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Rayden's POV

I stopped believing in coincidences the day Aera was taken from me.

Viktor Chernov, son of one of the dangerous mafia in Russia, thought kidnapping my wife would weaken me. The Russian mafia always underestimated silence — mistaking restraint for mercy. The attack on my Boston warehouses already made trust in them loose. After Boston burnt and apologies were offered — their men had mistaken their masters' order and were extremely guilty — I accepted them with a smile sharp enough to cut throats like the Russian mafia. Then they sent a spy into my company, Curz Industries, which was first started by my dad from the bottom and is now one of the leading industries in Italy. I was aware they would do something while I was away for my business trips, so I warned Damein beforehand.

Damien—my personal assistant and most trusted man—caught him before a single file was transferred.

Since then, an igniting fire between two countries started.

After Aera was taken, something inside me burnt, like a silent fire. Ever since what happened in the past, I can't trust women, but Aera was somewhat different. How her filthy gambling dad just sold her to me at just seventeen just to get away from the debt. Her bastard father didn't care that I was in my mid-twenties.

The first time I saw her, she looked so delicate, like a daisy flower, as if, if touched, its petals would fall. The way she trembles whenever I yell. I felt bad for how I treated her just because of my past trauma; I started treating her better ever since she got kidnapped. How she gently cares for Lily, my daughter, my star, even though she is not her biological daughter.

After I rescued Aera, my men followed her wherever she went. More guards were assigned to my mansion and my penthouse.

After that day I felt like Aera was testing my control.

Like the day I took my day off, Aera thought I went to work.

She was in the living room playing with Lily, wearing my shirt like a protective skin that barely hid her matured body. No bra. Bare legs. Just my shirt and her tiny panties of hers. Shock was written all over her face when she realised she wasn’t alone. She tugged the fabric down instinctively, cheeks burning, eyes wide.

I noticed everything.

And did nothing.

I don't want to do something which will make me regret it; she is still seventeen, not an adult yet.

Then another incident where I took Lily and Aera out; that night, in Lily’s playroom, I learnt that my daughter knows how to get her mother in danger. Lily was restless and stubborn like me, but I didn't know she would cross her father. According to Lily at the park, she made a new friend and saw her friend was drinking milk from her mother, and Lily, being stubborn, wanted to do the same. Aera, hearing this from Lily, almost died out of shame. I facepalmed while seeing Lily tapping Aera's chest—Mamma milkkk. Aera tried to distract her with her toys, but Lily didn't move from her words. Defeated, Aera turned her back towards me, lifting her shirt up and opening her bra—more likely struggling to open her black lacy bra. After seeing Aera was holding Lily by one hand and trying to open her bra with the other hand, I got up from my seat. I slowly bent down and moved away her hands — my rough fingers were met by her soft, smooth skin, almost like honey. I clicked open her bra; embarrassment was written on her face. I turned away without her asking, not because I didn’t want to look, but because I respected her enough not to.

The room stayed quiet afterward. Too quiet.

Aera avoided my eyes. I let her.

Things were going well between us until

One morning, I left for my office like always—but something felt off. A gut feeling, you can say, or just an instinct. I came home earlier than usual.

At dinner, Lily was chatting with me about her day with her mom. She always did with her cute baby voice.

Until they weren’t so cute in voice.

“A man,” she said, swinging her legs.

“Mama's friend.”

I stopped eating.

Aera didn’t look at me. Panic was written all over her face.

I finished my dinner quickly, stood, lifted Lily into my arms, and told Aera to wait for me in our room. My voice didn’t rise. It didn’t need to.

Deep below, I feared I had again made the same mistake which I made in the past.

When I entered the bedroom, she was sitting on the edge of the bed, hands clenched, fear etched into her posture. I pulled a chair in front of her and sat.

“Explain,” I said calmly.

She looked like she expected punishment.

I took her hands instead.

Her fingers were cold.

And then she broke.

She told me everything — her childhood, how her friend Zade used to help her, and the abuse she always hid from the world.

Marco Lopez, one of the wealthiest boy from her school who used to bully everyone, proposed to her one day—she rejected him. Faced by rejection, Marco made Aera's school life hell, bullied her, and gave her threats if she tried to tell the school authorities about it. This mission of his didn't end till school, after her dad lost all the money in gambling and sold her to me. She was relieved that she was free from him, but after some days of our marriage, she started receiving messages from an unknown number, which turned out to be Marco, who messaged her. After a few months, it stopped, but today when she took Lily out, she started getting messages from that number telling her that the colour of her dress suits her. When she went to the washroom to get this out of her head, that time he came without her knowing and gave Lily a chocolate.

After hearing her past, I felt so wrong about myself and questioned Aera's character. My veins popped up in anger as anger filled my blood; I controlled all in front of her vulnerable state.

Her tears soaked into my shirt as she spoke, apologies tumbling out like she was the one at fault. I held her until her breathing slowed, until the shaking eased.

“You’re safe,” I told her.

And I meant it.

I sent her to change and went to the shower to cool the fury clawing its way up my spine.

Later that night, she slept curled against me, trusting me with something fragile.

I didn’t sleep.

Making sure Aera had slept.

I called Damien.

“Get all the information about Marco Lopez; I need it by tomorrow morning.” "Also cancel all meetings for tomorrow." — I cut the call and turned.

I looked at Aera, breathing softly.

Whoever had been watching her had already crossed a line.

And I will make him regret it.

Authors note:-

So many of you were wondering what is raydens age, I revealed in this chapter. Are you guys curious about Raydens past, where exactly is Lily's mother?

Thank you everyone for wishing me birthday, like barely 2,3 friends wished me birthday but that's okay I got you all, it means so much.

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