*Chapter 27: The Secret*
Aria's eyes widened in shock. "What do you mean?" she asked Elijah, her voice barely above a whisper.
Elijah hesitated, looking around nervously. "Vraxxis has a connection to your past," he said. "One that could change everything."
Aria's mind was racing. What could Elijah possibly mean? She had always thought of Vraxxis as a monster, a villain with no redeeming qualities.
But now, Elijah was suggesting that there was more to the story. That Vraxxis had a personal connection to her.
Ryker's eyes narrowed. "What kind of connection?" he asked Elijah.
Elijah took a deep breath. "Vraxxis is your father," he said.
Aria felt like she had been punched in the gut. She stumbled backward, her eyes wide with shock.
"No," she whispered. "That's not possible."
Elijah's expression was grim. "I'm sorry, Aria," he said. "But it's true. Vraxxis is your biological father."
Aria's mind was reeling. She had always known that her parents had kept secrets from her, but this was something she had never suspected.
She felt like her whole world had been turned upside down.