CHAPTER 70: CHAPTER 70: GOSSIP

Thud!!!

The door slammed shut behind him, the echo reverberating through the still, heavy air.

Aiden had left, but his presence lingered like smoke, curling around the edges of the room, filling every corner with the memory of him.

Catherine, who had watched his retreating figure until the last second, finally let herself collapse onto the bed beside Sabrina.

Both women were drenched in sweat, their skin sticky, their muscles trembling from exertion.

The scent of sex—his musk, the metallic tang of their own sweat, the faint traces of perfume—clung to them like a second skin. Every nerve in their bodies throbbed, aching and alive at once, and even now, as Sabrina drew slow, shaky breaths, her body betrayed her, releasing him again.

Not just a trickle, but a relentless, spilling warmth, like a river forced through a dam.

Sabrina’s gaze wandered to Catherine, lying near her feet, her rear slightly lifted, the curve of her spine soft and inviting.

She had only seen her naked once, briefly, in the bath, the gentle play of water over skin. But now... everything was exposed. Not just the outer form—the pale, supple skin, the supple muscles beneath—but the inner truth, the rawness of desire, the way her body had surrendered fully, utterly.

Sabrina swallowed hard, feeling a shiver that wasn’t purely exhaustion run down her spine. The quiet after his departure was heavy, almost sacred, as if the room itself was holding its breath.

"That... was something..." Catherine’s voice broke the silence, soft, almost trembling. Sabrina flinched slightly, surprised by the sound of her own name in the same room of intimacy.

"Yeah..." Sabrina managed, voice thin and weak. She could hardly lift herself to speak more. "...I didn’t know I could be so..."

"...so lustfully crazy...?" Catherine finished for her, turning slightly so that her chest, swollen and marked with love bites, caught the dim light.

Her stomach was slim, taut, but every line of her body told the story of what had been done to her.

Neck, shoulders, the gentle swell of her breasts, each inch was mapped with the memory of his hands, his mouth, his teeth, his insistence. He hadn’t merely taken her—he had devoured her, leaving her changed.

Sabrina’s eyes traced over her own body, fingertips brushing a lingering mark on her shoulder. Her breasts, her stomach, the inside of her thighs... every inch remembered him.

"...So this... this is actual sex," she murmured, her voice husky. Her fingers twitched, as if touching the mark could somehow summon him back.

She brushed her red hair aside, trying to see herself, to confirm she was still herself and not just an echo of his desire.

Catherine reached up, letting her hand rest lightly against Sabrina’s head, her touch warm, grounding. "...Indeed. But... was it too much?"

Sabrina smiled faintly, though the effort left her weary. "...Not in his world," she whispered.

"I don’t know," Catherine admitted, voice low, vulnerable, trembling in the space between breaths.

"It felt... alive, fierce, like a fire lit inside me. Something... awakened. Something I didn’t know I had." She hesitated, eyes downcast, then glanced back at Sabrina, lips parting as though to confess a secret she couldn’t fully name.

Sabrina shivered again. Her body was hollowed, shaped, filled with the imprint of him, the memory of his insistence.

"...Yeah," she breathed, "...like we both changed... turned into something else. I even said words... words that I don’t think exist anywhere else..."

"...So this is pure debauchery..." Catherine murmured, voice soft but charged. "...And I want more... more..." Her fingers twitched involuntarily, remembering the pressure of his hands, the weight of his body, the burn of his teeth.

"Yeah... but will he give it to us?" Sabrina asked, voice weak but laced with longing. "...We’re old... Our daughters... young..."

Catherine’s expression darkened. She leaned back slightly, feeling the weight of reality press down.

Yes, they were old, in the sense of what Aiden valued. And yes, he had their daughter now, like ripe fruit, temptation already within his grasp. Perhaps he preferred that.

"...I hope... this isn’t the last time," Catherine whispered, her voice fragile, carrying a weight she tried to hide.

Sabrina’s smile was soft, almost teasing, but her eyes held a sharp understanding. "...Ha... you and your soft heart. Did you forget? He said he wants everything we have..."

"Everything we have? He already holds my daughter, my husband in his thumb... everything," Catherine admitted, almost bitterly.

"No... I saw it, I heard it. Aiden... he’s ambitious. His lust... it’s insatiable. Overwhelming. I’ve never... felt anything like it," Sabrina said, cheeks flushing crimson. The memory of him pressed against her like a live thing, filling her veins with fire again.

"Ambitious... yeah, you’re right. If I want him to stay with me, I just need to feed him... everything he desires," Catherine said, determination creeping into her tone.

Her body curled slightly, instinctively protective of herself, as though preparing for the next encounter.

"Then I can feed him better," Sabrina scoffed lightly, looking at Catherine’s viscount title. "...Your title doesn’t mean much now."

Catherine sighed, a mixture of anger and fatigue, letting the thought drift away. "...Hmm."

"What will you do then?" Sabrina asked, curiosity threading her exhaustion. "There are maybe thirty duchies in the empire. I could ask my father... the seven archdukes... to rule them all..."

Sabrina laughed softly, breathless. "Cathe, what are we saying... What is this feeling... is it love? Or did he pound us so hard we’re ready to give the world to him?" Her hand rested lightly on her chest, feeling the uneven rhythm of her heart.

"We are nobles, bereft of love," Catherine said softly, almost mournfully. "All we do is scheme and please... while the emperor lies on his deathbed..."

"...Haa... why did you even bring that up? I don’t want to imagine what happens next. The empress is young... inexperienced. Once the emperor is gone..."

"...Then?"

"...Your father and the other archdukes... once kings of their own realms... of course chaos will rein." Sabrina muttered.

"Wait... young? She’s only a year younger than me... thirty-three maybe..."

"...My naive sister-in-law," Sabrina muttered, tugging at her golden hair. "...Still young, not versed in politics..."

"...I don’t care. As long as Aiden stays with me, I need nothing else." Catherine’s hand drifted to her stomach, brushing lightly over it. "...Aaa... I want to be pregnant again. I wonder... what would his child look like..."

"Haaa..." Sabrina sighed, eyes closing, letting the weight of the room settle around her. "We’ve already cheated enough. Now you want his children too? No shame?"

"...If I get pregnant, I’ll kidnap him and run away. Augustus can manage on his own..."

"Haaa..." Sabrina sighed again, rolling onto her back, staring at the ceiling, letting the quiet aftershock of desire wash over her.

’yeah... that would be perfect. Aiden and me. No responsibilities. A family, a child... every night a dream fulfilled... Sabrina thought, letting her mind wander.

No, I know men like him. He is ambition incarnate. His charm, his words... everything is a tool for advancement. He takes what he wants.

My daughter... now me... all in his grasp. All I can do is... help him. That’s all.

Oh god. Help me. Help my fucking heart.’

*****

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