A GOLDEN EMPIRE

CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR

LAST NIGHT WAS TOO fucking much for Aurora. After leaving the charity auction, Justin and the Empire took her to the intercontinental hotel. She needed a distraction from that bullshit stunt her grandfather tried to pull so she wandered out of the bedroom and into the kitchen when she found a small bottle of Hennessy and drained it.

Now: Justin, albeit hungover himself, finds her laying on the bed staring at the ceiling. He doesn't question it. He just lays down right next to her and grabs her hand softly kissing it. "Do you wanna talk about it, pretty dove? We don't have to."

She sighs and looks at him. "My grandfather. The usual bullshit only this time he's trying to secure a deal with your grandfather. Moreover, he's trying to use us, you and me, for this shit. I had to go off. I told him that he can't keep doing this to me and Odette. He's not going to fuck up our happiness."

He groans loudly (sir, it's 6am. can you not?) and buries his face in her neck. Frankly, his own grandparents have been acting suspicious as fuck lately. He should've known that something was up.

"Looks like I have some confronting to do as well because I'm not letting anyone think that they can tear us apart. I am not having it. I'm not letting them cause my pretty dove any more pain. That stops now."

Aurora stares at him with tears streaming down her face. Justin pulls her right on top of his broad form. His jaw tightens upon angling it to kiss her face. He wraps his left arm around her waist and raises his dominant hand to wipe her tears away.

"It's okay, Pretty Dove. I'm here. We're all here. You're not alone in this." He says and then kisses her softly. "Take a minute, freshen up, and meet us in the living room."

She nods her head and watches him leave the room before getting up and trekking to the bathroom to wash her face. Her phone rings. It's Winston. "Hi, Winston."

"Morning Miss Aurora, I'm calling to let you know that myself, Carter, and Robert have arrived to collect you. Your parents are worried about you."

Guilt flows through her body and suddenly she wants to cry again. He can tell through the phone, even though the phone, so to ease her worries, he tells her that they are in no way upset that she ran out, but they just want to know that she's alright.

"Winston, I'll be downstairs in a few."

And with that, she hangs up the phone, hops in the shower, and scrubs away the pain and sorrows of last night off of her body, leaving the rest of the Empire in a discussion about throwing a masquerade ball on Halloween night, since the day is rapidly approaching.

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JULIETTE SITS IN THE grand dining room with Charles, worries for Aurora. Justin had to let them know that it was taking her longer than usual to calm down because she was so hurt by the fuckery Michael, a man she at one point truly respected, tried to pull last night. "My goodness. Charles, I'm so worried." She is seconds away from bursting into tears.

The man gets up from his seat to comfort his wife. He gently pulls her out of the chair, into his arms. He's whispering sweet things in her ear and then lifting a hand to wipe the tears from her eyes. Their foreheads find each other, just taking a moment to get their selves and their thought processes together. "Justin is taking care of her, honey. You know he wouldn't let anything happen to her. He loves her too much."

Juliette nods because she indeed knows. She just wants to know for sure that Aurora is alright.

From that moment, the object of their conversation comes running in. "Mom, daddy? Where are you?"