Ethan's POV
I hesitated, ready to chase after Aria, when my father's voice cut through the air like a blade.
"Ethan."
I stopped. Turned. Alpha Gerald was watching me with that calculating look I knew too well.
"Dad, are we really going to let Aria lead us around by the nose?" The words came out sharper than I intended, but damn it, Mom was right.
Aria was taking advantage of our desperation, pushing harder every time we showed weakness.
Alpha Gerald's mouth curved into something cold. "Of course not. The share transfer hasn't been processed yet. We can pull it back anytime. That extra ten percent? Just a safety net."
Reality clicked into place. The shares were bait. All we needed was to keep Aria from walking out with our client lists and project data.
"I'm leavin
