The CEO's Midnight Remedy novel Chapter 96

Chapter 96

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Aria’s POV

I slouched lower in my car, adjusting the seat to minimize my presence while watching the drama unfold twenty feet away. Caroline–Devon’s picture perfect fiancée–stood with mascara streaming down her cheeks, her pristine image shattered by genuine emotion.

“You have to be this cruel, don’t you?” she demanded, her voice echoing through the concrete parking structure. “You know I have no real feelings for Devon!”

Noah leaned against a concrete pillar, his handsome face contorted with what appeared to be genuine pain. As heir to the Pierce Hotel Group and one of Devon’s oldest friends, he usually exuded confidence, but now

he looked tortured.

“What do you want from me, Caroline?” He ran a hand through his perfectly styled hair. “This was never

going to work. Devon is a good man. Marrying him is the ideal outcome for everyone involved.”

“Everyone except me,” she shot back, voice breaking. “Noah, I truly regret ever meeting you.”

She turned sharply, her designer heels clicking against concrete as she stormed toward the elevator. Noah

remained frozen, watching her departure before finally pushing away from the pillar and heading in the opposite direction.

So this was the reality behind New York’s most anticipated society wedding–the bride–to–be in love with

the groom’s best friend. I shouldn’t have been surprised. In my experience, money and status rarely

brought happiness, only more elaborate ways to hide misery.

I waited until both had disappeared before sitting up straight, exhaling slowly. My plan for a discreet exit

was interrupted by a sharp knock on my window that made me jump.

Devon Kane stood outside my car, his expression unreadable in the dim garage lighting. My stomach

dropped as I realized he must have witnessed everything too–his fiancée’s confession, his friend’s betrayal.

I lowered the window, struggling to maintain composure.

“Enjoyed the show?” His voice was surprisingly steady for a man who’d just discovered such a betrayal.

“I… I didn’t see anything,” I stammered, the lie pathetically transparent.

“Of course not.” His mouth curved into something that wasn’t quite a smile, Without invitation, he walked

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Chapter 96

around to the passenger side, opened the door, and slid into the seat beside me. “Drive.”

I hesitated, my hand hovering over the ignition. “Where to?”

“Just drive,”

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I started the car, navigating out of the garage and into Manhattan’s evening traffic. The city lights blurred around us as we moved in silence, the low hum of the jazz station the only sound between us. Devon stared out the window, his jawline tense, dark circles under his eyes suggesting he hadn’t slept in days.

After several minutes of excruciating silence, I ventured “You know, being betrayed isn’t the end of the world-

“Are you trying to comfort me, Harper?” He turned, one eyebrow slightly raised.

Before I could respond, his hand shot out, encircling my wrist. His grip was firm but not painful. “Do you know there are other ways to comfort someone?”

My pulse quickened. “Mr. Kane, I think you need to cool down.”

Instead of releasing me, he tugged me toward him with surprising strength, pulling me across the center console until I was practically in his lap, my back pressed against his chest.

“Let go,” I said, turning my head to face him, my breathing suddenly shallow. “This isn’t the solution to

your problems.”

His fingers traced my cheek, his voice dropping to a dangerous whisper. “No? What about this kind of

comfort?”

His lips crashed against mine with an intensity that stole my breath. My hands instinctively pressed against his chest, feeling the solid muscle beneath his shirt. I told myself I was pushing him away, but my fingers curled into the fabric instead.

“Stop,” I murmured between kisses, though my voice lacked conviction. “We shouldn’t…”

His hand slid to my waist, warm palm finding skin where my blouse had ridden up. “Do you really want me

to stop?”

I couldn’t answer honestly. My body was betraying my better judgment, responding to his touch with embarrassing eagerness. His kisses softened, his tongue gently parting my lips. I turned in his arms, straddling him, my fingers threading through his surprisingly soft black hair.

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