Chapter 138
Chapter 138
VENUS
Aaron didn’t let go for a long time.
And I didn’t ask him to.
61
His arms were steel around me, but his touch was careful, like I might shatter if he held too tight. My cheek was pressed against his chest, every slow, deliberate beat of his heart hammering into me like a metronome trying to drag me back into rhythm.
I focused on that sound. On the heat radiating off him. On the faint scrape of his stubble when his chin rested against the crown of my head.
It worked. Sort of.
But my hands still wouldn’t stop shaking. And Aaron noticed. Of course he noticed.
“Come here,” he murmured, as if I wasn’t already in his arms. But then he was moving-one smooth, unhesitating shift-and I was off the couch, cradled against him like I weighed nothing.
He carried me into the bedroom p>
The penthouse was silent except for his steady footfalls and my uneven breathing. No noise from the city, no hum of the elevator down the hall, no distraction to drown out the phantom echo of Gerald’s voice still lodged in my skull.
Aaron set me down on the bed and stepped back just far enough to grab the throw blanket from the armchair. He draped it over me, tucking it around my shoulders like it was armor. Then he crouched in front of me, forearms braced on his knees, eyes locked on mine.
“Talk to me,” he said.
I shook my head. “I can’t p>
“Yes, you can.” His tone wasn’t harsh, it was absolute. “He’s not here. He’s not touching you. He’s not winning p>
That word. Winning.
It cut through the fog enough to make my jaw clench.
“I heard him,” I whispered. “It was his voice. It was real p>
“I know.” His hands came up, palms bracketing my knees through the blanket. “And now it’s mine. I’ve got it. I’ve got him. You don’t need to carry it another second p>
I stared at him, because he said it like it was the most obvious thing in the world. Like all I had to do was…. hand the nightmare over, and he’d keep it for me.
61
Chapter 138
“What if p>
“Don’t.” His voice cut clean through mine. “Don’t start a sentence with ‘what if. Not with me p>
The corners of my eyes stung. “I don’t want him to p>
“To what?” Aaron’s voice sharpened. “To find you? To hurt you again? Princess, listen to me-” His hand slid up, cupping the side of my neck, thumb under my jaw to tilt my head toward him. His eyes were dark, unblinking, lethal in their focus. “That’s not going to happen. Because before he even gets close, I will end him p>
I swallowed hard. “You can’t promise p>
“Watch me p>
There was no space for doubt in his tone. No room for me to argue, even though the rational part of me knew no one could promise that. Aaron didn’t care about rational. He cared about me.
And in that moment, I believed him.
Not because it made sense. But because it was him.
The morning after Gerald’s call felt like the air itself had been scrubbed too clean, too quiet, too still.
Aaron had barely let me out of his sight all night. If I so much as shifted in bed, his hand would tighten at my waist, grounding me without a word. It was both comforting and… a little overwhelming.
I woke to find him already awake, sitting at the edge of the bed, phone in hand, brow furrowed like the world had just tried him personally.
“What’s wrong?” My voice was still thick with sleep.
His gaze snapped to me instantly, as if he’d been waiting for me to stir. “Nothing you need to worry about, Venus. Go back to sleep, you sound tired p>
That was Aaron-speak for something’s happening and I don’t want you anywhere near it.
Before I could press, his phone rang again. He answered without looking away from me.
“This better be good,” he said, voice low but edged. Then he listened. And whatever he heard made his jaw lock in that way that meant trouble.
He stood. Paced once. Twice. “Handle it until I get there,” he said finally, and hung up.
I sat up straighter. “What’s going on p>
“Nothing that’s going to touch you,” he replied automatically. Then he came closer, crouching in front of me like last night, only this time his energy was different. It was tense and reluctant.
20:31 Wed, Jan 14
Chapter 138
“I have to step out for a bit. Shouldn’t be long p>
I frowned. “Aaron p>
61
“Stay here.” His tone left no room for negotiation. “Call me if anything-anything-feels off. The guards are stationed outside. You don’t open the door for anyone except me p>
It was ridiculous, the way he said it, like I was about to be hunted the second he stepped out the door.
“I’ll be fine,” I insisted. “It’s broad daylight. You’ve got more security here than the president p>
He didn’t smile. “Promise me p>
“I promise,” I said, softer now.
He searched my face for a long moment, then kissed my forehead not fleeting, but lingering, like he was memorizing the feel of me under his mouth. “Good girl p>
Then he was gone.
The penthouse was too big without him in it.
I made tea. Sipped it while staring out at the skyline. Tried to read something from the small stack of books on the coffee table, but my mind kept wandering. Every little sound from the hall made my head turn.
He’d told me to stay put. And I meant to. Really.
But an hour later, I was restless.
The library was three floors up-yes, three, because Aaron’s penthouse was less an apartment and more a vertical fortress-but my legs didn’t feel like making the climb. Besides, he had shelves in his office. Floor-to- ceiling in dark wood, lined with books he’d actually read, not just decorative ones for show.
It wasn’t like going into his office was breaking a rule. He’d never said I couldn’t. And it wasn’t like I was snooping. I just wanted something to read until he got back.
The office was warm, sunlight spilling through the tall windows onto the heavy desk in the center. It smelled faintly of leather and cedar, Aaron’s scent, lingering even in the air.
I drifted toward the shelves.
The books were arranged in that way only he would bother with: grouped by topic, then by size. My fingers skimmed over spines-business strategy, political biographies, a surprising amount of poetry. I smiled faintly.
I plucked a slim hardcover from the third shelf, but as I pulled it free, something shifted. A thick manila folder, wedged sideways behind the books, tipped forward and hit the floor. Papers spilled in a loose fan across the rug.
I froze.
20:31 Wed, Jan 14
Chapter 138
My first thought was that I’d messed up something important. My second was that it probably wasn’t anything worth touching, Aaron didn’t leave crucial files lying around.
But when I crouched to gather them, the first page I picked up had my name on it.
Full name. Date of birth. Photo.
It was a background check.
I didn’t even blink at that. Of course he’d done one. Given how we’d met, it would have been stupid not to. If anything, it made me feel… oddly secure, like his instinct to protect me had been there from the start.
I stacked the papers neatly, meaning to put them back. But then another sheet caught my eye-thicker, older, with a faint watermark.
The heading made my stomach drop.
PARENTAGE RECORD – CONFIDENTIAL
I didn’t realize I was holding my breath until I read the first line.
Subject: Venus Astor
Biological parents: Not listed
Adoptive parents: Dain Astor / Martha Astor.
I blinked. Read it again.
And again.
My brain wouldn’t process it. The words made sense individually, but strung together, they might as well have been in another language.
Not listed.
Adoptive.
The paper crinkled in my grip.
I sat back on my heels, staring at the file spread around me like it had detonated there.
I didn’t feel anything at first. Not shock, not betrayal, just… a hollow sort of detachment, like the room had pulled back a few feet from me,
It wasn’t impossible. It wasn’t even unthinkable. But…
Dain and Martha weren’t my real parents.
20:31 Wed, Jan 14
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.