Chapter 132: Chapter 132; The fragment of trust
Alina’s POV
I scoffed, taking a deliberate step back to put some distance between us. "Where is Lucian? Where the hell are you keeping him?"
"Answer my question first, Alina," Aiden replied, his eyes narrowing as he stepped with me.
"I am not answering a damn thing," I snapped, lifting my chin.
"Very well then," he said, throwing his hands up in mock surrender. "I have absolutely no idea where Lucian is."
"You better tell me the truth, Aiden."
"Even if I did know where he was, why on earth would I tell you?" He let out a low, cynical chuckle. "I would be doing the entire world a massive favor by getting rid of him, don’t you think?"
"Why can’t you just let him be?" I demanded, my hands clenching into fists at my sides.
"Never," Aiden growled, his teasing demeanor vanishing in an instant. "He came into my territory and took you away from me. You honestly think I will just let him get away with that?"
"He didn’t take me away from you, Aiden! You let me go!"
His eyes darkened into a volatile pitch. Before I could react, he crossed the remaining distance and gripped my waist tightly, pulling me toward his chest.
"What the hell do you think you’re doing?" I gasped, planting my palms against his shoulders to push him away.
"I never let you go, Alina. Not even for a single second," he whispered, his grip tightening as he leaned down, his breath brushing my cheek. "Didn’t you see it? My eyes have been literally yearning for you every single day. I never wanted that divorce. I never wanted you to leave. I—"
"Let go of me!" I yelled, shoving against him with all my strength.
Aiden hesitated for a heartbeat before slowly releasing his grip, stepping back with his hands raised. He took a deep breath, trying to smooth over the rough edges of his voice. "Sooner or later, you are going to realize who truly loves and cares for you, Alina. I just want everything to be alright between us again. I want to fix my mistakes. Because my absolute biggest mistake was ever signing those godforsaken divorce papers."
I stared at him, completely unmoved by his speech. "So you genuinely won’t tell me where Lucian is?"
Aiden walked back over to the sofa and sat down, leaning his head back against the leather. "I really don’t know where Lucian is. And as for his fellow rogues getting hurt? It wasn’t me. I didn’t attack them. Yes, I ordered the destruction of his new estate, but I haven’t done anything beyond that."
"Why did you destroy it?"
"Because I will never let that bastard build a lavish home for you, him, and my son to live in," Aiden stated, his voice flat and entirely possessive. "You are mine, Alina. No matter if you like it or not."
I pushed my hair backward, a heavy sigh escaping my lips. This is completely useless, I thought. I am not going to get a single scrap of real information out of him.
"I’m leaving," I told him, turning toward the exit. "I will go find him myself."
"Good luck," Aiden called out behind me, a smug smirk twisting his features. "But remember... you are required to come back here tomorrow. It is a legally binding part of our signed contract."
I rolled my eyes, ignoring him as I slammed the front door shut behind me.
As I walked back to my car, a suffocating weight settled onto my chest. Where am I even supposed to look for Lucian? The forest was massive, and the rogue trails were endless.
Suddenly, my phone buzzed in my hand. I pulled it out to find a message from Davon.
Davon: Are we still having chocolate cake tomorrow?
"Yes, Davon," I muttered to myself, a sudden realization hitting me. Davon had a complicated history with Lucian. If anyone knew about Lucian’s hidden habits or secret locations, it would be him.
I quickly typed out a reply.
Alina: Meet me in front of the bakery right now.
I drove straight to the bakery, the anxiety gnawing at my stomach the entire way. I parked by the curb and waited for less than ten minutes before Davon’s car pulled up behind mine. He stepped out and jogged over to my window.
"I got here as soon as I received your text," Davon said, resting his hands on the car frame. "Is everything alright?"
"Thank you for coming," I said, stepping out of the vehicle to face him. "I need a massive favor."
"Anything, Alina. Name it."
"Lucian is missing," I said, my voice cracking slightly. "I have absolutely no idea where to find him."
Davon paused, and then a small, knowing smile played on his lips. "Is that all?"
"Yes! Davon, please, do you know anything?"
"I know exactly where you can find him," Davon replied smoothly, turning back toward his car. "And besides... he isn’t missing."
My brows furrowed in confusion. "What do you mean by that?"
"Come with me," he said simply, gesturing to the passenger seat.
I nodded, locking up my car and sliding into his passenger side. The drive out of the city and into a secluded residential area was completely quiet. I didn’t push for answers; I was just profoundly relieved that the nightmare was almost over and Lucian would be found.
Davon finally pulled into the driveway of a small, modern house tucked away near the treeline.
I looked out the window, completely bewildered. "Where are we, Davon? What is this place?"
"This is the house Lucian usually comes to when he is deeply sad or just needs to cool his head," Davon explained, shutting off the engine.
A knot of confusion tightened in my stomach. A secret house? I had lived with Lucian for so long, yet I didn’t know a single thing about this place.
Davon walked up to the front door and punched a numerical code into the electronic lock. The mechanism clicked open, and he gestured for me to follow him inside. The interior was quiet, dimly lit, and smelled faintly of expensive cologne.
Davon led the way down the hallway, stopping right in front of the master bedroom. He pushed the door open, stepping aside so I could see inside.
I stepped into the threshold, the words dying in my throat as my eyes widened to the absolute limit.
There, under the rumpled sheets of the mattress, were Lucian and Emily. Both of them were completely naked, tangled up in each other’s arms in a deep sleep.
The ground beneath my feet entirely gave way. My heart shattered into a million jagged pieces, the reality of the betrayal tearing through my chest until I couldn’t even breathe.
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