Chapter 139

Sarah's POV It didn't matter why Ethan had come. What mattered was that I still couldn’t let them know about Aria—not yet. "Aria, stay in your room for a bit," I said, keeping my voice light, even as tension coiled in my stomach like a warning. She looked up, immediately sensing something was wrong. "Mom—" "Just for a few minutes, sweetheart," I insisted gently but firmly. The knock came again at the suite door, just moments after Aria reluctantly shut her bedroom door. "Sarah," came Ethan's voice through the door—quiet, firm, and edged with something unreadable. "We need to talk. May I come in? I know everything... where you've been these past five years." My breath caught in my throat. For a heartbeat, I remained frozen, torn between the primal instinct to protect what I'd built and the guilt I'd buried deep within my soul. Slowly, I unlocked the door and pulled it open. "Beta Ethan," I said, keeping my voice steady despite the tremor threatening to break through. "This is unexpected