Page 16

STERLING

The morning of the press conference, I stood in front of the windows of my penthouse. Behind me, Ariel sat cross-legged on the couch with her laptop balanced on her knees. Her glasses slipped down her nose as her fingers tapped out a relentless beat on her keyboard.

“You’re pacing,” she said without looking up from her screen or pausing her fingers. “It’s distracting.”

I stopped mid-step and turned to her. “I’m not pacing. I’m strategizing.”

She glanced up and pinned me with a sharp look. “You’re pacing and you’re going to wear a hole in the floor if you don’t stop.”

I sighed before running a hand through my hair. “Fine. I’m pacing.”

She set her laptop aside and stood. Then she crossed the room calmly.

Without hesitation, she wrapped her arms around me, pulling me into her warm embrace.

The moment her body pressed against mine, the mate bond flared to life between us.

Pure love and acceptance flowed from her soul to mine.

Ariel’s scent enveloped me, and my beast purred with contentment.

“You’re going to be fine,” she whispered against my chest. “You’ve got this.”

The knot of anxiety that had been strangling me for hours began to loosen.

Through our bond, I felt her unwavering faith in me, her love washing over my doubts like a tide erasing footprints in the sand.

My wolf settled, no longer thrashing restlessly beneath my skin.

In her arms, the weight of expectations and fear simply melted away, leaving only the certainty that with her by my side, I could face anything.

“Do I?” I asked, my voice more unsteady than I intended. “This isn’t just a speech, Ariel. It’s me standing in front of the world and saying, ‘Hey, my family’s a bunch of criminals, but I’m not.’ How do I know they’ll believe me?”

She cupped my face gently, her thumb brushing against my stubble, and I nuzzled my cheek into her touch. “Because it’s the truth. And because you’re not just saying it, you’re showing it. You’re donating your fortune, Sterling. You’re making amends. That’s real.”

I’d spent so long running from my family’s legacy, trying to outpace it, that I hadn’t stopped to consider what it meant to face it head-on. To own it. To change it.

“What if I’m not enough, Ariel?” I asked. “What if I’m just another Nightfang, no matter how hard I try to outrun it?”

“You’re not your family, Sterling. You’re the man who’s fighting to be better. That’s what matters.”

“And what if I fail?”

Her hand moved lower to rest on my chest, right over my heart. “Then you’ll get back up. Because that’s who you are. And because I’ll be here to kick your ass until you do it,” she said with a smirk.

We spent the next hour rehearsing. Ariel’s notes were scattered across the coffee table as she played the role of both skeptical journalist and supportive confidante. Every time I stumbled over a phrase, she’d nudge my shoulder with hers, and help me get back on track.

The quiet moment was shattered when my phone lit up with a notification.

Violet: “Meet me at Amalfi. One hour. Or the world sees what you really are.”

Ariel’s hand closed around my wrist before I could throw the phone across the room. “What is it?”

“Violet,” I said flatly. “She wants to talk.”

Ariel’s expression hardened. “Then we’ll talk.”

“No.I’ll talk. You’re staying here.”

She crossed her arms. “Like hell I am.”

“Ariel—”

“Sterling, I’m not letting you walk into that alone.” Her voice was steel. “You don’t get to shut me out. Not now. Not after everything.”

I exhaled sharply, torn between the urge to protect her and the undeniable truth that I didn’t want to face Violet alone. “Fine. But you let me handle her.”

She smirked. “I’ll be your silent, terrifying guard dog.”

Amalfi was nearly empty at this hour, the dim candles on each table flickering across the white linen tablecloths like ghosts. Violet sat at a corner table. She was impeccable as always in a Chanel suit. Her smile was just as vicious as her style.

“Sterling.” Violet’s gaze flicked over Ariel dismissively before settling on me. “I see you’ve brought your pet. How adorable.”

Ariel didn’t flinch. “Mrs.Nightfang.”

I pulled out a chair for Ariel before sitting across from Violet. “Cut the theatrics. What do you want?”

Violet’s fingers traced the rim of her wineglass. “Such hostility. I merely wanted to offer you a final chance to reconsider your public spectacle today.” She slid a manila envelope across the table. “Before you humiliate yourself.”

I didn’t touch it. “What’s in it?”

“Proof, that you’re just as complicit as the rest of us. Bank records from your early investments. All of it tied to our offshore accounts. The press will have a field day.”

Ariel’s knee pressed sharply against mine under the table, reminding me of what was at stake. I kept my voice even. “Those were before I cut ties. And you know I didn’t know where the money came from.”

Violet’s laugh was like shattering glass. “Oh, Sterling. Naivety isn’t an excuse. The world will see you as a hypocrite, denouncing us while profiting from our work.” Her eyes gleamed. “Unless you cancel the press conference. Walk away quietly. And come home.”

Ariel’s hand clenched around my wrist. “He is home.”

Violet’s smile faltered. “Excuse me?”

Ariel leaned forward, her gray eyes blazing.

“You don’t get to blackmail him into being your puppet.

Not anymore.” She tapped the envelope. “And if you’d done your homework, you’d know Sterling already submitted those records to the authorities weeks ago.

Along with testimony about your operations. ”

The color drained from Violet’s face. “You’re lying.”

I folded my arms. “It’ll be on the news soon. It’s all public now.” The lie came easily, but the flicker of doubt in Violet’s eyes told me Ariel’s bluff had landed.

Violet’s nostrils flared as her voice lowered to a hiss. “You ungrateful whelp. After everything I’ve done for this family—”

Ariel scoffed. “Done? You mean the trafficking? The smuggling? Or just the part where you sent Rafe to kill your own son?”

Violet’s chair screeched as she stood. “You have no idea what you’re dealing with, little girl. This family survives. It doesn’t bow to sentimentality or weakness. And if you think Sterling’s little rebellion will change that, you’re even more naive than he is.”

Ariel didn’t flinch. “We’re not afraid of you.”

Violet’s lips curled into a sneer. “You should be.” She turned to me, her voice dripping with venom. “You’ll regret this, Sterling. Mark my words.”

I stood. “I already do. I regret every second I wasted trying to please you.”

Violet turned to leave, but hesitated at the edge of the table.

For a heartbeat, her rigid posture wavered and her fingers tightened around the strap of her purse.

When she spoke again, her voice was quieter.

“You were always the strongest of them, Sterling. Even as a child. Dean was too soft, and Rafe could never lead. But you had the teeth for it.”

A muscle in my jaw twitched. “Is that why you’re doing this? Because you’d rather destroy me than lose control?”

For a fraction of a second, her mask slipped.

I saw it, the raw, desperate flicker in her eyes, the same look she’d had years ago when Dean walked out.

Then it was gone, buried deep inside once again as the mask slipped back into place.

“Enjoy your victory, Sterling. It won’t last.” She strode out of the restaurant without another glance at us, her bitter scent lingering like a curse.

Ariel exhaled sharply. “Well. That went about as well as expected.”

I reached for her hand. “You were magnificent.”

She smiled faintly. “I had a good coach.”

The press conference was held in the grand ballroom of the Hughes Hotel, the entire room filled with a sea of reporters. Cameras flashed as I stepped up to the podium with Ariel beside me.

“Thank you all for being here,” I began, my voice steady despite the knot in my chest. “Today, I want to address the rumors and speculation surrounding my family and my past.”

The room fell silent, and every eye fixed on me. I took a deep breath as my gaze swept the crowd. “The Nightfang name has been synonymous with corruption for decades. My family’s legacy is one of greed, violence, and exploitation. And for too long, I’ve allowed that legacy to define me.”

I paused, my eyes finding Ariel’s. She gave me a small nod, her expression filled with quiet encouragement. “But today, I’m reclaiming that name. Not for my family’s legacy, but for the future I choose to build. A future rooted in integrity, accountability, and change.”

The room erupted in murmurs, but I pressed on.

“To that end, I’m announcing the creation of the Nightfang Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting victims of human trafficking and dismantling the systems that enable it.

Every dollar of my personal fortune will be invested in this cause. ”

The voices grew louder, but I didn’t stop.

“I know this won’t erase the past. It won’t undo the harm my family has caused.

But it’s a start. And it’s a promise, to the people who have been hurt, and to myself.

I will no longer be defined by the sins of my family.

I choose to be defined by the actions I take moving forward. ”

The room fell silent for a moment. Then, like a dam breaking, the applause began. It started as a tentative ripple but quickly grew into a thunderous wave. I caught Ariel’s eye again, her small smile a beacon of light in the chaos.

As the questions began, I answered them as honestly as I could. Ariel stood by me throughout, her presence a silent reminder of why I was doing this. It wasn’t just for myself, but for us, for the future we might build together.

When the conference ended, we retreated to a private lounge. As soon as the hotel staff closed the heavy wooden doors, the noise of the reporters faded behind us. I sank into a chair, my hands trembling slightly. Ariel perched on the armrest, her hand resting on my shoulder.

“You did it,” she said softly.

“We did it,” I corrected, looking up at her. “I couldn’t have done this without you.”

Her smile widened, but there was something bittersweet in it. “Yes, you could. You just needed someone there to remind you.”

I pulled her onto my lap. “Maybe. But I’m stronger with you.”

She leaned closer, her lips brushing my forehead in a gentle kiss. “Always.”

For a moment, I let myself be vulnerable, the weight of the day pressing down on me. “I don’t know how to thank you,” I admitted, my voice thick with emotion.

She cupped my face, her gray eyes soft. “You don’t have to thank me. Just keep being you, the man I see when you’re not trying so hard to prove yourself.”

Her words unraveled something tight in my chest. I buried my face in the crook of her neck, breathing in the scent of her. Her arms wrapped around me, holding me together when I felt like I might shatter.

“I love you,” I murmured against her skin, the words slipping out before I could second-guess them.

She stilled for a heartbeat, then pulled back just enough to meet my gaze. Her eyes were bright, searching. “Say that again.”

I swallowed, my throat tight. “I love you, Ariel. I think I have from the moment you stormed into my life.”

Her smile was like dawn breaking. “I love you too, you grumpy, impossible man.”