Do Not Leave Yet. I Still Need You.

Aurora Brooks POV

I entered another room beside the previous one. It was quiet. Peaceful, as long as that man's breathing was far away from me.

I lay down on a wide couch and tried to sleep. I forced my eyes shut again and again. Sleep only came after two long hours of thinking about what had happened between us. I had been weak because I was fragile. But after that moment, he would never touch me again. Not even over my dead body.

Morning finally tore the sky open with soft golden light. I opened my eyes slowly and realized I was lying on a large bed inside a spacious bedroom. I looked at my miserable state. My hair was a mess, my clothes twisted and wrinkled, as if I had just come back from a brutal war.

"I was on a couch in the next room. Who brought me here?"

Dizziness hit me as I got out of the bed, swaying from side to side. I opened the door and walked through the hallway, searching for the captain's face with a foggy mind.

After a useless search upstairs, I went down. Then I heard noise coming from a room deep below the house, somewhere in the underground floor. I walked down the stairs toward it.

I found him there.

His chest was bare. He wore nothing but a pair of training pants. His muscular body stole every bit of my attention while his powerful fists smashed into a heavy punching bag.

He stopped punching when he noticed my wide eyes staring at him.

"Good morning, little one."

My eyes rolled up to the ceiling helplessly.

"A terrible morning, since I woke up here."

Sweat dripped from the front strands of his hair, sliding slowly over his skin. The sight looked almost obscene. As if his body had been designed to tempt me at the worst possible moment.

"Who stopped you from leaving? Your father is probably waiting at the door to welcome you warmly."

My eyes narrowed as I walked closer to him.

"Are you mocking me, or is it just my imagination?"

He removed the thick boxing gloves from his hands. Then he gently took my palms.

"You need to learn self defense, little one."

He slid the first glove onto my right hand, then the other onto my left without even looking at me. I kept staring at his tense face without blinking.

"You are right this time."

He murmured quietly.

"Imagine this bag is your father. Give him the punishment he deserves."

When I stood behind the punching bag, he wrapped an arm around my waist and adjusted my stance.

"You need to spread your legs more."

My dirty thoughts... go away. Not now.

He leaned close to my ear while guiding the movement of my feet.

"You can start now."

I took a deep breath. I closed my eyes and punched the bag with all my strength.

His breath against my neck ruined my focus and twisted my thoughts while I kept hitting the sand filled bag.

His hot breath brushed my ear again.

"Harder."

I punched the bag again. A painful groan escaped my chest, carrying years of exhaustion from life.

"Is there anything stronger than that?"

My shining hair fell over my face. Without hesitation he slowly moved it away.

My eyes shifted to the corner of my vision, trying to see what he was doing near my waist.

And I could feel his arousal pressing forward like a solid mountain, pushing toward me in a wild way.

"I am leaving."

His fingers were still playing with my hair. Free. As if my protest meant nothing.

"Do not leave yet. I still need you."

His sinful fingers slowly slid downward along my bare thighs. I felt the skin of his fingertips brushing my legs as they moved toward the space between my thighs.

Without thinking, I punched his chest violently and stepped away from that intimate position.

"You are an extremely shameless man."

My fingers grabbed his arrogant face. His sweat had dried, but his tattooed chest kept stealing my innocent glances and corrupting them by force.

"I am leaving this house. You will never see me again."

I removed the glove and threw it to the ground.

He only pushed his hair back calmly, completely ignoring what I said.

I ran toward the main door and opened it. Then I ran again to the iron gate and pushed it open quickly.

With wild steps I rushed toward my house.

Five minutes later I reached our neighborhood.

Our door was closed, but the window of my room was open.

I knocked softly. Amelia opened the door.

She gasped in shock and threw herself into my arms happily.

"My sister. You are finally back."

I gently rubbed her back and asked in a low voice.

"Is that animal here?"

She answered with innocent regret.

"He has not returned yet. He left after you last night and went to some place to drink."

I nodded with deep relief.

At least he would think I slept at home.

I went up to my room without answering my mother, who had already started throwing endless questions at me. The moment Ivy saw me, she ran toward me in panic.

"Aurora."

She hugged me tightly.

"Where did you sleep last night? I was so worried about you."

I murmured coldly into her black hair.

"At Nicole's."

She tightened her arms around me like she had not seen me in years.

"That was the best thing you could do, my dear."

Then she asked with painful worry.

"Did he hurt you? That bastard."

When she lowered her head, she shook it slowly.

"No. But he kept shouting your name and calling you horrible things. He slapped Mom and told her she failed to raise us."

I sat on the edge of the bed.

"After that he left to his usual place. He will come back drunk soon, like always."

I walked to my bed and fell into it, my nerves completely drained.

"I am going to rest. I do not feel well."

She understood that I wanted to be alone. She kissed my forehead softly and left the room, heading downstairs.

Hours passed in deep sleep.

Then I woke up to the sound of Ivy crying beside me on the bed.

I opened my eyes slowly. My voice was heavy with sleep.

"Ivy... what is wrong?"

She held her stomach with both hands and burst into tears, trying to hide the sound but failing.

"Tell me, Ivy. What is going on?"

I stood up and moved toward her. Dizziness was tearing through my head while her sobbing grew louder.

"Stop crying, for God's sake, and tell me."

Her breathing broke apart as she tried to speak.

"Ethan."

Fear exploded inside my wounded chest. My eyes widened in shock.

"What about Ethan? Did something happen to him?"

She drowned in another wave of crying. She could barely wipe her nose before speaking.

"He told me his father changed his mind about the marriage. He said he does not approve of our engagement anymore after hearing about my father and the way he treats people."

My fist tightened around my dress.

He wants to choke me. Twist my arm again.

He is attacking me through what I told him.

As if he wants revenge for what I did to him last night.

As if he wants to drag me under his control.

I spoke through clenched teeth while tears filled my eyes.

"I will solve the problem."

She whispered with a broken voice from all the crying.

"How, Aurora?"

I shook my head weakly.

"Where does that man work? Which port exactly?"

She quickly grabbed her phone and opened it. Her fingers trembled, but she was stronger than me.

"I will send you the address. But how will you solve this problem, Anna?"

I smiled bitterly while wiping her tears away.

I took a deep breath.

"My way. Trust your sister. Everything will be solved tomorrow. You and Ethan will be together soon."