John stared at his brother, trying to process what Jack had just admitted.
"You raped her?" His voice came out strangled.
Jack turned to face him. "I thought she was lying. I thought she'd been with you."
"But she wasn't!" John slammed his fist on the desk. "I told you it was Rosalinda, not Aurora. She just waited at the restaurant. That's all!"
"I know that now."
"Now." John laughed bitterly. "After you tortured an innocent woman." He paced the office. "This is my fault. I should have answered your calls immediately."
"This isn't on you."
"Isn't it? I invited her to lunch. I forgot about her while I was with Rosalinda. If I'd just explained properly, none of this would have happened." John stopped and looked directly at his brother. "You need to fix this."
"There's nothing to fix."
"Nothing to fix?" John's voice rose. "You assaulted an employee based on a misunderstanding. And now you think you can just move on?"
"What do you want me to do? Apologize? It won't change what happened."
"No, it won't." John headed for the door. "But maybe it would show you still have some humanity left."
"Stay away from Aurora."
"Why? So she can suffer alone?" John turned back. "You don't get to control this anymore. You've done enough damage."
He left before Jack could stop him.
I stayed home for three days. Every time I thought about Blackthorn Holdings, my stomach turned and my hands shook.
Cody noticed something was wrong. He kept asking why I wasn't going to work, why I looked sad, why I jumped at loud noises.
"I'm just tired, baby," I told him. "Mummy needs rest."
On the third morning, I finally turned my phone back on. Dozens of messages loaded. But one caught my attention.
If you're reading this, please I need to see you, Miss Bluey. John
I stared until my vision blurred. He needed to see me? After what his brother had done?
"Mummy, why are you crying?" Cody climbed into my lap.
"I'm not crying." I wiped my eyes. "I'm just happy I have you, sweetheart."
"You'll always have me." He laid his head against my chest.
The doorbell rang, making me jump. Nonna.
"Get dressed," she said. "We're going out. We need to talk."
"Gene, I can't—"
"Yes, you can. Mrs. Brook will watch Cody. I already arranged it." She gave me a look that said arguing was pointless. "One hour."
An hour later, we drove in silence to the orchard on the edge of town, the place we'd claimed as our own when we were young.
Nonna parked and we walked to our bench under the oldest oak tree.
"Remember this place?" she asked softly.
"Of course."
"We told each other all our secrets here." She took my hand. "That's why I brought you back. I need to know the truth, Aria. About four years ago. About Ethan."
My chest tightened. "What do you want to know?"
"I went to your mating ceremony that morning. I flew in from the border territories just to be there. But instead of seeing you, I watched Ethan stand with Daisy." Nonna's voice trembled. "He told everyone you'd cheated. That you'd spent the night before with another man. He showed photos."
I closed my eyes.
"I didn't want to believe him. But then you disappeared for four years. And when you came back, you had Cody." She squeezed my hand. "Tell me what really happened."
I took a shaky breath. "It's true I went to that tavern. It's true I slept with a stranger. But Ethan's version is missing one detail."
"What detail?"
"The reason." My voice broke. "Nonna, I caught them together. Ethan and Daisy. In his bed. The night before our ceremony."
She went still. "What?"
"I walked in on them. Daisy looked at me and smiled. She told me she was pregnant with his child. She said she'd be taking my place."
"That lying bastard." Nonna's face flushed with rage. "He cheated on you and then made you look like the villain?"
"He's very good at playing victim." I wiped my eyes. "I was devastated. So I went to that tavern to forget. And yes, I slept with a stranger. I lost my virginity to someone whose face I barely saw."
"And Cody?"
"Is the result of that night. The only good thing that came from the worst night of my life."
Nonna pulled me into a fierce hug. "I'm so sorry. I'm sorry I wasn't there. I'm sorry I doubted you."
"How could you know? Ethan had proof."
"Proof he manufactured." She pulled back, eyes blazing. "I'm going to destroy him. Both of them."
"Gene, it's been four years—"
"I don't care. Some wrongs don't have expiration dates." She studied my face. "But there's something else. Something about now. What happened at Blackthorn Holdings? Why are you really staying home?"
My throat tightened. I wanted to tell her everything. About Jack. About what he'd done. But the words wouldn't come.
"I just need time," I said instead.
She nodded, and we sat in silence under our tree.
But I knew this peace couldn't last. Eventually, I'd have to face what happened. Face him.
The question was whether I'd survive it.
Meanwhile, across the kingdom, John sat in his office trying to figure out how to fix the unfixable. He pulled out his phone and dialed Richard.
"I need your help," he said when Richard answered. "It's about Aurora. Something terrible happened, and I think you're the only one who can help her now."
"What kind of terrible?"
John closed his eyes. "The kind that involves my brother and his temper. The kind that leaves scars."
"I'll be right there."
After hanging up, John stared at the photo on his desk. Him and Jack as children, smiling and innocent. When had his brother become capable of such cruelty? When had power corrupted him so completely?
He picked up his phone again and sent another message to Aurora.
I know you probably hate my family right now. I don't blame you. But please let me help. What Jack did was unforgivable, but you don't have to go through this alone. Please respond.
He hit send and prayed she'd answer. Because if she didn't, he had no idea how to make any of this right.