Chapter 203
The only person whose opinion I value is waiting for me at home.
The words echoed in her head long after the broadcast cut away.
Her phone rang. It was Bella.
“OH MY GOD! Did you hear that? He didn’t even deny being gay — he just said he doesn’t care what anyone thinks except you! That is, like, a thousand times more romantic!”
Jocelyn laughed, tears pricking the corners of her eyes. “Yeah. I heard.”
At the Schneider Estate, Aspen hurled a vase at the television. It shattered against the screen.
“He ruined me! He had photos!” she screamed.
Robert put his head in his hands. “We are finished. The stock is at zero. We are bankrupt.”
Kieran stood in the doorway. He looked at Aspen with cold, quiet detachment.
асt𝗂𝘃е cо𝗺𝗺𝘂nіt𝘺 𝗈𝗻 𝗴а𝘭𝘯ov𝖾𝗹𝗌.𝘤𝘰𝘮
“You lied to me, Aspen,” he said.
Aspen froze. She turned to face him, and when she met his eyes, she saw the disgust written plainly in them. In that moment, she understood — she had lost him too.
Kieran drove Aspen back to his penthouse in silence. The air in the car was toxic.
“Kie, baby, I can explain,” Aspen tried, reaching for his arm.
Kieran pulled away sharply. “Don’t. Just — stay at the penthouse. I am going to the office.”
“You’re leaving me alone?” she cried.
“I need to think,” Kieran said. “About us. About everything.”
He dropped her off at the curb and drove away before she could even close the door properly. As the distance grew between them, so did the weight of his own mistakes. He had nearly destroyed his company for a liar. He had chosen the wrong sister.
It was evening when Gaston returned home. He loosened his tie as he walked through the door, the apartment settling into quiet around him.
“Jocelyn?”
He found her in the master bedroom, curled up on the chaise lounge by the window, a book forgotten in her lap. She was watching the city lights, looking small and thoughtful.
“Gaston? Is that you?” she asked, turning her head.
“Yes. I’m back,” he said. He leaned against the doorframe, his presence filling the space.
“You were amazing today,” she said softly.
“I just told the truth,” he said, his voice low and husky as he walked toward her.
“The part about not caring what anyone else thinks…” She hesitated. “Did you mean it?”
Gaston knelt in front of her. He rolled up his sleeves, revealing the strong lines of his forearms, and took her hand in both of his, his thumb stroking the back of it gently.
“I meant every word,” he said.
“But the contract…” she whispered.
“Burn it,” he said, his voice fierce and quiet at once.
He leaned in. Their faces were inches apart.
She closed the gap. She kissed him.
It wasn’t a chaste peck. It wasn’t a performance for a camera. It was a hungry, desperate claim — she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him closer, as though letting go was no longer an option.
.