Aren shrugged out of his jacket and covered my shoulders before moving away from the bed and facing his grandfather. “Your grandson was trying to rape my fiancée, and he deserved to be punished,” he commented sternly. “Punished?! I bet that this bitch seduced him! Why else would he be inside that room?!” Vanessa spat while assisting two servants in getting Callan up to his feet. Callan looked at me with his swollen eyes, and a faint smirk curled the corner of his lips. He had a broken nose and a few other injuries. It was unclear what kind of injuries they were because his whole face was covered in blood. He was clearly in pain, but his hatred for Aren was strong enough to surface in his expression even at that moment. It was terrifying.
Augustus processed the situation and stepped toward me. “Did Callan try to force himself on you?” he asked, raising his chin in a judgmental gesture as a warning for me to watch my mouth.
I guessed that he still doubted that Aren and I were in a genuine relationship. My jaw clenched as I glared at him. Taking a deep breath to soothe my still trembling body, I said, “He broke into the bedroom that I locked and tried to… He tried to...”
“Enough with that questioning!” Aren hissed, standing between me and Augustus. “I know what I saw, and I should have killed that piece of shit, but he is only slightly injured.” He pointed at Callan, who was tripping over his feet as he was led out of the room by servants, supporting his every inept step.
James walked to Aren, an uncomfortable grimace painting his face. “I‘m sure he didn‘t mean to
I burst out in bitter laughter. My inner rage rose beyond the point of my control. Why did all those people figure out that they needed to coax Aren while ignoring the fact that I was that bastard‘s victim?!
“Of course!” I snapped. “He didn‘t mean to break into the bedroom, knowing that I was alone inside! He didn‘t mean to pin me down on the bed and touch me without my consent! He didn‘t mean anything bad... He is just too used to getting whatever he wants!” Aren‘s eyes landed on me in an instant, guilt surfacing in his expression before he shifted his gaze to his father and grandfather. “We are leaving. Feel free to take that piece of shit to the hospital. Just know that I will kill him the next time he tries to get anywhere near Cora.”
A second later, he scooped me from the bed and carried me out of the room, bridal–style. I was barefoot, wearing a silk nightgown, and was only covered by his jacket, yet I didn‘t question him. I wrapped my arms around him and placed my head on his chest as he carried me down the stairs.
“Aren!” Augustus yelled angrily while standing at the top of the stairs. “Let‘s try to be reasonable here!”
Aren turned around, his eyes sending out a terrifying glower. “This is me being reasonable. And I suggest you pray that never changes because then I won‘t hesitate to wipe every single Winton from the face of the Earth.” He kicked the door open, and we left.
My choice
it was the only thing he had ever cared about. Aren ignored his desperate pleading. He just walked to the car and gently put me in the backseat while Marcus went inside to get our suitcases. A minute later, we were driving away from the mansion. I stayed silent until we left Greenwich, heading back to New York City. I wrapped myself in Aren‘s jacket,
you be sorry
your chance to get the evidence you wanted… It‘s because of
and only because of him. Don‘t even try to blame yourself for it.” He smiled
we stayed there
I couldn‘t allow us to stay there either. If I‘d chosen to stay, Augustus might have been satisfied, but he would have also become suspicious, and I needed him to lower his guard instead of raising it. I just need to figure out another way to get into his office. That‘s
and I did nothing to provoke him... except for showing up in his home with Aren. Nonetheless, I couldn‘t get rid of the feeling that Aren would have had better chances of getting what he
Aren took me in his arms again and carried me
someone had seen me like this. I suggested that I could simply take out my shoes from the suitcase and walk by myself, but hearing his curt “no,” I decided to shut up and let him carry me. His body warmth was soothing. It kept my thoughts away from Callan. Yet as soon as he put me
the rustling wind or the closing door, made me flinch and put my senses into a state of alert. It became even worse when I entered the shower. Once the water stream fell on my skin, it felt like Callan‘s nauseating touch. As I saw the bruises he left on my wrists and arms while trying to restrain me, it all became unbearable. I turned off the water and curled in the corner of the cabin. I burst out into tears, one hand clamping my mouth shut to muffle my cry. Every memory
172
me screamed otherwise. Fisting my hands, I got out of the bathroom, put on my loose T–shirt and panties, and lay down on my bed. The second I closed
I didn‘t even know why
me inside his bedroom, closing the door behind us.
to spend this night?” A wave of heat rushed through me, painting my cheeks a bright crimson. “It‘s... selfish of me, “I said softly. “I wanted to get rid of... him, the memory of him...
I breathed out as shivers
up and down. “Allow me to overwrite your painful memories of him. I just need
consent?” I asked faintly, my heart hammering stronger by the
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