Page 40 of Breaking the Annulment

When he pulled back, his gaze flicked to the men. “What’s going on here?”

Theo straightened, his voice laced with equal parts fear and enthusiasm. “Mrs. G. helped us with the jets.”

Michalis’s brows lifted slightly, his gaze shifting back to Aurelia. “Is that so?”

She shrugged, her cheeks flushing. “It’s just a hobby.”

A small smile tugged at his lips. “That’s right. I almost forgot; your mother was a genius under the hood. You can come down here anytime you want. These guys are new to racing, so if you can help, we might just have a winning car.” Then his voice dropped, softer but more commanding. “But right now, I need you.”

Aurelia nodded, slipping out of the oversized overalls she’d borrowed to protect her clothes. Beneath them, her dress was pristine. Michalis took her hand, leading her out of the garage as the men watched with quiet respect.

The starless sky stretched across the estate, the only light from the lanterns along the pathways. Aurelia walked beside Michalis, his grip on her hand firm, his silence heavy. She couldn’t shake the knot in her stomach, the restless thoughts swirling in her mind.

Finally, she glanced up at him, her voice soft but insistent. “What was going on in the basement earlier?”

“It’s nothing you need to worry about,” he replied without hesitation, his tone calm but distant.

She frowned, pulling slightly against his hold to slow their pace. “You say that, but I know something was happening. Dimitris didn’t want me to see it, and now you’re brushing me off.”

Michalis exhaled sharply, his jaw tightening. “Because it’s not something you need to know about or see.”

Aurelia stopped walking when they got close to the barn, forcing him to turn and face her. “You don’t want me to run, Michalis, but you’re not giving me a reason to stay. If you’re not willing to share your life with me, then what am I even doing here?”

Michalis stared at her, the tension between them crackling like a live wire. His hands curled into fists at his sides, his controlslipping for just a moment. “If you knew the worst parts of my life, Aurelia, you wouldn’t just run—you’d hate me for it.”

Her chest tightened at his words. “Hate you?” she asked, her tone rising. “If you think I’d run away if I knew the truth—then how can you expect me to stay? To have a family with you? To build a life with you?”

He stepped closer, his jaw working as he struggled to keep his emotions in check. “You think you want to know,” he said, his voice quieter now, almost a growl. “But you don’t. You don’t understand what you’re asking for, and I’m not willing to lose you because you can’t take it.”

“You can’t just tell me to trust you and then act like I’m too fragile to handle the truth.”

“If you’re determined to pick a fight, let’s not do it out here.” Michalis growled, his voice sharp as he released her arm and turned to push the heavy barn door open, guiding Aurelia inside. He switched on a single light, just enough to see one another. The warm scent of hay and wood surrounded them. “I don’t think you’re too fragile. Why would I want to involve you, when I know it would upset you?”

“Because you’re treating me like a child!” she retorted, her frustration boiling over.

His expression hardened. “No, I’m protecting you. You don’t understand, Aurelia. This isn’t some storybook where everyone gets to live happily ever after. My world is dark. Dangerous. And if you knew even half of what I deal with?—”

“Then explain it to me!” she said, her voice cracking. “If I don’t understand, make me understand. How bad can it be? Let me decide if I can handle it! Don’t try to make that decision for me!”

His eyes blazed, his hands clenching at his sides. The tension between them was electric, the air thick with unsaid words andsimmering frustration. For a moment, they simply stared at each other, the silence crackling with unspoken emotions.

And then he moved.

He closed the distance between them in a single stride, his hands framing her face as his mouth crashed down on hers. She stiffened for a heartbeat, her hands pressed against his chest as if to push him away—but then she melted, her fingers curling into the fabric of his shirt as she kissed him back.

His lips softened, aggression giving way to something deeper, more consuming.

When he finally pulled back, his breathing was ragged, his forehead resting against hers. “You drive me insane,” he murmured, his voice low and rough. “But you’re mine, Aurelia. And I’ll do whatever it takes to keep you safe—even if you hate me for it.”

Her heart pounded in her chest, her lips tingling from the intensity of his kiss. She searched his eyes, seeing the raw emotion behind the steel exterior he usually wore. It left her reeling, torn between the urge to push him away and the undeniable pull she felt toward him.

“Michalis…” she whispered, her voice trembling with a mix of frustration and something deeper.

“You’re not running,” he said, his voice quiet but filled with steel. “Not now. Not ever.”

Aurelia stepped back and crossed her arms over her chest, her frustration bubbling to the surface. “And now we’re right back where we started. How can you expect me to stay?” she asked, her tone rising again. “You’re asking me to trust you, to believe in something I can’t see and don’t understand, that you’ve admitted is dark and dangerous.”

Michalis stepped closer, his broad frame towering over her. “I don’t want you to see it.” His voice was low and intense. “Is that so terrible? Do you think I want you to know what I haveto do to keep you safe? To keep everything I’ve built from falling apart? I want you to trust me to take care of it. Trust me to take care of you and someday, our children.”

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