Sweet Hatred-Chapter 442: The Chairman’s game

KAEL

I was deep inside her, her legs hooked over my shoulders, her body trembling beneath me as I buried myself to the hilt one final time or at least that’s what I told myself.

The feeling of her tightening around me, of spilling everything I had into her warmth, was absolutely devastating in the best way.

"Kael," she gasped, her nails raking down my arms.

"I know, firefly," I groaned, grinding deeper. "I’ve got you."

Then there was a faint knock from outside. It wasn’t from the door leading directly to the bedroom.

We both froze.

"Ignore it," I muttered, my hips still moving slowly.

The knock came again. Sharper this time. More insistent.

"Kael—" Aria pushed at my chest. "You should—"

"No."

"Someone’s at the door."

I cursed under my breath, pulling out of her slowly. She whimpered at the loss, and I had to force myself not to slide right back in.

I wrapped the towel around my waist grudgingly, already regretting leaving the warmth of her body.

"Stay in bed," I ordered, leaning down to kiss her thoroughly. "Don’t move."

"But—"

"Don’t. Move."

I left the bedroom, closing the door behind me and stalking toward the suite entrance.

The knocking was becoming more aggressive now, borderline violent.

"This better be fucking important," I growled, yanking the door open.

Niko stood there, his expression apologetic but urgent.

"What?" I demanded.

"Sir, the chairman’s lawyer has been trying to reach you all morning." Niko’s eyes carefully avoided looking at my state of undress. "Multiple attempts."

I knew exactly why I’d missed those calls. I’d been too busy buried inside Aria to notice anything else in the world.

"What does he want?" 𝒇𝒓𝙚𝒆𝔀𝓮𝓫𝒏𝓸𝙫𝓮𝓵.𝓬𝙤𝙢

"It’s about the chairman’s will," Niko said carefully.

My interest immediately flatlined. "I don’t care."

"Sir, the lawyer said the chairman gave explicit instructions before the incident. He requested that his will be read if something were to happen to him. And you must be present. No matter what."

I felt irritation spike through me.

Of course. Of course my father would pull something like this.

Even unconscious in a hospital bed, he was still manipulating things from behind the scenes.

"When?" I asked tersely.

"A conference has been scheduled for late this afternoon. Four o’clock."

Four hours from now.

Perfect.

"Fine," I said. "Anything else?"

"No, sir. That’s all."

"Thank you."

I shut the door and my mind was already spiraling.

My father had known. He’d known something was going to happen to him. That’s why he’d made those arrangements, why he’d insisted I be there for the reading of his will.

The old bastard had orchestrated this entire situation on purpose. Even dying, he couldn’t resist one final power play. I walked back toward the bedroom, my jaw clenched.

When I pushed the door open, Aria was gone. The sound of the shower running drew my attention to the bathroom.

I picked up my phone from the nightstand and dialed Lincoln, my father’s personal assistant.

He answered on the second ring.

"Mr. Roman."

"What’s my father’s current condition?" I asked without preamble.

"The doctors report some brain activity," Lincoln said carefully. "But it’s not enough to determine anything definitive yet. He remains in a coma."

"Has Andrew or Sabrina tried to visit?"

"No, sir. Neither has attempted to see the chairman since the initial hospital visit."

Interesting.

"Thank you," I said. "Keep me updated on any changes."

"Of course, sir."

I ended the call and immediately dialed the head of my father’s security team.

"Mr. Roman," the man answered.

"Any suspicious activity around my father’s room?" I asked.

"None, sir. We’ve been monitoring closely. No unauthorized personnel have attempted access."

"Good. Keep it that way."

"Yes, sir."

I hung up and checked the time. Ten minutes had passed, and Aria was still in the shower.

I exhaled slowly, trying to release some of the tension coiling in my shoulders.

Then I dropped the phone back on the nightstand and walked into the bathroom.

The steam hit me immediately, warm and thick.

Aria stood under the spray, her back to me, water cascading over her curves. She startled when she heard me enter, spinning around with wide eyes.

"Jesus, Kael! You scared me!"

"Why are you taking so long?" I asked, moving closer.

She glared at me sarcastically. "Oh, I don’t know. Maybe because I have your cum dripping out of me nonstop? Whose fault is that, exactly?"

A smirk tugged at my lips.

"What a waste," I said, stepping fully into the shower. "Letting everything out like that."

Her eyes dropped to where I’d just discarded my towel, and I watched her throat work as she swallowed.

"What are you doing?" she asked, her voice slightly breathless.

"Joining you."

I closed the distance between us, and her glare immediately softened.

"Who was at the door?" she asked.

"Niko," I said, reaching for the soap. "Apparently, my father planned one final manipulation before his accident."

"What do you mean?"

"He left instructions for his will to be read if something happened to him. I have to be there this afternoon."

Understanding dawned in her eyes, followed by sympathy.

"Kael—"

"Don’t," I warned. "Don’t look at me like that."

"Like what?"

"Like you pity me." I stepped closer, backing her against the tile wall. "Because if you keep looking at me like that, we’re not leaving this bathroom until I’ve filled you to the brim again."

She hit my chest playfully. "Focus! This is serious. Your father’s will—"

I pulled her closer, pressing her body flush against mine under the warm spray.

"I don’t care," I said, capturing her mouth in a deep kiss.

She made a small sound of protest that quickly turned into a moan as my hands found her ass, gripping firmly.

When I finally pulled back, we were both breathing hard.

"I don’t care about any of it," I said against her lips. "As long as you’re with me. You’re all I need, Aria. You and our child. I can take care of you both myself. I don’t need my father’s empire."

I lifted her, and her legs wrapped around my waist instinctively.

She broke the kiss, smiling softly as she cupped my face.

"I know," she whispered. "I know you can."

The trust in her eyes nearly undid me.

"You believe that?" I asked.

"Of course I do." She kissed me gently. "You’re the strongest person I know, Kael. You don’t need anyone’s approval or inheritance to prove that."

Something in my chest loosened at her words.

"I love you," I said roughly.

"I love you too."

I kissed her again, slower this time, savoring the taste of her mixed with the clean water.

"We should probably actually shower," she murmured against my lips. "Before we get distracted again."

"Too late," I said, already hard against her. "I’m very distracted."

She laughed, the sound echoing beautifully in the enclosed space.

"Kael, seriously. You have that meeting—"

"In four hours."

"Which means we need to eat, get dressed—"

"Or," I interrupted, nipping at her lower lip, "we could stay right here for another hour or two."

"You’re insatiable."

"Only with you."

She sighed, but I could see the desire darkening her eyes.

"One more time," she conceded. "But then we really do need to get ready."

"Deal."

I sealed the agreement with another kiss, already planning all the ways I was going to worship her body before we had to face the outside world.

Because once we left this suite, we’d have to deal with my father’s machinations. With Andrew’s schemes. With whatever chaos was waiting for us.

But here, in this moment, with Aria in my arms and the water washing over us both, nothing else mattered.

Just her. Just us. Just this.

And I was going to hold onto it for as long as I possibly could.

Eventually, we did actually shower. Properly this time, though my hands wandered more than they should have. Aria scolded me half-heartedly, but I noticed she didn’t try very hard to stop me.

When we finally emerged, wrapped in robes, room service had delivered lunch. We ate mostly in silence, both of us lost in our own thoughts. I kept glancing at the clock, watching the minutes tick closer to four.

Closer to whatever my father had planned.

"You don’t have to go," Aria said quietly, reading my mind like she always did.

"I do," I said. "If I don’t show up, it gives Andrew ammunition. Makes me look weak or scared."

"You’re neither of those things."

"I know." I reached across the table and took her hand. "But appearances matter in my world. Unfortunately."

She squeezed my fingers. "Then I’m coming with you."

"Aria—"

"Don’t argue," she said firmly. "I’m not letting you walk into whatever trap your father set alone."

I looked at her for a long moment, then nodded.

"Alright. But if anything happens—"

"Nothing’s going to happen," she insisted. "It’s just a will reading."

I wished I could believe that. But I knew my father too well. This wasn’t just a will reading.

This was the opening move in whatever game he’d been planning all along.

And I had no choice but to play.