Chapter 9
The blazing sun scorched my skin. I plopped down on the bench, tugging off my blazer and dropping it beside me. Tilting my head back, I squinted against the light, shielding my eyes with one hand.
A shadow fell over me. Lowering my hand, I met Sloane's hazel eyes.
Without a word, she leaned down and slipped her aviator shades onto my face. "You know you can't see properly under this sun with eyes like yours, right?" she teased with a soft chuckle.
A faint smile tugged at my lips. "It's not like yours are any better." I shrugged, then caught her wrist and pulled her down until she landed on my lap.
"Hey!" she hissed, voice low as she glanced around. Cameras were trained on us for the prenup shoot. The photographer had insisted on raw, unpolished intimacy.
"Relax," I smirked. "People are looking. You wanted publicity, didn't you?"
Her hands slid to my shoulders, deliberate, slow, teasing. She tilted my chin up, forcing me to meet her eyes, leaning closer until our lips hovered a breath apart. Her whisper burned hot against my mouth. "Will you calm your bulge down, Aurora? I can feel it."
A chuckle escaped me. "Oh, I wonder why that's happening, hmm?"
Before she could retort, the photographer's voice rang out. "Perfect! That's lovely!"
Sloane started to rise, but I caught her and pulled her back into my arms.
"Aurora!" she growled, pushing against my shoulders.
"Sol," I said softly, meeting her glare with a smile that felt too fragile. "Do you ever think... if I hadn't broken up with you twelve years ago, would we have ended up together? Married? With kids? Living a happy life?"
Her throat worked as she swallowed. She blinked. "Why are you asking me that?" she whispered, barely audible over the rustle of the breeze.
I shrugged, lips twitching. "I just want to know what you think. If I hadn't ended it."
Her hands fell into her lap, fingers fidgeting.
She exhaled slowly, her gaze dropping. "I.
.. think so," she breathed, a brittle laugh breaking through.
I reach for her hand, curling my fingers around hers, but she doesn't meet my eyes.
"If what we had was real back then, maybe we would have made it.
But you said it yourself, right? I was just a plaything.
A pastime. A bed warmer." Her laugh cracked into something raw.
"It's funny, isn't it? I wasted four years of my life on someone like you." She looked up, pain spilling through her eyes before she forced it away. "If things had been different, then maybe, yes, we'd be happily married."
She pulled her hands free and rose to her feet. Straightening her dress, she looked down at me. "But this marriage? Right now? It's nothing but business."
She turned away, but I stood quickly, catching her wrist.
"Sol," I said, stepping in front of her. "Please. Let's talk after the wedding. I'll tell you everything—why I really broke up with you."
She arched a brow, scoffing as she pried my hand off. "What's there to talk about? And why wait until after?"
"Because..." I pulled the aviators from my face and tucked them onto her head. "I don't want you stressing before the wedding. I know this is business, but you deserve peace before then. So... after the wedding. Please."
She stared at me, shaking her head. "Whatever your reason is—keep it. I don't want to hear it. The past is the past. Why dig it back up twelve years later? I've moved on. I don't want to reopen those wounds."
My lips parted, but I swallowed the words.
"You had all the time in the world to come clean," she said, forcing a smile. "Now? It just feels like you need me. No—scratch that. You need my money. I've learned my lessons, Aurora. The hard way. Thanks to you."
She walked off just as the photographer called for a break. I stood there, watching her back, clutching my fist.
"I was a coward back then, Sol," I whispered. "I left because I was afraid you'd leave me—just like my father abandoned my mother. So I abandoned you first."
I tilted my face to the sky, eyes shut. "I should've protected what we had. Chosen you. But they told me it would be less cruel to leave early than to hurt you by staying."
A shallow laugh slipped past my lips as I straightened, turning toward the garden.
I walked beneath the shadows of the trees, my fingers brushing over the leaves of the flower boxes.
Well, I guess you can't fix what's already been broken.
Even when you glue the shards of glass together, the cracks still remain.
Swallowing hard, I licked my lips and drew a shaky breath. I've shut myself away for twelve years—regretting every choice, every wound I caused you. And in return, I've been losing everything that mattered to me, one piece at a time.
I glanced over my shoulder. Sloane stood with the coordinator and photographer, her profile lit by the sun, her smile faint but distant.
"Maybe... in another lifetime, Sol," I whispered. "I wouldn't waste twelve years away from you. If parallel worlds exist, I hope the versions of us out there found their happiness. Not like this."
?·???°???°???·?
Leaning forward, I reached for the documents laid out on the center table. I sat up straight, crossing one leg over the other, eyes scanning each word and number for inconsistencies.
"The authorities have been holding preliminary trials for this case, Ms. Aurora," Catherine Duvalier, the company lawyer, explained.
I hummed in acknowledgment, keeping my eyes on the papers.
"Have you been able to speak with the previous director?
Monsieur Marcello Bianchi?" I dropped the documents back onto the table and stood.
"Did he say anything about why he did it?
He's been the longest-serving board member—it's unusual for him to break the company's trust." I walked to the floor-to-ceiling window, hands clasped behind me, staring at the horizon.
"I did speak with him," she began. "He didn't say much beyond that the reason he embezzled money from the company years ago was because his daughter needed medication."
I paused, glancing at the lower building nearby. "Does he need billions for his daughter's treatment? I doubt embezzling such a huge amount would make sense for that alone."
"I agree, Ms. Aurora," she said, pausing, making me turn to her. "I also find it odd."
I raised a brow, walking back to the couch and leaning my hand on the backrest. "Odd? In what sense?"
"Monsieur Bianchi's daughter passed away early last year," she explained, and I blinked. "Whatever he did—embezzling massive amounts this year and the year before—just doesn't add up."
"What...?" I whispered, hitching my breath. Last year, I'd been on a series of business trips to secure investors outside Monaco. I'd been away almost the entire year.
"Based on our findings, the evidence shows his daughter had a rare disease that couldn't be cured. Regardless of any medication, she died," she said, looking at me. "All the money he embezzled may be lost unless some of it was hidden. If the trial finds him guilty, we could potentially recover it."
My jaw clenched, standing straight. "Schedule a meeting with him, Ms. Catherine. Tell him I'll visit him at the prison where he's held." I swallowed hard. "But I can't meet him for the next few weeks..."
She nodded. "I understand, Ms. Aurora. Just let me know when you're ready, and I'll arrange it." She gathered the documents and stood. "Congratulations on your upcoming wedding, Ms. Aurora."
I swallowed, giving a low chuckle. "Thank you, Ms. Catherine." I extended my hand; we shook, then I let it go. "And thank you for handling the company's affairs so diligently."
"I'm just doing my job, Ms. Aurora. No thanks necessary," she said with a small smile. "If there's nothing else, I'll go ahead."
I nodded subtly, watching her leave. My head tilted as I noticed Sloane standing just outside my office. Her gaze followed Catherine for a moment before she stepped inside.
"Who's she?" she asked, walking toward me.
Crossing my arms, I looked at her. "Why didn't you tell me you were coming?"
She raised a brow. "I asked a question first, didn't I? Who's she?"
"Come on, Sol," I groaned, heaving a sigh. "Are you seriously thinking I'm flirting with someone else?"
She scoffed. "I'm just asking. Besides, why would I care?"
I leaned down, lifting her chin. "Really? Because... I don't know, maybe I smell jealousy all over you."
A click of her tongue escaped as she pushed me lightly. "Why would I? I'm just asking who the woman is," she shrugged. "You're reading too many romance novels, aren't you?"
I sighed, turning back to my desk and sitting down. "Well, Catherine is the company lawyer," I said, glancing up at her. "Don't overthink it."
Sloane paused, her gaze drifting to the doll on the side of the couch. Clearing my throat, I was about to comment when she beat me to it.
"Anyway," she began, standing in front of my desk, leaning her hands on it. "If you have anyone—or if you're in a relationship—break up with them now. I don't want issues on our wedding day."
Her words made me laugh softly, shoulders shaking. "What?" I hissed low, amused. "Why would you think I'm in a relationship? I don't have time for that. Since we broke up, I've been single. Even now, with the wedding approaching, I haven't been with anyone else."
Her brow lifted. "But you've been... intimate with other women, right? Over the past twelve years?"
Another laugh escaped me, my face heating with every question. "No, Sol. I've been celibate," I shrugged. "I'm clean. Don't worry. No STIs to transfer if you decide to be... intimate."
She snatched a napkin, crumpled it into a ball, and tossed it at my face. "All you think about is sex!" she hissed.
"What? You asked the questions—I'm only answering," I said, leaning back in my chair, eyes closed. "Do you want me to prove I'm clean?"
"No," her voice was low. I opened my eyes to find her staring at me.
"What about you? Any relationships, Sol?" I asked, leaning forward, elbows on the desk, chin resting on my knuckles. "You must have. Even during university, men were crawling over each other to get your attention."
She bobbed her throat, chuckling. "I don't need men. I don't need a relationship. I'm busy running my company—it's time-consuming enough."
I hummed, nodding. "But here you are, about to marry your ex. Isn't that technically a relationship—even if it's fake?"
She leaned closer, smiling. "This is a business strategy. What relationship are you talking about? We're not doing that."
"You sure about that, Sol? Because if I'm honest... I'd be thrilled to give us another shot."
She straightened, smiling. "Another shot?" she mumbled, looking at me. "With the person right in front of me? No, thank you. I'd rather just die."
"You say that, but I know you're thinking about it too." I pushed myself up from my chair, stepping toward her, reaching for her chin and rubbing my thumb against it.
"Aurora," she said, prying my hand away. "Our marriage is only on paper. Divorce ensures obedience for what I want. But a relationship? That's not part of the plan. Whatever past we had, we can't rewrite it."
My stomach twisted at her words. She was right.
No matter how I tried to rewrite the past, we'd still end up here.
I smiled, patting her head. "You're right.
" I clicked my tongue. "Don't worry. I'll treat you well, like a real wife.
To make up for my past mistakes. Not that you're obligated to accept it, but just.. . let me try."
She sighed. "The hell I care about whatever you want," she scoffed. "Anyway, let's go. One hour left for the food tasting." She turned her back, not giving me another glance.