Chapter 85

Daniel’s impatience was so obvious, you could practically feel it hanging in the air.
Aurora wiped her tears, straightened her clothes, and dragged herself off the bed.
She’d barely set one foot on the floor before her husband’s arm reached out, circling her waist and hauling her back against his chest.
Daniel’s eyes were cold. “I already told Grandfather you’re pregnant.”
So this child had to happen. There was no other option. Newest update provıded by.net
Aurora’s voice was icy. “I told you. I can’t have children.”
Not that she wouldn’t-she simply couldn’t.
Daniel twisted her arms behind her back, pulling her close. His voice was low, dark with warning. “Of course you can’t, if we don’t even try.”
Aurora’s heart felt like a thousand shattered pieces.
No matter what she said, he never believed her.
“Daniel,” she snapped, voice raw and trembling, eyes red with anger. “Ms. Temple said ”
But Daniel cut her off, silencing her words with a forceful kiss, pressing her wrists down and swallowing every protest.
Aurora clenched her teeth, refusing to give in.
But Daniel knew her body all too well, and he always got what he wanted he just used to be less rough about it.
By the end of it, Aurora was left sprawled across the pillow, humiliated and exhausted.
Yet Daniel wasn’t finished. He leaned down, biting softly at her ear, wrapping her tightly in his arms, refusing to let her go.
She felt herself break apart, again and again.
Dawn crept through the curtains. Daniel got up, carelessly pulling on a shirt and slacks before heading downstairs.
The housekeeper was setting out breakfast and greeted him respectfully. “Good morning, sir.”
Daniel gave a brief nod. “Will’s bringing over some medicine soon. Make sure Mrs. Blackwell takes it-don’t let her skip it.”
He’d gone out of his way to have Will track down a specialist to prepare the formula, something to “help her health” and boost her chances of conceiving.
He was looking forward to the arrival of his child.
Aurora woke sometime later, her entire body aching in ways she didn’t want to think about.
She pulled back the covers and stared at herself. Even after scrubbing her skin, the marks he’d left were impossible to miss.
Furious, she hurled a pillow across the room.
A knock came at the door. “Mrs. Blackwell, are you up?”
Aurora took a deep breath, tamping down her anger. “I’m up,” she croaked.
Her voice sounded nothing like her own-hoarse, raw. Her throat ached.
She threw the other pillow, just for good measure.
Dragging herself to the shower, she scrubbed off as best she could, then changed into loose, comfortable clothes.
Downstairs, the housekeeper brought over breakfast, followed by a mug of bitter, black herbal concoction.
It smelled awful.
Aurora wrinkled her nose. “What is this?”
The housekeeper hurried to explain. “Mr. Blackwell sent it said it’s for your health.”
“I’m not drinking that. Take it away,” Aurora shot back, turning away sharply.
The housekeeper took one look at her pale face and retreated, passing the message to Will.
Will relayed it to Daniel.
Daniel, signing a document, froze for a moment, his face unreadable. “Understood,” he said coldly.
She refused the medicine because she didn’t want to have his child-he was sure
of it.
He knew, deep down, her heart had already left this house.
After eating, Aurora lay in bed for half the day.
Una called, asking her to come try on dresses.
But Aurora couldn’t even agree-bodyguards were stationed outside the house, watching her every move. She couldn’t leave.
So Una simply brought the dresses over.
Inside the bedroom, as Aurora took off her outer layer, Una caught sight of the bruises and marks scattered across her skin, her breath catching in shock. “Did that bastard Daniel hurt you?”
She knew about the things that happened between men and women, but this was too much.
Aurora kept her eyes down, pulling on a new dress, letting out a bitter laugh. “He wants a child.”
Una was stunned. “But you-you can’t—”
She stopped herself, not wanting to hurt her friend.
“I told him. He doesn’t believe me. He thinks I just don’t want to give him a baby.”
Last night had been hell for both of them.
Una’s anger flared. “He didn’t even care when you were pregnant before and everything went wrong, and now he’s forcing you again? What’s wrong with him?”
“He probably thinks that if I have his child, I’ll stop being a threat to Eleanor,” Aurora said, her voice thick with bitterness.
Daniel treated Eleanor like she was made of glass, giving her everything she asked for.
His wife never got that kind of consideration.
Una’s anger softened into sympathy. She hugged Aurora gently. “Wait until Mr. Winters is back in the country. Then you file for divorce, take half his fortune, and let’s see how smug he is after that.”