Chapter 145: The choice
Aurora’s POV
The water from the shower pelted my back, stinging the welts I’d tried so hard to forget were there. I leaned my forehead against the cold tiles, and for a moment, I just stood there, letting the water run over me, as if it could wash away everything I had become... everything I had done.
When I finally stepped out, I dried myself slowly, carefully avoiding the mirror. I couldn’t face what I had become.
The buzzer for the lobby rang. My heart did a slow, painful somersault. I wrapped my towel tighter around me and answered it.
"Package for Ms. Aurora," the doorman’s voice crackled.
A few minutes later, I was standing in front of a garment bag. I unzipped it with trembling fingers. The dress was breathtaking—a deep, navy-blue silk that felt like liquid in my hands. It was the kind of dress a man buys for the woman he wants the whole world to know he loves.
I sat on the edge of the bed, my damp hair dripping onto my shoulders. I felt so incredibly small. I wanted to call Oliver and scream the truth. I wanted to tell him that I was drowning. But I knew the moment I told him the truth, Oliver would never look at me the same again... I’d lose him, and the thought of that was something I couldn’t bear.
I reached out and touched the blue dress.
"I’m sorry, Oliver," I whispered, the tears finally breaking through.
I stood up, my mind a mess of desperation. I couldn’t do both. Not really. But I could try to survive the night. I would put on the dress. I would go to the gala for as long as I could, play the part of the perfect king’s lover, and then... then I would find an excuse to slip away.
I began to get ready, my movements slow and lifeless. I put on expensive makeup to hide the paleness of my face. I curled my hair to hide the bite mark on my neck.
And then, with a sob caught in my throat, I stepped into the blue dress—leaving my skin bare underneath, just as the monster had commanded. I felt exposed. I felt filthy.
I stood before the mirror, staring at my reflection.
"Aurora, you can do this," I whispered. "For your family. For James... just get through tonight."
My phone buzzed in my purse. It was a text from Oliver: I’m downstairs, waiting for my Queen.
My stomach did a nervous flip. I took one last look at the empty room, grabbed my small clutch, and headed down. When the elevator doors opened, the evening air hit my face, but it didn’t cool the heat of my anxiety.
Oliver was there, leaning against a sleek black limo. He was dressed in a white tailored suit that made his tanned skin look golden and his shoulders impossibly broad. For a moment, I just stood there, rooted to the spot. My heart ached with love and guilt. He looked like everything good in the world... everything I didn’t deserve anymore.
He saw me, and his entire face lit up. He stretched forth his hand, his eyes roaming over me with a pride that made my throat tighten. I walked over, my heels clicking on the pavement, and took his hand. He didn’t just hold it; he pulled me into him, his arm wrapping firmly around my waist as he sealed our lips for a kiss.
It was a deep, possessive kiss, making me have a taste of the wine he must have had. When he pulled back, I saw a smudge of my lipstick on his bottom lip. I smiled softly, my thumb grazing his mouth to wipe it off.
"You look beautiful, my love," he rasped, his voice thick with emotion. "Actually, ’beautiful’ doesn’t even cover it. I’m jealous of every man who’s going to see you tonight. I’m even jealous of myself."
I looked up at him, trying to push the image of the masked man out of my mind. "I’m all yours, Alpha King," I whispered... even though it felt like a lie.
He smiled, a true, warm smile that reached his eyes, and opened the car door for me. We slid into the plush leather interior, the door closing us into a world of luxury and quiet. The driver started the engine, and the city lights began to blur past the tinted windows.
Oliver poured two glasses of champagne. I took a sip, the bubbles stinging my throat, helping me swallow the lump of guilt. He reached out and pulled me onto his lap, his large hands resting on my thighs. My body tensed for a second, but I forced myself to relax, forcing a smile he wouldn’t question.
I wrapped my arms around his neck and kissed him again, more passionately this time. "I love you," I said, the words spilling easily out of me.
He chuckled softly against my lips. "You’re getting more comfortable saying that. I could get used to this."
"That’s because it’s the truth," I said, and for the first time today, I wasn’t lying. "I love you so much, Oliver."
His eyes sparked with a dark, hungry fire. The way he looked at me—with so much worship and desire—made me want to forget everything. I wanted to drown out the memory of Raymond. I wanted to feel like I belonged to Oliver, even if just for a few minutes.
I decided to be naughty, to take control of the only bit of happiness I had left. I leaned into his ear, my breath hot against his skin. "Do you want some excitement before we get to the venue?"
Oliver’s hands tightened on my waist. "What do you have in mind, baby?"
I didn’t respond with words. Instead, I slid off his lap and sank to my knees on the floor of the moving limo. The vibration of the car hummed through my body. I looked up at him, my eyes dark, and began to unbuckle his belt.
"Aurora..." he groaned, his head hitting the headrest.
I ignored the protest and pulled his zipper down, freeing him from his pants. He was already hard, his pulse jumping under the skin. I leaned forward, placing soft, lingering kisses along the length of him, savoring the way his breath hitched.
"Baby, you’ll ruin your makeup," he managed to say, his fingers tangling in my hair, but he wasn’t pulling me away.
"Then it’s worth it," I whispered against him.