Billionaire's Betrayal a contracted revenge (Aurelia) novel Chapter 116

Chapter 116

Chapter 116

Aurelia’s POV

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Rieck’s eyebrows furrowed the moment I stepped out of the bedroom, dressed sharper than any ordinary evening called for, heels and a fitted dress I had chosen specifically to feel confident in, my hair loose the way he liked it best.

He set down whatever he had been reading, his eyes moving slowly over me, tracing the length of the dress with an appreciation he didn’t bother hiding, before the question finally came. “Where are you going?”

“Out.” I smoothed the front of my dress, meeting his gaze steady. “Girls night. With Selene.”

His shoulders tightened immediately, jaw setting hard. “No.”

“Rieck.”

You are not going anywhere with her.” He crossed the room in three long steps, stopping close enough that I had to tilt my head back to hold his gaze. “Not after everything with that dish. Not after the way she looks at you like she is memorizing something, cataloguing pieces of you for later.”

“She is my colleague, Rieck.’

“I know. But…”

“She invited me for drinks. That’s all this is,” I interrupted, resting my palm on his chest. “Please. I haven’t had a night out in months. Let me have this one thing.”

“You don’t know her the way I do.”

“Then tell me what you know.” I held his gaze, refusing to look away first, my palm still on his chest. “Instead of just saying no every single time her name comes up. You never explain, Rieck. You just close the subject and expect me to accept it.”

He was quiet for a long moment before he finally sighed. “Text me the address.”

“I will be fine.”

“Text me anyway. And call me if anything feels wrong. Anything at all.”

“I will.” I kissed him, slowly and softly, feeling some of the rigid tension finally loosen under my hands, his fingers tightening briefly at my waist before releasing me entirely. “I love you for worrying. Now let me go before I am late.”

He caught my wrist again before I reached the door, pulling me back for one final kiss, deeper this time, like he was marking something in me before letting me walk out into a night he didn’t trust.

“Be careful, he murmured against my mouth.

“Always”

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16:27 Mon, Aug 3

Chapter 116

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The bar was cozy and dimly lit, with soft music playing in the background.

Selene was already seated when I arrived, two cocktails waiting on the table, her smile welcoming as I slid into the booth across from her.

“You made it. I was starting to worry Rieck locked you in a tower somewhere.”

“He tried.” I laughed, picking up my drink, the tension of the last hour finally starting to loosen in my shoulders. “Nearly. There was a whole speech about how I don’t know you the way he does, and something about the way you looked at me.”

“Did he now?” Something flickered behind Selene’s eyes, but it was gone as quickly as it came. “Rieck always did have a flair for the dramatic.

A small, uncomfortable knot tightened in my stomach at the casual way she said his name, like she had some claim to knowing him that I didn’t fully understand, but I let it go without saying anything.

We fell into easy conversation after that, laughing over nothing important, comparing terrible first dates and worse coworkers, the kind of light chatter I hadn’t allowed myself in longer than I wanted to admit.

“You know,” Selene said, refilling both our glasses from the pitcher the waiter had left, “I didn’t expect to like you this much. When I first heard about the marriage, I pictured someone very different.”

“What did you picture?”

“Someone colder. More calculated.” She shrugged, a small smile tugging at her mouth. “From what I’ve heard, Rieck doesn’t exactly attract soft hearts.”

“Maybe I’m not as soft as I look.”

“No.” Selene studied me for a moment, something unreadable behind her eyes. “I’m starting to think you are

not.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment.”

“If you don’t mind me asking,” Selene swirled her drink slowly, “what is married life actually like? Living with the great Rieck Valerius.”

“Better than people would expect.” I kept my voice steady, choosing my words the way I always did when discussing him with anyone outside our marriage, protective of a version of him I didn’t owe anyone else an explanation for. “He is intense, difficult sometimes. Cold, when he wants to be. But underneath it, he is thoughtful. Loyal, in his own way.”

“Loyal?” Selene repeated the word slowly, something almost wistful crossing her face, her fingers tightening slightly around her glass. “That’s not how I remember him at all.”

My smile stayed in place, but I suddenly felt… uncomfortable. “People change,” I mumbled.

“Yes indeed. He must have really changed.” The words quickly came out, an edge of surprise in her own voice

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16:27 Mon, Aug 3

Chapter 116

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like she hadn’t meant to say them at all, her eyes widening a bit before she caught herself, quickly glancing down at her glass instead of at me.

I studied her, curious. “What do you mean by that?”

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