Forbidden Desires

Chapter 73: "Freedom for a Night"

Aiden's POV

"Emotions can be the enemy. If you give in to your emotions, you lose yourself. You must be at one with your emotions, because the body always follows the mind."
—Bruce Lee

The weight of another body beside him should have brought comfort, but all Aiden felt was trapped.

Ariel's arm was draped over his chest, her breathing steady, peaceful—completely unaware of the storm raging inside him.

His body was still. His mind? A war zone.

As he slowly removed her hand and rolled out of bed, he thought about how, for a week now, he'd been playing pretend. Sleeping beside her, acting like this scam of a marriage was real, like he was some dutiful husband.

But nothing about Ariel excited him.

She was beautiful, yes. Well-bred. The kind of woman that fit into his world seamlessly. But she didn't ignite anything in him. Not the way Raine did.

Raine.

She hadn't responded to his message.

A week.

A full week.

Aiden exhaled sharply, running a hand through his hair. His mind was restless, his chest tight. He needed a distraction.

His gaze landed on the file sitting on his desk.

James had given it to him a week ago. He hadn't touched it.

Hadn't wanted to.

He stepped into the walk-in closet, the cool air doing nothing to soothe the heat rising in his chest. His father's voice echoed in his head.

"Honor. Duty. The family name above all else."

What a fucking joke.

Edmund Baldwin—the man he spent his whole life trying to please—was a liar.

Not only had he lied to Aiden for his entire life, but even now, even from a distance, the bastard was still controlling his fate.

Still pulling the strings.

Edmund got what he wanted.

And what did Aiden get in return?

Nothing.

He lost Karlie.

Lost the one person he wanted more than anything.

The thought of her hit him like a sucker punch. It had been months since he let himself think about her.

He pushed the thought away before it could sink its claws into him.

Karlie made her choice.

And he wouldn't waste another second grieving over her.

He stepped out of the room, closing the door carefully behind him so Ariel wouldn't stir. His movements were quiet, controlled.

He moved downstairs to his study, eyes locking onto the file.

It felt heavier than before.

Like a burden he wasn't ready to carry.

James had handed it to him with careful precision, but Aiden had shoved it aside, telling himself he'd deal with it later.

But later never came.

Because he didn't want to face it.

Because he already knew.

Because this file was proof of what he had suspected all along.

His father's sins.

The carefully buried truth.