MasukAurora POVI sit in the lecture hall with my notebook open and my pen resting uselessly between my fingers.The professor’s voice washes over me without meaning. Words drift past but my gaze keeps sliding to the window toward the outside world where everything that matters is happening without me.D
My chest tightens.“There you are,” he says as his gaze instantly finds me.“Here I am,” I smile as I cross the room to him, feeling drab in my school clothes next to him. “Where else would I be?”His hand comes to my waist like it belongs there—because it does. When he looks at me, the weight of ev
Aurora POV The hotel room smells faintly of oud and sandalwood, the most trendy and expensive perfume of the moment. This is the kind of place that knows it’s expensive and doesn’t let you forget it.I sit cross-legged on the edge of the bed in jeans and a sweatshirt, my dress hung carefully so it
Aurora POVThe coffeehouse smells like burnt espresso and pastries, like safety in the form of routine.I sit in my usual corner between classes, my back to the brick wall, the small round table pressed close enough that no one, not even my usual friends, can slide in uninvited. I am too distracted
Then she looks past Dominic and the body to the other older man standing waiting, his face full of resigned dignity so unlike what had been Francesco’s final moments.“Can Gianna’s father live?” she asks hoarsely, her soft voice barely reaching him across the empty space of the warehouse.The words
Aurora POVGianna is finally still.The pill I offered her dissolved beneath her tongue, and within minutes the sharp edges of her panic soften. Her lashes flutter as she slumps against the pillow, breath evening out, the fight draining from her limbs.I brush her hair back from her face with shakin
Aurora POVMarco drives like he always does, one hand on the wheel, singing softly to whatever 80’s hit comes on his seemingly endless playlist. I’m humming along, half-watching the city pass by, half-working through my class notes, when his phone rings.The way his shoulders tense as he switches of
Dominic POVDominic stands at the edge of the garden, greeting the guests amidst the fragrant roses.He makes sure that his handshakes are firm, his nods precise, his smile warm enough to reassure yet cool enough to command respect.Tonight, Dominic is not merely hosting—he is presiding, and the gre
“I’m overwhelmed,” I admit, my voice barely above a whisper. “In a good way.”His hand slides under the table, fingers brushing my knee. The touch is subtle, but it sends a shiver spiraling up my spine. “Did I overdo it?” he murmurs.“No! You’ve done all this for me,” I say, looking around at the ga
“Woman,” Dominic thunders, making both Beatrice and Camilla jump. “Do you want him to die?”Beatrice shakes her head as if to clear it rather than gesture no. She looks at Camilla and roughly takes her arm.“Off,” she demands.Camilla sags and begins to cry a sulky, whining sob. “I’ll be in my under







