Chapter 18
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Shawn’s POV
“Aurora?” Shawn croaked, blinking like he couldn’t believe what he was seeing. For a heartbeat he wondered if he was hallucinating from lack of sleep.
But she was standing there, looking very real with her hand on the doorframe.
She didn’t move.
Shawn took a shaky step forward. “What the hell-” His voice cracked. He cleared his throat. “What the hell are you doing here?”
Aurora’s eyes were cold, like ice. Something he had never seen before. She didn’t answer. “I’ve been searching everywhere for you,” he said, his voice rising. “Hospitals, airports, every damn private investigator I could hire, and you’re here? In this place? With the Redmonds?”
She simply stared at him emotionlessly.
He ran a hand through his hair. “You disappeared, vanished into thin air, and you are here relaxing with them? What is this, Aurora? Are you trying to charm one of the brothers? Is that it?”
Her expression didn’t shift.
Shawn’s chest tightened. Her silence was worse than yelling. “Say something,” he pleaded.
Nothing.
He released a deep breath and forced his voice to lower. “Look… look, Aurora, we need to
talk. Please.”
There was still no response. It was just that blank, cold stare.
He swallowed. “I… I’m sorry. For everything that happened. I know I’ve been a bastard. I should’ve been a better husband. I should’ve been a better…father.”
Aurora’s arms stayed folded, no movement.
“Aurora,” he pushed on, “I’m lost without you. Since you left, everything has been falling apart. Investors are fleeing, the company is hanging by a thread. I can’t… I can’t do this without you.”
Her mouth twitched slightly, not iness but something almost like a smirk.
He stepped closer. “Why didn’t you just meet me? We could have worked this out. Why did you send those incriminating documents to my birthday party? Do you know the kind of damage it caused?”
Her lips twitched again, but she still said nothing.
Shawn ran a hand over his face, his frustration was rising. “Are you really Rory? How did you even get that amount of money to invest? Was it one of the Redmond brothers who
gave it to you? Is that why you came here?”
Chapter 19
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60.9%
14:35 Sat, Sep 27 GA
gave it to you? Is that why you came here?”
She narrowed her eyes at him.
840
Shawn took another step, lowering his voice. “Tell me it’s not that. Tell me you haven’t been cheating on me with them. Is that why they gave you the money?”
Aurora moved back with a look of disgust as he moved forward. As if his presence was contaminating the air around her.
He reached for her instinctively.
“Don’t,” she said sharply.
Her voice sliced through the air like a blade.
Shawn froze.
“Don’t you dare touch me,” she said, her voice sharp and firm. “Murderer.”
The word hit him like a slap.
His throat tightened. “Aurora…”
“You killed our child.” She gritted out. “First Jasmine. Then the baby you didn’t even know about because you were too busy believing your lying mistress.”
Shawn felt his vision tilt. “I didn’t-” He stopped.
The memory of that night slammed into him again. He had been so angry. He could remember the blood. He had no excuse.
He forced the words out anyway. “I made a mistake. A terrible mistake. And I’m sorry.” “Sorry?” Aurora’s mouth spread into a mocking smile. “You think that word fixes anything?” “I will spend the rest of my life making it up to you,” he said quickly, and desperately. “I swear it. Whatever it takes.”
Aurora’s eyes hardened even more. “You think I want you anywhere near me? Forever?” He took a step toward her again, pleading. “Aurora, please-”
Before he could finish, two tall guards stepped out of the hallway behind her.
They moved like shadows, placing themselves between him and Aurora without a word.
Shawn stopped for a moment, then his anger flared.
“Really?” He gave a short, bitter laugh. “You’re going to hide behind bodyguards now?”
The guards didn’t move.
Shawn sneered at them. “Do you know who I am? I’m Shawn Carter. I came here for business, real business.”
He pointed toward Aurora “Unlike her, who seems to be here to sell herself to the highest bidder? Isn’t that the truth, Aurora?”
The temperature in the room dropped at his words.
