Page 69 of Tainted Ties

I needed more time to figure out a permanent solution andmaybeRoman could help me find answers to Enzo’s death while I did.

Turning back to him with my arms crossed, I asked a question that petrified me to hear the answer to. “Is that what you want? For me to leave?”

Chapter23

Roman

Iwas fucked. Thoroughly and utterly fucked.

Last night was my breaking point and I caved in.

Something was happening to me, and I didn’t know how to cope with the loss of control. All I knew was I couldn’t get rid ofher.

The fact that Aurora believed me when I said I didn’t kill her brother shifted our dynamic into somethingmore.

Wide, green eyes stared at me, waiting for me to answer her question.

Did I want her to leave?

There was a raw ache in the pit of my stomach that I’d never experienced before.

She didn’t kill my kin with malicious intent and that was new information for me to process. It only led me to believe her father really was the most vile man to roam the earth for putting her in a situation she had no fault in. Fault that more likely than, not was her father’s.

There was a vulnerability to Aurora, and she thought I couldn’t see past her sheltered barrier, but I did.

Last night hadn’t felt real and I was waiting for the unfortunate moment I’d wake up to realize it never happened at all.

All I knew wasno, Ididn’twant her to leave. But if I admitted that, I would be admitting that she held power over me.

“You can do whatever you want,” I spoke with ease.

That only enraged her. Nose scrunched up; Aurora stepped closer. “That doesn’t answer my question.”

“I don’t know what you want me to say,” I said with an exasperated sigh.

My heart jackhammered against my chest from the possibility that she could walk out of here at any moment and I was too prideful to stop her despite my body screaming at me not to let her go.

“I want you to tell me the truth. Do you want me to leave, Roman?”

Fuming, I stood up and strode the few steps to her. “What do you want from me, Aurora?” I snarled. “Youcame here.You!”

Her face paled as she took a step back from the force of my harsh words.

We both knew she didn’t have to come back.

We both knew she could’ve left after she had her answer regarding Enzo.

Yet she came andstayed.

“I don’t know,” she strained out, looking down at her feet.

“You don’t know?” I scoffed, raking my hands through my hair in aggravation.

“No, I don’t!” Her bottom lip trembled as she gaped at me with lonesome eyes.

Ithurtto look at her. Every time I indulged myself and did, I felt these emotions invading my senses that were foreign to me. It completely threw me off guard.

Time stretched along with the potent tension, neither one of us speaking what was clearly obvious.

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