Chapter 200
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VENUS
The phone rang again, sharp against the quiet of the house. I’d only just set it down after telling myself I didn’t need it, that Aaron would call when he could. But something in the back of my mind-the same nagging instinct that had never steered me wrong-made me answer.
“Hello?” My voice sounded fragile even to me, soft and questioning.
“Venus?” Colton’s tone was clipped, urgent. “Have you seen the news p>
I frowned, confusion knitting my brow. “News? What news p>
There was a pause, just long enough for my stomach to knot. “The-about Aaron. You need to turn on the TV p>
“What…what are you talking about?” My fingers gripped the phone tighter, nails digging into the plastic.
“You’ll see. I’m coming over p>
I hung up and moved toward the living room, every step heavier than the last. The sound of my own heartbeat echoed in my ears. I flicked on the TV. The glow of the screen was the only light in the room, casting long shadows across the furniture.
The first thing I saw made me freeze: a headline flashing across the screen, bold and unforgiving. Aaron Sinclair Caught in Hotel Room with Another Woman. The words seemed to pulse, each one heavier than the last, hammering at my chest. My breath caught. I swallowed hard, trying to force the panic down, to remind myself of the man I knew-the man who had been my anchor, my partner, my husband.
“That’s not true,” I whispered, barely audible. My lips moved the words, but they felt empty even as I said them. “Aaron wouldn’t…he wouldn’t do that p>
I switched channels. Maybe it was a mistake, maybe some kind of misreporting. But every station, every news ticker, every scrolling text was the same story. Hotel room. Another woman. Hidden cameras. The kind of scandal that could ruin reputations in hours, maybe minutes.
I turned off the TV abruptly, the click echoing like a gunshot in the room. I sank onto the couch, head in my hands, trying to breathe. The house felt impossibly large and empty, and yet suffocating at the same time.
The phone rang again. I jumped. It was Colton.
“I’m on my way,” he said immediately, no greeting, no preamble. “Just…don’t do anything yet. Wait for me p>
I nodded even though he couldn’t see me. “Okay p>
I hung up and immediately tried Aaron’s number. Once. Twice. Three times. His voicemail picked up every single time. My chest tightened, a slow, insistent squeeze that made it hard to think. My thumb hovered over the screen, ready to call again, but I couldn’t move.
I paced. Around the living room, past the windows, past the kitchen, past the quiet sleeping rooms of my children. Each step made the tension coil tighter inside me. My mind raced, jumping between denial and terror. He’s in France, at that meeting. He’ll call soon. He has to.
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Minutes passed-or maybe hours. I didn’t know. Time had lost its shape. I tried again. No answer. I left messages, each one growing more desperate, more frantic. Aaron, pick up. Please. Call me. You have to explain.
It’s not true.
My hands were shaking now, the phone slipping in my grip. I pressed it to my ear again and again, willing him to pick up, willing him to tell me it was a lie.
And then I remembered his assistant. Jane. She always knew his schedule, where he was, what he was doing. She would know.
I dialed, my fingers trembling so violently the numbers felt slippery.
“Hello, Jane?” My voice cracked.
“Venus p>
,” she answered immediately, calm but cautious. “I got your messages. I…you’ve seen the news p>
“Yes.” I swallowed hard. “I don’t understand. This isn’t true. Aaron wouldn’t…he couldn’t…” My voice broke, and I swallowed again, trying to regain control. “Where is he? Where is Aaron right now p>
There was silence on the other end, and it stretched long enough to make my chest pound painfully. When she finally spoke, her words were measured, almost clinical, and every one of them landed like a brick.
“I don’t know p>
“What do you mean you don’t know?” My voice rose, panic sharpening the edges. “You’re his assistant. You know everything. You tell me, Jane, where is he p>
Another pause. I could hear her taking a breath. “Venus…he’s…he’s missing p>
The words hit me like a physical blow. Missing. My knees felt weak. The phone slipped from my hand, clattering onto the hardwood floor. I couldn’t breathe. I couldn’t think. My mind spun, grasping at every possible explanation. He couldn’t be missing. He was on a business trip, not…not gone. Not like this.
“Missing?” I whispered, voice trembling. “What do you mean…missing p>
“I mean…we don’t know where he is. He hasn’t checked into any meetings. His flight schedule doesn’t match anything. His phone is off. And…” Her voice faltered just enough to make the words hang heavier. “And the news …we think someone might be trying to manipulate the story. But we don’t know. We haven’t been able to reach him p>
I sank to the floor, back against the couch. My hands gripped my knees, shaking. The room felt impossibly quiet, but inside me, it was chaos. My life-the life I had built-was unraveling in slow motion. My children were upstairs, blissfully unaware, but I couldn’t stop the panic clawing at me.
Everything was crashing. The perfect life. Aaron. Our home. The children. The certainty I had always relied on. Gone-or at least fractured in ways I couldn’t yet comprehend.
“Venus?” Jane’s voice cut through my spiralling thoughts. “I’m sorry. I’ll do everything I can to find him, but… please, stay calm. Don’t p>
I didn’t hear the rest. My mind was consumed by the image of him, alone somewhere, a stranger’s hands meddling with the story of our life. The notion was unbearable.
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I sat there for what felt like hours, but it was probably only minutes, listening to the hum of the refrigerator, the distant pulse of the ocean, the quiet rhythm of a house that had just become foreign to me. The phone felt heavy in my lap, as if it held the gravity of everything I feared.
Missing. That word echoed endlessly in my mind, each repetition a drumbeat of dread.
And I knew, in that quiet, devastating moment, that nothing-nothing-would ever be the same again.
P
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Ruby Walker
Ruby Walker is a rising voice in the world of romance and spicy fiction. With a gift for weaving deep emotions, sizzling chemistry, and unexpected twists, her stories are a blend of passion and drama that captivate readers from start to finish. Ruby’s writing style is bold and irresistible—perfect for those who crave intense, addictive love stories.