointment. The pure-blood alpha even volunteered to take her there but Aria firmly refused since she could not imagine arriving in a limousine when she was just going to apply for a job.

Aria and Knight had breakfast together before she left the penthouse.

It took Aria half an hour before she finally arrived at the address Travis gave. 

She was even more surprised to see that it is  a 30-storey building instead of just a simple office. 

She smiled to herself thinking that Travis Cromwell’s label was renting one of the  offices inside the building but to her utter shock again, she learned that the whole building is owned by Gems-Harmony Label and well...Travis Cromwell is the CEO of the said company.

"I'm sorry Miss but you are not on Mr.Cromwell’s appointment today. Please make an appointment next time." the beta secretary said in a mocking tone.

"But Miss I already told you, Travis called me last night and---" Aria stopped talking when she realized that no one would believe her since she was  talking about the company's CEO

She was about to leave and just decided to call Travis again when she almost bumped into someone.

"Aria? Aria, is that really you?" Alyssa Cromwell blurted out the moment she recognized the omega.

"Alyssa? Oh my goodness! I'm so happy to see you!" Aria excitedly hugs the older omega who immediately hugged her back too.

Everyone in the lobby of the building is so surprised to see the strict and snobbish mate of their boss to be that warm and friendly to another person. 

Even the one in the reception area who dismissed Aria a while ago suddenly got nervous when she realized her mistake.

"What are you still doing standing there in that position? Leave you are fired! We don't need disrespectful staff in this company. My sweet RiRi traveled all the way here to see Travis and not only did you disrespect her you didn’t bother to check in first!" Alyssa yelled at the beta who was mocking Aria a while ago.

"Ali,please calm down, don't fire here. She was just doing her job. It's my fault for not setting an appointment with Travis." Aria tries calm the down and save the beta but Alyssa  just shakes her head.

"No RiRi. I saw the whole thing. I didn't even know it was you she was talking to until I saw you properly. I was going to give her a talk after you left anyway, she should have confirmed with Travis’s secretary before she dismisses you like that. We don’t tolerate people with that kind of ugly behavior here” the older omega replied before she dragged the younger towards the elevator to meet her mate.

Aria looked at the beta with pity but she knows that Alyssa had a point too. They're already inside the elevator when he remembers something.

"Oh right! Alice! I didn't know Travis was the CEO of this company oh Luna, you two were just so simple when you were in Wellington! I couldn’t believe I befriended real big shot people there" Aria said while playfully hitting the older's arms.

Alyssa laughs at her reaction.

"It is my dad's company RiRi  Travis and I were on our second honeymoon when you met us in Wellington. You were so nice to us even when you didn’t know us so we really didn't think it would matter for you to know that he is now the CEO of Gems-Harmony." Alyssa said, looking at her with fondness in her eyes.

"You were both so kind to me too. Now I can't believe I am about to submit my portfolio to the CEO himself!" Aria grins when she realizes that there's a huge possibility that she would really get her dream job now.

The two entered the office of the CEO without knocking since Travis’s secretary already informed them that no one was inside.

"Honey look who's here!" Alyssa excitedly greeted her mate as he led her inside. 

The two gave each other a soft kiss on the lips before they turned to welcome Aria again.

"Finally, Aria has decided to join our company!" Travis opened his arms and gave the younger omega a hug too.

"It's nice to see you again Travis." She mumbled as she returned  the hug.

"I am glad that you contacted me, Aria. My Alyssa here would not stop listening to the demo disc you gave her ever since we left New Zealand. She loves not only your voice but your lyrics too. You have no idea how I'm so happy that you chose to trust us with your songs." Travis said when they're already sitting on the leather couch in his office.

"Thank you so much for the opportunity too. I promise to work hard." Aria feels like her heart was about to explode when she realized that yes, her dream to be a musician will finally come true.

"You have nothing to thank me yet Aria. Also, since it was already late when we talked last night, I only managed to ask my legal team to draft up your contract this morning. Would it be okay if I'll send it to you in email maybe later this afternoon? We would really love to have you in our team." Travis said with a smile.

Alyssa and Aria beams upon hearing the official offer but the younger is more delighted of course.

"Of course it's more than okay. I would love to work under your care too. I can't believe that I get to see you both more often now." Aria said with a wide smile because to be honest, she is also longing to have friends.

"You will definitely see us more often now RiRi because our music producers have their own studio in the building. I will show you yours tomorrow, they're still preparing it for you today." Travis informed her.

"How am I so lucky to have met you both?" Aria didn’t know what to say anymore because everything just feels so surreal.

"It's because you have a beautiful heart too, RiRi. You deserve every wonderful thing in life too” Travis said with a genuine smile.