Semua Bab A Taste Of Him: The One I Was Never Meant to Want : Bab 101 - Bab 110

CHAPTER 102Aurora’s POVMy mom's place felt the safest at this moment.I stepped inside quietly, the door clicking shut behind me, and for once I was grateful—relieved—that my mom wasn’t around. I didn’t have the strength to explain my face, my eyes, the way my chest felt like it had caved in on itself.Every step to my room took something out of me.I locked the door behind me and leaned against it, sliding down until I was sitting on the floor, knees pulled to my chest. My body was exhausted, but my mind wouldn’t stop racing. It kept replaying everything. Italy, That message and the stupid name refusing to leave my head.I needed the noise to stop.I pushed myself up and walked unsteadily to my mom’s room, opening drawers with shaking hands.She always keeps it here…When I found it, my fingers closed around the bottle like it was a lifeline. I didn’t think—thinking hurt too much. I just wanted rest. Silence, any pause from feeling like this.The world softened around the edges not

Chapter 104Aurora’s POVI told myself I wasn’t thinking about him anymore.His name still lingered somewhere at the back of my mind, heavy and unwanted—but I refused to pull it forward. I needed peace. Real peace.So instead, I turned inward. I let myself sit with the silence and tried to remember who I was without Jaxon Grayson shaking the ground beneath my feet.Layla stayed a few more days before she finally left, and I remained at my mom’s place. It feels more safe and hidden because I know what that jerk can pull. Mom came home one Tuesday afternoon while Layla was still around, and I swear my chest loosened the second I saw her. I hadn’t stepped a single foot outside my room in days—maybe weeks. Avoidance, maybe. Healing, definitely. I didn’t want anything unexpected finding me yet.She didn’t ask questions.Instead, she stocked the fridge with everything she thought I’d need, filled the pantry, even cooked meals and packed them neatly, knowing I might not have the energy to s

CHAPTER 106Aurora’s POVLater that night, my bed carried the weight my mouth couldn’t.The pillows absorbed everything I refused to say out loud. I buried my face into them, breathing in detergent and faint lavender, wishing they could suffocate the ache out of me.I hated myself for being this vulnerable.I hated him for making me feel disposable.I wasn’t myself anymore.I had locked myself inside these walls for days now. Curtains half-drawn. Phone on silent, only if I need to put out a call and it has always been Alfredo and Layla.The world has reduced to the size of my bedroom.And it was taking a toll on me.I brewed coffee at midnight just to feel something warm in my hands. The kitchen light was too bright. My thoughts were louder than the kettle.My thumb hovered over the voicemail notifications.From Jaxon.More than Three of them.I shouldn’t but still, I pressed play.“Princess…” His voice came through low. Husky. Tired. “Would you just trust me on this? And—” he exhaled

Chapter 108Jaxon’s POVMy father laughed.It wasn’t loud. It wasn’t even cruel in tone. But it carried the quiet satisfaction of a man who had just placed his opponent in check and knew it.The sound scraped against something raw inside me.For a brief, humiliating second, I hadn’t answered him. I had stood there, staring at him, unable to say whether she was worth my empire.That silence had told him everything.I closed my eyes and exhaled slowly, releasing tension I hadn’t realized had been coiled in my chest since he walked in. When I opened them again, he was studying me with clinical detachment.He glanced at his wristwatch, as if we were discussing quarterly projections instead of my autonomy.Then he stepped closer. He came to stand beside me and, with a familiarity that grated against my pride, tapped my shoulder once. Patronizing. Controlled.“Since you’re still unsure,” he said evenly, “I’ll give you time.”Time. He said it like a gift.“But the dinner still holds,” he con

Chapter 110Aurora’s POVI had just stepped out of the shower when the world decided it wasn’t done with me.Steam still clung to the bathroom mirror as I wiped a circle through the fog and stared at my reflection.I changed into something comfortable — loose silk shorts and an oversized shirt — and settled at my desk. Alfredo had sent three revised proposals that needed my review by morning. Typical.If I buried myself in work, I wouldn’t think.I was about to open the first file when my phone buzzed.Lay Again, I stared at the screen like it had personally offended me.“Tenth time today,” I muttered before answering. “To what do I owe this dramatic persistence, Lay?”Her voice came through bright and suspiciously cheerful. “Nothing much, babe. Just wanted to let you know — it’s no longer an engagement party.” My fingers froze over the keyboard.“It’s a dinner,” she continued casually, “between two families.” Silence. Then my shoulders visibly dropped.“Oh thank God,” I breathed, lea