Chapter 195

ARIA'S POV

Standing on the stage, with the lights shining down on me, I could feel the weight of every pair of eyes in the room.

The air was filled with whispers, astonishment spreading through the crowd like a wave.

“Wait, is that really Aria?” one woman gasped, her voice loud enough to carry across the hall.

“It can’t be,” another muttered. “The same Aria? The former Luna without a wolf? Alpha Dante's ex-wife?”

A man beside them leaned in, his tone filled with disbelief. “She designed this jewelry? This masterpiece?”

I held my head high, feeling my heart race in my chest as I looked out at the crowd. I didn’t need to see Linda to know she was somewhere in the crowd, her lips likely pressed into a tight line as she tried to keep her composure. The memory of her mockery earlier hurt, but now it only fueled my determination.

In the midst of the whispers, I lifted the microphone, and the room slowly fell quiet, except for the occasional hushed remark.