#Chapter 97: A Fragile Pact

Aurora POV For some reason, I believe him. I don’t know why because I really shouldn’t. Not after everything he’s done. Well, after everything I thought he’d done. I had every right to stay skeptical, to hold my walls high and fortified but the conviction in his voice… it’s like it bypasses my rational mind entirely and strikes somewhere deep in my chest. Somewhere that part of me still remembers the Dominic who held me together at my lowest. The Dominic who made me feel seen. The Dominic I once loved. Maybe still do. Before I can second-guess myself, I surge forward to fist my hands in the collar of his jacket and yanking him toward me. His eyes widen a fraction before my lips crash into his. It’s not gentle or cautious. It’s the kind of kiss born from too many nights of anger, betrayal, longing, and loneliness all clawing for release at once. Dominic freezes for a heartbeat but then he’s moving again, his hands threading into my hair while his mouth taking