How To Lose Your Billionaire Alpha Husband In 365 Days (Or Less)!-Chapter 86: River Walk...

JASMINE’S POV

"Want to take a walk?" Aiden asked in a low, almost hesitant voice, like he was offering more than just a stroll.

I blinked. "Uhmmm... sure."

It wasn’t like I had plans. And the idea of walking off the lingering buzz of wine and old ghosts didn’t sound terrible.

Plus, part of me wanted to see where this went... not just the walk, but the night. The quiet between us had become something charged. Not heavy, but meaningful.

Outside, the breeze rolled in soft and cool, ruffling my blazer and catching strands of hair I hadn’t pinned tight enough.

The streetlamps lining the riverwalk cast a golden hue on the cobblestones, and the sound of water gently brushing the shore gave everything a kind of cinematic calm.

We didn’t speak at first; we just walked, side by side, shoulders brushing occasionally. Aiden kept his hands in his pockets, his head tilted slightly toward me like he was waiting for something.

"You used to come here alone?" I asked eventually, toeing a fallen leaf with the tip of my boot.

"Yeah," he said. "When things got too loud. The pressure. The titles. Even Ace sometimes." He chuckled. "Especially Ace."

I glanced over. "He gives you trouble?"

"Constantly. He thinks I brood too much."

Lyra snorted in the back of my head. "I mean... he’s not wrong."

"Neither are you," I muttered internally.

"What’s that?" Aiden asked.

"Nothing," I said quickly. "Just talking to my other half."

He smiled faintly. "Tell her she’s growing on me."

Lyra purred. "He’s lucky I’m not the one in charge right now. I’d have him shirtless in that river by now."

"Lyra."

"What? Just saying. Look at the man. Someone carved him out of..."

I didn’t wait to hear the remaining part. I just rolled my eyes and glanced away, hoping my sudden flush wasn’t obvious under the dim lighting.

The walkway curved gently, and we followed it down to a spot where the embankment gave way to a low stone platform with access to the river itself.

The ground sloped gently, its surface smooth and worn down over time. I didn’t think twice as I stepped down and took off my boots, dipping my toes into the water to see how it felt.

It was cold, but not unpleasant.

"You’re barefoot now?" Aiden asked behind me.

I looked over my shoulder. "I thought you wanted a walk. This counts."

He stared for a second, then kicked off his own shoes and followed me. "You’re trouble."

"That’s rich, coming from the guy who brought me a car and a curse in the same week."

"Fair."

The river lapped at our ankles, sending little ripples out into the dark. It was oddly freeing, like stepping out of the pressure dome we’d both been living in for weeks.

I let my eyes fall shut for a second and let the chill anchor me to something real.

"Have you ever thought about what would have happened if things were different?" I asked quietly.

Aiden tilted his head. "What do you mean?"

I shrugged. "If there hadn’t been a curse... no legacy on my part. Like if we’d met under normal circumstances."

He was quiet for a moment, then: "We’d still end up here."

I blinked. "You sound sure."

"I am," he said simply. "Maybe not in this exact way. But it’s always been you."

Lyra groaned. "If he keeps this up, I swear I’m going to cry. Or shift. Or jump him."

"You’re not helping."

"I’m just emotionally invested."

"Stop looking at me like that," I said aloud, though I didn’t mean it.

"Like what?" he asked, stepping a little closer. The water sloshed between us.

"Like you mean it."

"Well... I don’t think I can help it, because... I do... I mean it... for real."

The world went quiet.

It wasn’t just the water or the streetlamps or even the faint jazz still bleeding through the restaurant speakers somewhere behind us. It was the silence between us, the kind that felt too thick, too warm.

"You’re not scared?" I asked softly. "That I’ll run?"

He shook his head. "I’m scared every day. But not of that."

"Then what are you scared of?"

"That I won’t be good enough for you when you finally decide to stay."

A flood of emotion surged within me, stirring something deep in my chest. It wasn’t a complete rupture, but it was significant enough to let my heart ache.

I reached out, my fingers gently tucking a loose strand of hair behind his ear, feeling the warmth of his skin against the cool air around us.

His gaze was intense, pinning me in place as our eyes connected. In that fleeting moment, time seemed to suspend itself, creating like a time bubble... that breathless pause right before everything changed.

"Jasmine," he murmured in an almost reverent voice that sent a shiver down my spine.

He leaned closer, the space between us charged with an electric anticipation.

We didn’t crash into each other; it was far from chaotic.

Instead, we leaned in towards each other slowly, like two celestial bodies drawn by an undisputed gravitational pull.

His hands hovered uncertainly, one resting at my waist, the warmth of his palm radiating against my skin, while the other brushed lightly against my jaw, tracing the line of my cheek.

In that fleeting moment, I felt an intense awareness seep into my bones. A quiet gasp hung in the air around us, the thrill of it all so real as Lyra herself held her breath, caught in the magic unfolding before her eyes.

As our lips barely touched, the whisper-soft brush sent a jolt of sensation rippling through me. But then, unexpectedly, I froze.

It wasn’t fear that gripped me; it wasn’t doubt or hesitation, even. It was something deeper, a profound understanding of the weight of the moment.

I pulled away just slightly, my heart pounding with a mixture of longing and resolve. "Not yet," I whispered, the softness of my tone barely audible yet heavy with meaning.

His brows knitted together in confusion for a brief instant, but he nodded in acknowledgement, a flicker of understanding passing between us. "Okay," he replied, though I could see the questions swirling in his eyes.

"Not because I don’t want to," I added almost immediately.

"I know," he answered, his gaze holding mine with a reassuring warmth. "Whenever you’re ready."

We stood in the river, water wrapping around our ankles like a gentle hold. The kiss didn’t take place, but so much else did. There was the promise, the pause before what might happen next, and the feeling that anything was possible.

I leaned my forehead against his shoulder. "Thanks for this."

He pulled back enough to look me in the eye. "Always."

Eventually, we climbed back onto the walkway, shoes in hand, silence between us comfortable again.

When we reached the estate, the sky had darkened completely, and the lights lining the drive cast long shadows across the stone.

Then I pulled back slightly and glanced toward the hallway. "I’m going in... and thanks for dinner. I had a nice time."

He caught my hand before I could step away.

"Jas."

I turned.

"I’m proud of you," he said.

My breath caught, just for a second.

Then I nodded. "You should be."

And I disappeared into my room.

—

The water was still warm from the bath as I stepped out, skin flushed, muscles loose. For the first time in what felt like days, I wasn’t carrying the weight of war on my shoulders... just the quiet ache of what almost was.

I towelled off slowly, wrapped myself in a silk robe, and padded barefoot across the bedroom floor, intending to climb into bed and let sleep take me before the morning brought new chaos.

That’s when I heard a sharp noise... it sounded muffled, low, but not ignorable. It sounded like pain being swallowed down.

I froze. 𝚏𝐫𝚎𝗲𝕨𝐞𝐛𝕟𝚘𝐯𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝗺

Lyra stirred, suddenly alert. "That wasn’t just a floorboard."

I tightened the robe around my waist, grabbed my phone just in case, and stepped into the hallway. The manor was quiet, the kind of silence that made every creak louder.

Then I heard it again... softer this time, but unmistakable—a grunt, followed by a hitched breath, like someone trying not to make a sound.

Aiden.

I didn’t think, I just moved. Down the hall, past the moonlit windows, heart hammering harder with every step.

When I reached his door, it wasn’t closed.

I pushed it open and found him bent forward, seated on the edge of his bed, one hand clutched to his chest, breath ragged. His shirt was soaked in sweat. His face was pale, but it was the look in his eyes that gutted me.

Pain.

"Aiden!"