Chapter 54
Chapter 54
VENUS
I woke up to hell pounding between my temples.
My mouth felt like cotton. My stomach roiled every time I moved. And my entire body ached in places I didn’t remember using last night.
How do people do this on purpose?
I groaned, pressing the heel of my palm into my forehead. The room swam in slow, nauseating circles.
Alcoholics must hate themselves.
Dain must feel like shit every damn day.
Good. Couldn’t happen to a more deserving man.
I cracked one eye open. The sunlight knifing through the curtains made me wince.
And there it was-on the nightstand.
A glass of water with a little note stuck to the side of it:
Take me.
I fought a smile. That man. Even when furious, even when so close to snapping last night-he’d still been… careful. Gentle. Aaron.
Images flickered through my fogged memory-heat, steam, a kiss that shouldn’t have happened. His voice rough in my ear. The way he’d tucked me in, stayed by the bed.
God.
I sat up slowly, each movement deliberate. Swallowed the aspirin, drained the glass in greedy gulps.
Then I lay back, staring at the ceiling, piecing together what little I could remember of the night.
The club.
Sabine shoving drinks into my hand.
Gianna pulling me toward the floor.
Me refusing.
Gerald appearing out of nowhere.
And then-
Aaron.
I flushed.
It didn’t escape me that I was in one of his shirts.
6
I didn’t know what I’d been thinking. I hadn’t been thinking. But the way he’d handled me… not taking what was practically offered on a silver platter…
He was too controlled sometimes. It scared me how much I liked that.
Where is he now?
I sat up fully, my body protesting every move. Slipped into fresh leggings and a loose sweater, dragging my hair into a messy knot.
No sign of him in the bedroom.
I padded down the stairs barefoot, the house too quiet. No Aaron in the sitting room. No Aaron in the study.
Only the faint scent of coffee lingering-long since gone cold.
A flicker of disappointment curled in my chest. I ignored it.
Before I could spiral, my phone buzzed angrily against the marble counter.
Sabine.
Successfully unlocked!
I debated answering. My head was still too tender for that brand of chaotic energy.
Buzz.
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Chapter 54
Buzz.
I picked it up with a resigned sigh.
“Hello p>
“Venus!” Sabine’s voice was far too bright. “You alive p>
Barely.
“Yeah,” I rasped. “Head’s killing me. Thanks for that p>
A beep-Gianna was added to the call.
“We had so much fun though!” Gianna laughed. “You should’ve danced more p>
I closed my eyes. “You both ditched me p>
“Oh, come on,” Sabine sang. “You had company. Mr. Tall, Dark, and Dangerous? You’re welcome p>
I pinched the bridge of my nose. “I didn’t need company. I needed my friends p>
“Don’t be so dramatic,” Sabine teased. “You’re fine. Aaron picked you up, didn’t he? The man looked ready to kill half the
club p>
Gianna giggled. “Sorry we ditched you. Sabine told me Aaron would scold us p>
“And you found your flavor for the night,” I added.
“Whaattt?” Both of them feigned cluelessness.
“Yeah, whatever. This hangover is killing me. I can’t talk right now p>
“Oooh. Someone’s grumpy,” Sabine said sweetly.
“We’ll call when you’re in a better mood. Mwah.” Gianna.
The line went dead before I could answer.
I stared at the phone.
Yeah. Sabine has officially stolen my best friend.
I tossed the phone onto the counter and moved toward the kitchen. The house still felt too quiet.
Fine. If Aaron wasn’t here, I’d busy myself.
I rummaged through the pantry, pulling out eggs, sourdough, avocados, and smoked salmon. Something simple. Brunch always steadied me after a bad night.
I moved through the motions slowly, deliberately-beating eggs, slicing bread, arranging plates. Anything to keep my mind from spiraling back to last night.
But it was impossible not to see him everywhere.
I swallowed hard and plated the food, setting a single place at the table. Appetite gone.
After pushing the food around for twenty minutes, I gave up and covered the plate.
The clock read past noon.
I had somewhere to be.
Upstairs again, I changed into a soft cream blouse and tailored pants. Added a simple gold necklace-one my mom had given me and flat shoes.
No makeup. I didn’t have the energy to mask anything today.
At the hospital, the fluorescent lights were too bright, the halls too cold. The nurse at the front desk greeted me with a familiar smile.
“Room 314,” she said gently.
I nodded my thanks and made my way there.
The door was ajar.
My mom sat propped against pillows, pale but alert, eyes flicking toward the door as I entered.
“There you are.” Her voice was thin but warm. “I was starting to think you forgot about me p>
“Never.” I forced a smile, leaning down to kiss her cheek.
“You look tired.” Her gaze swept over me.
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Chapter 54
“I’m okay.” I sat beside her, smoothing the blanket. “I wanted to talk about… where you’ll stay after the discharge p>
Her expression turned wary. “I thought I’d go home p>
“That place isn’t safe, Mom.” My voice was firmer than I intended. “You know that p>
A pause.
“Venus p>
“No. We’re not arguing about this. Dain is still there p>
Her shoulders sagged. “Where then p>
“I looked up some affordable apartments in the better part of New York. I’ll hire a live-in help for you too.” My tone stayed calm. Firm.
She blinked. “That’s too much, Venus. I just want to go back home p>
“It isn’t too much. I can handle it p>
Her lips pressed into a thin line. “I don’t want you spending money you don’t need to just because you’re married to a billionaire p>
I froze.
There it was. The sharp edge beneath her soft voice.
“I’m not spending his money,” I said, colder than I intended. “I’m choosing to take care of you. Because I want to p>
“That’s exactly what worries me.” Her voice rose slightly. “You can’t keep thinking you can buy your way out of things now that you’re with him p>
I stared at her. My pulse thudded in my ears. “Is that what you think I’m doing p>
She looked away. “It’s what it looks like p>
Something cracked inside me.
I stood, folding my arms. “Mom, this isn’t about money. You need to be safe. You know what Dain’s capable of p>
“He’s still my husband,” she snapped.
The words landed like a slap.
I went still. The air around us thickened.
“Do you even hear yourself?” My voice was low, shaking. “After everything he’s done to you-to us-you’re still defending him p>
Her face crumpled. She opened her mouth. Closed it. The damage was done,
I stepped back. “You know what? You can stay with him, then. If that’s what you want p>
“Venus, I didn’t mean p>
But I was already moving toward the door. My throat burned. My eyes stung.
“You meant enough,” I said quietly, not turning back. “Take care of yourself, Mom p>
I walked out, the click of my heels too loud in the sterile hallway.
Each step away from that room felt heavier, like my chest was caving in.
She didn’t mean it. I knew that. But it didn’t matter.
Sometimes the words you don’t mean are the ones that cut the deepest.
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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.