Chapter 140
Chapter 140
VENUS
The door slammed so hard I swore the walls shook.
Rosemary’s hand tightened briefly over mine, but her eyes went sharp, unreadable. She knew the storm rolling into her garden before his voice even carved my name into the air.
“Venus p>
I couldn’t lift my head. Couldn’t look at him. The weight of his presence pressed down anyway. Fierce, consuming and impossible to ignore.
Rosemary glanced between us once, her expression soft but decisive. “I’ll give you two a moment.” She smoothed her skirt, rising gracefully. “Venus, sweetheart, you’re safe. I’ll be just inside p>
And then she was gone, leaving me alone with him.
61)
The silence throbbed. I could feel him staring at me, feel the heat radiating off his body even from across the garden. My chest tightened until I thought my ribs might crack.
“Don’t do this to me,” he said finally, voice rough and frayed. “Don’t sit there like I didn’t just tear apart half the city looking for you p>
My fingers twisted the tissue in my lap. I kept my eyes fixed on it, on the crumpled mess that looked exactly how I felt inside.
“You vanished.” His words were clipped, sharp with the edges of panic he was trying to hide. “I walked into that penthouse and you weren’t there. Do you have any idea what that did to me p>
Still, I didn’t look at him. Couldn’t.
“Venus.” My name again, deeper this time. A warning. A plea. “Talk to me p>
But my throat wouldn’t work. The moment I opened my mouth, I’d break. So I pressed my lips together harder, as if silence could hold me together where words would shatter me apart.
The scrape of his shoes against stone came next measured steps, closing the distance. My heart lurched with every one.
He stopped in front of me, towering, blocking out the light. “Look at me p>
I didn’t.
His hand shot out, fingers gripping the armrest of my chair as he leaned down, his face level with mine. His other hand hovered near my chin, hesitated, then dropped like even he was afraid of the fragility written all
over me.
“You’re shaking.” His voice broke, just for a second. “What happened? Did he-” He cut himself off, jaw
20:31 Wed, Jan 14
Chapter 140
clenching so tight the muscle ticked. “Did Gerald get to you again p>
That name sent a jolt through me. My hands trembled harder. My breath caught. And the look in his eyes told me he noticed every flicker, every fracture.
61
“Christ.” He raked a hand through his hair, disheveled already, now a mess of restless frustration. “I thought -“He broke off again, dragging in a harsh breath. “I thought I’d lost you again p>
Something twisted inside me. He sounded… terrified. Aaron Sinclair didn’t do terrified. But right now, it dripped from every word, from the wild edge in his eyes, from the way he kept reaching for me and stopping like he wasn’t sure I’d let him touch me.
“Say something.” His voice was sharper now, desperate. “Scream at me. Curse me. Anything. Just don’t sit there in silence like I don’t exist p>
My throat worked, but still no sound came out.
His hand slammed against the armrest, the noise cracking through the garden like thunder. I flinched, but still… nothing.
He leaned in closer, so close I could feel his breath against my cheek. “I’ll drag it out of you if I have to. Don’t think for a second I won’t p>
That almost broke me. Almost. My chest heaved, but I kept my lips sealed, my gaze locked on the tissue in my lap as if it were the only thing anchoring me to this earth.
He cursed under his breath, raw and guttural. Then he crouched in front of me, his hands gripping my knees -not hard, but firm, grounding, impossible to ignore.
“Venus. You don’t get to shut me out. Not when something’s eating you alive. Not when I can see it tearing you apart right in front of me p>
Tears stung my eyes. My vision blurred. Still, I said nothing.
“Damn it, look at me!” His voice cracked, harsher now, all the control slipping. “Do you know what it does to me, seeing you like this? You think I can breathe when you’re unraveling and won’t let me in? You think I can stand there and just… watch p>
His grip tightened on my knees, not cruel, but desperate. “I’ll chase every word out of your mouth if that’s what it takes. I’ll break down every wall. But don’t sit there silent, Venus Sinclair. Don’t you dare p>
My chest finally split. A broken sob clawed its way out before I could stop it.
His eyes flared at the sound, relief and pain mixing. “There you are.” His thumb brushed my trembling knee. “Talk to me, good girl. Tell me what’s clawing you apart p>
I squeezed my eyes shut, the sobs coming faster, harder. He was too close. Too much. His voice, his scent, his presence, everything screamed safety and danger at once.
“I” My voice cracked. “I found it p>
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Chapter 140
“Found what?” His tone sharpened instantly.
(61)
“The file.” My eyes finally flicked to his, and the shock that rippled through his face told me everything. “In your office. You knew p>
Color drained from his skin. He sat back slightly, like I’d just punched him.
“You knew Dain and Martha weren’t my parents.” My voice broke again. “You knew before Rome. Before everything. And you didn’t tell me p>
The silence that followed was brutal.
His jaw clenched, his nostrils flared, his whole body went rigid. He looked like a man caught between explanations and confessions, between rage and regret.
Finally, he exhaled, the sound rough, almost strangled. “Venus p>
I shook my head violently, tears spilling. “Don’t. Don’t you dare say my name like that. Not when you kept this from me p>
“I did it to protect you,” he snapped, then dragged a hand down his face. Softer, but no less desperate: “I was going to tell you. Just… not like that p>
The words hung heavy, unfinished, unsatisfying. And I- I couldn’t do this anymore.
So I stood, my chair scraping back, my legs unsteady but moving anyway.
“Venus” His hand shot out, gripping my wrist. Not rough. Not gentle. Just
unmovable. “Don’t walk away from me p>
I trembled under his hold, every nerve in me screaming to run, every other nerve screaming to stay.
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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.