Chapter Nineteen
Aurora
Saying goodbye to Aunt Céline is harder than I expect. I promise I’ll call and that we’ll visit. She’s been my safe place when everything fell apart—more than once. She’s been my savior time and time again, and for that, I’m grateful.
Lucian hugs her too when it’s time to go. She kisses his cheeks and murmurs something in French—something about not taking me for granted.
“Never,” he vows.
The car ride to the airport is mostly silent. Rain taps against the windows as I stare out, watching the blurred outline of Marseille fade into memory. I arrived here feeling like my world had crashed around me, and I’m leaving with my head held high.
Lucian’s hand finds mine somewhere between the city and the runway. His thumb moves in slow circles, grounding me. Nothing in me doubts that he’s my forever. I lean into him, my head on his shoulder.
When we land in Manhattan, chaos is waiting. Flashes. Voices. Reporters shouting our names.
“Aurora! Did he coerce you?”
“Lucian, is it true you gave up your position?”
“Are you still together?”
“Aurora, did you only get accepted into such a prestigious institution because of your relationship with Mr. Morelli?”
Lucian’s arm goes around me instantly. “Eyes on me,” he murmurs. His body shields mine as security ushers us through the swarm. I keep my gaze fixed on the floor, letting him handle the noise. I refuse to let anything take away from the happiest days of my life.
The car door shuts, and silence comes as a refuge. He reaches over, brushing a strand of hair off my face.
“They’ll burn out soon,” he says. “I made sure of it.”
By the time we reach his villa, night has fallen. He guides me inside and tells me to sit. He doesn’t waste any time pulling a folder from his briefcase. For a second, my stomach twists—contracts now hold bad memories for me.
“What’s this?” I ask as he hands me a piece of paper.
“Transfer papers. Seventy percent of the company shares, remember?”
“Lucian, that’s unnecessary.”
He shakes his head. “No arguments. This is nothing. You deserve more than I can ever give.”
I stare at him—the man who once controlled every inch of my life—now willingly handing me a piece of his empire.
“I trust you, Lucian. There’s no need for you to try to prove yourself to me anymore,” I sigh.
“I know,” he replies. “But it’s my way of showing you that you’re free, Aurora. If you ever walk away again, you’ll walk away with everything. The power. My heart. My soul.”
I don’t need this. But I know he does. He needs to feel like he’s made up for his mistakes—and who am I to stand in his way? I take the pen and sign.
He leans down, presses his forehead against mine, and kisses me hard. I forget everything that’s not him.
I break the kiss. “And you’ll let me walk away?” I ask.
“I wish I could say yes,” he sighs. “But I’d be lying. If you tried to leave, I’d follow. I’d chase you to the end of the earth, Aurora. Until my last breath.”
And maybe there’s something wrong with me, but that’s exactly how I want it to be.
“But,” he continues, softer now, “I’ll never make you feel powerless again. You have all the control.”
“Why does it sound like that doesn’t scare you?”
He smiles. “Because it doesn’t. Losing you already taught me what real fear is. I’ll never cage you again,” he says. “But don’t ask me to stop wanting you. That’s not something I can unlearn.”