Crossing lines (Noah and Aiden) novel Chapter 47

Chapter 47

Aiden

He sank to his knees with the rigidity of a soldier awaiting his sentence—his shoulders tight, breaths shallow, and a simmering anger barely contained beneath the surface. Yet, despite everything, he complied. He submitted.

That single act spoke volumes without a word.

D

I paused for a moment, gathering myself, allowing the flood of emotions I’d been suppressing to finally surface. Relief mingled with the sharp sting of fear—fear of losing him. Alongside that, anger and jealousy still gnawed at me, relentless and raw. I had promised myself I wouldn’t punish him out of anger—God knew I meant that. But this wasn’t about jealousy anymore. This was about disobedience. About disrespect. He needed to understand that his words carried weight, even those thrown out in a fit of rage.

Even the ones I had provoked.

I picked up the leather crop, feeling its familiar weight in my hand, and stepped quietly behind him. “Ten,” I said firmly. “For disrespectful language. Count each one.”

“Yes, Sir,” he answered without hesitation.

The first strike landed sharply with a crisp crack. His breath hitched, but he managed to say, “One.”

“Why am I punishing you, Noah?”

He clenched his teeth, gritting through the pain. “For cursing at you, Sir.”

Another blow came down. “Two.”

“And?”

There was a brief pause before a low murmur escaped him, “Because… you’re angry at me.”

I halted mid-swing, my palm brushing gently over the reddening skin. “This isn’t about anger anymore. Not now. You disrespected me with words you know are forbidden in this dynamic.”

Another strike landed. “Three.”

“But…” His voice faltered, choking slightly. “You were angry. You still are.”

I didn’t deny it. Instead, I asked softly, “Did you do anything to make me angry?”

“No.”

“I heard you and Keon, Noah! I heard you admit it—”

“I lied, okay?” His voice broke. “To Keon. I lied to him, not you. You called, and I didn’t answer because I was already asleep. I wanted to be here early. I wanted to be ready for you. I didn’t drink. I walked her to her dorm. That’s it. That’s all that happened. I never touched her. Never kissed her. I didn’t break our contract.”

I blinked, the crop slipping from my fingers.

He trembled now—not just from the blows, but from the weight of truth finally pouring out of him.

“I didn’t lie to you,” he whispered, tears streaming down his face. “I swear I didn’t. I just lied to everyone else.”

Shame surged through me, sharp and acidic, flooding my chest. I looked down at his trembling form, at the marks I’d left believing I was correcting disobedience—when in reality, I had acted on an assumption.

A mistake.

I swallowed hard, my throat burning with the effort. Moving forward, I knelt beside him, resting a gentle hand on his shoulder.

“You’re dismissed,” I said softly. “You’re released from punishment.”

His head snapped up, eyes red-rimmed and confused. “What? But I cursed…”