Chapter 183
Chapter 184
VENUS
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The figure outside didn’t speak. Didn’t need to. His presence was enough-solid, hulking and silent as a blade. The driver’s door opened, the creak slicing through the cold night air, and then rough hands clamped
onto my arm.
“Move p>
The voice wasn’t Gerald’s. Too flat, too utilitarian. A soldier.
My body resisted, instinct pulling back like a tether snapping tight. But resistance earned me nothing-only a brutal yank forward that pitched me out of the car and into the dark. Gravel bit into my shoes, the night air clawing at my lungs.
I dug my heels in. “Where are you taking me p>
No answer.
Only force.
The man’s grip bruised my arm as he dragged me toward the warehouse, its doors yawning like the gates of something infernal. Rust screamed when the metal swung open, the echo slamming into me like a warning bell.
Inside, the air was colder. Damp. It smelled of mildew and old machinery, of oil that had seeped too deep into the concrete to ever leave. Shadows pooled thick in every corner, broken only by the pale flicker of a single hanging bulb.
My captor didn’t slow. He hauled me across the concrete like luggage, and when we reached the center of the room, he shoved me forward with such force that my knees buckled.
I caught myself with my hands, palms slamming against the unforgiving ground. The shock jolted up my arms, biting into my bones. My breath left me in a sharp cry.
My babies.
I landed at the feet of another man.
Black boots. Polished leather.
And then
“Welcome home, my darling p>
Gerald.
The sound of his voice curdled my blood. Smooth, polished, dripping with the smugness of a man who thought himself untouchable.
20:49 Wed, Jan 14 p>
Chapter 184
I lifted my head. Slowly.
There he was.
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He stepped out of the shadows like he’d been painted into them, a predator revealed by the tilt of his grin. His suit was immaculate, pressed to perfection, an insult to the filth around us. His hair was slicked back, silver catching the light. His eyes… oh God, his eyes. Sharp. Hungry. Fixed on me like a cat finally cornering its favorite plaything.
Every instinct screamed at me to recoil. To crawl backward. To vanish.
But before I could move, I heard it.
Struggling.
A muffled sound, weak, strained.
I turned my head, heart clawing into my throat.
And saw her.
Sabine.
She was tied to a chair just feet away, ropes biting cruelly into her wrists and ankles. Her face was pale, a bruise blooming viciously across her cheek, her lips cracked. Sweat dampened her hair, strands plastered against her temple.
She thrashed weakly, her breath catching, eyes wide when they found me.
“Sabine-” My voice cracked. I surged forward, but Gerald’s hand shot out, catching me by the jaw.
“Ah, ah, ah,” he crooned, his grip deceptively gentle as he tilted my face toward his. “You don’t get to run this reunion p>
Rage flared hot in my chest. “I’m here now. You have me. Let her
go p>
He chuckled. The sound was low, poisonous. “Oh, my sweet Venus. You still think you’re in a position to bargain p>
I jerked against his grip, glaring up at him. “She has nothing to do with this. You want me? Fine. But don’t drag her into your sick games p>
His eyes gleamed, cruel amusement sparking like fire. “Everything I do is my game. You should know that by
now p>
He crouched lower, close enough that I could smell the cologne on his skin-woodsy, expensive and suffocating. His free hand lifted, fingers brushing back a strand of hair from my face with obscene tenderness.
The touch made bile rise in my throat.
“There you are,” he murmured. “After all this time. Finally where you belong-at my feet p>
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Chapter 184
I slapped his hand away, fury sharpening my voice. “You’re insane p>
His grin widened, sharp as a blade. “Perhaps. But insanity is so very effective p>
Behind him, Sabine strained against the ropes, her muffled cry breaking me.
I tried again, desperate. “Please. Just let her go. You don’t need her p>
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Gerald straightened, releasing my jaw at last, though his eyes never left mine. He paced a slow circle around me, predator to prey. “You think this is about need? No, darling. It’s about punishment. About teaching you my love that everything you cling to can be broken. You cannot escape me p>
“You’re pathetic,” I spat.
He laughed. A cold, delighted sound. “And yet here you are. Crawling through the dark to reach me. Just like I knew you would p>
I shook my head, forcing strength into words that tasted like ash. “You’ll never win. He’ll find me. He’ll burn you to the ground p>
His eyes glittered. “Ah, yes. Aaron Sinclair. Always the savior, isn’t he? Always the man in the shadows, cleaning up messes too filthy for anyone else to touch p>
The grin faded. His voice sharpened to a knife. “But tell me, Venus… did he tell you the truth about Martha p>
The name hit me like a strike to the chest. My breath faltered. “What p>
He leaned close, so close I could feel the heat of his words against my skin. “Your dear mother. Sweet, deceptive, sad Martha p>
My chest constricted. Aaron told me forensics said it was suicide.
Gerald’s smile was poison. “He let you believe that lie. But the truth? I slit her throat myself p>
The floor tilted beneath me.
My hands went cold. My stomach lurched.
“No,” I whispered, shaking my head. “No, you’re lying p>
“Am I?” His tone was soft, coaxing, like he was delivering a bedtime story. “I remember it well. The way her eyes widened when she realized who I was. The way she gasped when the blade kissed her throat. She tried to fight. Oh, how she tried. But in the end… she bled out on her own couch and I used her blood to write a message just for you. I even left another one in her hand p>
My vision blurred with tears. My heart hammered so violently I thought it might stop.
He watched me unravel, savoring it. “I didn’t think you’d be the one to see personally but the world is full of wonders isn’t it? Aaron? He covered it up. Because he couldn’t bear to let you break. So he told you the neat little story. Suicide. Easier to swallow p>
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Chapter 184
“No…” My voice cracked, splintering into the silence. My chest heaved, every breath jagged.
My stomach churned.
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Gerald leaned down, brushing a tear from my cheek with mock tenderness. “You poor, sweet thing. Surrounded by liars. Aaron, protecting his precious little doll with falsehoods. And me? Offering you the truth p>
I jerked away from his touch, fury igniting through the cracks in my despair. “You’re a monster p>
He smiled, unbothered. “Monsters make the world turn, darling. And now, you’re mine p>
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20:49 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.