Chapter 14
Chapter 14
In the dream, Valerie’s parents appeared. “Valerie, if sacrificing yourself brings happiness to the family, be a good girl and marry that devil.”
In the next moment, the dream shifted. Juliette appeared before her, dressed in dazzling clothes. She stared at Valerie’s eight–month pregnant belly, her
face filled with shock. But without hesitation, she pushed her down the stairs.
Valerie screamed in despair, crying out, “Help me! Dad, Mom, please save me and my baby…”
But no one responded.
When Aiden entered again, Valerie had already fallen asleep.
Valerie lay curled up in bed, her slender body tightly folded. Her posture was so vulnerable, like that of a child with no sense of safety.
Aiden instinctively moved quietly toward the bed but froze when he saw her frowning, clearly in deep distress. She clutched the blanket, her voice breaking as she murmured, “Save me…”
Aiden’s brow furrowed deeply.
He sat on the edge of the bed and reached out to touch her forehead, only to find it slick with cold sweat.
Then, unexpectedly, she grabbed his hand tightly, as if desperate. Aiden paused, thinking she had woken up.
But instead, she clung to his hand, as though it were a lifeline, repeating, “Save me and the baby…”
Aiden was silent for a moment, instinctively glancing at her flat stomach. He recalled what she had said the night before, right after waking from her fainting spell. “Aiden, are you even human? I’m still carrying your child!”
Now, she was mentioning the child again–this time, even in her sleep.
His eyes narrowed, and an unspoken emotion stirred inside him, taking him by surprise.
Climbing into the bed beside her, Aiden lay next to her, watching her face as she slept. His voice was low and soothing, yet laced with authority. “As long as you don’t betray me, you can have anything you want.”
Money. Status. Children.
What Valerie didn’t realize was that her dreamlike words had stirred something deep within Aiden’s heart. All she knew was that, in the midst of that desperate dream, she had found a fleeting sense of safety, a tiny island of peace. She closed her eyes again, sinking back into a calm, undisturbed sleep.
The next morning, Valerie stirred and, without thinking, bumped into a solid wall of muscle.
She had spent six months alone, used to sleeping by herself. The sudden presence of another person startled her, causing her to jerk back in surprise.
Her movement was so sudden that Aiden furrowed his brow, waking up and immediately noticing the shock on her face.
His expression hardened slightly, and he reached out, pulling her into his chest. His voice was husky from sleep, tinged with a note of irritation. “What’s this expression?”
His voice was close, heavy with drowsiness, but laced with a quiet danger.
Valerie froze, her body stiffening. “How… how are you in my bed…?”
She thought, ‘This is the guest room–my room!‘
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22:10 Tue, 27 May ค
Chapter 14
Aiden’s lips tightened, his eyes darkening. Without a word, he moved over her, pinning her beneath him, and grabbed her chin, his voice deliberate and cold. “The entire house belongs to me.” His eyes turned colder. “And so do you.”
His face loomed over hers, and Valerie’s heart skipped a beat. Instinctively, she felt a rush of fear.
The posture, the atmosphere–it all felt too familiar, too much like the endless nights of despair from her previous life.
Valerie thought, ‘No… Valerie, stay calm. Stay calm! It hasn’t even started yet. I haven’t done anything to make Aiden lose control and lock me away. There’s still time–everything can still be turned around.‘
Valerie took a deep breath and tried to steady herself. Tentatively, she reached out and lightly touched his face.
The unexpected gesture made Aiden freeze. His already intense, dangerous gaze grew even darker, his emotions unreadable.
As soon as Valerie’s hand made contact, she instinctively withdrew it, afraid. But before she could pull away, Aiden held her hand firmly.
Valerie froze in place, her fear evident. But she quickly regained her composure, speaking softly, “I’m already yours.”
Her voice was unexpectedly gentle, a far cry from the sharp, defensive tone she’d had just a few days ago.
Aiden’s heart seemed to soften at her words. He leaned in, his eyes locked on her face, trying to detect any hint of deception.
But all he saw in her amber eyes was fear, mixed with cautious flattery. Gone were the traces of disdain and hatred she’d shown in the past few days. He thought, ‘Has she really resigned herself to this?‘
His gaze grew colder, darker. He leaned closer and spoke, his voice low, “Don’t betray me, understand?”
Valerie tilted her head back slightly, her hands pressing lightly against his chest. She nodded slowly. “As long as we’re still married, I won’t betray you.”
She hesitated, then added, “Not in this lifetime.”
Aiden reached out to gently brush a lock of hair from her face. His voice softened as he spoke each word carefully, “Remember what you’ve said today. If I find out you’ve lied to me…”
His rough hand brushed against her delicate neck, the meaning clear as day.
Valerie stiffened, a chill of fear running through her, but she forced herself to remain calm. She took his hand in hers and said, “I won’t.”
Something in Aiden seemed to stir, as if he’d been touched by her response.
He thought, ‘She is terrified, yet doing her best to keep it together… it is strangely endearing.‘
Inside, Valerie felt a mix of nervousness and resignation. She knew he wouldn’t believe her.
Aiden was inherently suspicious, and over the past month, she had given him plenty of reasons to doubt her.
For the past month, to express her resistance to the arranged marriage, she had never shown him anything but coldness–never once offering the kind of softness or flattery she was showing now.
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22:10 Tue, 27 May
Chapter 15
