Aurora’s Reckoning: A Billionaire’s Redemption

The sky was clear after the heavy downpour. The streets were sleek with the little puddles reflecting the amber glow of street lights. The air was filled with the fresh earthly smell reminding the city of the previous dry spell.Selena Miller walked ahead, her hands in her coat pocket, the cold breeze brushing past her. Her hair danced in the wind exposing her fair neck, she had forgotten to put on a scarf earlier. The night felt peaceful, it was like the rain had washed the city clean from the previous chaos.As she walked close to the Volton hotel, she heard the faint sound of rich music, the kind that spoke elegance. One didn’t need to guess to know it was a scene for the high profiles. Her steps slowed as she stopped to observe, from where she stood, she could make out silhouettes dancing along to the tune, some clanking their glasses and smiling at each other. The world looked warm in there.Selena admired the scene for a few more seconds and then, she continued walking.She noti

The next few days went by quietly but not in the Miller household. It was Friday morning and as early as 6 am, Silas Vane had barged in and taken Zane away. He had dragged Zane to his warehouse and had his boys beat him up.Zane fell, hitting his body against the cold floor. He gasped in horror as pain seared though his side. “Nngh…please…”Silas boots pressed against his ribs, sending waves of pain to his brain. He wasn’t sure which part of him hurt more, his body, or the parts inside that had given up long before the beating started.Silas Vane stood over him, sleeves rolled to the elbow, showing the dreadful tattoo inked on his arms, his knuckles dusted in blood.He was perfectly calm, like he was choosing wine and not somebody’s fate.“You don’t borrow what you can’t repay boy.”Zane struggled to sit up but his body was in so much pain. His ribs hurt like hell and he just couldn’t move.“I... I’ll get it… I… I swear, I just need more time… please”.“You see,” Silas said, almost c

Selena looked at her brother with disdain her beautiful eyes were sharp as she gave a cold smile.She nodded and walked ahead with one of the men in front of her, the other two tailed behind cautiously as if fearing she would run away.She walked along the cold corridor different sounds of lusts were heard as she passed by different doors.Her stomach churned at the sound of those noises, one of the doors she passed by was slightly ajar, she got a quick glance of what was going on in there, a young woman probably in her late twenties with five other men.She didn’t even want to imagine as she already felt disgusted by it. She kept her head high as she strode on her heels, not willing to give in to the fear creeping in.They got to a door on the far end of the hall, the man in front knocked three times, more like a coded message, and the door opened, the man ushered Selena in and the two other men followed her behind as the door was shut, with the man in front waiting by the closed doo

Selena walked all the way home in an attempt to dissipate the anger and feeling of betrayal she felt. Her breath was sharp and uneven as she cursed Zane a million times under her breath.As soon as she stepped into her apartment, she tore off her coat and the rest of her clothes and flung them into a specific bin. Her body reeked of sweat, smoke, and the metallic smell of blood. Without hesitation, she stepped into the shower, turned on the dial, and leaned her hand against the cold tile as the water flowed down her body, stains of blood flowing along with it. She finally felt calm.She didn’t flinch until the water touched her arm.She felt a slight sting in her arm as the water touched it. Looking towards it she found a slight cut on her arm, still fresh.A shard of glass must have cut her as there had been plenty flying around. She must have missed it in all the chaos and all the adrenaline must have masked it.Only when she had calmed down as the water touched her back had she fe

The man gave her a curt smile. “You remember me?” he asked, pointing to himself almost childishly. His voice had that rare kind of refinement… aged like vintage wine. Smooth, warm, but laced with the kind of gravity that made you listen. He spoke with calm authority, each word chosen carefully, like they came from a well-curated shelf of thoughts. Even with the gentle smile on his lips, Selena could tell… this man was far from simple. “Of course I remember you, sir,” she returned the smile, hers small but gracious. “I hope you’re feeling better now.” “I have you to thank for that, Miss Miller,” he said with a nod. “Great,” she replied quickly, not even asking how he knew her name. The wealthy always had their ways. If he knew where she worked, he knew more than just her name. “So, how may I help you, Mr…?” she asked politely, realizing she didn’t know what to call him. “Tate. Just call me Grandpa Tate.” He flashed a warm smile. “I was hoping I could treat you to a cup of coff