Emilia ✔️ NOW PUBLISHED!

53

♥️

I dance with Aiden in confused yet fluid motions. Classical music swarms the room as the dance goes on even though inside I'm screaming, thirty-second intervals aren't enough time. I need to get Aiden off of this floor, now.

I fear I would slap him, if it weren't for the press taking pictures of the event and the high profile people taking up residency in our home.

I can't speak. My heart is shattered and I'm so broken. Aiden looks at me with glossy eyes, a slight smirk playing on his face. Does he not know he broke me? How does he not see it in my eyes?

He pulls me closer; my body is stiff. From heartbreak, fear, and the threat... or warning I received. I open my mouth to tell him, but he cuts me off.

"You are the most stunning girl in the room" He leans down, so only I can hear him. "I can't wait to dip my cock inside of you tonight." I can smell the whiskey on his breath. It stings my skin.

That's it. "Out of all the places, Aiden?" I try to choke back tears as he cocks a brow at me. "In the greenhouse? On our bed?"

He sways a little, stumbling on his feet. "What are you talking about baby?" I look around the room, noticing for the first time that so many are staring at us, this is our event after all, but I need privacy.

"I saw you kissing her Aiden!" I keep my voice low and make sure to fake a bright smile, but my words are clear.

He looks at me, and laughs. Throwing his head back slightly, my rage boils over. He laughs once more before grabbing my mom for a dance. What the freak is going on?

"Wait!" I say, but he's already into the next waltz. I couldn't see past my jealousy to tell him about the warning, and I realize it the moment the stranger grabs me again for another dance. Aiden's too drunk to realize it's the same person I was dancing with when he took me away. I look for Howard... but I don't see him.

My entire body trembles, "I'm not trying to scare you." He tells me, his smokey eyes look through me.

So many are looking at me as my eyes pan for Howard, I can't cause a scene. Who knows what would happen? "Then tell me who you are."

He shakes his head, "It's not important, I just need you to understand it's not over. It's just begun."

I stand a little straighter, "You know nothing about me and I don't trust you."

He nods his head towards everyone I love.

"That is your mother, Pamela Banks." She laughs as Aiden guides her through the dance, carefree and unaware of what her daughter is dealing with.

"That is your best friend, Ashley Walters." Ashley's blonde hair twirls as Ricky guides her in the dance.

"That is her guard and boyfriend, Ricky Morris."

He looks straight at me, "Your guard went to the restroom, Howard Nelson."

His gaze dramatically sweeps to my right. "And finally, the one who got you into this mess, Aiden Scott."

He twirls me out, my knees almost collapse. "This isn't Aiden's fault." I defend his name, even though he crushed me. Everyone changes dancing partners, not us.

He nods, a smile tilting on his face. "He's a good man, lacks direction, certainly not worthy of you but he does love you deeply."

"Are you trying to scare me?" because it's working.

He shakes his head; his dark hair moves with him. "No, I'm trying to show you. You're too comfortable. You need to be careful."

Obviously, if this guy knows all of our names, and he seems to especially know me, maybe he's right. "What do we do?"