Chapter 566: Arcadia, The First Planet In All Creation (XLIV)
Unfortunatelly for her... Aestrea wasn’t exactly on the mood for this kind of thing.
"Not today," Aestrea said quietly, his hands gently but firmly holding her hips to stop her movements.
"I’m tired, Elara. It’s been a long day."
Elara froze on top of him, her emerald eyes widening in surprise and hurt.
The playful, seductive energy vanished in an instant, replaced by a vulnerable, almost fragile expression.
She searched his face, her lower lip trembling slightly as tears began to glisten in her eyes.
"Do you not want me anymore?" she whispered, her voice cracking with emotion.
The words came out small and broken, like a child who had just been rejected by someone they adored.
Aestrea felt a headache coming on.
He knew this pattern all too well from the memories of this illusory life. Elara was incredibly emotionally sensitive when it came to him.
One wrong word, one perceived rejection, and she would spiral directly, crying, questioning everything, sometimes even showing up at his door unannounced in the middle of the night.
It was one of the main reasons the real Aestrea Voss in this world had always kept things casual.
He couldn’t afford the complications of someone so deeply attached when his own life was already a total mess, filled with schemes.
But for the real Aestrea, the God of Karma who had dealt with possessive wives, jealous lovers, and emotional storms across hundreds of reincarnations, this was nothing.
He had been imprisoned, betrayed, and emotionally manipulated countless times.
He had learned how to handle intense, attached women with patience and careful affection. Elara’s vulnerability was child’s play compared to what he had faced before.
He gently cupped her face with both hands, his thumbs gently wiping away the tears that had started to fall.
"Hey," he called out softly.
"Of course I want you. I always want you. Look at me."
Elara’s eyes met his, still glistening, her lower lip quivering.
"I’m just exhausted tonight," he continued, pulling her closer so her head rested against his chest.
"The shoot ran long, and my mind is still on the scenes. It’s not about you. You’re gorgeous. You’re incredible. And I’m lucky as hell that you still want me after all this time."
He stroked her back slowly, his fingers tracing soothing patterns along her spine.
Elara sniffled, but she melted into his touch, her body relaxing against him as she wrapped her arms around his neck.
"You promise?" she whispered softly.
"I promise," he replied, kissing the top of her head. "You’re not just someone I hook up with, Elara. You’re important to me, and even though I probably don’t show it, I care about you. A lot..."
He could feel her tension easing. She nuzzled closer, her massive breasts pressing warmly against his chest as she clung to him like a lifeline.
"I just get scared sometimes," she admitted quietly.
"That you’ll get tired of me. That one day you’ll look at me and decide I’m not enough."
Aestrea held her tighter, one hand gently playing with her long black hair.
"You’re more than enough," he said, meaning it in more ways than she could know.
"You’re talented, beautiful, and you understand this crazy world we live in. I don’t want anyone else right now. Just you."
Elara let out a shaky, relieved breath. She tilted her head up and kissed him softly, the kiss full of gratitude and lingering emotion rather than hunger.
"Thank you," she whispered against his lips.
"I needed to hear that."
Aestrea smiled faintly and pulled her down with him as he lay back on the sofa, keeping her on top of him.
He wrapped his arms around her securely, one hand stroking her back while the other rested on her hip.
"Stay here tonight," he said.
Elara’s eyes shone with delightful surprise.
She lifted her head from his chest, staring at him as if she couldn’t believe what she had just heard.
In all the time they had been seeing each other, sneaking around hotels, late-night visits to each other’s places, stolen moments between shoots... and Aestrea Voss had never let her sleep over at his apartment.
Not once.
He had always been careful about his image.
The mysterious superstar who never let anyone get too close.
One night stands or friends-with-benefits situations always ended with "you should go" before morning, because the paparazzi were relentless.
A single photo of her leaving his building could spark rumors that would spiral out of control and damage the carefully curated enigma he had built.
But tonight... he was asking her to stay.
Elara’s heart swelled with warmth and a rush of happiness that made her eyes glisten again. She bit her lower lip, trying to contain the bright smile threatening to break across her face.
"Really?" she whispered, her voice soft and almost disbelieving.
"You want me to stay?"
Aestrea nodded, his hand continuing its gentle strokes along her back.
"Yeah. Stay."
"Hehehe~... hiihh~" Elara let out a soft, joyful laugh and buried her face in his neck, hugging him tightly as if afraid he might change his mind.
Her body relaxed completely against his, her legs tangling with his as she snuggled closer.
"I’d love to," she murmured against his skin, her voice thick with emotion.
"Thank you... I’ve wanted this for so long."
In this illusory world, Aestrea Voss had always been paranoid about his privacy.
But the real Aestrea, the God of Karma who had faced down gods, outer beings, and the Creator herself, didn’t give a single fuck about appearances.
If the paparazzi took photos, if the world found out they were together, it wouldn’t matter. His image in this fake life was completely meaningless.
He just wanted to figure out how to get out of this fake world first.
Elara, completely unaware of the deeper truth behind his decision, simply felt like the luckiest woman alive. She kissed his neck softly, then his jaw, then his lips.
"You have no idea how happy this makes me," she whispered between kisses.
"Waking up next to you... having breakfast with you... just being with you without rushing out before sunrise."
She settled her head back on his chest, listening to his heartbeat as her fingers traced lazy patterns on his skin.
Thrrrr....
Aestrea lay there with her, one hand gently stroking her back, when his phone suddenly vibrated on the coffee table nearby.
He glanced at the screen.
The contact name read: Enchantress.
Aestrea raised an eyebrow, the memories of this illusory life surfacing quickly.
This number belonged to his boss, the CEO of the massive entertainment conglomerate that represented him.
Her real name was Vespera Lang, but in their private communications, she preferred being called "Enchantress", or "baby".
She was the one who had approached him first, nearly two years ago, right after his breakthrough role. She had offered a very large sum of money for a one-night stand.
Aestrea Voss, at the time struggling with cash flow after a major movie launch that had drained his accounts, had agreed.
After all... he wasn’t losing in that deal.
And that was because Vespera was extremely gorgeous, a mature, sophisticated woman in her early thirties with an aura of power and seduction that truly befitted a CEO.
Her body was a masterpiece of proportions, even more voluptuous than Elara’s in the right places, with a goddamn sexy voice that could make anyone weak at the knees.
Their one night had turned into an occasional arrangement whenever their schedules aligned.
There were supposedly no emotions or commitments, just mutual pleasure and discretion.
But why was she calling him right now?
Aestrea looked down at Elara, who was still comfortably nestled against his chest.
"I need to take this," he said quietly.
"I’ll be back. Just going to the bathroom."
Elara nodded obediently, though a small pout formed on her lips. She kissed his chest once more before reluctantly letting him go.
"Don’t take too long," she murmured.
Aestrea stood up, grabbing his phone, and walked into the luxurious bathroom, closing the door behind him.
He leaned against the marble counter and accepted the call.
"Hello?"
He spoke, but before he could say anything more, Vespera’s voice came through smooth and commanding, as always.
"Aestrea, darling. There’s an important event coming up. The 80th birthday anniversary of the President of the Helix Conglomerate. It’s going to be a massive occasion, black tie, high security, the works. He’s also planning to announce his heir during the gala. Every major president and CEO has been invited. It’s not the kind of event you can skip if you want to stay relevant."
Aestrea listened, already sensing where this was going.
"I need a partner for the night," Vespera continued softly, her voice containing something like a trace of expectation.
"Since I’m not officially married, it would look better to have someone like you on my arm. Handsome, successful, and discreet. What do you say?"
Aestrea didn’t hesitate.
"Nah... that event sounds like a very boring event. I’m not interested in playing arm candy for the whole night."
There was a brief pause on the other end.
"10 million."
Aestrea’s eyebrows rose slightly.
The number was absurd, even for someone of his status in this world.
"I’m at your service, boss!" he replied immediately, his tone shifting to mockingly professional.
He didn’t even notice, but he had acted exactly like his predecessor would.
"Hah~" Vespera let out a soft, dangerous chuckle.
"What did you call me...?"
Aestrea’s lips curved into a faint smirk.
"...Baby."
"Good boy."
Click.
She hung up on him without another word.
Aestrea stared at the phone screen for a moment, completely speechless.
The audacity of the woman never failed to impress him.
One second she was all business, the next she treated him like her personal plaything, and paid him enough to make most people’s jaws drop.
He slipped the phone back into his pocket and shook his head, a low chuckle escaping him.
"This world really is something else," he muttered to himself.
He took a moment to compose himself before heading back to the living room, where Elara was still waiting on the sofa, looking at him curiously.
