Chapter 138: She Wants Raymond
Oliver’s POV
I walked down the hall to my study, my footsteps heavy on the tiled floor. Once inside, I didn’t turn on the lights. I didn’t sit at my desk to work. I stood in the middle of the dark room, my hands shaking so hard I had to clench them into fists.
I leaned my back against the door and let out a heavy breath. My mind was a battlefield. One side of me was Oliver, the king who wanted to marry her, to protect her, to give her a life where she never had to see a drop of blood again. The other side was Raymond, the Dom she craves.
"Would she actually sign it," I whispered into the dark. My voice sounded wrecked, even to my ears.
She had actually taken the contract. I had given her every chance to walk away. As Raymond, I had been as cruel as possible. I had insulted her, threatened her, and treated her like dirt. I had expected her to throw the papers in my face and run back to the safety of the King.
Instead, she had looked me in the eye and agreed to be my "Pet."
She’s cheating on me... with me, I thought, and the irony felt like a hot blade in my gut.
I had fallen for her because I thought she was different. I thought she was the one pure thing left in this world. But today, she had sat in that room and told Raymond she loved the way he "fucked" her. She was willing to betray the man who worshipped her for the touch of a masked man.
"Don’t you dare judge her," my wolf growled in the back of my mind. The beast was restless, pacing behind my ribs. "She isn’t cheating. She is yours. All of her."
"She doesn’t know that!" I snapped at the empty room. "To her, Raymond is a stranger. A cold Dom. And yet, she’s willing to crawl into his bed. She’s choosing him over me."
"She loves you," my wolf countered, his voice like thunder. "She loves Oliver for his heart, and she craves Raymond for his dominance. She loves both sides of us, even if she doesn’t understand it yet. Why are you pained that she wants the Raymond side of you?"
"Because I wanted her to be better than this!" I slammed my fist into the wall, the wall cracking under my strength. "I wanted her to be the one person who wouldn’t be corrupted. But she’s just like the rest. She has a price."
But as the anger flared, a wave of agonizing pain followed it. Was she really doing this? Was she really going to be Dom Raymond’s sub while dating me? Would my innocent Aurora do this? And why? Just because she likes the way Raymond fucks her? She could have just told me... she could have told me my sex pattern wasn’t enough... that is what a sensible lover would do. But she didn’t; rather, she ran to the arms of Raymond. She is willing to be his sub. Why? Because he fucks the shit out of her.
I sank into my chair, burying my face in my hands. As Oliver, I wanted to go back into that bedroom, wake her up, and tell her everything.
But as Raymond... I wanted to see how far she would go. I wanted to see her break every rule. I wanted to see if the "innocent" Aurora would truly become the masked man’s plaything.
I looked at my hands—the hands that had held her so gently as Oliver, and the hands that had gripped her chin so roughly as Raymond. They were the same hands.
"I’m going to give her one last chance," I whispered. I still have faith in my Aurora... I can still stop her.
The next morning, I stood by the kitchen island, the scent of sizzling bacon and fresh coffee filling the air. I had barely slept last night. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw her—Aurora. I saw her looking at Raymond with a hunger she never showed Oliver.
I heard her footsteps first. Soft, hesitant. When she entered the kitchen, she looked like an angel in the morning light, her hair messy, wearing one of my oversized shirts. She smiled at me, a sweet, innocent smile that made my heart ache.
"You made breakfast?" she asked, her voice light.
"I wanted to take care of you," I said, my voice steady despite the roar of my wolf.
I led her to the table. I fed her myself, piece by piece, watching her lips move, watching the woman I loved eat the food I prepared with shaking hands. I needed to give her a way out. One last chance to be honest. One chance to choose me over Raymond.
"Aurora," I said softly, setting the fork down. "Can we talk?"
She tilted her head, her eyes wide and full of curiosity. "Of course. Is everything okay?"
"I just... I want you to be happy," I said, reaching across the table to take her hand. Her skin was so soft. I squeezed it gently. "Is there anything you want to say to me? Anything at all? Is there something you want me to change? I want to be the man you need, Aurora. Not just your lover, but the man who fulfills every part of you."
I leaned in, my gaze searching hers, pleading with her silently to just tell me the truth. "Especially... us. Our intimacy. Are you happy? Is there a side of me you’re missing? Do you want me to be... different? More intense? Tell me what you crave, and I will give it to you. You don’t have to be shy about it."
I was practically begging her. I was laying my soul bare, offering her the darkness she sought in Raymond right here in the light of day.
She smiled, and for a second, it was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen. "Oliver, you’re perfect," she said, her voice like honey. "Why are you asking me this? You treat me like a queen. I’m happy. Truly."
The words felt like a physical blow to my chest. I nodded in slow, agonizing pain, my throat tight. She was lying. She was looking me in the face, feeling the warmth of my hand, and lying to me. She didn’t want Oliver to be the Dom; she wanted to keep the Dom who fucked her roughly separate. She wanted to keep her "perfect" King and her "filthy" Dom in two different rooms.
"I love you so much, Aurora," I whispered, my voice thick. "Always remember that."
"I know," she replied.
"Finish your meal," I said, standing up abruptly. I couldn’t look at her anymore without breaking. "I need to speak with the guards downstairs about the security update."
I walked out of the kitchen, every step feeling like I was walking on broken glass. The moment the door closed behind me and I was in the privacy of the hallway, I pulled the second phone—Raymond’s phone—from my pocket.
My thumbs hovered over the screen. Please, I thought. Please, Aurora. Prove me wrong.
I typed out the message: It’s 7:00 AM. Have you made your decision?
I stood there, staring at the screen, my heart pounding so hard I thought it would burst through my ribs. I had just offered her everything as Oliver. I had given her the chance to merge our worlds.
The phone buzzed instantly. My breath hitched.
Aurora: Yes. I have made my decision. I will sign it and come to you in the next two hours. Tell me where to meet you.
I leaned my head against the cold stone wall of the hallway and closed my eyes. A single, bitter laugh escaped my throat. She didn’t even hesitate. She didn’t even wait an hour after our breakfast to sell herself to the masked man.
The innocent girl was gone. My Aurora was gone.
"She chose us," the wolf whispered, but there was no victory in his voice.
"No," I replied internally, my eyes snapping open. "She chose him. She chose Raymond. And if that’s what she wants... then that is exactly what she’s going to get."
I typed back.
Raymond: Meet me at the club... I’ll be waiting for you.
I tucked the phone away, my pain twisting into rage. she wanted Raymond? she loves the way he fucks her? Good. I was going to show her exactly what she chose.