Desired by All and He Threw Away 50

Chapter 50 

my pulse climbs its a slow steady drum that builds under my skin.i look up throat dry as paper. “This reads like a contract for ownership.” 

Aiden doesnt blink.his tone is measured like hes discussing quarterly reports instead of people. ” after what happened with Alice i have to protect myself. this ensures you wont betray me.” 

the word betray cuts through the air like glass shattering. 

I shut the folder hard.the snap echoes through the car too loud in the tight space. “you cant build trust with paperwork Aiden.” 

for a second the only sound is the hum of the engine and the faint whisper of tires on asphalt.then he finally looks at me.not a passing glance- his gaze locks on mine sharp and cold like he is weighing numbers instead of feelings. 

the dashboard light washes one side of his face gold the other sinks into shadow splitting him in two., 

“i dont build trust,” he says his voice quiet but deliberate. “I build structure. Rationality prevents regret. 

something twists in my chest.not anger- something duller heavier. The ache that comes when you realize someone doesnt see you only the ways you could fail them. 

i let out a breath that sounds too close to a laugh. “you really think life’s just another boardroom meeting dont you? People aren’t projects to manage.” 

for a heartbeat something breaks in his expression.a flicker of something human–pain, guilt maybe both–but its gone as fast as it came. 

he exhales long and steady and his eyes return to the road. “if you want to achieve your dreams,” he says quieter now ” use this opportunity.dont waste it arguing about pride.” 

his words hang there thin and cold as the city lights slide across his face and fade behind us. 

the words should sound generous but they feel like a deal closing. 

i turn back to the window.the city glides past in streaks of light–storefronts pedestrians streetlamps bending 

into colorless lines. 

my reflection stares back at me in the glass: small blurred and silent. 

the car feels colder than before.his cologne lingers faint and distant as if even the air knows to keep its distance.i trace a finger along the edge of the papers. their weight pressing against my leg. 

The smooth texture of the pages feels almost mocking–something so polished shouldn’t carry this much emptiness. 

i want to ask him what happened with Alice. I want to ask if he ever lets anyone close enough to be trusted without a signature. But I dont. 

Instead, I say quietly, “You know, every time you try to control everything, it’s like you’re already expecting the worst.” 

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He doesn’t answer. 

The silence stretches out until it starts to sound like its own language. The tires hum against the road, a red light flashes across his face as we stop at an intersection and in that second i think i see it again- that flicker of something raw behind his eyes. 

but then the light changes and its gone. 

Maybe he’s right. Maybe this is all about terms and transactions. Agreements and image rights.maybe thats how hes learned to survive. 

but as the car moves again i cant shake the thought that somewhere underneath all that structure hes built there is a man who is terrified of regret. 

the city blurs past neon streaking the windows and i sit here- hands tight in my lap jaw clenched pulse racing – fuming. He actually expects me to sign this? Like our whole connection could be reduced to ink and paper. 

What are you even thinking Taylor you and him is not real, there was no connection in the first place maybe your were just imagining it. 

I shouldn’t be this mad. I shouldn’t even care. But I do 

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