Claimed by My Bully Alpha Chapter 252

Aurora’s P.O.V

“Aurora…I can understand what you mean, but—”

“No, Caleb…I can’t.” I told him, effectively cutting him off.

My chest felt tight, my heartbeat loud in my ears, but my voice was steady, unwavering. “If it were up to me, I wouldn’t want Riley to know. Ever.” I said it without hesitation, without leaving room for argument. 

Caleb exhaled, his fingers tightening around the edge of the railing, but he didn’t interrupt. He knew me well enough to let me speak, to help clear my mind. 

“I don’t care what the DNA test says. Ashton, Maggie, and Avery may be my half-siblings by blood, but they are nothing to me.” I exhaled, realizing how selfish that sounded. “I know I sound like a horrible person for saying this…but…I just…I don’t feel the bond that I should with someone bound to me by blood. And it’s a truth I can’t change, no matter how selfish I may sound.”

“You don’t sound selfish, Aura.” Caleb said gently, his eyes softening as he urged me to continue. “I can understand where you are coming from.”

“Do you really? It’s just that…I never knew them until a few days ago and I will never be as close to them no matter how much time passes.” My voice cracked, but I pushed through. “But Riley? Riley is mine. Not just my brother—he’s my son in every way that matters. I raised him. I held him when he cried, fed him when he was hungry, stayed up with him when he was sick. I taught him his first words, his first steps. I have been the only constant in his life, Caleb. And I will not let anything change that.”

I could feel the weight of Caleb’s silence pressing down on me, but I didn’t stop. “He’s too young to understand this—any of it. He doesn’t deserve to have his world shattered by things that don’t matter, by people who have never been there for him. I won’t let them take that innocence from him. I won’t let them take him from me.” 

Caleb ran a hand down his face, his brows knitting together. “Aurora… you don’t have to do this alone.” 

“This isn’t about doing this alone, Caleb.” I shook my head, the lump in my throat growing heavier. “I’m not alone. I have him, and I have you, and that’s enough.” I swallowed hard, forcing myself to breathe. “I don’t need this…truth to be dumped onto him. And neither does he. He’s far too young to understand the complexities of what happened and I would never want a five year old to go through the heartbreak of knowing the mess that Lucas had created.” 

Caleb looked at me then, really looked at me, and I knew he saw it—the fierce, unyielding love that burned inside me for Riley. The kind of love that would tear the world apart before letting anything happen to him. 

He sighed, nodding once. “Okay.” 

That was all I needed.

I took a deep breath, watching Caleb’s expression shift as he nodded, his gaze searching mine for any sign of hesitation. "But, Aurora," he said, his voice softer now, almost hesitant. "I didn’t want you to feel like I was forcing you to choose. I just needed to know—are you really sure about this?" His fingers twitched at his side, his telltale sign of nervousness, something I had learned to notice over the past few months. 

I stepped closer, reaching for his hand and gripping it firmly, grounding both of us. "Caleb, I’ve never been more sure of anything in my life," I said, my voice steady despite the storm of emotions churning inside me. "I will protect Riley at all costs. No matter what it takes, I won’t let anything happen to him." The weight of my own words settled heavily on my chest, but there was no room for doubt. Not now. 

He exhaled, his shoulders relaxing just slightly, though I could still see the conflict in his eyes. "I trust you," he murmured, his thumb grazing the back of my hand. "I just—" He paused, looking away for a moment before meeting my gaze again. "I know what you’re sacrificing. And I know how much this means to you." 

I swallowed hard. There was no use pretending this wasn’t difficult, that the choice I had made wouldn’t change everything. But I had already accepted that reality. "Some things are worth it," I whispered. "And Riley is one of them." 

For a long moment, we just stood there, the quiet night air wrapping around us, the distant hum of the city below fading into nothing. Then, without another word, Caleb squeezed my hand and gestured toward the door. "Come on," he said. "Let’s go back." 

I nodded, stealing one last glance at the terrace before following him inside, completely unaware that in the shadows above, someone had already been there, listening, absorbing every word we had just said.