+25 Bonus
Chapter 132
Taylor POV
Peace was a dangerous drug.
For five whole days, Aiden and I were the only people in the world. No headlines, no gossip, no panic. Just his arms around me at night and the way he’d smirk when I stole the last piece of toast.
We were playing house in our secret cabin, and damn if it wasn’t perfect.
On day six, things changed.
He threw a hoodie at me. “Get dressed. We’re going somewhere.”
“Where?”
“You’ll see.”
The bastard knew how to build suspense.
We drove until the city was a distant memory, pulling up to what looked like an old warehouse. The sign said Crossroads Youth Athletic Foundation.
“What is this place?” I asked.
“My secret,” he said, and for the first time, he looked nervous. “The one my family doesn’t know exists.”
Inside was pure magic. Basketballs thumping, kids shouting, sneakers squeaking on polished wood. Teenagers from every background you could imagine–running drills, lifting weights, studying at tables in the corner.
Aiden showed me everything. The study hall with volunteer tutors. The physio room with decent but not fancy equipment. The kitchen where they served free meals after practice.
“I bought this five years ago,” he said quietly. “My father wanted another parking garage. I built this instead.”
My throat got tight. This wasn’t the cold billionaire the world saw. This was the man he could have been–the one who cared.
Back at the cabin, I couldn’t stop thinking about it. “Those kids need a proper physio program,” I said over dinner. “Injury prevention, screenings, rehab plans. Most of them are probably playing through pain.”
Aiden’s eyes lit up. “You could design it. I mean you’re the best damn physio I’ve ever worked with.” He reached across the space between us, his fingers brushing a strand of hair back from my face. The touch was deliberate, intimate. “And you see what they need better than anyone.”
Heat bloomed in my chest. Before I could second–guess it, I grabbed a napkin and the pen from his shirt pocket. “Okay,” I said, my voice trembling with sudden excitement. “Baseline assessments here…” I started sketching rough circles and arrows.
Aiden moved closer, his shoulder pressing against mine as he leaned in to see. The solid warmth of him anchored me. “We’d need equipment,” he murmured, his breath stirring the hair at my temple. “Not the fancy stuff. Durable.”
1/4
Chapter 132
+25 Bonus
“I can make a list.” My hand flew across the napkin, boxes and checklists taking shape. “Resistance bands, foam rollers, balance boards…”
He pulled out his phone, opening a spreadsheet. “Budget line for equipment,” he said, his thumb brushing against my wrist as he held the phone between us. “What about space? We could convert the storage room next to the gym.”
“Yes! And we need at least one treatment table…” I bit my lip, thinking. “Maybe two.”
“Done.” His fingers danced across the screen, entering numbers. Every few moments, his knee would bump against mine, or his arm would wrap around my waist to pull me closer so he could see the napkin better. Each touch was electric, weaving our practical planning with something deeper.
I drew a rough layout of the room. “Screening station here, treatment area here…”
Aiden’s hand covered mine, stilling the pen. His palm was warm, his fingers calloused. “Put the desk near the window,” he said softly, guiding my hand to sketch a rectangle in the corner. “So you have natural light when you’re doing paperwork.”
The gesture was so thoughtful, so domestic, that my throat tightened. This wasn’t just a project. This was him building a future with me–piece by piece, napkin sketch by napkin sketch.
I turned my head, our faces inches apart. “You’re really serious about this.”
His eyes held mine, the usual steel in them melting into something vulnerable. “I’ve never been more serious about anything in my life.” He leaned in, his forehead resting against mine. “We’ll build this together, Taylor. You and me.”
The knock came at 9:17 PM.
We were arguing about whether pineapple belonged on pizza (it does, fight me) when three sharp raps echoed through the cabin. Not a friendly knock. A demand.
Aiden froze. The smile vanished from his face so fast it was like watching a mask slam down.
He moved to the security panel. The screen flickered to life.
A woman stood there. She looked like Aiden if he’d been carved from ice and money. Perfect coat, perfect hair, perfect posture.
Aiden went completely still. “Mother,” he breathed, the word sounding like a curse.
He didn’t open the door. They stared at each other through the screen in some silent battle I didn’t understand. Finally, with a tense exhale, he punched in the code.
The door swung open.
Eleanor Sterling didn’t walk in–she occupied the space. Her eyes swept the room, taking in the pizza boxes, the tangled blankets, me standing there in Aiden’s hoodie. Her expression didn’t change, but I felt the dismissal like a physical slap. I wasn’t even worth a sneer.
Her gaze
landed on Aiden. “The board is restless. Your father is ill.” Her voice was crisp, emotionless. She glanced at me, and this time there was real contempt in her eyes. “You have one week to clean up this… situation.
2/4
Chapter 132
+25 Bonus
Not anger–annoyance. Like I was a bug on her perfect windshield. “Then you return. To your family. To your responsibilities.”
She didn’t wait for a reply. She’d delivered her decree. With one last, disdainful look at our cozy chaos, she turned and left. The door clicked shut behind her.
BIG SALE: 3500 bonus free fou you
Comments
健
Support
