Chapter 1: The Funeral Vow.

Chapter 1: The Funeral Vow.

Aurora (Elara's POV).

The rain tasted like ash and lies. I stood at the edge of my father's grave, watching strangers pretend to mourn a man they'd been more than happy to destroy. My black dress clung to my skin. Nobody noticed me trembling, they were too busy whispering about who my father had been. 

"A fraud, they don't last very long.” I heard someone hiss above the low whispers. My chest burned in fury. My father's hand had been cold and pale when they found him. The casket descended into the earth. I didn't cry. Tears felt unnecessary next to what I'd discovered in his hands, the night of his murder. A note with a name sprawled on it, Volkov. Just that. 

One name. But it meant everything. 

One man had orchestrated my father's financial ruin, watched as the world framed it as suicide when clearly he'd been murdered. I pulled the note from my pocket, letting the rain soak it further. My father's handwriting blurred beneath my fingertips the last tangible piece of him. That's when I made the decision. Aurora Hale died today. She died the same moment my father did, only nobody had the decency to bury her yet. But I would bury her. And I would resurrect myself as something far more dangerous, I would make him pay.

…

I stood in front of the high glass building staring at the name etched on it.

Volkov Corp. 

Five years, I'd waited. Five years of planning, of pain and hate. ‘This is your time Aurora.’

The cold air whipped about my face as I stood in front of the building, staring hard at the name I'd come to hate so much. I sauntered towards the building with a sweet smile on my face. The electronic door required a key card so as to unlock it. I inserted the one I'd been given earlier after being offered the job of a finance auditor. The doors buzzed. I froze momentarily and bit my lower lips.

“What's the problem?”I heard a masculine voice ask behind me. I turned around to meet the sharp gaze of the stern-faced man, probably one of the security guards, on me.

“My key card doesn't seem to work,” I said with a small smile out of one of my arsenals of fake smiles. He took it, stared at it for a while, and his features tensed. 

“ Elara Quinn.” He mumbled.

“Yes, I am new here. Resumed work today,” I answered the unasked question, meeting his glare with the smile still etched on my face. Seconds ticked, and his face finally loosened. 

He nodded with a small smile, the accusatory look vanishing from his eyes, and swiped his card at the door. “We have cases like this sometimes. Remember to get a better one from the Human Relations department.” He advised.

“Oh I will. Thank you.” I straightened. 

“Welcome to Volkov Corp, Miss Quinn.” He called out from behind me. I didn’t bother to reply. I walked into the lobby. Other employees rushed past me and I steadied my steps. I wasn't exactly late and I wasn't going to be ruffled on my first day. It was just like I had practiced, several times over and over.

An hour later, I suppressed an eye roll as the HR person droned on and on about the company policies, specifically for us newbies and for the umpteenth time, I stifled a yawn. I might as well fall asleep here. I introduced myself to a few other new employees exchanging smiles and pleasantries. But I always needed to remember the reason I was here. I wasn't here to help Volkov, not at all. There was a sudden commotion outside, drawing me out from my thoughts. 

People were scrambling after and ahead of someone, dressed in well tailored suits. A man was in their midst walking calmly ahead like the god of chaos, unbothered by the chaos he'd created. 

I stared at him. He was tall, would definitely pass for 6’7 or even more, dark brown hair and hazel eyes that seemed to complement his dark tailored suit. He was what one would call, devastatingly beautiful. He looked into the conference room as he calmly walked past. Our eyes met for a split second. 

Damian damned Volkov. 

My heart raced and my breath caught. I reminded myself that it was the hatred, the hatred for the monster who'd ended my father's life. The monster I was going to put an end to. But my heart contradicted to that. He didn't take his eyes off me until he went out of sight. There was something in them I couldn't place, an eerie feeling I couldn't shake off.

“That's the boss. I hear no one crosses his path and lives,” the woman sitting next to me whispered as she leaned in. 

I’d know. I witnessed it firsthand.

He, the seemingly nonchalant man with eyes that pierced into one’s soul, had killed my father. A bitter taste crept up my throat. 

I turned to look at her and the briefing came to an end. Thankfully.

“We're done for today, thank you. Elara Quinn, please follow me to my office.” The woman from the HR department said, her hair tied back in a proper sleek bun. I promptly stood up and followed her to the office. She sat behind the desk looking pristine in well primed clothes.

“I’m Gema, your supervisor. Your CV held excellent achievements..”She started.

“Thank you, ma'am.” I offered a small smile. She held out a file and I took it.

“You'd be auditing this. Also remember to mind your business, Volkov Corp has its downsides.” She said, her voice betraying the cautious tone hidden underneath. I nodded and her face softened. 

“Welcome to Volkov, you'd do just great.” She waved her hand, indicating the end of the conversation.

I retired to my cubicle and as soon as I settled into my seat, I opened the files and began to analyze them. Perfect, this was what I just needed. A distraction from the rumble of nerves that’d gone haywire since I saw him. 

…

Almost everyone had left, and it was quite late. The floor was empty, just the soft humming of the AC as the source of noise. I wanted to get to the bottom of the reports in my hands. A lot of things were not adding up in the reports. At first I'd been looking deep, hoping to find some clue or connection to my father as these were old files. But I'd found none, instead something baffling.

I pieced it all together slowly; someone was shipping off money from some account and there was an anomaly in a contract that could cause Volkov a great deal of damage. Why hadn't they seen it? I'd gone through it over and over again, my heart swelling with satisfaction each time. Who knows? This could be the Achilles heel I needed. My fingers hovered over the export button. One click and I'd send his company crashing to the ground. But that'll be too easy. I swore to make him cry blood. 

“Working late on your first day, I see.” A voice suddenly sounded, and my mouth went dry.

I froze, as the voice sent a spark running through my spine. Deep, commanding, I knew who it was even without turning around. My heartbeat doubled. 

“You look like you've seen a ghost,” the voice sounded much closer. He was advancing towards me. Holy shit.

“Tell me, what did you find?”