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Chapter fourteen
Last Updated:
2025-02-15 12:29:58
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Love and deceit Chapter fifteen
Aurora’s POVThe knock at the door jolted me out of the calm I’d just found. I froze, heart pounding in my chest. The room felt colder somehow, the air thick with anticipation. I hadn’t been expecting anyone, and yet, here it was again—the feeling that I was constantly being watched.I hesitated, staring at the door, my hand still hovering over my phone screen from the call with Valeria. My breath came out in shaky bursts. What if it was him? Daemon? Or maybe someone else, someone working for him, checking in on me?I forced myself to breathe and slowly stood up from the bed. The heavy silence of the suite felt oppressive as I approached the door, each step echoing louder than the last in the vast, still room.Taking a deep breath, I reached for the doorknob. The cool metal pressed against my palm, and for a moment, I just stood there. What was I even expecting? Daemon was always so unpredictable. This wasn’t a normal situation. Everything felt like it was spinning out of control, and
Last Updated : 2025-02-16Love and deceit chapter sixteen
Daemon’s POVI didn’t knock.I had no reason to. This was my suite, my domain, and she was living under my roof—whether she liked it or not. The moment I stepped inside, I caught sight of her, standing stiffly by the bed, arms crossed in that defiant way of hers.Aurora Sinclair.She looked like she’d been pacing, her breathing shallow, her fingers twitching as if she’d been gripping something too tightly. Her phone lay discarded on the bed, and she turned to face me, eyes blazing with frustration.“You could at least knock,” she snapped, her voice sharp despite the unease flickering in her eyes.I smirked, shutting the door behind me with a deliberate click. “Why would I? You’re my fiancée, aren’t you?”She flinched at the word, just as I expected her to. That was the problem with her—she kept acting like she had a choice, like she wasn’t already trapped in this. But she was. Completely.She lifted her chin, meeting my gaze with forced composure. “What do you want, Daemon?”I took a
Last Updated : 2025-02-16Love and deceit chapter seventeen
AuroraThe moment Daemon left, I felt like I could finally breathe again. But even with the door shut behind him, the tension in my body refused to fade.I had no idea how much longer I could take this.I grabbed my phone and dialed Valeria. She picked up almost immediately, her face filling the screen as I slumped onto the bed.“Tell me you’ve figured out a way to escape,” she said, skipping any greetings.I let out a dry laugh. “I wish. But it’s not that simple, Val.”She sighed, tucking her legs under her. “I know. I just—this whole thing still pisses me off. I mean, you’re engaged to Daemon freaking Reynolds. The man has the emotional range of a brick wall and the patience of a ticking time bomb. Are you okay?”“I’m surviving,” I muttered, rubbing my temples. “Barely.”Her eyes softened. “So what’s the latest? What did he do now?”I groaned, falling back onto the mattress. “He stormed in here acting like he owns the place—like he owns me—and started with his usual intimidation rou
Last Updated : 2025-02-16Love and deceit Chapter eighteen
🌹Aurora🌹I had just finished my evening shower, letting the hot water soothe the lingering tension from my body. My mind was still tangled in the events of the past few days—Damien’s arrogance, his suffocating presence, and the way he always found a way to get under my skin.Wrapped in a robe, I stepped onto the balcony, hoping the night air would help me clear my head. The city lights stretched before me, twinkling like distant stars, but my thoughts remained stormy.Then my phone rang.I frowned, glancing at the screen. The number was familiar, yet unexpected. My heart clenched the moment I saw the name.Ethan.For a moment, I just stared, my thumb hovering over the decline button. It had been months since we last spoke. Since my father made it clear he would never approve of us. Since he was forced out of my life simply because he didn’t fit into the Sinclair mold of success.A lump formed in my throat. I shouldn’t answer. But against my better judgment, I swiped the screen.“…He
Last Updated : 2025-02-16Love and deceit Chapter nineteen
🌹Damien🌹Aurora stiffened, her grip tightening around the phone as if she could somehow erase the conversation I had just overheard. She didn’t answer immediately, which only made my smirk widen.“Should I take a guess?” I asked, stepping closer. “Your little ex, perhaps?”Her jaw clenched, and for a second, I almost thought she’d deny it. But she didn’t. Instead, she squared her shoulders and met my gaze head-on. “It’s none of your business.”That response only irritated me more. I wasn’t the kind of man who tolerated secrets—especially not from my fiancée.I took another step forward, closing the already small distance between us. “I think you’ll find that everything concerning you is my business, Aurora.”Her lips parted slightly, her breath uneven, but she held her ground. “You don’t own me, Damien.”I chuckled, reaching out to brush a strand of hair behind her ear. She flinched but didn’t pull away. “No,” I murmured. “But I do own this engagement. And I won’t have my fiancée en
Last Updated : 2025-02-16Love and deceit Chapter twenty
🌹Aurora🌹I never imagined shopping for a wedding dress would feel like preparing for my own execution.The boutique was grand, filled with rows of pristine white gowns displayed like pieces of art. The air smelled of roses and vanilla, the kind of artificial fragrance meant to make everything seem more magical than it really was.But there was no magic in this for me.Damien had arranged the appointment without consulting me. Typical. Now, I was standing in the middle of this lavish boutique, surrounded by fabric and eager assistants, while my so-called fiancé strode in like he owned the place.Which, knowing him, he probably did.“You’re late,” I muttered as he approached.Damien’s lips twitched into something close to amusement. “You’re impatient.”I scoffed, turning away before he could see how his presence affected me. He always carried himself with an air of absolute control, and even now, in the middle of a boutique meant for brides, he still looked more like a king deciding t
Last Updated : 2025-02-16Love and deceit Chapter twenty one
🌹Damien🌹I never cared much for weddings.They were nothing but elaborate performances, a way for the wealthy to show off their influence while pretending love had anything to do with it. My own wedding would be no different. It was a transaction, a merger disguised as romance.And yet, as I watched Aurora in that dress, something unsettled me.I hadn’t planned to stay at the boutique for long, but after that moment—after seeing the way the gown molded to her like it was made for her—I found myself lingering. I could tell she noticed. She was trying to pretend my approval didn’t affect her, but I saw the way her fingers trembled when she smoothed the fabric.She felt it too.That shift. That tension. That undeniable pull between us.I was about to say something—though I wasn’t sure what—when my phone vibrated in my pocket. A sharp buzz that cut through the silence between us.I checked the caller ID. My jaw tightened.Valencia.I exhaled sharply and turned away, answering the call a
Last Updated : 2025-02-16Love and deceit Chapter twenty two
🌹Aurora 🌹I turned to leave.I barely took a step before a strong hand wrapped around my wrist, yanking me back with enough force that I stumbled. A gasp escaped my lips as I collided with Damien’s chest—hard, warm, and unyielding. His grip tightened around my waist, pulling me flush against him, his presence overpowering."You keep trying to run," he murmured, his voice deep, smooth, and far too amused. "Yet you know you can’t escape me, Aurora."I swallowed hard, trying to push away, pressing my palms against his solid chest. He didn’t move. Instead, his fingers splayed possessively against my lower back, trapping me in place. The heat of his body seeped through my clothes, making it impossible to ignore just how close we were."Let me go," I bit out, willing my voice to sound strong.His lips curved into that maddening smirk. "Say it like you mean it."I shoved against him again, my fingers curling into fists. "I mean it."His grip remained firm, his body an unmovable force. "No,
Last Updated : 2025-02-16
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Love and deceit Chapter eighty three
🌹 Aurora 🌹The weight of betrayal sat heavy on my chest.The past few days had been a whirlwind of chaos—public backlash, financial losses, and desperate damage control. Every time we thought we had a grip on the situation, something new surfaced, threatening to pull us under.And now, standing in Damien’s penthouse, I could feel the walls closing in on us.Across from me, Damien was seated at his desk, his face illuminated by the glow of his laptop screen. His jaw was set, his fingers moving swiftly over the keyboard as he analyzed the latest reports on Reynolds Pharmaceuticals.“This isn’t just a smear campaign,” he muttered. “Caldwell knows exactly where to strike.”I crossed my arms, pacing the room. “Because someone is feeding him information.”Damien’s fingers froze on the keys. He lifted his gaze to meet mine, his expression unreadable. “You think there’s a leak?”I swallowed hard. “I know there is.”The things Caldwell had exposed weren’t just public knowledge. He had target
Love and deceit Chapter eighty two
🌹 Aurora 🌹The city buzzed with whispers of scandal, but inside Reynolds Pharmaceuticals, the silence was suffocating.Aurora sat in her office, staring at the countless headlines flooding her screen. Every major news outlet had picked up the story, dissecting her family’s legacy like vultures tearing into a fresh carcass.“Reynolds Pharmaceuticals in Crisis: Allegations of Fraud Surface”“Hawthorne Biotech’s CEO Exposes Corporate Corruption”“Aurora Reynolds and Damien Sterling: The Faces of a Dying Empire?”Aurora clenched her jaw and scrolled through the articles, each one worse than the last. Every accusation, every leaked document, every carefully placed “anonymous source” was designed to erode trust in Reynolds Pharmaceuticals.The worst part?This wasn’t just corporate warfare. This was personal.Alistair Hawthorne wasn’t just trying to dismantle the company—he was trying to ruin her family.And he was succeeding.A sharp knock at the door snapped her out of her thoughts. Dam
Love and deceit Chapter eighty one
The morning the world turned against Reynolds Pharmaceuticals, Aurora knew something was wrong before she even saw the headlines.Her phone wouldn’t stop buzzing—calls from unknown numbers, frantic texts from colleagues, missed calls from Damien. The air in her penthouse felt thick with something unspoken, a warning whispering through the walls.Then she saw it.The headline was everywhere, plastered across news outlets, trending on social media:“Reynolds Pharmaceuticals: A Legacy Built on Lies?”Aurora’s stomach twisted as she clicked on the article. The words on the screen blurred together in a haze of disbelief.Leaked documents suggest that Reynolds Pharmaceuticals has engaged in unethical drug trials, falsified reports, and concealed dangerous side effects of its best-selling medications. In an exposé released by Hawthorne Biotech’s CEO, Alistair Hawthorne, the evidence is damning.Her hands clenched around her phone as she scrolled through the attached documents—bank transactio
Love and deceit Chapter eighty
🌹 Damien 🌹The drive to my father’s estate was silent, but the tension in the air was thick. Aurora sat beside me, her hands folded neatly in her lap, her expression unreadable. She wasn’t resisting this time, wasn’t pushing back the way she usually did. But I could see the storm brewing in her eyes.She was thinking. Processing. And I knew that whatever was going through her mind, it wasn’t anything good.I reached over, resting a hand on her thigh. “You don’t have to come in.”She turned to me, her gaze locking onto mine. “I want to.”I exhaled through my nose, gripping the steering wheel tighter. I wasn’t sure what I was about to walk into with my father, but I knew it wouldn’t be pleasant. Aurora didn’t need to be here for it.But she was just as much a part of this as I was now.We arrived at the Sterling estate just as the sun began to set, casting long shadows over the perfectly manicured gardens. The guards let us through without question, and as I stepped out of the car, I
Love and deceit Chapter seventy nine
🌹 Damien 🌹The first thing I noticed when I woke up was her.Aurora.Lying beside me, her body still tangled in the sheets, her soft breaths even and rhythmic.Her bare skin glowed under the dim morning light filtering through the massive windows, a stark contrast to the storm she had unleashed in me just hours ago.I’d meant to be gentle with her. I really had.But she had pushed me, teased me with that defiant fire in her eyes, knowing damn well what it would do to me.And so, I’d claimed her. Completely.My fingers traced slow circles on her exposed back, watching as she shifted slightly, her face pressing into the pillow. Even in sleep, she looked... at peace.The kind of peace I hadn’t known in years.And yet, as I lay there, staring at her, a dull ache settled in my chest.Because peace wasn’t something men like me could afford.And she had no idea what she was walking into.My father’s words from last night echoed in my mind."You think you can protect her from this world, Da
Love and deceit Chapter seventy eight
🌹 Aurora 🌹The night air was thick with tension.As Damien and I stepped out of his father’s office, the weight of what we had just uncovered pressed down on me like a vice.Victor Sterling was not just a man who controlled power—he was power itself.His words lingered in my mind, laced with condescension and veiled threats."You think you’re in control? You’re nothing but a pawn in a game you don’t even understand."For the first time since I entered this world, I felt small.Insignificant.Like a thread in a carefully woven web of deception that stretched far beyond what I had imagined.Beside me, Damien was tense, his posture rigid as we walked down the grand hallway of the Sterling estate. He hadn’t said a word since we left his father’s office, but his grip on my wrist was firm, his movements controlled—too controlled.I could feel the storm brewing inside him.And I knew it was only a matter of time before it exploded.We stepped outside into the cool night air, the silence b
Love and deceit Chapter seventy seven
🌹 Aurora 🌹The city lights blurred as Damien sped through the streets, the black list burning in my lap. I gripped it tightly, as if holding it any looser would make it disappear, as if the truth inside it wasn’t already seared into my mind.Our names were on it.I had never been naïve enough to believe we were untouchable, but this was different. Seeing our names among men who had vanished, who had been silenced, sent a chill through my veins.Damien didn’t speak. His fingers clenched around the steering wheel, his jaw tight with the kind of rage that simmered just beneath the surface. The kind that meant something dangerous was brewing.My stomach twisted. “What are we supposed to do now?”His eyes didn’t leave the road. “We go to my father.”I snapped my head toward him. “Are you insane?”“No.” His tone was clipped. “We don’t have a choice.”I let out a sharp breath. “Victor Sterling is part of this. He knew what was happening. You really think he’s just going to hand us the trut
Love and deceit Chapter seventy six
🌹 Damien 🌹Vincent Morelli leaned back in his chair, the dim light casting sharp shadows across his face. His smirk was gone now, replaced by something colder—something that told me we weren’t just playing in dangerous waters.We were drowning in them.Aurora stood beside me, her fingers clenched into fists at her sides. She was good at hiding it, but I could feel her tension, the way her breath hitched when Morelli spoke, the way she stole a glance at me like she was waiting for my reaction.I didn’t give her one.Instead, I kept my gaze locked on Morelli. “You like games, don’t you?” I said, my voice steady.His lips twitched. “Only when I know I’m winning.”I folded my arms. “Then tell us what’s coming on June 18th. Because if you think we’re just going to sit back and let whatever happens destroy us, you don’t know us very well.”Morelli chuckled, a slow, deliberate sound that sent a chill down my spine. “See, that’s the thing. You two weren’t supposed to know about any of this
Love and deceit Chapter seventy five
🌹 Aurora 🌹For the first time in my life, I didn’t feel like I belonged to my family.Everything I thought I knew—the empire my father built, the legacy my parents spoke of, the marriage I had been forced into—was nothing but a carefully woven lie.And now, Damien and I were at the center of it.I sat on the couch in his penthouse, my fingers ghosting over the worn pages of the black book we had uncovered. Each name, each number, each carefully documented exchange was a piece of a puzzle I wasn’t sure I wanted to solve.But we had no choice.I looked up to find Damien pacing in front of me, his expression carved from stone. He had always been unreadable, but now, there was something sharper in his eyes. Something dangerous.“This is bigger than us,” I murmured, running my fingers over the inked pages. “This is about control. About power that stretches far beyond our families.”Damien stopped pacing and looked at me. “Exactly. And if we don’t play this right, we’re going to be their
