บททั้งหมดของ Love and deceit : บทที่ 51 - บทที่ 60

🌹Aurora 🌹I woke to a dim, unfamiliar light—not in the safety of my own apartment, but in a room that belonged to Damien Sterling. The space was imposing yet sterile, decorated with dark, sleek furnishings and cold, calculated precision. I lay there for a long moment, feeling the weight of the previous night still pressing against me. The sheets, cool against my skin, bore the faint scent of his aftershave—a constant reminder of the forced intimacy that had taken place in this very room.My heart pounded, and my mind swirled with conflicting emotions. I had slept here with Damien, his arms around me, his presence both intimidating and strangely intimate. The memory of that night was a mosaic of reluctant surrender, heated tension, and the brief flicker of something that might have been genuine connection—if only for a moment. Yet now, as the soft glow of dawn crept through the heavy curtains, I felt exposed and vulnerable in a way I never imagined.I sat up slowly, the coolness of t

🌹Aurora 🌹I felt as though I were suspended in time when Damien’s quiet knock on the door of his private study broke through the haze of my thoughts. Ever since that fateful conversation with him in the private booth—where he laid bare the dark secrets of my father—I had been caught in a whirlwind of anger, confusion, and reluctant hope. Now, alone in the soft twilight of the estate, I knew that I had to face not only the revelations but the man who had so carefully guarded his own heart.I took a deep breath before opening the door. There, in the subdued light of his study, Damien stood near a large window, his dark eyes fixed on the city beyond. The atmosphere was heavy with unspoken tension. His expression was unreadable, yet as soon as he saw me, his eyes softened ever so slightly—a small admission of vulnerability that I wasn’t sure I wanted to believe.“Aurora,” he said softly, his voice low and measured. “I’m glad you came.”I stepped inside cautiously. The room was intimate—

🌹Damien 🌹After that charged night in the private chamber, I found myself wandering the quiet corridors of my study long into the early hours. The memory of Aurora’s soft, trembling words and the intensity of our shared intimacy clung to me—an echo that I wasn’t ready to silence. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw her face, a mixture of defiance and vulnerability that made my carefully built walls tremble. I had always prided myself on control, on the ability to remain untouched by sentiment. Yet, now, beneath the mask of duty, a spark had been kindled—one that both terrified and intrigued me.I sat down at my desk, the leather cool against my skin as I opened a fresh page in my journal. I wrote slowly, deliberately, recounting the night’s events—the soft murmur of our conversation, the unspoken agreements we had made, the rules we had set for ourselves. “No more pretenses,” I penned in a bold, unsteady hand. “Just honesty, no matter how painful.” The words felt like both a promise

🌹Damien 🌹I had barely had time to steady my breath when I heard the door open. I was in my private study at the estate, deep in thought about the secrets and lies that had come to light. Then I saw them: Aurora standing near the window, talking quietly with Ethan. My blood ran cold. How dare he come here—into my space—to see her?My heart pounded as I strode toward the door. Every step felt heavy with anger. When I entered the room, I saw Aurora’s face turn pale. Ethan stood close to her, his blue eyes gentle but determined.“Aurora,” I said sharply, my voice low and controlled, “what are you doing with him?”Before she could answer, Ethan spoke. “Damien,” he said, his tone steady yet filled with sorrow, “Aurora deserves someone better than you. She deserves a life where she is free to choose, not trapped in this arranged fate.”Those words hit me like a stone. I felt a burning fury. How dare he say that about me, about the life I was forced into? I had no time for empty praise or

🌹Damien 🌹The silence stretched between us, thick and heavy. The only sound was the steady ticking of the clock on the wall. Aurora stood a few feet away, her expression unreadable, but I could see the tension in her shoulders. I could feel the hesitation in the way she held herself.I was tired. My body ached from the fight with Ethan—my knuckles were raw, my ribs sore, my cheek stinging from his punch. But the physical pain was nothing compared to the thought of losing her.I took a slow breath, forcing myself to keep my voice calm. “Are you still going to him, Aurora? Or will you stay here?”She didn’t answer. Instead, she walked to the small cabinet by the wall, pulling out a first aid kit. I watched her move, the way her hands trembled slightly as she opened the box and pulled out a bottle of antiseptic.“Sit down,” she said softly.I didn’t move. “That’s not an answer.”She turned to me then, her eyes meeting mine. There was something in them—something that made my chest tight