Valerie jolted awake, a chill rushing down her spine. She turned her head sharply-
Aiden lay beside her, eyes half–lidded, his posture languid, exuding a kind of lazy satisfaction.
But the moment his gaze caught the stark fear on her face, the ease in his expression vanished instantly.
She looked down at herself. The scattered marks on her skin made it painfully clear what had happened the night before.
Her eyes trembled; her whole body froze. She stared at him, her voice barely a whisper, “Aiden…?”
They had done it again.
Aiden watched her closely. His mood, which had been surprisingly pleasant just a moment ago, suddenly soured–like someone had crushed it beneath
their heel.
colo
His face darkened. His deep, obsidian gaze locked onto her. He asked coldly, “What’s that look supposed to mean?”
Valerie flinched. His tone, his expression–it unsettled her. Panic started to bubble up. “Nothing… I just–I should get up.”
She tried to move, but he pinned her back down with one hand.
Valerie stopped breathing altogether. Aiden’s tall frame hovered above her, his piercing black eyes sharp as a hawk’s, unrelenting and fierce.
His body was lean and powerful, every muscle line visible and strong.
Valerie’s heart began to pound uncontrollably. She met his gaze and felt herself shrink beneath it.
He hated that look in her eyes. That same haunted expression. Like she’d seen a ghost. Like he was the ghost. It was always like this.
She could feel the storm rising behind his silence. And just like that, memories from her previous life surged back like a tidal wave, drowning her. She pushed at his chest, flustered, terrified. “Aiden…”
His voice came down like thunder–low, raspy, tinged with sleep, and far too seductive for her peace of mind. “Are you afraid of me?”
Her heartbeat spiked. She couldn’t stop it. She turned her face away, her voice thin and uncomfortable, “No…”
Aiden caught her chin, forcing her to look at him. He narrowed his eyes, his voice soft and dangerous. “Or is it that you’re disappointed? That you woke
up next to me?”
She stiffened. “No! I–It’s not like that–I just…”
To her surprise, he actually laughed. A real, low chuckle. For once, he didn’t press further. He got up and walked to the bathroom, and soon the sound of rushing water filled the air.
Only then did Valerie dare to peek out from under the blanket. Her heart was still racing like mad.
He was different now, softer, gentler, and too gentle.
And she… she was changing too.
Everything felt like it was finally heading somewhere better. A smile tugged at her lips. But then her expression froze.
The birthday party was the night everything in her past life began to unravel.
That was the first step into the abyss. She quickly wrapped herself in a robe and made her way to the guest bathroom. After a long, sobering shower, she emerged–just in time to find Aiden already gone downstairs.
1/2
Chapter 44
She dressed and stepped out of the room, only to find her phone vibrating. A call. A number she hadn’t seen in a long time
The screen read: Everett Clark, her father.
The man she once admired more than anything in the world. the man who, in the end, abandoned her like she was nothing just to protect his real- daughter and secure his precious interests.
