LOGINTheo’s POVThe anonymous call had changed everything.Aurora had played it for me on speaker the moment it happened. The distorted voice, the threat, the chilling final words — “This isn’t finished.” Her face had gone pale, her hands shaking as she clutched the phone. I held her through the panic attack that followed, her heart fluttering dangerously against my chest while I whispered promises I wasn’t sure I could keep.I couldn’t let this continue.The next morning, I met Mark in a quiet corner of the athletic complex, far from prying eyes. He had been my closest friend through all of this, the only one besides Mia who knew fragments of the truth. His eyes were serious when I explained the call.“Anonymous number. Couldn’t trace it from her phone. I need your help. We find who’s behind this. And we deal with Jake and Cassie.”Mark nodded without hesitation. “Jake first. That bastard kidnapped her. Cassie second — the photos were her doing. I’ll make some calls. I know people who can
Aurora’s POVThe nightmares came relentlessly, night after night, like a shadow that refused to be banished by the daylight.I would jolt awake in the dead of night, gasping for air, my heart hammering against my ribs in that terrifying, irregular flutter my doctor had warned me about since childhood. In the dreams, Jake’s hands were always on me — rough, insistent, pinning me to that cold wooden chair in the damp warehouse while he forced the manipulated photo of Theo and Cassie in front of my eyes. The gag in my mouth tasted of dust and fear, muffling my screams into pathetic whimpers. The ropes burned my wrists raw with every desperate tug. His mocking laugh echoed through the empty space, growing louder, more sinister. Sometimes the nightmare twisted further: Theo never came. Jake succeeded. I was alone, exposed to the world, my secret love with Theo broadcast for everyone to see and judge. The shame, the terror, the betrayal — it all crashed over me until I woke up sobbing, body
Theo’s POVThe rage never left me.It burned like a live coal in my chest, hot and unrelenting, flaring brighter every time I looked at the fading bruises on Aurora’s wrists or the fear that still lingered in her eyes when she woke from nightmares. Jake had put his hands on her. He had tied her up. He had tried to force himself on her. He had terrorized the woman I loved more than life itself.I couldn’t let that slide.I sat in the corner of my dorm late one night, Aurora sleeping peacefully in my bed after another emotional round of lovemaking. Her naked body was curled under the sheets, hair fanned across my pillow, the faint marks of my passion still visible on her neck and thighs. She looked so vulnerable, so precious. My fists clenched at my sides as memories of that warehouse flooded back — her muffled screams, Jake’s mocking laugh, the terror in her eyes when he showed her that manipulated photo of me and Cassie.No. This wasn’t over.I needed to do something about Jake. I nee
Theo’s POVI sat across from my mom in the quiet kitchen of our city apartment, the late afternoon light filtering through the blinds and casting long shadows across the table. The weight of the words I had just spoken hung heavy in the air between us. My mom stared at me, her eyes wide with shock, the spoon in her hand frozen mid-stir in her tea. The diagnosis of her heart condition had brought me home for the week, but the real reason I had finally confessed everything was the unbearable guilt of hiding Aurora from the one person who might understand.“Theo… Aurora?” she whispered, voice barely audible. “Damien and Elara’s daughter? Your cousin?”I nodded, throat tight, fingers gripping the edge of the table. “Yes. But it’s not like that. We didn’t know who the other was when we met at Crestwood. It started as hate, arguments, fights… then something real happened. I love her, Mom. More than I’ve ever loved anyone. She’s not just family. She’s my everything. The one who makes me want
Aurora’s POVTheo’s phone rang late that evening while we were tangled together in his bed, our bodies still slick from another passionate round of lovemaking. His mom’s condition had been stable but concerning since the initial diagnosis. When he answered, his entire body tensed beneath me.“Mom? What’s wrong?” His voice was tight. I stayed curled against his chest, listening to the one-sided conversation, my heart already sinking. “Serious? When? … I’m coming home right now. No, don’t argue. I’ll be there as soon as I can. I love you.”He hung up, eyes dark with worry. “Her heart disorder got worse suddenly. They’re admitting her again. The doctors are worried. I have to go home for at least a week. Maybe longer.”Tears pricked my eyes. The thought of him leaving for a whole week felt unbearable after everything we had survived — Jake’s kidnapping attempt, Cassie’s photo leak, the constant secrecy. But family came first. I kissed his chest softly. “Go. Be with her. I’ll be okay here
Aurora’s POVThe nightmares came relentlessly.Every night since the warehouse, I woke up gasping for air, heart pounding in that terrifying, irregular rhythm my doctor had warned me about. In the dreams, Jake’s hands were always on me — rough, possessive, pinning me to that cold wooden chair while he forced the manipulated photo of Theo and Cassie in front of my eyes. The gag in my mouth. The ropes burning my wrists. His mocking laugh echoing through the empty space. Sometimes the nightmare twisted further: Theo never came. Jake succeeded. I was alone, exposed, broken.Theo held me through every single one.It had been three days since Mia had rescued me from the warehouse. We were back in his dorm, the only place that felt truly safe. Mia had taken full responsibility for covering for me with my parents and campus life, telling everyone I was “recovering from a bad stomach flu.” In reality, I had barely left Theo’s bed. He skipped as many classes as he could, brought me food, held m







