Chapter 116
Author’s POV
She immediately sent Ryan a private message, offering congratulations and asking about his new role.
Ryan responded warmly. Clara had always been well-liked at university—the beautiful, kind teaching assistant everyone admired. And she’d helped him when no one else would.
“Do you remember Aria Smith?” Clara typed casually.
“Uh… yeah. Why are you bringing her up? That was ages ago p>
But his tone betrayed him. The bitterness was still there, simmering just beneath the surface.
Clara picked up her phone and called him directly.
She was still furious, still burning with the need to lash out at someone. So she got straight to the point.
“Ryan, I need your help. Aria isn’t who everyone thinks she is p>
A lot of people in their alumni circles knew that Ethan and Aria had gotten married after graduation. Ryan was no exception.
But Clara spun a different story.
“Aria’s been unfaithful,” Clara said, her voice dripping with false concern. “She uses the excuse of helping Ethan’s business to… get close to other men. Do you know how Silver Creek Pack’s company has expanded so quickly these past two years? It’s because of her. She’s been sleeping her way through every deal p>
There was a beat of silence on the other end. Then Ryan’s voice came back, low and venomous.
“I knew it. I always knew she was like that.” His words came faster now, anger sharpening each syllable. “Back in school, she played me. Made me think she was interested, led me on—and the whole time, she was going after Ethan too. She’s disgusting p>
Clara’s smile widened. Finally, someone who hated Aria as much as she did.
“Ryan, you’re a good person,” Clara said smoothly, her tone warm and sympathetic. “What Aria did to you back then was cruel. And honestly, Ethan and I… we’re close. I can’t stand watching him be deceived like this. He deserves to know the truth p>
She let the implication hang in the air for a moment before continuing.
“If you help Ethan see who Aria really is… I’ll make sure you two meet. I’ll introduce you properly. Silver Creek Pack has a lot of influence, Ryan. Imagine what that could do for your career p>
Ryan came from a working-class family. He’d clawed his way into Silverbrook City’s news station through sheer determination and talent. But talent alone wouldn’t get him promoted—not in a place where everyone else had connections, family money, pack backing.
Clara’s offer hit him exactly where she knew it would.
“You don’t have to say anything else, Clara,” Ryan said quickly. “You helped me before. I owe you. And besides, we’re journalists—writing articles is what we do p>
Clara hung up and immediately transferred ten thousand dollars to his account.
“Ryan, this stays between us, okay? No one can know p>
Ryan protested briefly, but he took the money. He trusted Clara completely. He didn’t question the information she sent him, didn’t verify a single detail.
Within hours, he was drafting an article.
In journalism circles, this kind of thing wasn’t uncommon. Even if it was fabricated, what could Aria do? She was nobody—an orphan with no pack, no power, no protection.
Ryan was good at his job. His talent for writing viral, emotionally charged pieces was exactly why the news station had hired him.
And this time, he poured every ounce of his resentment into the words.
He wrote from the perspective of a victim—a man betrayed, humiliated, manipulated. He painted Aria as a calculating seductress who’d used her beauty and intelligence to prey on men, both in university and beyond.
By the time he was finished, Aria wasn’t just a woman who’d rejected him. She was a predator.
At midnight, Ryan published the article under his verified reporter account.
By dawn, it had exploded.
The article climbed to the third most-searched topic online. The headline that dominated search engines read:
In the article, Aria’s name and university were listed in full. Only Silver Creek Pack’s company name was kept vague—just enough plausible deniability to avoid a lawsuit.
Within hours, former classmates were sharing it. Alumni group chats lit up. Social media was on fire.
Online, the public discourse focused on morality, on declining societal values. But among the people who actually knew Aria, the reaction was immediate and vicious.
Some had liked her. Others had always resented her beauty, her intelligence, her quiet confidence. Now, regardless of their previous opinions, everyone turned on her.
And within Silver Creek Pack’s company, the gossip spread like wildfire.
“So that’s how she closed all those deals p>
“God, she’s gorgeous, but doing something this disgusting? She’s an embarrassment to women everywhere p>
That morning, when Ethan arrived at the office, he immediately noticed the tension. Employees were huddled in groups, whispering. The moment they saw him, they fell silent.
He heard Aria’s name muttered more than once.
His wolf bristled uneasily. Something was wrong.
He called his assistant in and demanded an explanation.
Minutes later, Ethan was staring at his phone screen, his blood running cold as he read the article that was tearing his wife’s reputation—and his pack’s stability—to shreds.