Chapter 201
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VENUS
By the time Colton’s car pulled into the driveway, the night had turned cruelly quiet. That kind of stillness that doesn’t soothe, it presses against your chest, makes you aware of your own heartbeat. I stood at the window watching his headlights cut across the driveway, streaks of white against the dark.
He didn’t even bother to knock. The door swung open, and he was there – hair damp from the drizzle outside, eyes wild, breath shallow like he’d run the entire way.
“Venus p>
The sound of my name almost broke me.
He crossed the room in quick, uneven strides, the kind you make when you’re fighting panic. “You shouldn’t be alone right now p>
I didn’t answer. I couldn’t. My voice was somewhere buried beneath the weight pressing on my lungs.
“Connor’s on his way,” he said, already pulling out his phone. “He’s trying to reach Aaron too p>
My throat tightened. “Has he… has he spoken to him p>
Colton shook his head, jaw tight. “No. But he said he’ll keep trying p>
I nodded faintly, wrapping my arms around myself. The TV screen was still frozen on that unbearable headline
Aaron Sinclair Caught in Hotel Room with Another Woman – bold, red, merciless. I wanted to smash it, to make it stop existing.
Colton followed my gaze. “You know how the press is,” he said carefully. “They twist things. This could be p>
“Don’t,” I cut in. “Please don’t say ‘this could be nothing p>
He looked at me, and whatever words were building behind his eyes dissolved.
I turned away. The silence roared.
The phone on the coffee table felt like a lifeline and a threat all at once. I snatched it up again, dialing Aaron’s number for what felt like the hundredth time. The same response – voicemail.
I swallowed, pressing the phone closer to my ear, trying to keep my voice from shaking.
“Aaron,” I whispered, the words trembling as they came, “I saw the news. I don’t care about what they’re saying, okay? I trust you. I know you wouldn’t do that p>
The lump in my throat thickened. “Please just…. please pick up. I’m worried. I don’t even care about the story, or what they think. I just need to hear your voice. Tell me you’re okay. Tell me where you are p>
I ended the call, then redialed, as if persistence could change fate.
Colton sat on the couch, elbows on his knees, face buried in his hands. The ticking of the clock filled the roo cruelly loud.
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When the phone stayed silent, I called again. And again. Leaving message after message desperation stitched together.
“Aaron, it’s me. I just need to know you’re safe p>
“Aaron, please. The kids are sleeping. Sabine’s fine. Just call me back p>
“Where are you? Why won’t you pick up p>
Each call felt like throwing a bottle into the ocean and praying someone would find it.
fragments of
Minutes blurred. I didn’t even realize my hands were shaking until the phone almost slipped from my grip.
Then upstairs- a sudden, sharp cry.
I froze.
“Sabine,” I breathed. My baby’s voice, shrill and broken from sleep.
Colton looked up instantly.
I took the stairs two at a time. The hallway light spilled into the nursery, soft and golden. My little girl sat up in her crib, her cheeks wet with tears, her tiny fists rubbing at her eyes.
“Hey, hey, sweetheart.” I scooped her up, feeling the warmth of her small body against my chest. “Shh… it’s okay, Mommy’s here p>
She hiccupped, still trembling. Her hair stuck to her forehead, her breath catching in that uneven way toddlers do when they’ve been crying for too long.
“Bad dream?” I murmured, brushing her back in slow circles.
She whimpered, pressing her face into my shoulder. The little nightlight glowed behind us, soft stars shifting on the walls. Maybe she’d dreamed of thunder. Or the sound of the rain tapping on the window had scared her. Two-year-olds had such fragile hearts – it didn’t take much to wake them.
“Shh,” I whispered again. “You’re safe. Mommy’s here p>
Her small hands clutched at my shirt, her sobs slowly fading into sleepy whimpers. By the time I reached the living room again, she was half-asleep in my arms, her lashes wet, her breath warm against my neck.
Colton stood when he saw us, worry softening his features. “Everything okay p>
I nodded tiredly. “Just a nightmare. I think the thunder scared her p>
He gave a small nod, then gently reached for her. “Let me p>
Thesitated, then handed her over. Colton had always had a way with her
she liked his voice, deep and steady.
He cradled her carefully, one big hand supporting her tiny back, murmuring something low that made her settle even deeper against him.
The door opened minutes later. Connor stepped in, followed by Sabine – tall, composed, her expression tight with worry. Even her poise couldn’t hide the tremor in her hands.
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“Venus,” she said softly, moving toward me. “Are you okay p>
I shook my head. “He’s not answering. Jane said he’s missing p>
Sabine’s eyes widened slightly. “Missing p>
“She doesn’t know where he is. He didn’t show up to his meetings, and his phone’s off. They think someone might be manipulating the story.
Connor rubbed a hand across his jaw. “I’ve been calling him since I left the house,” he said grimly. “Nothing. It’s like his phone just… dropped off the grid. No signal. No voicemail anymore p>
My stomach turned. “What do you mean, no voicemail p>
“Dead line,” he said. “Straight to a disconnect p>
I felt the room tilt a little. “Oh God p>
Sabine came closer, her hand finding my arm. “Venus, breathe. Please. He’s fine. Aaron’s smart. You know him – he wouldn’t just disappear p>
Her voice was soothing, but I could hear the fear buried underneath.
I turned to the window again. The rain had picked up- – soft but relentless. Drops streaked down the glass, blurring the lights outside.
My hands found my phone again. “I need to try one more time,” I murmured.
“Venus” Connor began, but I shook my head.
“I have to p>
I pressed the call button. The dial tone filled the silence automated voice: The number you’re trying to reach-
I ended it before it could finish. Tried again. Same thing.
once, twice, three times. Then the familiar
Sabine touched my shoulder lightly. “Come on, sit. You’re trembling p>
― –
I didn’t want to sit. I wanted to do something — anything. But I sat anyway. My legs were starting to feel unsteady.
Colton passed Sabine Jr. back to me, still asleep now, her head resting against my chest. I looked down at her tiny face so peaceful, so unaware of how close the world felt to breaking apart.
“She’ll be okay,” Sabine whispered. “They’ll be okay p>
I nodded absently. My eyes were fixed on the phone in my lap, the black screen reflecting my own hollow face back at me.
Time dragged. Connor paced the length of the living room, muttering under his breath, trying Aaron’s number from his own phone, then Jane’s, then even the hotel’s front desk in Lyon. Nothing. I’d gone to put Sabine Jr to bed in the room with her two siblings, who were still blissfully asleep.
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At some point, I realized I’d stopped blinking. The world had gone still just rain, and heartbeats, and silence.
Then, without warning, the phone in my hand buzzed.
I froze.
Every pair of eyes in the room turned toward me.
My breath caught as the screen lit up.
Aaron Sinclair.
For a second, I couldn’t move. My thumb hovered, trembling. Then I pressed accept and lifted it to my ear.
“Hello?” My voice cracked. “Aaron? Aaron, is that you p>
There was a pause. A faint sound of static.
Then –
“Venus p>
His voice. Low, hoarse, almost broken.
The world tilted, and I felt my knees give way beneath me.
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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.