Chapter 17

AURORA

The next day, Ethan called me. We had a brief conversation, which had me smiling and blushing behind my phone throughout. I did not know why just speaking with him had left me this way. God, it felt like I was genuinely cooked. It had literally left me buzzing with excitement. After days of waiting for him to come back, hearing his voice again had brought a smile to my face, and the promise that he’d be back tomorrow had lifted a weight I didn’t realize I’d been carrying.

As soon as we hung up, I found myself planning. I showered, shaved my legs, and picked out an outfit that I hoped would make it look effortless but cute. I did not want to let him think that I was planning to dress up for him. That would feel too intimate. My heart pounded at the thought of seeing him again, wondering if he’d be as happy to see me as I was to see him.

The next afternoon, I found myself downstairs, unable to stay in my room, waiting for any sound that would signal his arrival. When I finally heard the front door creak open, I jumped up, my pulse quickening as I rushed to meet him. There he was, walking into the palace, his face tired and drawn, dark circles shadowing his eyes. But to me, he looked perfect. I barely hesitated, my feet moving on their own as I closed the space between us, wrapping my arms around him.

“Ethan,” I whispered, feeling the warmth of him under my touch.

But he didn’t hug me back. He stood stiffly, his arms at his sides, his body not reacting to me. A chill washed over me, and I pulled back, trying to mask the sting of his rejection.

‘It’s just a contract,’ I reminded myself, though the words felt hollow. Somewhere along the way, this arrangement had become more than just a contract for me. I knew that I was starting to like him even though I did not want to admit that. He was growing on me and I hated it. It was giving him room to hurt me just like he did right now.

“Is everything okay?” I asked, searching his eyes for any sign of what had caused his coldness.

“Yeah, I am just tired. I need rest,” he replied, his voice flat, distant.

As he spoke, my eyes drifted down, and I noticed a dark stain on his shirt. My heart skipped a beat. “Ethan, is that blood?”

He glanced down, “I cut myself. It’s nothing.”

I looked at his hands, expecting to see a bandage or a wound, but they were unmarked. “Where?” I pressed, my worry growing.

He shifted uncomfortably. “It doesn’t matter. I’m fine.” With that, he started up the stairs, his steps slow and weary. “I’m going to freshen up.”

I nodded, though a part of me felt unsettled. I wanted to help, to be there for him in whatever way he’d let me, but I didn’t want to push. I took a deep breath, willing myself to give him space. But I knew that was not possible. I wanted to be close to him in whatever way I could. I decided that I was going to find another excuse to go to his room.

Once he was upstairs, I went to the kitchen to check on his meal. The maids were preparing his favorite dishes, and the delicious smell filled the air. I caught one of the maids about to bring his tray to his room and stopped her. “I’ll take it up this time.”

She hesitated, a little surprised, but then handed me the tray with a smile. Balancing it carefully, I made my way upstairs, excitement bubbling in me despite the way he acted with me. Maybe this would give me another chance to break through whatever he was going through. I knew it was probably because he was tired but I hoped this was going to make him feel better.

When I reached his room, I knocked softly, but there was no answer. The faint sound of water running in the bathroom reached me, and I smiled, setting the tray on his table. I couldn’t help but glance around the room, taking in the elegance of the room that suited him so well. I thought of what the room would look like if it had even a little bit of my touch. I knew this was reaching it, but it would not hurt anyone to just think about it.

I turned as I heard the water shut off, and a few moments later, the door to the bathroom opened. Ethan stepped out, a towel slung low on his hips, his skin still glistening with droplets of water. My heart leaped, and I felt my breath catch. He looked powerful, and jaw dropping-ly hot that I couldn’t look away.

“Ethan…” I said softly, taking a step closer. My hand moved to his chest, instinctively. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

He looked down at my hand, his eyes hardening. “Aurora,” he said, his voice sharp. “What are you doing here?”

I blinked, caught off guard by the edge in his tone. “I brought you your dinner. I just wanted to see how you were.”

He moved my hand away, stepping back. “I didn’t ask for your help, Aurora. I don’t need you hovering over me.”

The sting of his rejection hit me like a slap, and I dropped my gaze, forcing myself to keep my voice steady. “I was just trying to make sure you were okay.”

He sighed, rubbing a hand over his face as if trying to put a stop to his frustration but he could not. Was I suffocating him by being there? I knew they probably did not feel the way I was feeling. It was just a contract to him and I was not actually his wife, but I was trying to be decent. Maybe I was overdoing it.

“I don’t need you to look after me. This is just a contract, remember? You don’t have to do all of this.” He glanced over at the food.

The words sank in, each one heavy with the truth that I did not want to hear that made my heart ache. I took a shaky breath, forcing myself to meet his gaze. “I know it’s just a contract. But that doesn’t mean I don’t care.”

He looked away, his jaw clenched, as if my words made him uncomfortable. “It doesn’t change anything. You don’t have to play the role of the concerned wife. Just give me space. Nothing is ever going to come between us. It is just not a matter of nine months and we are done.”

The bitterness in his voice, the way he was shutting me out, was almost too much to bear. I wanted to reach him, to understand whatever he was going through, but he was putting up walls I couldn’t break down.

“Fine,” I whispered, feeling the hurt settle deep in my chest. “I’ll go.”

Turning, I forced myself to leave the room, closing the door quietly behind me. I could feel the tears prickling at the edges of my vision, but I held them back, walking steadily down the hall until I reached my room. Once inside, I let out a shaky breath, the ache in my chest spreading as I replayed his words over and over. Just a contract. I’d been foolish to let myself think it could be more, that maybe he felt something real.

But the truth was clear now. I’d let myself hope for something that was never there. I sank onto my bed, feeling the weight of loneliness settle over me. Ethan’s coldness cut deeper than I wanted to admit, and the more I thought about it, the more I realized that I’d started to rely on him. I’d begun to see him as someone I could trust, someone who could be a part of my life.

But now, that dream was shattered.

‘Why do I care so much?’ I asked myself, wrapping my arms around my knees. I was here to fulfill a contract, to bear an heir and get my billons, nothing more. Why was my heart so soft, so sensitive that I had to see this as something it shouldn’t be? I hated myself for feeling this way. I hated myself for starting to feel this way towards him.

I reached for a pillow, hugging it tightly as I tried to push down the hurt. This was my life now. Alone, in a marriage of convenience, with a man who saw me as nothing more than a means to an end. I was foolish to think that anyone was ever going to be in love with me. I stared out the window, feeling the weight of reality settle over me.

All I ever wanted was something real, something meaningful with anyone. To believe that I was capable of love and not always be whisked aside and the other woman. But maybe that was not going to happen here. It would be hard, but I needed to move on. I would go back to my original plan. Fulfill the contract, bear the heir, and then leave. I wouldn’t let myself get caught up in foolish dreams with Ethan again.

Tomorrow, I would start over. I’d guard my heart, distance myself, and remind myself of what this marriage truly was. A business arrangement. Nothing more.