Chapter 66
Chapter 66
VENUS
Sabine wasn’t ready to talk.
But that didn’t mean she didn’t.
She told me everything in that signature Sabine-way-truth wrapped in glitter, deflection folded into sarcasm. But beneath all the sparkle, the story bled through.
It started last year. An accident, she said. A drunken night that wasn’t supposed to repeat-until it did. Again and again. And now? They were stuck in a rhythm of not-quite love, not-quite lust, and definitely too many secrets.
“I don’t do commitment,” she muttered, twirling the stick of her now-finished lollipop between her fingers. “But with him… it’ s like he sees through every performance I try to give p>
I didn’t press her. The look on her face said more than enough.
She was scared.
And maybe-just maybe-a little in love.
But we didn’t get to dig deeper. Because a few minutes before dinner, she found me.
Rosemary.
She slipped beside me in the hallway, poised and graceful in that timeless, silk-wrapped way of hers.
“Venus,” she said, gently curling her fingers around my arm. “Walk with me p>
I nodded, surprised, and followed her into one of the smaller parlors-the kind designed for whispers and wine.
She waited until the door clicked shut behind us before speaking.
“I know,” she said.
I froze. “You… know what p>
She smiled faintly. Not smug. Not cold. Just… sad.
“Aaron. The marriage. The inheritance p>
My blood turned to ice.
“I know my son,” she continued softly, crossing the room to the fireplace. “Too well, perhaps. He’s brilliant-scary brilliant. He doesn’t do anything without precision. So when he married a girl he barely knew? I knew there was a reason p>
I swallowed hard. My throat felt dry. “You’re not angry p>
She turned to me, eyes glinting with a thousand unspoken things.
“No. Because… I also saw something else p>
She stepped closer. Her voice softened p>
“I saw how he looks at you p>
I didn’t know what to say. I didn’t even know how to feel.
“I’ve watched Aaron build walls his entire life,” she went on. “Not just around himself-but around me, too. For the longest time, I thought I’d lost him. But now, with you… he’s opening. Slowly. Cautiously. But it’s happening p>
I looked away. “It’s just an agreement. And to be sincere? He doesn’t even like me. He just puts up with me p>
She sighed, sinking gracefully onto the edge of the settee.
“I know that. But I also know something about agreements turning into something real… and about love born from desperation p>
Then, she told me.
About Richard.
About the truth Aaron never talked about.
“I got pregnant again when Aaron was seven,” she said, her voice trembling slightly. “It was complicated-my health wasn’t strong, and the doctors warned us. Richard… he didn’t care
She took a breath. It shook her whole frame.
Successfully unlocked!
“One morning, I collapsed. Placental abruption. There was too much blood. I lost the baby. And then… I slipped into a
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Chapter 66
coma. For three years p>
My heart cracked in my chest.
“A few days before the miscarriage, he told me he wanted a divorce,” she added, her voice hollow. “That’s when I found out he was already married. To Caroline. Long before he married me p>
I felt the sting in my eyes.
“And Richard?” she gave a bitter smile. “He wasn’t there when it happened. He only came back when he heard I was in a coma. Then he took Aaron away. To live with him and Caroline. I didn’t know. I couldn’t stop it p>
Her fingers clenched the armrest.
“When I woke up… Aaron was different. Older, yes, but also colder. Sharper. There was a… violence in his silence. He was just ten. My little jovial baby changed so much p>
I couldn’t breathe.
“He never told me what happened in that house. But I saw enough to guess. And he’s never forgiven Richard. Not for abandoning me. Not for forcing him to survive in that hell. I was just… grateful he could confide in his grandfather. They were very close p>
She paused, eyes distant.
“His death hurt him, I know it did. But Aaron didn’t even flinch when it happened. He didn’t cry. Didn’t grieve. He just held me, like I was the one who’d lost something precious p>
She turned, meeting my gaze.
“Everything he does? It’s to protect me. Even now p>
Silence settled between us. Heavy. Full of history and pain.
And then-
“I don’t blame you,” she said quietly. “For the contract. For any of it. I just need you to know something p>
She rose, stepped closer, and gently took my hand.
“I’ve never seen Aaron care like this before. Not even close. You make him alive, Venus. And I know my boy. Somewhere under all that ice… he’s capable of love p>
Tears burned hot behind my eyes. I blinked them away.
“I’m not asking you to fight for him,” she added gently. “Just… don’t give up. Not yet. Not when he’s finally learning how to feel again p>
A soft knock echoed at the door.
Dinner was ready.
But inside me?
Nothing felt ready anymore.
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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.