Burn the Marriage, Keep the Crown novel Chapter 163

As Serena approached her front door, she was startled by the tall figure leaning against it.

"Aaron?!"

Even before she got closer, the strong scent of alcohol hit her like a wave.

But hadn’t Aaron stayed mostly sober when they were at the lounge earlier? Could it be that he was drowning his sorrows because he hadn't managed to soothe Cynthia Lynwood?

"Could you step aside? I need to get in," Serena said, stopping a mere three feet from him.

Aaron lifted his gaze, his eyes unfocused. In the next moment, he pulled Serena into a tight embrace, his voice hoarse with a barely noticeable tremor. "Don’t leave..."

Serena's heart skipped a beat.

"Aaron, you're drunk!"

"I'm not drunk," Aaron insisted, holding her tighter. He lowered his head, almost whispering like a chant, "Don't leave me... don't leave me..."

His warm breath tickled Serena’s ear, sending shivers down her spine.

With significant effort, she finally managed to push him away.

"Aaron, stop this. I'm calling Cynthia Lynwood to come get you!" Serena announced, pulling out her phone.

She barely unlocked it before it was snatched from her grasp.

Looking up, she saw the culprit holding her phone aloft. Aaron, with his sharply defined features, was flushed unnaturally red. His deep-set eyes, usually so piercing, now seemed lost, like a vulnerable, bewildered child.

It was hard not to feel a pang of sympathy.

"Give me the phone," Serena coaxed, trying to sound patient, as though dealing with a child, hoping to rid herself of this drunken burden.

"No, not unless you promise..." Aaron's stance wavered as he gazed into her eyes with a pleading intensity, "Promise you'll never leave me!"

Serena frowned.

Even knowing that Aaron wouldn’t remember any of this once he sobered up, she couldn’t bring herself to make such a promise.

"Aaron, give me the phone!"

"No!" Aaron held it higher, his shadow stretching long behind him. Though his proud head gradually lowered, he seemed like a wounded beast, desperate and forlorn. "You won’t even lie to me, not even a little?"

Serena felt as though her heart was being squeezed.

But then remembered she didn’t have her phone.

Resigned, she shut the door. "Aaron, you're drunk. I won't hold this against you."

With that, she retreated to her room, deciding to ignore Aaron.

Watching Serena's retreating figure, Aaron's eyes slowly regained clarity, though they held an inky depth that refused to dissipate.

Inside the room, Serena lay awake for over two hours.

It wasn’t Aaron keeping her up.

It was the fact that she hadn't showered.

With Aaron outside, who knew what he was up to?

Unable to stand it any longer, she crawled out of bed.

Pressing her ear to the door, she listened intently. Only after ensuring there was no sound outside did she quietly open the door.