My Possessive Lover's Perfect Revenge

AURORA'S POV

"Do you think I'm some puppet you can pick and drop, Aurora, Nigel?" The voice was deadly, filled with such intense authority, it was almost cruel.

I swallowed. "Red... please let this go!"

"No!"

One word! Just one word, yet it made me shiver like I had been stricken with the coldest cold.

"Red..."

He took a step closer to me, and as the terrified little lamb that I was, I took one back.

His eyes darkened, the corner of his lips bending downwards in a frown. "Don't run away from me, peach."

I forced down all my weight on my right leg, just so it'd stop trembling. "Ha! Easy to say, Red! You make it seem like you're going to bite my head off."

The moment those words left my lips, I instantly regretted it.

"I..."

"I give you one month." He cut me short. "Get rid of that dickhead you call a husband, and I'll come get you." Again with that finality in his voice.

Remind me again why I'm here?

"Red..." I tried again, but the words barely made it out of my vocal cords.

He took another step closer, and this time, I dared not move back again. "You called me. You chose me this time, peach. You asked me to come get you, that I will do. You want out?" he said. "Fine. But once I get you out... you're mine, and I don't share. There's no turning back now, Aurora."

His eyes were holding mine. I should have looked away. I really should have but... oh well!

I tried to hold it in, but failed. The corner of my lips twitched into a small smile, a warm feeling soaring over my chest-the first I had felt in forever.

"He's still the same," I mumbled to myself, my eyes glistening.

I sighed. The feeling of pleasure was relieving, but it was temporary.

"Are you smiling?" A voice echoed in my ears, and my heart almost jumped out of my chest.

"Jesus! Red, you scared me." I blurted.

"I'm hurt that I'm standing right here, and yet, you zoned out so effortlessly. Am I that insignificant? Am I not noticeable?"

I chuckled, even though my heart was pounding in my chest. "Believe me, Red, you're everything but insignificant and unnoticeable. You are literally the definition of matter, you take up so much space." I dared to meet his eyes. "Like right now. Can you please back up a little? I need to breathe."

His eyebrows, those perfectly drawn hairs, raised at me, his ocean eyes almost sparkling. "Oh really?"

I nodded immediately. "Yes, Red!"

I don't know what I was thinking, maybe I didn't think it through at all, but before I could grasp what I was doing, my hands were on his chest and I pushed. Tried to push, rather.

A gasp escaped my lips at the feel of his chest against my palms - hard as rock, warm even through the fabric of his shirt - and also from the fact that he barely even moved from my push.

Did he just suck in his breath, or am I imagining things now? And what is that look in his eyes?

"Aurora," The way he said my name!

In a split second, the space between us was utterly gone, and I was completely pressed into him. My racing heart barely let me process the fact that his hand was around my waist. When I did, I panicked... internally!

"You can't just touch me anyhow you want, peach." His voice! Did he always sound this domineering?

But that's precisely what you're doing right now! I wanted to scream, instead, I swallowed thickly. "O...okay!"

He didn't take his eyes off me. Even when I looked away, I could feel those eyes piercing into me as if to take life out.

"Tell me something, Aurora." He started, his tone switching like this was just a casual meeting, and he didn't have me in the most uncomfortable yet pleasing position I've been in years.

"Can... Can you please let me go first?" I managed to say.

"No!"

Oh, God!!

He went on, like this was no big deal. "You called me demanding that we meet, then you asked me the craziest question ever, then turned around to say it was a joke. Don't you think I am entitled to know why?"

I shook my head immediately." No! You don't have to know what happened."

"That's not your choice to make, peach." He declared, the finality in his tone overwhelming. "I chased you for seven years, showed you time and time again that I could bring down the world for you if only you asked, and every single time, you turned me down. You chose him, don't even get me started on that. Then, after three years, you call me only to ask if my feelings for you are still intact, asking if I still want you as much as I did before, asking me to help you divorce your husband. Now, if you ask me, that's shady and crazy. Surely, something happened. Tell me!"

I would rather not relive those moments. That was the last thing I wanted to do, but Red wouldn't let it go. I knew him like I knew my name. He would chase this to the end.

The end was me telling him what happened...

"Red..."

Another gasp left my lips as he pulled me even closer. "As much as I am obsessed with you, Aurora, I'll be forced to refuse your offer if you don't tell me what happened between you and your pathetic husband."

He's obsessed with me? Wait! Focus, Aurora. "Wait... what did you say?"

"You heard me, peach. You know I don't say things I don't mean."

"Red, please..."

"You're so persistent. I need you to tell me, so I'll know if I need to burn down his whole stupid empire if he did something terrible to you."

My heart warmed. He would do that for me?

"Fine!" I exhaled.

I told him everything. Somehow, when the words started pouring, I felt no more hesitation. The words poured out endlessly, and I ended with a heavy heart. "He said to call back when there's a corpse. I chose him, but he chose her... I'm done, Red. For real this time."

A long silence stretched between us, far too long. I began rethinking everything I had just said.

Finally, he let me go and pulled away like he'd been bitten. My heart twisted.

"Red..." I called.

"Give me a moment to calm down, peach!" He sounded angry. Really, furious. Yet, he still called me peach.

That was new, entirely different from everything I had ever known. Whenever Desmond was angry, he let it out.

My heart squeezed even more. "Red, you can't do anything to Desmond, please. Let me handle this one myself." I shuddered, the words bitter on my tongue. "Just come get me in a month as you promised."

Another stretch of silence. I heard him cuss, then he called my name in that same thick British accent I had admired for years. "Aurora, Nigel, one month. Just one month!"

The next second, I was watching him walk out the door. I stood there for a while, staring at the door, as I struggled to fathom what had just happened. Even though I had known this man for several years, every time I spoke to him, he had something new to leave me shaken.

Red Bridgerton... he never ceases to amaze me.

I sighed again, my eyes flickering to the papers on the table. One month suddenly felt too much. If I could get Desmond to sign these papers tonight, I wouldn't mind walking away from everything I had spent three years building the very next minute.

A marriage that had failed time and time again.

I shut my eyes, exhaling deeply. Another wave of grief rushed over me, but I shook it off. Why care about someone who didn't care about me, when I had someone, who'd burn down the world for me?

I had been blind all along. Not anymore.

"One month!" I repeated. " I'll be out of all of these in one month!"

With shaky hands, I picked the papers, and made my way home.

Home? No! More like prison.

The moment I pushed the door open, the loud voices of familiar people hit me... I froze, my eyes falling on them.

Them! The ones who ruined my life.