The Billionaire's Bought Bride and Instant Mom Chapter 25

Aveline

Panic shot through me. I couldn't let her find me like this, couldn't let her hear what was coming through this phone.

With shaking fingers, I ended the call and wiped frantically at my tears, trying to compose myself before she reached the balcony door.

"I'm fine, Grandmother," I called out, my voice only slightly shaky. "Just getting some fresh air. I'll be right in."

But I wasn't fine. I was drowning in guilt and terror, knowing that somewhere across the city, Catherine Mills was paying the ultimate price for my cowardice.

I spent the next hour with Grandmother, forcing myself to eat the delicious meal she'd prepared while making small talk about my work at the academy. She seemed satisfied that I was feeling better, and eventually retired to her room for the night.

But once I was alone in my bedroom, the panic returned full force. I tossed and turned, my mind racing between images of Catherine's terrified face and Orion's cold smile. Every time I closed my eyes, I heard that phone call replaying—his voice so casual as he planned someone's destruction.

I must have finally drifted off sometime after three in the morning, because that's when the nightmare found me.

*The room was dark, sterile, like a morgue. I was sitting in a chair that felt more like an execution device, my wrists bound to the armrests. Across from me, Orion stood in perfectly tailored darkness, a gun glinting in his hand like a silver snake.*

*"Such a pity, Ms. Reeves," he said, his voice carrying that same conversational tone I'd heard on the phone. "I really thought we could be friends. I thought you might become one of my VIP clients. Someone I could trust."*

*The gun was pointed directly at my heart, steady as a surgeon's hand.*

*"But instead," his voice turned to ice, "you chose to humiliate me. You used my body like I was some kind of object for your pleasure. You left payment like I was a prostitute."*

*"Please," I whispered, tears streaming down my face. "I never meant—"*

*"Intentions don't matter," he said, his finger moving to the trigger. "Actions do. And your actions have consequences."*

*"But Ryan!" I screamed desperately. "Ryan needs me! He's just a little boy!"*

*Orion's expression didn't change. "Ryan will find another teacher. A better teacher. Someone who knows how to keep her hands to herself. Don't worry—I'll tell him you went somewhere far away. He's resilient. He'll adapt."*

*The casual way he dismissed my connection with Ryan, like I was nothing more than a replaceable service provider, was somehow worse than the gun.*

*"Goodbye, Ms. Reeves."*

*The sound of the gunshot was deafening. I saw blood—so much blood—spraying across—*

"Aveline! Sweetheart, wake up!"

I bolted upright, gasping for air, my heart hammering so hard I thought it might burst. For a moment, I didn't know where I was—the nightmare had been so vivid I could still smell the metallic scent of blood.

Then I felt gentle hands on my shoulders, and Grandmother Eleanor's worried face came into focus in the dim light.

"Shhh, my darling girl," she whispered, pulling me into her arms like she used to when I was small. "You're safe. You're home. It was just a nightmare."

I collapsed against her, my whole body shaking. Her lavender-scented robe was soft against my cheek, and her hands stroked my hair with the same gentle rhythm she'd used to comfort me as a child.

"I'm sorry I woke you," I managed through my tears.

"Don't be silly," she said firmly. "That's what grandmothers are for. You were crying out in your sleep, poor thing. Whatever you were dreaming about must have been terrible."

I wanted to tell her everything—about the hotel, about Orion, about Catherine and that horrible phone call. But how could I explain that I'd sexually assaulted someone?

"Don't worry about it now," Grandmother said, reading my silence correctly. "You're not alone anymore, sweetheart. I know how hard it must have been for you—eighteen years old, all by yourself in Europe, having to figure out everything on your own. I'm so sorry I wasn't there to protect you through all of that. But you're home now, and I'm here, and everything is going to be alright."

Her words carried a magical healing power that only came from someone who truly, unconditionally loved you. In this whole twisted world, Grandmother Eleanor was the only person who genuinely cared about me. If she hadn't been bedridden with her heart condition six years ago, she would have fought tooth and nail to prevent my tragic fate of being sold like cattle. If none of those horrible events had happened, I never would have ended up in that hotel room through such a twisted series of coincidences, never would have done what I did to Orion.

"Grandmother," I whispered, "I've made such a mess of things."

"Oh, darling." She held me tighter. "Whatever's troubling you, remember this—nightmares are just nightmares. No matter how bad things seem in our dreams, reality is almost always better than our worst fears."

Her words settled into my chest like warm honey. Reality is better than our worst fears. Maybe she was right. Maybe I was letting my guilt and terror make everything seem worse than it actually was. Maybe Orion's threat to make Catherine "disappear" didn't mean what I thought it meant.

Maybe there was still hope.

"Thank you," I said, holding her close. "I love you so much, Grandmother."

"I love you too, my precious girl. Now, shall we get you back to sleep? Or would you like to stay here with me tonight?"

"Can I stay with you? Like when I was little?"

"Of course, darling. Nothing would make me happier."

She helped me settle beside her in the large bed, and for the first time since that catastrophic night at the hotel, I felt truly safe. Grandmother's presence was like a shield against all the darkness in the world.

---

The next morning, I forced myself to go to Arlington Academy despite every instinct screaming at me to stay hidden at home. If I was going to survive this situation, I needed to maintain some semblance of normalcy.

But the moment I walked into the building, my eyes automatically searched for Catherine's distinctive blonde hair and overdone makeup.

She was nowhere to be seen.

My stomach twisted with dread as I made my way to the faculty lounge, trying to appear casual while scanning every face for signs of distress or gossip about missing colleagues.

"Oh, Dr. Reeves!" Principal Foster appeared at my elbow, tablet in hand and looking mildly annoyed. "I'm afraid we'll need to adjust some classroom assignments today. Catherine called in sick with a terrible flu. Says she can barely get out of bed."

Relief flooded through me so suddenly I nearly stumbled. She was alive. Sick, probably traumatized, but alive.

"That's unfortunate," I managed to say. "I hope she feels better soon."

"These sudden illnesses are so inconvenient," Foster continued, already pulling up scheduling charts. "Though I suppose it's better than when teachers just disappear without notice. At least she called in."

I was about to respond when Foster's tablet chimed with a message notification. She glanced at it, frowned, then looked up with a confused expression.

"Well, this is odd," she said, reading more carefully. "I just received a text from Catherine. Apparently she's not just sick—she's... resigning? Effective immediately?"

The relief I'd felt moments before evaporated instantly.

"Resigning?" I repeated, my voice sounding strange even to my ears.

"Yes, very sudden. Says she's had a family emergency and needs to leave New York immediately." Foster looked genuinely puzzled. "It's all very abrupt. Usually teachers give at least two weeks' notice, but she says she simply can't continue."