♛ Aurora: I heard the sound of a car pulling up to a stop outside the apartment and a breath I hadn't even realized I was holding before escaped my lips. My gaze trailed over to the wall clock which read 6:45 P.M. Thank goodness I got ready and prepared early, I whispered to myself as I stood by the mirror in my bedroom, trying to wear my pair of earrings. I glanced down at the tight brown dress I was wearing, my fingers brushed against my neck as I fixed the collar of my dress. With one last look at myself I sauntered outside my bedroom door and headed straight to the main door in the living room. The house was very quiet, mostly because Trish wasn't around. Something held her back and she wouldn't be able to come home till later. I picked up my purse on the couch, and slipped my phone inside. When I reached for the door handle, I hesitated, my fingers lingered about it. A small part of me wondered if I should just turn around, kick off these heels, and curl up on
♛ Aurora: I opened my mouth to argue, then shut it when I realized he wasn’t entirely wrong, but then I hadn't even realized. I let out a breath and answered to his satisfaction, “Alright.” “Good,” he said, leaning back with a satisfied smile. “And lastly, you have to try and have fun.” I exhaled. “That one might be a challenge.” “Then I accept the challenge,” he said, grinning. “Now, tell me something very random about yourself.” He dived into a conversation so fast. I blinked. “Like what?” “Anything at all. Perhaps a weird habit, a childhood story, something I wouldn’t expect.” I thought for a moment before speaking up, “Well... when I was seven, I tried to dye my hair with orange juice because I thought it would make me look like a fairy.” Noah stared at me for a second, then burst out laughing, his shoulders shaking with the force of his laughter. I frowned, was it that funny? “That’s the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard. Did it work?” “Of co
♞ Adrian: The private lounge above was where most of my business meetings took place…especially those that demanded discretion. Tonight was no exception. “We’ll finalize the contract revisions for the Oakridge project by Monday,” I said to the man walking beside me, Raymond Carlo, a long-standing business associate who handled acquisitions and international expansion within our firm. Also, he was an Italian and someone I trusted a lot to handle most of my international businesses. “Absolutely,” Raymond replied, his voice tinged with nervous energy as he nodded in understanding. “And regarding the Singapore proposal, shall I arrange a follow-up with Tripod firm? They had concerns about the zoning ordinances affecting the waterfront development we were working on earlier this year.” I nodded once, not missing a step. “Yes. Get legal to prepare an outline addressing the variances. If Tripod still hesitates, we pivot to Castle light. We can’t afford delays at this stage.” “Unde
♛ Aurora: I arrived at the apartment late that night, feeling heavy and drained, with the last look on Adrian's face before he stepped out stuck to my head. I was afraid he was going to say something. But to my utmost relief he left when I told him to, and I appreciated that. A deep breath escaped my lips and I slid my bag from my shoulders, dropping it on the couch before heading straight to the kitchen to get a cup of water. My gaze fell on the cooked meal on the stove and I immediately knew Trish was back. Without much thought, I walked over to the refrigerator and opened it, grabbing a bottle of water before bringing it out and pouring it into my glass. I walked over to the stove and opened the pot to see what Trish made. I wasn't surprised when I saw that it was just the usual. Pasta. Trish’s favorite food if you ask me. I closed the pot before bringing the cup to my mouth and gulping down the water. Placing the glass back to its place, my legs marched out of the ki
♛ Aurora: “Are you up?” Another message was sent almost immediately, and it read: “Can we meet?” I absentmindedly read the message out loud. A frown curved up Trish’s brows and she looked away from the movie she was watching, sparing me a side glance. “Who the fuck wants to meet you by five minutes to 12 A.M?” She asked, her brows pulled together and her gaze dropped to my phone. I mirrored her expression as I stared blankly at the screen of my phone, wondering exactly what Adrian was supposed to do. Why would he want to see me this late? What was so important that he couldn't leave till tomorrow? I stared at the screen, and answered Trish. “Adrian.” She scoffed, shifting on the couch, and turning her gaze back to the movie, “Of course, it’s him. What does he want now?” I didn’t reply immediately. Instead, I tapped out, “For what?” and sent the message. A response came almost instantly. “It's about the project. I received a response earlier about the p
♛ Aurora: I took the file from Adrian, feeling my fingers tighten around the edges as I flipped it open. My eyes skimmed through the documents inside. The first few pages contained financial records and transactions I didn’t recognize at first, until I saw my company’s name linked to some purchases. I frowned. “What… what is this?” My chest felt heavy, and my fingers trembled against the file I was holding. The purchases weren't something I recognized. “And what does it have to do with my assistant?” I couldn't help but ask, ‘cause why was he asking how much I trusted my assistant? What does this have to do with her? Adrian’s jaw tensed as he leaned against his seat, looking up front at first but then he glanced over at me. “It’s proof. The structural collapse wasn’t an accident, Rory. Someone tampered with the materials that were brought in for building, construction and all. Replaced them with cheaper, unstable substitutes. And they covered it up in the financi
♛ Aurora: The car suddenly felt suffocating for me. I inhaled and exhaled, before brushing my fingers through my hair and ruffling it. The air felt thick like it was pressing down on my chest. “I need air.” I muttered, and didn't wait for him to say anything before pushing the door open and stepping out into the night. I started walking. Not in any particular direction, not even to my house that was just a few steps away, just forward. Away. I could feel the frustration knotting itself in my stomach. Adrian didn’t call after me. But I heard the sound of the car being closed shut. Breeze brushed my hair, disheveling it as I kept walking down the dark street that had barely enough street lights around. I couldn't even see where I was heading to. I just kept walking anyway, because I was certain nothing would go wrong, especially since I knew Adrian was a few steps behind me. I appreciated the silence between us, with just nothing but lightning lighting up t
♛ Aurora: Adrian's throat worked as he swallowed, his Adam’s apple bobbing. He exhaled a shaky breath before speaking, his voice sounded rough, almost brittle. “I had to get a heart transplant.” He said finally, and as if on point, a thunderstorm rumbled somewhere close to us. The words crashed over me drowning out everything else - the rain and even the sound of my own heartbeat. I blinked, certain I had misheard him. “What?” His dark eyes bore into mine, heavy with different emotions swirling around them. “I was dying.” He let out. He was staring at me deeply to see through my reaction to his words. A minute passed with nothing but silence between us, before he added, “And I knew that if you stayed… if you saw me like that, you’d never leave.” My breath hitched, and something cold and sharp settled in my chest. He knew I'll never leave. So he chose to keep it away from me? I wanted to ask him, but he started explaining everything bit by bit even before I
♞ Adrian: I wasn’t planning to stop. I had every intention of driving straight home, taking a long-ass shower, and figuring out what the hell I was going to do to make things right with Rory. But the next thing I knew, my hands had turned the wheel and my car rolled to a halt in front of Leon’s place. My phone buzzed in my pants, and I stepped out of the car, closing the door shut behind me before I brought the phone out and checked who was calling. I halted in my steps when I noticed it was Christian. I slid the answer button before pressing the phone to my ear, “What's it?” I asked the moment I answered. There was shuffling from the other end, before he finally spoke out, “I got in touch with the guy for the tracking.” I ran my fingers through my hair and released a deep breath before asking, “And what’s the update on it?” Christian didn't answer immediately, and after a long quiet moment he finally answered, “I'll text you the details in five minutes.” “Alri
♛ Aurora: “I can't do this,” I whispered, more to myself, but loud enough for him to hear me. I couldn't even concentrate on driving while I was on my way home. And it was all because of him. To make it all worse, Lucy's attempt at planting seeds of doubts in my head had somehow worked. I couldn't think. My heart felt like it was being shredded into tiny pieces, and it tore me apart. I was so tired of all this. And despite all the love I had in my heart for him, it was a pity that he didn't trust our love so much to be able to completely be honest with me. What on earth could he be keeping to himself that wasn't worth me knowing? Nothing, absolutely nothing serious. The only ever thing that had tore me apart in my years of living was my parents' death, because they left me all alone. Second to that was my divorce with Adrian. And third, was the child I lost. There was nothing else he could say that could destroy me so much that it would break our very fragile relations
♞ Adrian: I scrubbed my hands over my face, fingers digging into my eyes until I saw stars. My phone sat on the passenger seat, and I glanced at it, fingers itching to pick it up and call again. The last call had gone unanswered. The one before that too. I’d sent her a message. And it was simple, stupid, and fucking desperate. ‘I’m outside. Can we talk? I just need five minutes.’ Nothing back. I glanced through the car glasses, and my gaze fell on the windows of her house. Maybe she wasn’t home. Or she was and she’d seen my message and rolled her eyes and tossed her phone into a drawer. God, I wouldn’t blame her. I was parked across from her house, my car engine off, with my hands gripping the steering wheel. I had brushed my fingers through my hair countless times that it was all disheveled. My fingers tapped on the steering wheel, searching for something to keep my concentration in check. It didn’t work. I was still unraveling. She hadn’t answered my calls. I co
♛ Aurora: Just thinking about the look in his eyes before he stepped out pulled my heartstrings. Not in a soft way, but in a cruel one. I gripped the steering wheel tighter and a deep breath escaped my lips. Adrian’s words played in my mind continuously. And then all he left me with was, ‘I’m sorry.’ Like that would do anything, or make it all better. No explanation. No assurance. Just that. I blinked hard, pushing the lump in my throat back where it came from. I shouldn’t have expected anything different. I knew Adrian wasn’t the kind of man who let people in easily, I had known that since I met him, he wouldn't let people know him that deep, especially not when he was hurting. But still... part of me had hoped. Naively.Foolishly. We’ve been together for more than half a decade, so all this wasn't supposed to be something we still bothered about. What was worse than being shut out was being almost trusted. As if I had earned enough of his heart to be touched
♛ Aurora: The air between us suddenly felt so tight. As if sensing my discomfort, Adrian released a deep sigh and his gaze dropped to where his fingers were. Without another word, he simply reached out and buttoned my shirt for me, after fixing my collar he pulled away from me and sat down on the other end of the couch. My gaze remained on the ceiling for a long moment. I couldn't get up. Rather, I couldn't bring myself to. The feeling in my chest was swallowing me whole and I couldn't do nothing about the ache. It was crazy, all these… I thought we were doing better, and that based on past mistakes that made us lose things we never wanted to, we weren't supposed to go through this path again. But somehow, Adrian still didn't trust me enough to be able to handle whatever he was keeping away from me. Different situations, same instances. I couldn't breathe. Suffocation wrapped itself around me, holding me so tightly. The same feeling and fear I didn't think I would ever f
♛ Aurora: My breasts pressed against his hard, warm abs and a shiver rolled through me. I wanted his shirt off. God, I wanted it off. He ran his face up and down my neck, as though savouring the moment. I had no idea when he reached for my buttons and slowly unbuttoned them. His large hands slid down my stomach, and trailed circles around my navel. I wanted him to go lower, but just as his fingers reached my trousers they slid back up. My skin burned beneath his palm when he touched the bare curve of my waist. His other hand cradled my thigh, my skirt bunched high. He pulled back just slightly, only an inch, resting his forehead against mine. My breath was unsteady. My hands didn't stop roaming. My lips didn’t stop aching. His erection pressed against the inside of my thigh, and if he would only step forward a few inches, it would be right where I wanted it, and needed it. I swayed, my eyes heavy-lidded, when a solid grip came to the side of my neck to hold me still whi
♛ Aurora: Unlike the soft kiss from last night, this one was demanding in a different way. In an entirely different way. Adrian clung to me, pulling our bodies closer to each other as he tilted his head and deepened the kiss. He nibbled my lower lips softly, demanding for access into my mouth. My eyes flickered open and landed on his closed eyes, like he was pouring out every single conflicted emotion he was feeling into the kiss. I opened my mouth slowly, giving him access and soon as I did, Adrian's tongue slid into my mouth, searching for mine. He looked like he wanted to say something to me, but was finding it difficult to voice and instead chose this method of clinging to one another like our lives depended on it. “Adrian,” I called his name, not because I wanted to stop, but because I wanted him to talk to me instead of bottling whatever he was hiding. I swallowed the words stuck to my throat, when his hands which had been on my waist slid lower to my backside.
♞ Adrian: “Come in.” Rory’s voice answered from inside. My gaze dropped briefly to her assistant, who knocked and stepped aside. Gabriel's words from earlier rang continuously in my thoughts, and I fought hard to push them aside. Without a word, I pushed the door open and walked inside. The moment I did, my gaze locked on Rory’s. She was sitting behind her desk, a glass of water in hand, a thoughtful expression in her eyes. But the second her eyes met mine, something flickered. Something close to surprise at my sudden presence. I wasn’t sure. A warm feeling settled in my chest, and I spared her a small smile, which she returned, “Adrian.” The smile on my face vanished as quick as it came when I noticed the man sitting across from her, as he turned slightly, just enough for me to get a clear view of his face. My brows creased into a tight frown. What the fuck was he doing here? What was his name again, Nath? Norman? Noahm Actually, I didn't give a damn what his name was. F
♛ Aurora: With my arms crossed to my chest, I stared blankly at the person sitting in front of me. “You know, there could have been other methods you could reach out to me than this, right?” “I know.” He responded. And added almost immediately, “Do you realize how long I've been trying to reach out to you? you weren't answering my calls, neither were you replying to my text messages. And from the last time, you did warn me to not bypass your receptionist without an appointment.” My brows furrowed tightly, “You never texted me. Nor called.” I dropped my gaze to my phone and picked it up, before reaching out for it. “I did.” “Noah, you didn't.” “I swear, I called you and texted numerous number of times.” Scrolling through the call logs of my missed calls. I didn't see any message or missed calls from his number which I had saved to my phone. I looked up at him with a frown, “There’s no message or missed calls from you here.” Noah looked offended, his brows pulled tog