Chapter 33
Chapter 33
VENUS
I took a deep breath and leaned closer to the mirror, smoothing out the edges of my lipstick. The color matched the heat still blooming in my cheeks.
Get a grip, Venus Astor. What the hell was that out there?
The kiss. The crowd. The stares. And the ache still crawling beneath my skin, slow, deliberate, impossible to ignore. Jesus, is this what abstainance does to someone? I can’t believe I’m getting warm and worked up over a kiss. I should’ve gotten laid before I signed the damn contract. Now my little battery companion will just have to do. For three years though? I don’t trust myself not to jump him.
I squared my shoulders and stepped out of the restroom, heels clicking against the marble with calculated confidence. I barely made it halfway down the hall before a hand shot out from the shadows and yanked me roughly between two towering pillars.
“Caroline?” My voice cut through the silence, sharp with disbelief.
Her nails dug into the soft flesh of my forearm-talons wrapped in pearls. I winced.
“How much did he offer you?” she spat, her voice low but dripping venom.
“What p>
Her grip tightened. Bruising. Cruel.
“Don’t insult my intelligence,” she hissed. “I’ll pay you double of whatever he’s giving you to play the doting bride. Leave him p>
I stared at her, stunned. Was she serious?
“You’re insane,” I snapped, yanking my arm free. Red marks bloomed where her claws had been. “Let go of me p>
She looked like she wanted to strike me. “You’re not fooling anyone. Whatever this farce is”-she waved her hand at me like I was dirt on her silk gloves-“I see through it p>
“And yet here you are, hiding behind columns like some desperate villain in a soap opera. Sounds like you’re the one who’s fooled p>
Her nostrils flared. “Dorian is the rightful heir. Not Aaron. Not your pathetic performance. Do you honestly think the board believes this whirlwind romance? A few weeks after the will is read and boom, he’s in love? Pathetic p>
There it was. The clause. The will. Aaron Sinclair had to marry for love or lose everything.
I lifted my chin, gaze locked on hers. “Let me guess. You expected him to fake it with someone you could control. A trust- fund princess you groomed yourself. Not someone who might actually have an opinion p>
Bullseye. Her silence screamed it.
“You think I’m after his money?” I laughed, low and sharp. “Sweetheart, if I wanted easy cash, I’d have picked a man who doesn’t wear trauma like cologne. Aaron is complicated. Damaged. But I picked him. Not for the inheritance. Not for the name. For him p>
Caroline’s face contorted in fury.
“I picked him,” I repeated, voice cool and sure, “because he sees me. Through all the noise. And beneath all that ice, he burns. And lucky me, he burns for me p>
Wow passionate much Venus?
Her brittle laugh snapped the air. “You really expect me to believe this sudden romance is real? You’re a nobody. Just a pawn in his strategy p>
“Then why are you so scared of me?” I asked, stepping forward, toe to toe. “If this is all fake, why the midnight threats? Why the claws and whisper-wars? Unless… some part of you knows it’s real. And that terrifies you p>
She opened her mouth, but nothing came out.
“I don’t owe you an explanation,” I said, voice low, firm, steel-wrapped. “But I’ll give you one anyway. I love him. Fully. Deeply. In ways your cold, calculated heart couldn’t understand if it came with a flowchart and a TED Talk p>
Her lips curled like she might spit at me.
“Caroline p>
His voice sliced through the space between us like a blade.
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Chapter 33
Aaron.
He was standing just behind her now, eyes dark, jaw locked. His voice was quiet-dangerously quiet.
“Touch her again,” he said, lethal and low, “and I swear p>
“I was just p>
“Harassing my girlfriend like a bitter ex?” He stepped in. “Don’t insult either of us p>
He moved to my side, slipping an arm around me, warm and steady. His touch grounded me. But the look in his eyes? It
burned.
“You okay?” he murmured, just for me. That was hot-hot.
I nodded, never taking my eyes off Caroline. She looked like she’d just swallowed a cactus.
“Let’s go,” Aaron said. Then, cold and sharp: “Next time you have a problem, Caroline, try diplomacy instead of assault. It’s
a better look for someone trying to fake being human p>
He didn’t wait for her response.
We walked away, hand in hand, her venom trailing behind us like expensive perfume gone rancid.
And as we turned the corner, I felt a smirk curl slowly on my lips.
I never signed up for this drama…
But if I’m here, I might as well enjoy the show.
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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.