CHAPTER 1

THE CRUELEST BETRAYAL

Aurora couldn't tear her gaze away from the pregnancy test clutched in her hand as tears blurred her vision. She was laughing and crying all at once, unable to believe a tiny life was growing inside her.

Her joy was beyond words. She had suspected it after missing her period for two months, but now there was no doubt. Aurora placed a hand on her flat stomach and let out a soft sigh as visions of a beautiful future filled her mind.

Excited, Aurora cut her business trip short and rushed home to surprise her fiancé with the news. The flight was only three hours, but it felt agonizingly long. She just wanted to be home.

The moment she arrived in Milan, she didn't waste a second. She hailed a cab and went straight to Adrian's office. She grinned at everyone who greeted her along the way, happiness sparkling in her eyes as she reached the CEO's office on the nineteenth floor.

"Miss Bennett, you can't go in.

Aurora narrowed her eyes at her fiancé's broad-shouldered bodyguard. I didn't come to the office for just one week, and you've already forgotten who I am?

She sighed, refusing to let it ruin her mood. "I'm his fiancée, Luca. I don't need your permission or anyone else's to enter his office. Move aside. I want to see him right now," Aurora said, trying to get past him, but he continued to block her way.

"I'm sorry, Miss Bennett, but the boss is in an important meeting. He told me not to disturb him no matter what, so I can't let you in," Luca said, holding her arm to stop her from opening the door.

Aurora pulled her hand away. "Don't stop me if you don't want to lose your job!" she warned, shooting him an irritated look before composing herself. Smiling, she excitedly opened the door.

"Surpri—" Aurora froze, the word dying in her throat as the scene before her left her too stunned to react.

Her fiancé was standing behind her half-sister, Vanessa, who was on all fours across the desk. His pants were pulled down to his knees as he gripped her hips, ready to thrust into her. He stopped the moment he saw Aurora.

Aurora stood frozen, unable to process what she was seeing. In an instant, the happiest moment of her life had turned into her worst nightmare.

Adrian and Vanessa were equally stunned to see her.

"Aurora... y-you were supposed to be back in two days!" Adrian stammered before clearing his throat. He quickly stepped away from Vanessa and pulled up his pants. Vanessa, however, only smirked at her.

The proud look on Vanessa's face made Aurora's blood boil. She and her stepsister had never gotten along, but she had never imagined Vanessa would sink so low as to seduce and steal her fiancé.

And Adrian, that cheating jerk! He had promised her love and faithfulness. Was this how he chose to prove it?

"It's not what you're thinking. Let me explain," Adrian said carefully, his eyes filled with panic as he watched Aurora grip the doorknob tightly while Vanessa calmly dressed herself.

"Aurora, are you listening to me, darling?" Adrian asked, reaching out to touch her.

She inhaled sharply the moment he touched her arm. It felt as though a snake had brushed against her skin. She finally tore her eyes away from her hateful half-sister and looked into the blue eyes of the man who claimed to love her more than anyone else.

A wave of anger rushed through her body, but she slowly nodded. "I'd like to hear your explanation," she said through clenched teeth, staring into his eyes. "Explain!"

Leaving the doorknob, Aurora walked up to him.

"Explain, you bastard!" Aurora shouted, shoving him hard in the chest.

Adrian tightened his jaw at her sudden reaction and raised his hands defensiveness. "Calm down and hear me out. It was just sex, Aurora. It didn't mean anything."

Aurora froze, unable to believe what she had just heard. Was this the same man she had fallen in love with? She stared at him in disbelief, as if he had just cracked the most absurd joke. That bastard had no shame. Aurora raised her hand and slapped his face.

Adrian's head jerked to the side from the force of the blow.

"Just sex? How could you say that without a shred of remorse? Don't you have any shame? How could you make a mockery of my love and dignity like this?" Aurora cried, beating her fists against his chest. She was overcome with rage. She was carrying his child, and he was being unfaithful to her. Her life had turned into a cruel joke.

"Stop it!" Adrian shouted, grabbing her wrists and roughly shoving her away. A startled cry escaped her lips as she lost her balance and slammed against the door frame.

Her hand quickly went to her stomach protectively, fear for her baby rising in her heart.

"I don't give a damn about you or your love. I never did. I love Vanessa, not you," Adrian shouted.

Aurora's world came crashing down. Vanessa walked over to Adrian and stood beside him, wrapping her arm around his proudly.

"He doesn't want you, Aurora. He wants me," Vanessa taunted.

Aurora was stunned, unable to understand how her life had fallen into such a terrible mess. Then her heart skipped a beat as she remembered the baby growing inside her.

"We planned to have children together, Adrian!" The words slipped out before she could stop them.

Adrian laughed like a madman. Vanessa laughed along with him before lifting her head to look at Aurora.

"What children? I don't want any damn kid with you. Everything I told you was a lie. I only wanted the piece of land your mother left for you, baby. You refused to sell it, and my father and I wanted it no matter what. So I pretended to love you. I wouldn't have given you a second look if it wasn't for that land."

Aurora gasped. It felt like the ground had disappeared beneath her feet. He had only been with her because of the orphanage property.

It was the last gift her mother had left her, and she had planned to build an orphanage there for underprivileged children. A few months ago, her stepmother had asked her to sell the land for millions, but she had refused.

She handed the land over to Adrian after he proposed to her, because he promised to use his father's influence to secure the government license for the orphanage.

"You have nothing that attracts me, Aurora. Your old-fashioned thinking and personality disgust me. No man would ever want a woman like you. Even sleeping with you was boring—it felt like I was fucking a lifeless doll."

Aurora's self-esteem shattered. Was this the same man who used to tell her how much he loved her and admired her personality?

"Look at your sister. Every man would choose a woman like Vanessa. She's stylish, outgoing, and beautiful, not a dull bitch like you."

Vanessa giggled at his words, making Aurora's blood boil. She could bear the pain of Adrian and her stepsister betraying her, but she would never let anyone take away the last gift her mother had left behind.

Adrian shoved Aurora toward the door, trying to throw her out. "Get out of here and out of my condo. I'm tired of seeing your ugly face. Get lost!"

That was the final blow Aurora could take. Her eyes blurred as tears threatened to fall, but she held them back. She refused to cry in front of them. She turned around, her face burning with anger.

"You think you can get away with this?" Aurora gritted out, pointing a finger at both of them. "You used me to steal my mother's land, didn't you? I won't let you keep it. I'll expose the truth about you to the whole world, Adrian!"

Adrian chuckled coldly. "Go ahead and do whatever you want. You can't even harm a hair on my head, Aurora. I'm Adrian Moretti, Leonardo Moretti's son! And you know what the Moretti family is capable of. We can wipe you out in seconds!"

Aurora's heart tightened at his threat. She clenched her fists, staring at both of them as they smiled smugly.

"Now get out. I don't want to see your face anymore. Your luggage will be sent to your father's house. I don't want you setting foot in my apartment again. Get out!"

Aurora closed her eyes. The shame and humiliation she felt at that moment couldn't be put into words. How had she failed to see his true colors? How had she believed all his empty promises? She felt like the biggest fool in the world.

Not anymore. She wouldn't be fooled again. Her baby deserved a strong mother, not a weak one. She wasn't going to waste another second standing there, crying over a relationship built on lies.

She gave him an emotionless nod. To Aurora, Adrian Moretti no longer existed.

She buried her humiliation and wiped away her tears before leaving for her father's house. She was going to tell him everything Vanessa and Adrian had done. She needed his help to get her mother's land back from the Moretti family.

However, Aurora never expected another shocking truth that would change her life forever.