Chapter 130
Marcus’s POV
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Marcus had experienced some uncomfortable nights in his life, but this one ranked near the top.
Aurora’s couch was too short for his height, forcing him to either curl up awkwardly or let his legs hang off the edge. Every time he started to drift off, his phone alarm would go off reminding him it was time to check on Aurora again.
Two AM. Four AM. Six AM. Each time he had to drag himself up, walk into her bedroom, wake her up and ask her basic questions to make sure she wasn’t experiencing concussion symptoms.
Each time she’d answered perfectly, smiled at him sleepily, thanked him for being there.
And each time Marcus had felt more and more like he’d made a terrible mistake.
By the time morning light started filtering through the guest house windows, Marcus was exhausted. His back ached from the couch, his eyes felt gritty and dry, and all he wanted was to go home and sleep in his actual
bed.
He stood up and stretched, his spine popping in several places. Through the bedroom door, he could hear Aurora moving around. Water running. Drawers opening and closing.
Marcus pulled out his phone and called Elara. It went straight to voicemail.
He tried again. Same result.
His stomach sank. She was ignoring his calls. He couldn’t blame her, but it still hurt.
He sent a text instead: Coming home soon. We need to talk.
“Marcus?” Aurora’s voice came from the bedroom. “Are you still here?”
“Yeah, I’m about to head out though. How are you feeling?”
“Come see for yourself.”
Marcus walked to the bedroom doorway but didn’t go inside. Aurora was standing by the window, looking out at the main house. She turned when she heard him.
“I feel much better,” she said. “The headache is almost gone. Thank you so much for staying. I don’t know what I would’ve done without you.”
“I’m glad you’re okay. But I really need to get home now.”
“Of course. Let me at least make you some breakfast first. As a thank you.”
“Aurora, that’s not necessary-”
16:52 Mon, May 11
Chapter 130
“Please. You stayed up all night taking care of me. The least I can do is feed you.”
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Marcus wanted to refuse. Wanted to just leave and deal with the fallout with Elara. But his stomach chose that moment to growl loudly, betraying him.
Aurora smiled. “See? You’re hungry. Just let me make you some eggs or something. Ten minutes, that’s all.”
Marcus sighed. “Fine. Ten minutes.”
He went back to the living room while Aurora moved around the kitchen. He could hear her opening the refrigerator, pulling out pans, humming softly to herself.
Something felt off. She seemed too happy, too cheerful for someone who’d supposedly had a concussion less than twelve hours ago.
“Do you want coffee?” Aurora called out.
“Sure.”
Marcus sat on the couch and checked his phone again. Still nothing from Elara. He started typing out a longer message, trying to explain what had happened, but deleted it. This conversation needed to happen in person.
“Here you go.”
Marcus looked up to find Aurora standing in front of him holding a cup of coffee. She was wearing his jacket. His suit jacket from yesterday that he’d left draped over a chair.
And from what he could tell, nothing else.
The jacket hung open slightly, revealing smooth skin underneath. No shirt. No bra. Just bare skin and the jacket that barely covered her.
“Uh,” Marcus said, his brain short-circuiting. “Is that my jacket?”
“Oh, yeah. Sorry. I got cold and it was just sitting there. You don’t mind, do you?” Aurora smiled innocently and sat down next to him on the couch. Too close. Way too close.
“Aurora-”
“The eggs will be ready in a few minutes. I’m making them scrambled, is that okay?”
Marcus stood up abruptly, putting distance between them. “Actually, I should really go. Elara’s probably
worried-”
“Marcus, relax. It’s just breakfast.” Aurora stood up too, and the jacket shifted. Marcus deliberately kept his eyes on her face. “You’re always so tense. You need to learn to breathe.”
“I’m fine.”
Something beeped in the kitchen. Aurora turned and walked toward it, and that’s when Marcus saw.
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Chapter 130
She wasn’t wearing anything under the jacket. Nothing at all.
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As she bent down to open the oven, the jacket rode up, revealing everything. Her ass, completely bare. And between her thighs, he could see-
Marcus looked away immediately, his face burning. “What the fuck, Aurora.”
“What?” She straightened up and turned around, the picture of innocence. “What’s wrong?”
“You’re not wearing any clothes.”
“I’m wearing your jacket.”
“That’s not clothes! That’s-” Marcus ran both hands through his hair. “Where are your actual clothes? Your pajamas, something?”
“I sleep naked. You know that. You used to know that very well.”
“That was years ago and completely irrelevant to right now.”
Aurora walked toward him again and Marcus backed up until he hit the wall. “Is it irrelevant? Because it seems pretty relevant to me. We used to be so good together, Marcus. Don’t you remember?”
“No. I remember you cheating on me and breaking my heart. That’s what I remember.”
Something flickered across Aurora’s face. Hurt, maybe. Or anger. But it was gone in a second, replaced by that same innocent smile.
“I made a mistake. I’ve apologized for it a thousand times. At some point you have to forgive me.”
“I have forgiven you. But forgiveness doesn’t mean I want to be with you again.”
“Are you sure about that?” Aurora took another step closer. They were inches apart now. Marcus could smell her perfume, that same scent she used to wear when they were together. “Because I see the way you look at me sometimes. Like you’re remembering what we had.”
“You’re imagining things.”
“Am I?” Her hand came up to rest on his chest. “Tell me you don’t feel anything. Tell me there’s no part of you that wonders what would’ve happened if I hadn’t messed things up.”
Marcus grabbed her wrist and moved her hand away from him. “Even if there was, it wouldn’t matter. I’m married, Aurora. To someone I actually care about. Someone who didn’t cheat on me and disappear.”
“Someone you married because of a contract.”
The words hit like a slap. Marcus stared at her. “What did you just say?”
Aurora’s eyes widened slightly, like she hadn’t meant to say that out loud. “I just meant-the timing was so fast. You barely knew her. It seemed more like a business arrangement than a real marriage.”
16:52 Mon, May 11
Chapter 130
“How would you know anything about the timing or my relationship with Elara?”
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“I don’t. I’m just saying what it looks like from the outside.” Aurora stepped back, wrapping the jacket more tightly around herself. “I’m sorry. That was out of line.”
Marcus’s mind was racing. How did Aurora know about the contract? Had she overheard something? Had Penelope told her?
“I think I should go,” Marcus said.
“Marcus, wait. I didn’t mean to upset you. Let me just-” Aurora bent down to pick something up off the floor. A pen, maybe, or her phone. Marcus wasn’t sure because he was too busy trying not to look as the jacket rode up again and he got another full view of everything.
She wasn’t wearing underwear. At all. And she had to know that bending over like that would reveal everything.
This was intentional. All of it. The jacket, the lack of clothes, the bending over right in front of him. Aurora was putting on a show, trying to seduce him or at least plant seeds of doubt about his marriage.
And Marcus didn’t like where this was going. Didn’t like it at all.
“I need to leave. Now.” Marcus moved toward the door.
“Let me at least walk you out-”
“Don’t bother.”
But Aurora followed him anyway, still wearing just his jacket. When they got to the door, she reached out and hugged him before he could stop her.
Her arms wrapped around his neck, pulling him close. The jacket gaped open and he could feel her bare skin against his shirt.
“Thank you for last night,” she whispered in his ear. “For taking care of me. It meant everything.”
Marcus pulled away firmly. “You’re welcome. Now please put on actual clothes.”
Aurora pouted. “You’re no fun anymore.”
“I’m married. And exhausted. And done with whatever game you’re playing.”
He turned and walked out of the guest house without looking back. The morning air was cool against his face as he headed toward the main building.
Marcus pulled out his phone and saw that Elara still hadn’t responded to any of his calls or messages. His stomach twisted with anxiety.
When he looked up at the penthouse windows, he saw her.
Elara was standing at the bedroom window, perfectly still, staring down at him. Even from this distance, he
16:52 Mon, May 11
Chapter 130
could see the expression on her face.
She’d seen everything.
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