---- heard something, she's been fidgeting. But that's even better. When the ceremony starts, we have to make sure that old bitch watches her daughter get ruined! Catch her completely off guard! Let her taste despair too!" As Elena spoke, she started to turn and leave to carry out Connor's previous orders. But Connor suddenly shot out his hand and grabbed her arm tightly, so hard that Elena cried out in pain. 'We're not playing the videos." His voice was hoarse, tinged with an exhaustion he himself didn't realize. "Aria's not here. If we play them... there's no one to see." "There's no point anymore." He didn't know why he'd suddenly lost control like this. The news of Aria's accident was like a red -hot iron searing his heart, making every breath a sharp pain. Everything he'd planned for six years, every ---- carefully prepared humiliation, suddenly seemed pale and... pointless. A deep resentment and venom flashed in Elena's eyes. She wanted to keep talking, to use those vicious words to belittle Aria, to provoke Connor and strengthen his resolve for revenge. Connor's patience completely ran out. He suddenly flung Elena's hand away, his eyes as cold as ancient ice. "Enough! Aria is not the person you make her out to be!" His voice was low and dangerous. "Elena, I'm warning you one last time. This is my pack's internal business. How it's handled is not for an Omega like you to dictate!" This was the first time he'd ever shown such a cold, ruthless side to this pureblood Omega he'd cherished and put on a pedestal. Without waiting for Elena to react, he turned and ---- strode off to find Aria's mother. He saw the once graceful she-wolf, now looking utterly devastated, staring at an emergency news broadcast on her phone, her eyes red-rimmed. Connor's heart tightened. He deliberately softened his tone, reining in his Alpha presence. "Auntie, hasn't Aria arrived yet? Has she... replied to your messages?" Aria's mother slowly looked up, her bloodshot eyes filled with despair and pain. "Connor, there's something... I think you should know." Her voice was dry and hoarse, as if she'd aged ten years overnight. "Aria... she might not be able to make it today. Three days ago, she submitted a request to permanently sever the mate bond and remove her scent mark. She was on that flight overseas this morning... I've been watching the news. That ---- plane... it just crashed..."