Page 139 of The Heart of a Villain

I should go to Dad now and confess, pack my stuff, and go to Rush. He has been watching me. This I know, giving me protection and love even from miles away while being incredibly patient with my attachment issues.

But is it fair to him to keep him on the sidelines, as if he is a dirty secret I should be ashamed of?

Everyone deserves to be loved out in the open, without their significant other being afraid of what people might think about it.

I gather all my determination and come to a decision that will change my life forever.

I’m going to move out and then tell them my secret, even if my heart bleeds from being ripped in two. I don’t want to spend another day without Rush in my life, and right now, I want his strong arms to hug me so much and remind me once again why all this is worth the consequences that will follow.

A gunshot erupts in the night, the birds squawking loudly and rustling the leaves as they fly high up in the sky, avoiding the upcoming doom ready to destroy everything in its path.

I freeze. The air sticks in my lungs, and my heart pangs, only to stop for a moment and then beat wildly once again. Fear glides over my skin, cooling my already cold body even more.

But a thrill rushes through me too, familiar excitement building in the pit of my stomach.

“No,” I whisper, my eyes widening as Rush walks toward the mansion holding two guns and wearing all black, ready to get what he came for.

What was stolen from him.

The Villain has come to claim his Beauty, and this time around, he has no patience left in him.

Without thinking, I spin around and run, my bare feet slapping the marble as I pass the hall and then quickly descend the stairs, focusing on the door where a wide-eyed butler opens his mouth to say something. But he must read determination on my face, as he wraps his hand around the handle and opens it just in time for me to fly through.

A harsh wind greets me. My hair blows back, and the concrete under my feet is so icy cold they almost feel numb, but this doesn’t stop me.

Instead, my whole focus belongs to the man in the distance moving toward me quickly. Whimpering, I lift my skirt, giving me more room to run to him faster.

Because if I don’t reach him in time, the consequences might be severe.

Rush stops, a smile curving his mouth while his eyes stay unreadable, and he extends his hand, ready to catch me at any moment.

However, in a flash, his expression changes, and the hand points a gun at someone behind me. The safety clicks loudly when his thumb releases it, and a gasp slips past my lips as I anticipate the danger coming at me.

No. No. No.

Is he insane? He cannot shoot anyone here, especially not my father!

“Aileen!” a deep voice shouts from behind me. My name reverberates through the stillness, coating it with a darkness that knows no mercy and is ready to execute vengeance for daring to go against his orders.

How could I have done anything else, though?

Breathing heavily, I halt, then half turn to see Dad standing several feet away from me, his face unreadable, even by the many lights brightening the magnificent mansion that used to be a sanctuary for me.

Before life turned on its axis and showed me the ugly side of things. And made me value all the love I’ve grown up with even more.

Dad extends his hand to me, repeating my name. “Aileen.” A beat and then, “Come here.” My eyes close, soaking up his calm voice that used to soothe every pain inside me; however, traces of fury at my behavior now coat it, signaling to me what running back to him entails.

Giving up on my love.

“Aileen.” This time, Rush calls my name, and I shift my gaze to him when he throws one of his guns on the ground and extends his hand to me once again. “Come here.” Although his voice lacks the calmness my dad possesses, its husky, deep pitch blankets my heart and squeezes it so hard I’m afraid to breathe.

I’m trapped between two men who hate each other so viciously.

When you have to choose between love and hate, the choice is easy.

But what do you do when you have to choose between love and love?

What happens then?

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