Everything was a deal until divorce novel Chapter 41

Chapter 41 The Night It All Started

He’d been losing too much blood. Consciousness was slipping fast.

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Finished

Still, Dorian held the fruit knife to the girl’s neck, his voice low and sharp. “Don’t move. Just help me stay hidden.”

The girl blinked awake, clearly startled–but not terrified. She stared at him through the dim light, rubbing her eyes like she was trying to make sure she wasn’t dreaming.

Then her gaze caught on his eyes. For a second, it looked like they lit up.

When she saw the blood soaking through his shirt, she sat up fast. “You’re bleeding.”

“Yeah.”

“If you don’t stop the bleeding, you’re gonna die.”

Dorian narrowed his eyes at her. Her neck, pale and slender in the soft light, made her look even more breakable.

“Don’t make a sound,” he warned coldly. “There are people out there trying to kill me. If you scream, I’ll cut your throat.”

He paused, then added in a near–growl, “If they find out you helped me, they’ll gut you and sell your organs before morning.”

She froze. Fear flashed across her face. Then, quietly, she mumbled, “You’re bleeding out and threatening me? Real classy.”

Dorian paused. For a split second, even in his haze, he didn’t know how to respond.

There was a faint, clean scent clinging to her, like body wash. It was subtle, almost calming.

Blood was dripping steadily onto the hotel floor. His back and waist burned. The drug was kicking in hard. He was barely holding on. Every instinct screamed to tear her clothes off.

But thank God–Lucien and the others showed up just in time, leading the hitmen away. Dorian finally had a window to breathe.

Still, the girl’s scent lingered, too soft and too sweet, and it made it impossible for him to think straight. He grabbed her before he could stop himself.

She freaked out. “I’m underage! This is a crime! You’ll go to jail!”

She was less than a month away from adulthood, but still… legally underage. He let out a dark

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Chapter 41 The Night It All Started

laugh. So naive. Predators don’t care about age.

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“I–I’ll go buy you the meds. You said you needed something to stop the bleeding, right? I’ll get it. You can stay here–take the room.”

He clenched his jaw. His temples pounded. Veins in his neck strained. The drug’s heat was roaring through him.

He couldn’t think. Could barely see her face in the low light, but her skin practically glowed. All he remembered was that she had stunning eyes.

And even through all the pain, he knew one thing–he wasn’t going to touch her. Not someone this young.

Instead, he listed the meds he needed. Took her phone, purse, and ID. “Go get it. Now.”

She blinked. Didn’t move. “What, you think I won’t call the cops?”

Dorian gave a low, dangerous laugh. “Please do. I’d love nothing more.”

He shoved a wad of cash at her. “Buy the meds. Don’t come back, you don’t get your stuff back.”

Honestly, he didn’t think she’d return. Any girl with an ounce of street smarts would’ve run the second she got out.

And if she had called the cops, even better. They’d cover his retreat to Avalen. He didn’t care.

Lucien’s crew had drawn off the heat. She was safe now. But she did come back.

When he heard the door open, even Dorian was surprised.

He was already half–passed out, having wrapped his wounds with a torn bedsheet.

She helped him sit up, cleaned his wounds, stopped the bleeding, bandaged him. Even him the pill to fight the drug in his system.

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He was beyond exhausted. Every muscle in his body was tight, aching, and hot with fever.

He groaned, “Make room. I need to lie down.”

The girl didn’t argue. She shifted to the far side of the bed without hesitation. He turned his head toward her, confused. “You could’ve left. Why’d you come back?”

Tucked under the blanket, she whispered, “You kind of look like someone I used to like. He saved me once.”

Dorian gave a short, dry laugh. This girl is way too soft. If she’d run into someone truly dangerous, she

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Chapter 41 The Night It All Started

wouldn’t have made it out in one piece.

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After a pause, she added, “I figured if I didn’t come back… you might bleed out.”

His eyes were already heavy. He didn’t reply. Just let the darkness pull him under.

She didn’t leave. She boiled water for him, wiped his forehead when the fever kicked in, and stayed by his side through the night.

He remembered one moment clearly: the heat in his body had become unbearable, the drug burning through him like wildfire.

He’d pulled her into his arms, pressing his face into her shoulder, his body trembling.

He almost lost control. She shifted, clearly terrified.

His voice came out raw and cracked. “Don’t move. I’m just holding you. I won’t touch you.”

And he didn’t. He wrapped an arm around her waist and held her there, nothing more.

Maybe it was the days of being hunted or the constant adrenaline wearing off, but Dorian actually slept well that night.

Too well.

Because when he opened his eyes the next morning, the first thing he saw was Vivienne.

She was sitting on the edge of his bed. Her blouse was slightly undone. And him–he was shirtless. The clothes he’d gone to bed in were gone.

Dorian’s eyes narrowed as he glared at her. “What the hell are you doing here?”

Vivienne gave him a soft, almost innocent smile. “Dorian, don’t you remember? I stayed with you last night.”

“That’s impossible.”

Her face fell immediately. Eyes welled with tears. “Dorian, are you really going to pretend this didn’t happen? You slept with me. I’m yours now.”

She lifted the covers. There was a distinct smear of red on the white sheets. Her cheeks flushed. “I was… it was my first time too.”

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