Sweet Hatred
Chapter 165: Later

Chapter 165: Later

My stomach dropped. The world tilted, just slightly.

"No," I whispered. "No, she never said anything."

"I know," he murmured. "That’s what confused me too. But when I asked around... it seems he reached out first. She turned him down. More than once. But eventually... she let him in."

My chest squeezed. Too tight. I couldn’t breathe for a second.

"Why?" I asked, though I wasn’t sure who I was asking—him, her, myself.

Kael let out a slow breath. "When I questioned one of the nurses who was there during her last month... she said your mother begged them not to say anything. That she didn’t want to upset you."

I stared at him. The pictures felt like fire in my hands now. Why did my mom let that pathetic bastard in her life again?

"She didn’t want to upset me?" I said, my voice thin, cracking. "She let him back in. After everything. After what he did to us. And I—she just—lied?"

"She never told Olivia either," he said quietly. "But apparently he came a few times. Sometimes with flowers. They’d talk outside. Just... sit together."

I lifted a hand and ran my fingers through my hair. My skin felt cold.

"She forgave him?" I choked. "Or what—was she planning to? Was she gonna tell me one day or—?"

Kael looked pained, but he didn’t move closer. "I don’t know what they talked about, Aria. No one does. But the nurses said... she seemed calm. Lighter, after seeing him. That’s all they knew."

I didn’t know what to feel. I didn’t know how to feel. My mother, my fierce, fire-willed mother, let him in.

The man who shattered our lives. Who walked away finally and left us to sweep up the broken pieces. Everything inside me screamed, but I just stood there. My mind was spinning.

Maybe she had her reasons. Maybe she needed closure. Maybe she just got tired of carrying it.

But why wouldn’t she tell me? Why would she keep it to herself?

"Why..." I whispered, "would she hide that from me? Why would she do that alone?"

Kael didn’t answer.

Instead, he reached into his coat and pulled out another paper. Smaller. Folded neat like something he’d handled a hundred times.

"He gave this to Niko," he said gently. "While he was being dragged out of the church. Said it was for you. He begged Niko to make sure you got it."

I took it with shaking fingers. Just an address. Written in his rushed, uneven handwriting.

I stared at it like it was a lit fuse. Ticking.

Kael stood beside me, close enough to feel but far enough not to push. Quiet. Steady. Letting me unravel at my own pace.

And God, a part of me wished he’d just wrap his arms around me and say something that would make sense of this wreckage.

But nothing could.

I continued to stare at the paper like it was something venomous.

"So what does he expect me to do with this?" I muttered bitterly, still clutching it in my hand.

Kael’s voice came low, careful. "I think... he wants you to visit him."

I scoffed, harsh and ugly. "He can go to hell."

The paper crumpled in my fist.

I spun on my heel, heart pounding too hard, already ready to storm off but Kael grabbed my wrist and yanked me right into him.

His arms locked around me in one swift move, and then his face was buried in my neck, like he couldn’t breathe without being there. I could feel his breath, heated, desperate on my skin, and the press of his chest against mine nearly knocked all the fight out of me.

"I’m not asking you to go," he murmured, voice muffled but deep, steady. "You don’t have to. You can tear it up. Burn it. Forget it even exists."

I closed my eyes. His scent was already wrapping around me like a blanket I didn’t ask for but needed anyway.

"It doesn’t matter anymore," he continued. "He made his choice a long time ago. But—maybe it wouldn’t hurt to hear what he has to say. If you ever want to... I’ll go with you."

I swallowed hard, my throat tightening.

"You can think about it. You don’t have to do anything today."

I sighed into him, body tense and tired. "I just... I need a break."

And the second I said it, I regretted it.

Because Kael pulled back just slightly, enough to look at me with a glint in his eye.

"You can relax at my place," he offered, voice smooth like silk dipped in sin.

I snapped my head up. "No, you pervert. I meant work. Actual work. I need a break from this, not another round of your testosterone-fueled man-cave massage fantasy."

He blinked, mock-offended. "I wasn’t even talking about that."

I shoved at his chest. "Please. You were clearly thinking it."

He smirked, infuriatingly smug. "No, you were clearly thinking it. I was being a gentleman. For once."

"That’s it. I’m leaving. Bye."

I tried to turn again, but he caught me. Again.

His hand curled around my wrist, gentler this time and pulled me back just enough that I had to face him.

"You don’t need to shoulder every damn responsibility on your own, Aria," he said, voice suddenly quiet, serious. "I’m here. I want to help."

I looked up at him, skeptical. "Aren’t you already helping plenty? With the packages? The money?"

He shook his head slowly. "That’s not what I mean."

"Then what do you mean?"

And something in his expression changed.

Just for a second.

It softened, melted, really. Like he wasn’t Kael Roman anymore. Like he wasn’t the cold CEO or the frustrating flirt or the man who pushed every button I had.

He looked at me like I was fragile.

Like I mattered.

But it was gone just as fast as it came.

"Nevermind," he murmured, stepping back slightly, brushing a loose strand of hair from my cheek.

And then, just when he leaned in, lips inches from mine, just when I swore the world had slowed down to nothing but the sound of my heartbeat—

His phone rang.

Loud.

Sharp.

Obnoxiously timed. Like the universe was trying to tell us that was enough lips locking for the day.

We both froze. His mouth hovered near mine, the buzz between us charged like lightning that never struck.

His jaw clenched as he straightened, pulling his phone out with a low sigh.

I exhaled shakily, backing away, half-grateful for the interruption and half wanting to throw his phone out the goddamn window. He held his phone but didn’t even pick the damn all.

"You seem busy." I said spinning on my heels. "We’ll see later I guess."

I left him standing there. Didn’t look back. Didn’t ask who was calling. Didn’t care. Okay, maybe I did. A little. But I left anyway. Just to prove to myself that I could.