Chapter 32 32
Chapter 32 32
CAESAR LAURENT
I was already driving before I even realized I’d left the office.
My hands gripped the steering wheel so hard my knuckles were white, my jaw so tight I could feel the strain in my temples.
“Is Aaron there?”
“No. I just saw someone I thought I recognized.”
She’d lied.
I knew she’d lied because I could hear that slight hitch. And if she was lying, that meant Aaron was there. I pressed down harder on the accelerator.
The city blurred past me, traffic lights barely registering as I wove between lanes. My phone sat in the passenger seat, screen dark, but I kept glancing at it like it might ring again.
When I pulled up outside Quinn Enterprises, I saw it immediately.
A sedan parked at the curb and through the window was Iris sitting in the passenger seat talking to Aaron. A white-hot pressure expanded in my ribs, threatening to crack them from the inside as I parked behind them, got out, and walked straight to the car.
I knocked on the window and Aaron rolled it down slowly, grinning. “Caesar. Nice of you to join us.”
I ignored him, my eyes shifting to Iris. “Get out of the car.”
She looked at me, her expression caught between surprise and defiance. “Caesar—”
“Get out. Now.”
Aaron leaned back in his seat, completely relaxed. “Relax, man. We’re just talking.”
“I wasn’t talking to you.”
“No, but you’re acting like you own her.” He glanced at Iris. “Do you feel owned, Quinn?”
She looked away from me.
I stepped closer to the door. “Iris. Get out.”
She hesitated and that brief moment felt like a slap. I reached for the door handle and pulled it open.
“Caesar—” she started.
I didn’t let her finish as I grabbed her arm and pulled her out of the car. She stumbled slightly, and I steadied her, then moved her behind me, putting myself between her and Aaron.
Aaron was still smiling. “That’s a bit dramatic, don’t you think?”
I rounded the front of the car, my shadow falling over him. “Drive away.”
“Or what?”
He reached for his door handle to get out.
I slammed my hand down on the door, forcing it shut before he could open it fully. Aaron’s smile faltered.
“Drive. Away,” I repeated.
“Caesar!” Iris grabbed my arm, pulling me back. “Stop it.”
I didn’t move, my hand still pressed against the door, my eyes locked on Aaron’s through the window.
Aaron’s smile returned slowly. “I’ll leave. For now. We both know tomorrow’s going to be more fun.”
He put the car in drive and pulled away from the curb, his eyes meeting mine in the rearview mirror as he left. I stood there, breathing hard, my hand still clenched into a fist.
Then I turned to Iris.
She was staring at me, her arms crossed and her face flushed with anger. “What the hell was that?” she demanded.
“What was that?” I stepped closer. “What were you doing in his car?”
“Talking.”
“Talking.”
“Yes, talking. Like normal people do.”
“You lied to me on the phone.”
“Because I knew you’d react exactly like this!” She gestured wildly at the spot where Aaron’s car had been. “You can’t control who I talk to, Caesar.”
“I can when it’s him.”
“Why? Because you hate him? Because he knows things about you?”
I went still. “What did he tell you?”
“Nothing I didn’t already know.” She stepped closer, her voice rising. “You don’t own me, Caesar. I’m not yours to control.”
“Then stop acting like you’re his.”
The words came out harsher than I meant, and I saw her flinch.
But she recovered quickly. “I’m not acting like anything. I’m trying to survive in this nightmare you and your father dragged me into.”
“You think I dragged you into this?”
“Didn’t you?”
“You signed the contract, Iris. You walked into this marriage willingly.”
“To save my father!” Her voice cracked. “And now he’s dead. So tell me, Caesar, what exactly am I surviving for now?”
My mouth opened and for a second, the truth almost slipped out.
She shook her head, her eyes glistening but no tears falling. “You don’t get to act like you care about me. Not after everything.”
“I never said I cared about you.”
“Then what is this?” She gestured between us. “Why do you care if I talk to Aaron? Why do you care if I get in his car?”
“Because he’s dangerous.”
“So are you.”
The words landed like a physical blow, stealing the air right out of my lungs. I stared at her, my chest tight as my knuckles ached from the grip I held on nothing.
She turned and walked toward my car. “Take me home. I’m done with this conversation.”
I stood there for a moment, watching her before I followed.
\---
The drive home was silent.
I kept my eyes on the road, one hand on the wheel, driving faster than I should have. The city passed by in streaks of light and shadow, and Iris sat beside me with her arms crossed, her face turned toward the window like she couldn’t stand to be in the same direction as me.
Good.
I didn’t want to look at her either.
Except I kept looking at her, trying to confirm something I already know. She was furious. And so was I.
We were about fifteen minutes out when she finally spoke.
“You’re going to get us killed driving like this.”
“I’m fine.”
“You’re doing ninety in a sixty zone.”
I eased off the accelerator slightly and she turned back to the window. When the estate came into view, I pulled through the gates and parked near the entrance, cutting the engine.
Neither of us moved for a moment until Iris reached for the door handle and got out without a word. Two staff members were waiting near the entrance, their expressions attentive as they greeted us politely.
“Good evening, Mr. Laurent. Mrs. Laurent.”
I nodded while Iris forced a smile.
That was the thing. We both knew how to walk side by side and give nothing away to the people watching. We’d gotten good at that, at least.
Father was in the sitting room off the main hallway, reading something on his phone. He looked up when we entered and his eyes moved between us slowly like he was cataloging the tension between us.
I met his gaze briefly, then looked away.
“Dinner’s been kept warm,” one of the staff said quietly.
“Thank you,” Iris said. “I’ll eat later.”
Then she walked toward the stairs, her heels clicking against the marble.
She was already inside the room when I got there, her bag dropped onto the chair near the window, her heels kicked off by the closet. She had her back to me, arms crossed, staring at nothing.
I closed the door behind me. The click of the lock was loud in the silence.
“You want freedom?” I said, loosening my tie. “Fine. Keep playing games with Aaron.”
She turned around, her eyes sharp. “I’m not playing games.”
“No? Then what do you call getting into his car after I specifically told you to stay away from him?”
“I call it not letting you control every breath I take.”
I stepped closer. “I’m not trying to control you.”
“Then what are you doing, Caesar?” She spread her hands out. “Because from where I’m standing, it looks exactly like control.”
“I’m trying to keep you alive.”
She laughed, disbelieving of my words. “Right.”
“You think he showed up tonight out of the goodness of his heart.” I stepped closer again. “He’s using you, Iris. He’s been using you since the wedding.”
“Everyone’s using me.” Her voice cracked slightly. “You included.”
I had nothing to say to that. Because she wasn’t wrong.
“I didn’t drag you into anything,” she said quietly. “Your father did. And if you have a problem with the situation you’re in, take it up with him.”
I turned away from her and walked to the desk. There was no point arguing with someone who had made up her mind to ignore my warnings. I picked up her purse from the chair and placed it on the bed.
“Sleep,” I said, without turning around. “We have a board meeting tomorrow.”
Without waiting for her response, I walked to the desk and sat down, opening my laptop. Silence settled over the room, leaving nothing but the rhythmic rustle of her clothes and the finality of the bathroom door clicking shut.
The words on the screen blurred into meaningless static when I realized it wasn't Aaron’s smug grin that was burning a hole in my chest. It was the three-second delay before she opened his car door.
That hesitation was the real threat and I had no idea how to fight it.