VENUS“Venus,” Aaron said calmly. Too calmly.But he didn’t reach for me.No—his hand shot out, iron-fast, latching around Dorian’s wrist, right where it had touched my arm. The grip was brutal—veins straining, knuckles whitening.“You’ve always had an affinity for things that aren’t yours, haven’t you?”Velvet over steel. A tone that promised pain beneath the polish.Dorian’s grin didn’t even falter. That infuriating, cold amusement stayed pinned in place.“She didn’t seem to mind,” he shrugged smug and cruel. A predator enjoying the tease.I glared.“I do.”Aaron didn’t even glance at me. His eyes stayed locked on Dorian’s—glacier meeting fire.“Touch her again,” he murmured—low, lethal—“and you won’t have anything to jerk off with.”A flicker, just the barest crack in Dorian’s grin. Subtle, but there. Enough.Aaron let go, deliberately, like casting off something filthy. A dismissal. A warning.Then he turned to me, gaze burning.“Come.”Not a request. A command.And I moved. Becau
VENUSWhen Aaron sat back beside me, presence steady as steel, I felt his gaze drift to me.Low enough that no one else would hear, he leaned in, voice a dark murmur meant just for me.“Good job. You handled yourself well.”A faint smile tugged at my lips. I nodded—small, controlled—careful not to betray how fast my pulse was racing.The lion had approved. And that meant more than I’d ever admit.The meeting dragged on—less discussion, more a thinly veiled pissing contest disguised as corporate diplomacy.And just when I thought the final gavel would fall, when the word adjourned was practically forming on someone’s lips—Richard Sinclair opened his damn mouth.“Rosemary Carter has been notably absent from our shareholders’ meetings.”Beside me, Aaron stiffened like iron snapping taut.Jesus Christ.Couldn’t Richard choke on his own smugness for once? No. He had to poke the bear.And this particular bear was already pacing its cage.I glanced at Caroline, even she looked momentarily ho
VENUSI hold Dorian’s gaze.That smile—it's not curiosity. It’s a dare. The kind people wear when they’re watching someone walk a tightrope in scissors-for-shoes.My heart pounds like war drums. But my spine? Iron. I stare him down, unblinking.“I was born in Queens,” I begin calm and controlled. “I worked two jobs, earned scholarships, and graduated top of my class.”A beat of silence.“I’ve bled for everything I have. I didn’t come from wealth, but I’m not here to impress you with lineage. I’m here because I’m competent. Because Aaron chose me.”Dorian leans back, smile widening. “Where’d you go to college?”Like it’s some kind of interview.“City University of New York.”Richard scoffs. Caroline leans in, her tone all sugar-laced venom.“But surely you don’t believe competence and… romantic proximity are enough to advise the CEO of a billion-dollar empire?”God, I hate that woman.Aaron steps forward, jaw tight, but I raise a hand. This fight is mine.“No,” I say, meeting her gaze
VENUSA few weeks after that dinner with Aaron—the weirdest of my life—we were back to work.And no, it wasn’t like before. He’s still Aaron: sharp-edged, colder than titanium and twice as inflexible—but now, he actually listens. Respects my input. Lets me speak without interrupting, which, coming from him, might as well be a love letter.He meant it when he said: “You’ll be my shadow. My second brain. My eyes in every room. You want purpose? I’ll give you one.”And just like that, I became something more than a PA with a contract ring.I became relevant.But the board meeting? Yeah. I dreaded it.Richard’s been throwing glares sharp enough to slice paper. The office gossip is a never-ending background hum. And now that I’m Mrs. Sinclair, people who never even blinked at me before are suddenly obsessed. Offering smiles. Compliments. Coffee. Vile.And the paparazzi? Parasites with black lenses. They’ve made my life a logistical nightmare. I can’t even go to the corner deli without thr
VENUSIt was already dark when I stepped inside. The house was dead silent—the kind of silence that makes your skin crawl. The lights were off, and for a split second, I thought maybe he wasn’t home.Wishful thinking.I flipped the switch.And there he was.Sitting on the couch, back straight, eyes vacant. Staring into nothing. Like a damn ghost.Creepy.“Aaron?”His head turned slightly. Slowly. Too calm.“Venus,” he said flat, cold, controlled. Like a knife resting against your throat.“Why are you sitting in the dark?”A beat. Then he asked—no, accused—“You told Gianna?”He already knew. The question was nothing but a courtesy. One last out.I didn’t take it.“I... Yes. I did.”He gave a single nod. Barely a reaction.“Hm.”That was it?“That’s all you’re going to say?” I asked, heart pounding. Watching him like he might explode. Or worse—not. “Why were you with my mom today?”His voice came low, almost amused. “Why were you in her room?”“She’s my mother.”“And I’m her son-in-law
VENUS“You look good, Mom.”“I feel good,” she smiled at me, her eyes soft. “While you were gone, the nurses took good care of me.”Aaron. He kept his word. I couldn’t deny it. I was… grateful.“I’m sorry I left for so long.”“Yeah, work and all,” she teased, her voice light.“Mom…” I sighed, running a hand through my hair. I didn't want to get into it, not with her. Not when every word I said felt like it carried a weight I couldn’t shake.She laughed softly. “You’re the one who eloped, sweetheart.”I winced. Touché. “I’m sorry.”Her gaze softened, and for a moment, the teasing disappeared from her eyes. She reached for my hand, squeezing it gently. “Are you happy with him, baby? You know you can tell me anything, right?”I froze. My heart skipped a beat. Happy? What did that even mean?“Mom, I’m happy,” I said, forcing my voice to stay steady, though it felt hollow. “He loves me. He really does.”Liar.“And he treats me very well, and… I love him too.”She wiped away a tear. Just on