Chapter 156
Chapter 156
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He kissed the top of my head. “Because you’re mine. And because you deserve it. Both can be true p>
VENUS
Later, in bed, I curled into him instinctively. Spooning into his chest like a cat finding its warmest corner. His arm was heavy around me, his breath steady in my hair. My body still ached, used and wrung out, but here- in this cocoon of warmth-I felt safe.
It was in that safety that my lips betrayed me, speaking words I rarely let escape.
“I keep thinking about the cottage p>
I felt his arm stiffen slightly but he didn’t speak. He knew better. My therapist had told him not to press, not to demand, and Aaron… Aaron listened when it mattered.
So I kept going.
I knew I talked about her betrayal before but it still hurt deeply.
“When I realized my mother drugged me, I… it was worse than the cuffs, worse than Gerald’s hands. Because it meant she chose it. She chose to hand me over. Not protect me. Not even hesitate. She even sold me out to Dorian p>
My throat tightened, but the words poured anyway.
“And then Dain.” His name was ash on my tongue. “When he told me he wasn’t my father while I was tied up in that room, I thought… I thought he just meant it cruelly. That he was disowning me. But no. He meant it literally. And it made sense, didn’t it? I was never really theirs. Just some… stand-in daughter they picked up. To drain, use and discard p>
Aaron’s hand rubbed slow circles on my hip. No interruptions, no reassurances that would have felt like lies. Just presence.
“I shouldn’t be but I am grateful because they led me to you maybe if I hadn’t been adopted I wouldn’t have even known you. I wouldn’t even known how it’s feels to be in the direct line of your dislike.” I chuckled softly remembering the time. If anybody had told me I’d be here today like this with him, I would’ve laughed. “loved by you and what it means to have your support p>
I felt the sting in my eyes, and this time I didn’t fight the tears.
Aaron kissed my shoulder, slow, lingering.
I decided something, I’m going to see her. Martha. My chest tightened at the name. I need to look her in the eye and hear the truth. I need to ask why she gave me away.
I didn’t tell Aaron this part. Because I already knew what he’d say and I needed this closure so bad.
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Chapter 156
So I kept it to myself.
“Well to be honest, you were kind of annoying p>
He teased trying to lighten up the mood.
“No I wasn’t. You just made my life a living hell for no reason p>
“Maybe. But you aggravate me. I just realized. There was something about you from the very start… Your oversized glasses and how no matter how much I pushed. You always pushed right back p>
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I pressed back into him, drinking in the warmth of his arm around me. His chest vibrated with words I didn’t fully catch-something about me being stronger than I realized, about how he’d never let anyone break me again-but before I could ask him to repeat, sleep dragged me under.
My last thought before the darkness took me was of Martha. My mother. My betrayer. Tomorrow, I’d confront her. Tomorrow, I’d get the truth.
But tonight, I let Aaron hold me together while I fell apart.
The morning came too quickly. Sunlight spilled across the curtains, warm gold slanting over the bed, making everything look softer than it felt inside me.
I stirred against him first, groggy and sore, every inch of me reminding me of the night before. I should’ve been drained, but instead I felt sharp with purpose. Last night’s confessions hadn’t just slipped out into the dark. They’d planted something in me. A decision that refused to loosen its grip.
Aaron’s arm tightened when I shifted, pulling me closer, burying his face against my neck like a man who’d rather hold me prisoner in this bed than let the world outside touch me.
“Mmm,” he rumbled, voice gravel-thick from sleep. “Where do you think you’re going, princess p>
I smiled faintly, though guilt pressed at me. “Nowhere. Just… stretching p>
His lips skimmed my shoulder, rough stubble scraping the sensitive skin there. “Good. Because I’m not ready to let you out of this bed yet p>
I let him hold me another moment, soaking in the heat of him, the steady thud of his heart at my back. But eventually, reality pried him loose.
His phone buzzed on the nightstand. Twice. Then again. Persistent.
He groaned and reached for it, cursing under his breath when he saw the name. “Connor p>
“Business waits for no one,” I teased, though my chest pinched knowing what was coming.
“Business can wait for you.” His voice sharpened, stubborn. “Connor can wait and the shareholders can circle like vultures a little longer. I don’t give a damn p>
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Chapter 156
I rolled to face him, catching the shadows that flickered in his eyes. The reluctance. The fear.
60
This wasn’t about the meeting. It was about me. About the last time he’d left and come back to find me gone.
“Aaron,” I said softly, touching his jaw. “I’ll be fine. I’m not going anywhere p>
He searched my face like he could peel the lie right off my tongue.
“I don’t like leaving you,” he said finally, voice low. “Not after last night. Not after…” He broke off, shaking his head. “I can’t shake the memory of coming back to an empty house. It gutted me, Venus. Like I’d lost you again p>
My chest ached. God, part of me wanted to confess right then. Tell him my plan. Tell him about Martha. But I couldn’t, not when I knew what he’d do.
So I leaned in, kissed him slow, steady, letting the warmth of it anchor him. “You won’t lose me. Not now. Not ever p>
He searched me again, then finally, reluctantly, nodded.
“Promise me you’ll stay here.” His tone left no room for negotiation.
“I promise,” I whispered, and hated how easily the lie slipped between my lips.
He lingered, brushing his thumb over my lower lip, memorizing me. Then he dragged himself out of bed, showered, dressed sharp-armor of dark suit and colder eyes-and by the time he leaned down to kiss me goodbye, he was Sinclair the conqueror again, not Aaron the man who’d held me through my tears.
The front door shut behind him. The silence after was heavy.
I lay there for five minutes, staring at the ceiling, guilt gnawing at my stomach. Then I sat up, grabbed my phone, and dialed the one person I knew I could trust.
Fool me once, Martha Astor. I’m no fool.
If Aaron found out, it would be war. But with Colton, I could at least walk into that house knowing I wasn’t unguarded.
Colton picked up on the second ring.
“Venus?” His voice was alert, cautious, the way it always was when it came to me,
“Hey, Colt.” I forced my tone steady, but the weight behind it bled through. “I need a favor p>
“Sure, whatever you want.” Came his easy reply.
“I uhm I need to go somewhere. I… Can’t go alone and neither can I bring Aaron with me p>
There was a beat of silence on the other end before he swore low. “Martha p>
“Yes.” My throat tightened. “I know she’s under house arrest, but… I can’t let that stop me. I need to know. I
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Chapter 156
need to look her in the eye and hear the truth p>
“Are you sure you’re ready to see her p>
“Yeah, Yes I am p>
“Aaron doesn’t know about this, does he p>
“If he did he wouldn’t let me p>
“Alright. I’ll come pick you up p>
As I hung up, a knot formed in my stomach.
I felt really uneasy about this whole thing.
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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.