Camila knew Damien might cut her off for this, but something told her that he was going to ask Aurora to terminate the pregnancy, as he didn’t look pleased with the news.“What did you say?” Old man Vladimir asked, making Camila smile.“She’s pregnant, Grandpa. He’s going to be a father,” she said, which made Daniel chuckle.“Why so soon?” he laughed, and the old man smiled.“That’s a man who wants to live life on his own terms. That’s a man of principle,” he said proudly, while Daniel scoffed, wiping his lips as he stood up and left the dining table.“Father, every man has his own priorities,” Clara said, making old man Vladimir scoff.“You should be happy. You’ll be a grandmother soon,” he said, calling out to his butler.“I know where my excitement truly lies,” Clara said, catching John’s attention.“Damien is your son too,” John said as Clara scoffed and put down her cutlery.“I know how many children I gave birth to, John,” she said, standing up, while old man Vladimir shook his
Inside the wet, dark cell room, two men sat far from each other. They didn’t know how many hours they had been there, but it felt like an eternity.“I told you we should leave, but you relied on that bastard who can’t even outdo his brother. Now look where we are,” one of the men said, causing the other to sigh. At that moment, they heard the rumbling sound of chains, and the door opened.The light turned on, and they immediately shut their eyes, trying to adjust to the sudden brightness.They could hear footsteps—more than one person or even two.As they tried to open their eyes, they saw Damien in a wheelchair with three bodyguards.Damien’s cold gaze stared daggers at the two men, who immediately bowed their heads.“Tie them down,” he said quietly. Two guards stepped forward, raised the men, and sat them in iron chairs, binding them with chains.“Daniel asked you to kill me, but you didn’t do a good job. Why?” he asked. Both men frowned and then scoffed.“We don’t know what you—”O
Agatha smiled at her colleague, who handed her the table number for her next order.“Two young women at table five, please. They asked for water and juice,” her colleague said. Agatha nodded and took the order.She had been selected by the restaurant’s headquarters to serve at the forum, and she was excited at the prospect of meeting wealthy guests.Walking to the table, Agatha served the drinks. As she did, a familiar face caught her attention, and she gasped.“Aurora,” she called, eyes wide with surprise.Aurora frowned at the waitress who had just said her name. The voice was familiar, but she couldn’t place it.“Excuse me?” Camila asked, prompting Agatha to bow quickly.“Sorry, ma’am,” Agatha said, but she couldn’t help stealing glances at Aurora.“Do you know me?” Aurora asked, confusion evident in her voice.“I’m sorry, I must have been mistaken,” Agatha replied and left immediately.The face and voice were Aurora’s, but her demeanor and expression were different. Agatha wondere
Aurora gasped. She didn’t know what was going on, but one thing was certain—it wasn’t good.She saw two men dragging the unconscious taxi driver to the side of the bush. At that moment, she immediately grabbed her phone to call Damien. The moment her phone began to ring, one of the men opened the car door and dragged her out.Damien was in his study, redesigning the company Daniel had tried to sabotage. His vice president had returned, and they were on a conference call when his phone rang. It was Aurora.He frowned. He knew he was the last person Aurora would call, but he answered anyway.“Speak,” he said, only to hear Aurora’s desperate plea.“Please, don’t hurt me! I’m pregnant!” Her terrified voice broke through the line before the call abruptly ended.“Hello?” Damien frowned, calling the number back, but it was switched off.Immediately, Damien called Camila.“I’m sorry, I didn’t—”“Where’s my wife?” Damien’s cold voice cut through, making Camila frown.“I sent her home already.”
Aurora chuckled, knowing the influence Damien had out there. For some reason, she felt proud being his woman, even though it was clear she wasn’t his forever—only for a period of time. “I guess you recognize him,” Aurora said, causing the man to burst out laughing. They had been anonymously hired for the kidnapping, so he didn’t actually know who sent them, but they had been paid very well. “We’ll know after I have you,” he said, smiling. Aurora folded herself, scared. He approached her, licking his lips while Aurora tried to untie her hands, but to no avail. The struggle began to make her wrists red. As he approached, he bent down and held her face while she struggled to free herself. “Don’t touch me! I’m pregnant, please,” she pleaded. He dragged Aurora down, but suddenly, a gunshot sounded, making Aurora scream. “Ahhhhh!!!” Aurora screamed out loud in horror as the blood of the man in front of her splashed all over her face. “Ahhhh!!” she kept screaming as he fell o
The morning sun rose high, casting its bright, golden rays across the room, illuminating Aurora’s serene face. Her soft, dark hair framed her delicate features, tucked neatly behind her ears. Her skin, smooth and glowing like polished peach, reflected the sun’s warmth as if nature itself admired her beauty. Aurora moaned softly, her body stirring under the silk sheets, the corners of her lips twitching into a relaxed expression.But something was off.The scent in the air was unfamiliar—sharp and distinctly masculine. It wasn’t the gentle lavender aroma she was accustomed to waking up to. Her brows furrowed as she turned on the bed, pulling the blanket closer. Slowly, her heavy eyelids fluttered open, revealing the room’s dark, unfamiliar surroundings.She sat up abruptly, her heart pounding as she scanned her surroundings. This wasn’t her room. The walls were a dull gray, with heavy, dark curtains that muffled the sunlight’s entrance. The air was cold and almost suffocating. Everythi
Beverly’s eyes followed Aurora as she turned to Butler Thomas.“Where’s Stella?” Aurora asked.“She’s in the garden, madam,” Thomas replied, bowing respectfully.Beverly frowned. Her heart boiled with anger; she couldn’t believe the men she hired failed to carry out her orders. She had sent them Camila’s photo from her Instagram story and paid a hefty sum, yet they still couldn’t complete the task. Without another word, Beverly turned sharply and stormed toward Damien’s study.“Next time, if she comes visiting, don’t stop her,” Aurora said, turning back to Thomas. “She’s Damien’s lover, so let her in.”Aurora started toward the dining area but paused. “Has he eaten?”Thomas shook his head. “I’m about to serve his meal, madam.”“Leave it,” Aurora said.“Pardon, ma’am?” Thomas asked, confused.“I’ll serve him myself,” she said, smiling gently. Her newfound boldness surprised Thomas, but he nodded and went to set Damien’s meal.At the door to Damien’s study, Beverly stopped to compose he
Aurora’s eyes were wide open. She hadn’t expected Damien to kiss her, but it was something she had been craving from the man who had been giving her the “I don’t care” attitude.Damien slowly laid her down on the table as he continued to kiss her gently, waiting for her response. The moment she tried kissing him back, he bit her lower lip, eliciting a soft moan that granted him access to her warm mouth. As he deepened the kiss, Aurora felt a rush of emotions. She wouldn’t say she was inexperienced, but this felt entirely new to her. Aurora didn’t understand what Damien was doing, but she wasn’t going to back out.He slowly slid his hand under her gown, feeling her warm skin. Breaking the kiss, he traced a trail of kisses to her neck and whispered into her ear.“I want the gown off,” he said, turning to gauge her expression.Aurora’s blue eyes stared at him, shocked. Then, she immediately bowed her head, hiding a shy smile. Damien smiled at her shyness and pressed a soft kiss on her fo
It was morning. Stella had arranged office wear—a black pant, white inner blouse, and a suit. She also placed a pair of office heels and a deck of business cards Simon had brought yesterday.Aurora woke up to the delicious aroma of potato soup.“Good morning, madam,” Stella greeted, causing Aurora to smile broadly.“Madam, you will be late,” Stella whispered, making Aurora gasp.“Oh my goodness! I forgot I’m going to work!” she exclaimed excitedly, rushing into the bathroom.“Ma’am, Miss Agatha is calling—FaceTime,” Stella said. But Aurora didn’t respond. She brushed her teeth as quickly as she could, then dashed to the bathroom to freshen up before hurrying to the wardrobe.“Oh, Stella,” Aurora called excitedly as she wore the clothes that Stella had carefully selected.“Ma’am, you have to eat. Boss—”“I’ll eat at the office cafeteria. Wish me luck!” Aurora said excitedly, rushing out with the handbag Stella handed her.Stella sighed and then blushed.“She’s such a kid,” she whispere
Damien watched his father furiously hitting the table in frustration. His hand folded into a fist as he tried to control his anger. “I asked, what did you sign at the hospital?” he demanded, prompting Damien to chuckle. “Accepting the shares. Why?” Damien replied, causing John to clench his fist. Apparently, his father hadn’t been given any position in the company. “I refuse to be left out of the family company!” he shouted angrily. Damien looked at the lawyer who had packaged everything; the man gave a bow and left. “What should I do about— “He didn’t even give Ciara anything. That’s wickedness,” John interrupted. Damien looked at Simon, who immediately rushed to help him up. “Since you only have 5% shares in the company, I advise you to stay away. I’ll be appointing a new CEO,” Damien said, making John scoff. “Sly old bastard. He even gave properties to an unborn child. This is absurd,” John muttered, then sighed. “I refuse to accept this,” he said and left. Aurora looked a
Aurora’s eyes scanned Sarah, then she sighed. Camila stared at the pregnant woman, who looked a little disheveled with swollen eyes, like she had been crying.“Don’t act dumb with me, Aurora,” Sarah said, prompting another sigh from Aurora.“I don’t know—”“Don’t play dumb with me!” Sarah snapped, grabbing Aurora’s shirt. Immediately, the guards dragged her away from Aurora.“Be careful,” Aurora said, then sighed.“He said he was with you. Once your husband paid the ransom, we would pay our debt. Those were the last words he said,” Sarah cried.“And what does she have to do with that?” Camila asked, causing Sarah to scoff.“Why? Every time he talks about you, he—”“He talks about how I can be the source to pay for your debt? Why does it have to be me? You both stabbed me deep in the heart, knowing I have no one else. What do you want from me?” Aurora cut in angrily.“We didn’t stab you. You were in my space. I wanted you to leave,” Sarah replied.“Fine. I left. So why are you both sti
The sound of rumbling chains stirred Daniel awake. His head felt heavy, and he groaned, rubbing his neck before finally opening his eyes.This place looked familiar. He had been here before.The image of Damien beating him flashed through his mind, making him sit up immediately.“Looks like you remember where you are,” Simon’s voice sounded, prompting Daniel to raise his head.“Why am I here?” he asked, making Simon chuckle.“Isn’t it obvious?” Simon replied, then sighed. “You’ll be staying here for a while until my boss recovers. You’ve been causing a nuisance.”Daniel scoffed. “Do you think he can do anything? He can’t kill me.”Simon burst out laughing. “Before you forget—the only person the boss ever listened to, the only person who could make him reconsider, is dead. Your mother killed him. Now he has no conscience to hold him back. The beating was a warning, but you didn’t listen. Don’t worry, I’ll either arrange your funeral or visit once you’re disabled. I hope you choose wise
The maid stood as she watched her madam bite her fingers nervously. Beverly gently relaxed her palm on her stomach before sighing.“When you approached Kayla, what did she say?” Beverly asked, prompting her maid to sigh.“She asked me why I was looking for you. She said you disappeared, and though she looked for you, there was no clue as to where you might be. So she gave up. Instead of continuing the search, she decided to focus her energy on caring for your sick mother and handling her company,” the maid replied, making Beverly sigh in relief.“That means my mother is alright,” she said, visibly relieved.She had also not seen Damien or Aurora at the funeral. She wondered where those two had gone while they were burying the old man.Beverly released a breath of relief and relaxed her back, gently rubbing her slightly protruding stomach. A smile spread across her face as she imagined how hurt and surprised that bitch would be to see she was the first woman to bear Damien a child.⸻T
Aurora’s eyes remained wide open, her mouth slightly parted as she slowly raised her head to look at Damien. His weak eyes stared back at her, and his lips were dry and cracked.Tears began to flow from her eyes as she stared at him.“Will you stop…” Damien tried to speak.Aurora cut him off with an intended kiss — a kiss of gratitude, pain and love, filled with joy for surviving.His lips were dry, and she could feel it. He was too weak to energetically kiss her back.Aurora broke the kiss and hugged him tightly.“Awch,” Damien hissed in pain as her hands touched his bandaged hand.“Oh… sorry, baby,” she said, wiping her tears.“Baby,” Damien called, looking at her, causing Aurora to sigh.“No time for jokes, Damien,” she said, making Damien chuckle.“Come here, you love crying too much,” he said, patting her hair slowly.“When did you wake up?” she asked, and Damien smiled.“You’ve been on the phone with Camila — how would you notice your husband has been awake since morning?” he te
Inside the presidential suite, the steady beep of the life-support machine filled the room. Aurora clung tightly to Damien’s unconscious hand, her tears refusing to stop. She thought he was dead. After waiting endlessly for the surgery to end, her heart had pounded without rest, desperate in prayer for her husband’s life.She had forgotten she was bleeding and her clothes were stained until a nurse approached, gently handing her clean clothes and sanitary supplies.Raising her head to gaze at Damien’s sleeping face, Aurora closed her eyes and continued sobbing. Simon, standing nearby, could feel the heaviness of her grief. He sighed, then approached quietly.“Madam,” he whispered, leaning close.“Ma—”Just then, the door burst open. Camila and Agatha rushed in.“What happened?” Camila cried, her eyes already filled with tears as she hurried to Damien’s side.Aurora sat up, allowing Agatha to pull her into a comforting hug.“I thought he was dead,” Aurora whispered brokenly into Agatha
John cleared his throat, then smiled at Aurora. “Aurora,” he called, smiling. “Father,” Aurora responded with a smile. “Sir Damien,” the manager who was with John now greeted. “I’ve told you to stay away from anything that has to do with my mother,” Damien said, making John sigh. “Thank you for your help, Manager Christ. I’ll take my leave,” John said and left. “You’re fired,” Damien said as he entered the elevator with Aurora. “Boss, I’m sorry, he—” The manager tried to plead, but the elevator doors closed. “You can’t just fire—” “It’s my company, my rules. I warned him. My father’s presence here—I should be informed. He disobeyed me. I would have sent him to the hospital before firing him, but you’re here. I don’t want to traumatize you,” Damien said. Aurora gently held his hand. “At least… aren’t you curious to know why your father came?” “Same reason as always. It’s his dead wife’s property. He came to visit,” Damien replied, making Aurora sigh. “Well, I don’t see an
Aurora walked into the wardrobe where Damien was, after she was done eating. Her eyes widened, and she couldn’t help but chuckle.“What’s funny?” Damien turned around, wearing white pants and a beach shirt.“What’s in all these boxes?” she asked, opening one.“Ahh…” she looked at Damien, who smiled.“Go and bathe. I’ll fix your sanitary items for you,” he said, causing Aurora to bow her head, then chuckle again.“Do you want to start a company for manufacturing sanitary pads?” she asked.“Do you want me to?” he responded, making Aurora smile, then sigh.“You already have too much on your plate. That’s very unnecessary,” she said as she opened another box.“Oh, Damien…” she muttered upon seeing it was filled with tampons.“Go and bathe. I’ll select clothes for you to wear. I didn’t order other clothes along—I was in a haste while ordering all of them,” he said, and Aurora nodded.“Actually, I don’t like tampons. They make me uncomfortable,” she said, then left the wardrobe.In less tha