From Heir's Ex to His Aunt novel Chapter 55

Chapter 55 The Edge of Memory

Die? The word hit Alicia like a punch to the chest. A surge of memories-her mom’s body dropping from the building and hitting the ground right before her-flashed through her mind quickly. Her blood turned cold. Every muscle in her body trembled.

Austin didn’t mind that she was soaked through. He immediately pulled her into his embrace, one arm around her shoulders and the other cradling the back of her head, providing protection as if the world could break apart at any moment.

Alicia held onto his collar, her voice hoarse and broken. “Just… let me catch my breath for a moment.”

Austin’s voice was calm and even. “Want to tell me what happened?”

“I…” She hesitated, feeling overwhelmed by all that she carried. She’d borne it alone for years because no one-not even her family-had ever truly listened. To her, he was merely her husband on paper, a business arrangement with a heartbeat. Why bother opening up? All that family crap-what was the point? She didn’t want to be ridiculed.

“It’s fine,” Austin murmured, his hand rubbing slow circles on her back. “You don’t have to talk. I can wait.”

He meant it. He wasn’t going anywhere.

They stayed like that, quiet except for the sound of the rain outside.

When she finally looked up, she noticed the sharp line of his jaw and how his lips squeezed together. His dark, unreadable eyes softened when they gazed at hers.

In them, she saw herself-shaken, broken, and still standing somehow.

His clean, woody scent filled her lungs and fogged her head. For once, she didn’t feel so alone.

Her fingers brushed his face before she even realized it. “Mr. Burton.. can you kiss me?”

He didn’t hesitate. His lips crashed into hers before she could blink.

The kiss deepened fast, her desperation bleeding through every touch. It wasn’t passion-not really. It was grief spilling out, piece by piece.

Her hands fisted his shirt, wet and lines of his abs. She tugged at his lin belt,

St his chest. The fabric went nearly see-through, tracing the and frantic.

He caught her wrists, murmuring against her ear, “Slow down. Let me handle it.”

His tone was gentle yet assertive. One hand moved down her waist as the other unfastened the belt. The air grew hot around them, water splashing over the tub’s rin.

“Austin…” Her voice cracked. “You’re all I’ve got.”

Sure, it was only legal on paper, but he was still her husband. That had to matter, right? She didn’t feel like some unwanted extra in her life for once,

The following day, Alicia remained asleep until the afternoon. The sunlight pouring through the window was too warm and too bright.

She blinked, trying to orient herself. Her hair was a tangled mess over her face, and the blanket loosely draped over her legs, exposing smooth skin with signs of the night prior.

Then it dawned on her-the entire sequence of events. She had held onto him as if her life depended on it.

The first time they’d ended up in bed, she’d been drunk. She could live with that. Last night, though? They were both sober. No excuses this time.

God… kill me now. Alicia hid her face in her hands as she rose. The quilt fell away, and the faint marks on her skin whispered reminders of him.

Her stomach rumbled before guilt took over. She put on a silk robe, freshened up, and slipped downstairs in fuzzy slippers.

She was rounding the staircase when she heard voices from the living room,

David stated, “Uncle Austin, this is my two-percent stake in Burton Group. It’s all yours-if you divorce Alicia.”

Alicia stopped abruptly. She didn’t realize Austin was still home, and now someone was sitting there negotiating over his marriage like it was a stock deal.

First, the Gibsons used me like a bargaining chip. Now the Burtons, too? What am I-just another piece they move around when convenient?