It’s strange that I used to be exactly like him — if not more demanding — but now, the idea of leaving takes all my self-restraint.

Tiny hands wrap around my chest from behind as her warmth glues to my back.

Aurora’s head peeks from the side and she meets my gaze in the mirror. “Going somewhere?”

“Work.”

“What happened to ‘we’ll stay in bed all day?’” She tries to hide her disappointment from her overly expressive eyes and fails. She can be so adorable sometimes.

“Didn’t we, wild one?”

“Well, not really.”

“I think your arse and pussy would testify otherwise.”

She hides her face against my jacket to camouflage the flaming of her cheeks. I get the urge to grab her and kiss the fuck out of her.

So I do just that.

Spinning around, I wrap my hand around her throat. Her dark blue eyes meet mine, wide, expectant, and I meet those expectations when I slam my lips to hers.

I lost count of how much I’ve kissed her but each time she melts against me, her tiny fingers wrapping around my bicep or nape, it feels like a first.

And like every first, I feast on her luscious lips, grabbing her by the arse and pulling her against my trousers.

I’m rock hard again. Fuck.

Pulling away, I breathe against her mouth without releasing neither her arse nor throat. “Go back to sleep.”

“Do you not want me with you?”

“What the fuck is that nonsense?”

“Well…” she stares at her feet. “You don’t take me with you to events or even invite me.”

I place two fingers underneath her chin, forcing her to stare up at me. “Didn’t you say you don’t want to take part in anything that has to do with ‘my world?’”

“That was before. I thought…”

“You thought what?”

“I thought you were embarrassed to have me on your arm.”

“Why would I be embarrassed?”

“You’re not the type to be embarrassed, but, you know.”

“No, I don’t know. You’re not my dirty little secret, Aurora. I’ll shout at the top of the world that you’re mine if that’s what it will take.”

Her delicate throat works up and down with a swallow. “But people will talk about my resemblance to Alicia.”

“Fuck people, and Alicia has been dead for eleven years. I don’t think she minds.”

“So you’re not keeping it a secret?”

“Why the fuck would I announce in front of the world that you’re my fiancée if I was keeping it a secret? Stop having those thoughts, okay?”

“Okay.” A smile grazes her lips as she tiptoes and kisses me on my cheeks. “Have fun.”

I grab her by the arm before she can leave. “Where do you think you’re going?”

“Back to sleep.”

“Forget about that. You’re coming with me.”

“I am?”

“If you want to. I would be happy if you came with me and made the night less boring.” I rephrase so it doesn’t come off as if I’m ordering her around.

Aurora is a strong, independent woman, and needs her choices. I think part of the reason why she acted up the other time was because I completely took that will away.

It’s hard to give a choice when I’m used to my orders being met, but for her, I will learn. Eventually.

“I would love to.” She wraps her arms around my neck and seals her lips to mine.

As I kiss her, I know, I just know that there’s only one choice I would never give her.

The choice to leave me.

 

 

28

 

 

Aurora

 

 

Something feels wrong the moment I arrive at my office and receive a phone call from an unknown number.

Since the media attention started, Jonathan changed my phone number so that only he, his family, and Layla have it.

He even deleted Ethan’s number when I added it. No kidding.

Jonathan has been more severe about his possessiveness since he took me against the sofa a week ago. He’s been more tender, too, whether we’re alone or with people. I still haven’t asked him what he meant about the whole fiancée business, but I’d rather not ruin it.

At least, not for now.

I need his closeness more than anything as I deal with this whole fucked up situation. I need to sleep in his arms and feel like I’m in a castle and no one will ever be able to hurt me.

It’s weird how I handled it all alone eleven years ago, but I don’t want to think about that option now. Having Jonathan, Layla, and even Aiden and Levi and their wives, brings me a long-lost sense of peace that I’m ready to fight for with all my might.

At first, I don’t answer the phone, thinking it’s a reporter. They don’t stop. At all. They keep bugging me, Layla, and even our employees for stories about me.

Jonathan wasn’t kidding when he said he’d crush them, though. Aside from the security that surrounds H&H on a daily basis, Harris is keeping King Enterprises’ solicitors busy by having them file countless lawsuits and restraining orders.

My screen lights up with a text.

Unknown Number: Hello, Ms Harper. This is Stephan Wayne, Mr Griffin’s solicitor. I have one final message to relay from my client. There’s a threat to your life and Mr Griffin can protect you from it. Your father is ready to take back his accusations if you visit him.

I sit down on the sofa, staring at the text. He’s willing to leave me in peace?

No. I internally shake my head. This is one of Dad’s games. He loved those — games, that is. There’s a reason why I never visited him. Aside from the pain and trauma I feel whenever I think about him.

Dad is a master of manipulation, and although I could see through it, I’m not completely immune to it. If I do visit him, I have no clue what type of person I’ll be when I walk out of there.

The day the court sentenced him for life, our eyes met, and I couldn’t stop crying. All the pain and disappointment I experienced back then translated into tears that I couldn’t hold back.

As the officers were taking him away, Dad stopped in front of me and whispered the words I’ve never been able to forget, “Next time we see each other, either I kill you or you kill me.”

My phone lights up with another text from Stephan and I open it with unsteady fingers.

Unknown Number: You should be receiving a gift from your father.

A knock sounds on the door and I stare up as my assistant, Jessica, walks inside carrying something in her hand. “This came for you, Ms Harper.”

My eyes widen as I make out the wooden box. It’s so similar to the ones I received Alicia’s messages in.

Oh, God.

No.

All this time, I’ve been coming to terms that the entire debacle with the messages was a hallucination. I’ve become paranoid and had to check things twice and even take pictures so that type of incident never happens again.

If there’s another box, then…it’s real. It wasn’t my imagination, after all.

Was this my father’s game all along?

“You saw me with the box, Jessica, okay?” I take it from her fingers, and she nods with a quizzical expression before leaving.