LOGINAurora’s POVPain dragged me back to consciousness and I gasped, I could hear voices, it was distant at first then it got closer.It was a man’s voice, he asked something and another voice answered. Someone else moved around the room.Where was I?The last thing I remembered was the masked woman torturing me and the photograph of Julian standing beside another woman at the altar.The explosions and then darkness. My heart skipped and my eyes snapped open.Bright light immediately flooded my vision and I winced.The white ceiling above me slowly came into focus.I was in a hospital, someone had found me, I turned my head carefully.“Easy.” I heard a man’s voice sayI froze and a stranger sat in a chair beside my bed.He was tall and dark -haired with an expensive suit.He offered a small smile.“Welcome back to earth.” He said I stared at him and my throat felt dry.“Who are you?”The man stood up “Lucien Laurent.”Lucien poured a glass of water and handed it to me, I hesitated but
Julian’s POVI had imagined my wedding day many times.Not because I wanted one quite the opposite.I imagined it the same way a man imagines an execution.Something inevitable.Something unpleasant.Something he survives rather than enjoys.Unfortunately, reality was proving even worse.The cathedral was beautiful.Ancient stone walls stretched toward a vaulted ceiling painted with centuries-old artwork.Sunlight poured through stained-glass windows, casting colors across the marble floor. Rows of guests filled the pews.Mostly the Brotherhood members and Victor’s family since it was his daughter’s marriage.Everyone looked happy. Everyone except me.I adjusted my tie for what felt like the hundredth time.“Stop doing that.” Lucien’s voice came from beside me.I glanced at him.“I hate you.” I said with a serious faceHe smiled. “No, you don’t.”The church bells rang outside, the signal that everything was beginning it was too late to escape now.Not that I hadn’t considered it sever
Aurora’s POV…Pain.That was the first thing I felt. It pulsed through my entire body, dragging me awake inch by inch.My head throbbed and my wrists burned.My throat felt dry and I choked on air. My eyes snapped open and everything was pitch black, i blinked several times before realizing there was a single dim light hanging from the ceiling.The room looked like some kind of basement without windows and no furniture except for the metal chair I was tied to.My wrists were secured behind me and my ankles were bound to the chair legs.Panic immediately surged through me, I tugged against the restraints.They didn’t move and my breathing quickened.Think.Think, Aurora.Panicking wasn’t going to help, I forced myself to look around. The room was empty and cold.A shiver ran through me. How long had I been unconscious?Hours?A day?Longer?I had no idea, my phone was gone. My bag was gone.I was completely alone. The realization settled heavily in my chest.Bella.Vivienne.Rafael.
Aurora’s POV..It’s been two weeks already.Approximately fourteen days. Three hundred and thirty-six hours. Not that I was counting.Okay maybe I had counted once or twice. Or every single day since Julian left.But that didn’t matter because I was moving on now, at least that was what I kept telling myself.Every morning when I woke up and every morning when I went to work.Every morning I reminded myself that Julian Hawthorne was gone and he didn’t care so I shouldn’t care either.And if my chest hurt every time I thought about it?Well.That was my problem not his.I wiped down another table and sighed. The diner was nearly empty now only one customer remained.An old man in the corner who came every Thursday night.He was currently taking a cup of coffee while reading a newspaper. The clock above the counter read 10:43 PM.Almost closing time.Thank God, my feet were killing me. The diner had been busy all day.I tucked a loose strand of hair behind my ear and continued cleaning
Julian’s POVI hated the Brotherhood meetings.I hated them because every time fourteen of the most powerful people in different countries gathered around this table, someone inevitably decided they knew what was best for my life.Tonight was proving exactly why. The meeting hall occupied the top floor of an old mansion overlooking Paris.A long black table was in the center of the room with fourteen seats for fourteen members.Fourteen people who could ruin countries if they felt motivated enough.And unfortunately, I was one of them.I sat at the head of the table while the others gradually took their seats.To my right sat Lucien Laurent, my oldest ally and one of the few people in the Brotherhood I genuinely trusted.Next to him was Matteo Ricci, an Italian businessman with a permanent smirk and a talent for making enemies.Beside Matteo sat Dante Moretti, another Italian who looked like he’d rather be committing murder than attending meetings, he looked like a hulk in his suit.A
Julian’s POVI looked out my window of my private jet as I took a sip of my drink.The city below had long disappeared.Miles of ocean and clouds stretched beneath us.Normally I enjoyed flying, it gave me time to think.Today I wished I could stop thinking.Every time I closed my eyes, I saw Aurora with thsoe tears and her breaking voice.My lips were a little sore form where she had bit me, I chuckled.How viscious.Maybe I had.I loosened my tie and leaned back. The cabin was silent except for the low hum of the engines.Across from me sat two of my men, they were stiff and pretending not to notice my mood which was smart of them cause I wasn’t in thr mood for idle talks.My phone remained in my hand.A stupid habit.I kept expecting a message that wasn’t coming, Aurora hated me now that was the point.So why did it feel like I’d lost something important?The aircraft began its descent and one of my men looked up.“We’ll be landing soon, Capo.”I nodded.The title still sounded str
Rafael’s POV…..I look at the broken bottles and sigh, Hilda walks in “Oh, she got really angry” she said looking at the broken bottles “Get me new ones, exactly the same fragrance” “Miss Isabella injured her leg” “Just leave her alone” I said Hilda cleaned up the mess and left, I grabb
Isabella’s POV…..Shit… Sebastian and the blonde woman walks to our table and Rafael tenses besides me.The moment Sebastian reaches our table, the air tightens.And I could feel everyone staring at us.The blonde woman remains tucked against his arm, her manicured fingers resting possessively a
Isabella's pov….Rafael's eyes doesn't leave mine, and I could see his gaze trailing over me form my outfit to my lips and then my eyes “What's the you doing?“ I choke out “Why” he asks quietlyHis voice low and controlling “Why do you enjoy driving me insane?“ He says again My stoma
Rafael’s POV…..She closed her door harder then necessary, and the sight of her angry and waiting for me still lingered in my mind. I stood at the counter, taking a sip of whiskey to drown out whatever emotions I was starting to feel... Isabella was fiesty and all the banter and back and forth w







