Chapter 52: The Phantom Protocol

Kieran’s POV

The second the plane landed back home, I couldn’t wait anymore. Paris had felt like a prison.

A whole week of fake smiles, fake conversations, and pretending to be Richard Hampton’s perfect son while cameras followed me everywhere. Every dinner, every gala, every handshake had exhausted me.

All I wanted was her.

The moment the private jet stopped moving, I grabbed my duffel bag before the staff could even unload the luggage.

“Kieran,” my mother called softly behind me.

“I’ll see you later at the estate,” I muttered quickly.

She looked tired as she stood beside the limousine, her coat wrapped tightly around her shoulders. “At least come home first.”

“I can’t.”

The words came out too fast. Because if I didn’t see Aveline soon, I thought I might actually lose my mind.

I threw my bag into the backseat of my car and sped through the streets. My hands stayed tight around the steering wheel the entire drive. Every traffic light annoyed me. Every slow driver in front of me made my chest tighten harder.

I missed her too much. By the time I pulled into the private suite I rented for us, my heart was pounding.

The lights inside were still on. I got out quickly and headed toward the door.

The second I stepped inside, I saw her. Aveline stood near the kitchen counter, wearing one of her oversized shirts and tiny shorts, her short, dark hair slightly messy, as if she had been running her fingers through it while waiting for me.

The moment her eyes landed on me, they widened. “Kieran”

I didn’t let her finish. I crossed the room in seconds, grabbed her waist, and pulled her hard against my chest. God, I missed her buried my face into her neck before kissing her desperately, like I needed her oxygen to survive.

She gasped softly against my mouth, her arms instantly wrapping around my neck. “Kieran,” she breathed between kisses.

The sound of my name in her voice nearly destroyed me. I kissed her harder.

A whole week apart suddenly felt unbearable. Her fingers slid into my hair while she kissed me back with the same desperate energy, and just like that, Paris disappeared from my mind completely.

I backed her toward the hallway without breaking the kiss once. We stumbled into the bedroom together, laughing breathlessly when my suitcase accidentally slammed into the wall.

“You almost destroyed the lamp,” Aveline whispered against my lips.

“I missed you too much to care.”

A small smile appeared on her face before she kissed me again. That smile alone made the entire terrible week worth surviving.

I pulled off my jacket carelessly while she tugged at my tie impatiently. “You should freshen up” she mumbled.

I laughed quietly. “That’s rude.”

“It’s true.”

“You still kissed me.”

“Unfortunately.”

I grinned for the first time in days. There’s my girl Her cheeks flushed lightly at the words. I still wasn’t used to this. The fact that she was actually mine and trusted me enough to let me see the real her.

Slowly, I reached for the top to help her out of it carefully. The second it came off, she let out a relieved breath and leaned into me.

I pressed a soft kiss against her forehead.“You okay?”

“Better now,” she whispered.

I kissed her again deeply before we both fell backwards onto the mattress. The entire room filled with messy kisses, quiet laughter, tangled sheets, and the desperate need we had both been carrying all week.

The distance between us disappeared completely. I held her wrists gently against the pillows while kissing down her neck, groaning her real name against her skin.

“Aveline…”

She moaned underneath me, her fingers tightening around mine. The sound she made nearly drove me insane. Everything between us felt intense and emotional, as if we were trying to make up for every mile that had separated us while I was away.

Hours later, we lay tangled together underneath the blankets while early morning light slipped through the blinds. Aveline rested against my chest while my arm stayed wrapped tightly around her waist.

“You know,” she murmured sleepily, “if you leave for another week, I might replace you.”

I smiled against the top of her head. “With who?”

“I don’t know yet.”

“Impossible.” She tilted her head slightly to look at me. “You sound confident.”

“I am.”

A small laugh escaped her lips. I tightened my arm around her waist and kissed her forehead softly.

At some point during the night, exhaustion finally pulled both of us to sleep.

I slept peacefully. The morning sunlight woke me up hours later.

I groaned quietly and reached beside me automatically. My eyes opened slowly. The side of the bed next to me was empty. But it was empty

Maybe she was in the shower or went to make coffee.

A strange feeling settled heavily inside my chest. I got out of bed and walked into the living room That was when I noticed her bag was gone.

I stopped walking immediately.

My stomach dropped.

Then I looked at my phone on the table. It was a text from Chelsea.

“Hey handsome, here are the pictures.”

My heartbeat slowed as I picked it up with shaky hands. The moment I saw the picture, panic hit me.

It was a picture of Chelsea and me walking through the Crillon hotel lobby together, smiling and standing too close to each other.

My blood turned cold. “No…”

I stared at it, trying to process it properly, but it only looked worse the longer I held it. It looked exactly like I had been lying to Aveline. I called her name, but there was no answer.

I moved quickly toward the front door and pushed it open. But the driveway outside was empty. She was gone.

My chest tightened as panic set in.

I called her immediately, but it went straight to voicemail. After several attempts, there was still no answer.

“Aveline, please pick up,” I muttered under my breath as I stood outside.

She had seen the message and the pictures and left before I could explain anything.

I stood there for a moment, completely still, before going back inside. The phone was still in my hand, shaking slightly as my thoughts started to spiral.

I should have told her about Chelsea earlier. I should have warned her about my father's plans and the fake pictures.

Now I stood alone in the middle of the living room, looking at the thing that ruined everything in a single morning.

The worst part wasn't about the misunderstanding but because she had already left before I could explain.