Chapter 6

Aurea’s POV 

  "Ti sei persa, principessa?" (Are you lost, princess?) he growled.

Terrified, my survival instincts kicked in, and tried to take a step back to escape the heavy shadow of his frame. But the moment I moved, I instantly backed straight into another hard chest.

I gasped loudly, spinning around only to find myself staring at an identical face. But while the first brother had piercing gray eyes and blond hair, this twin possessed eyes as black and bottomless as obsidian just like his hair. Dark tattoos spilled out from beneath his rolled-up designer suit sleeves, disappearing down the back of his hands.

Before a scream could even form in my throat, a heavy, tattooed hand wrapped securely around my waist. With an inescapable grip, he effortlessly pulled my trembling body backward, slamming me flush against his hard, commanding frame.

"Ho fatto una domanda, principessa..." (I asked a question, princess) Velarius murmured against my ear, his deep voice dripping with a terrifying, heavy dominance. 

He leaned down, completely ignoring my stiff posture as he buried his face deeply into the crook of my neck, inhaling my scent with a deep, slow, possessive breath. Panic instantly ripped through my entire body. I fought wildly against his hold, my small hands frantically trying to pry his tattooed fingers off my waist.

"P-please... l-leave me a-alone," I sobbed out, the pathetic, broken words catching painfully in my throat as tears began to blur my vision. "I... I don't even u-understand what you're saying!"

Utter, crushing helplessness took over. He paid absolutely no attention to my tears or my cries. Instead, he mapped the sensitive skin of my throat with hot, open-mouthed kisses, pressing his heavy lower body firmly against mine. The sheer, overwhelming intimacy of the position made a small moan escape my lips.

Vincenzo, standing directly in front of us, stepped a little closer, his intense gaze locking onto my tear-streaked face. He reached out, his long, warm fingers tilting my chin up with a single, firm finger, forcing me to look at him. He spoke in a low, commanding Italian that made me desperately wish I had paid more attention when Nina tried to teach me.

"Fratello, questo è abbastanza per oggi. Abbiamo già spaventato a morte questo uccellino," (Brother, that’s enough for today. We’ve already scared the shit out of this little bird.) he murmured, his deep voice sending a shiver through me.

He leaned down, bringing his lips dangerously close to mine, before pressing a lingering, surprisingly soft kiss to the very corner of my trembling, wet lips.

Finally, the iron grip around my waist completely vanished—but not before the brother behind me dragged his lips harshly against my sensitive neck and gave my hip a firm, painfully possessive squeeze.

"Ci rivedremo, principessa." (We will meet again, princess.)

The moment I was freed, I turned and sprinted blindly back to my room with shaking legs. I slammed the heavy door shut, and sank straight onto the floor beside my wardrobe. I buried my face in my knees and began crying hysterically. No one had ever laid their hands on me in such a dominant, violating manner before. People stared at me, yes, but this was entirely different. I kept sobbing, completely losing track of time.

I don't know how long I sat there until the door suddenly clicked open. Someone rushed inside, and I violently flinched away.

"Hey... what's wrong, Rea?" Rita’s sweet, incredibly worried voice echoed in my room, “ What on earth are you doing on the floor?!"

  I snapped my head up to see Rita, her hands gripping a polished silver tray. Her eyes widened into saucers as she took in my pale face. She quickly set the tray down on a side table and rushed to my side, kneeling on the hard floor.

"What’s wrong, girl?" Rita hissed, her voice dropping to a worried whisper as she grabbed my trembling shoulders. 

"I... I rounded the corner," I choked out, my voice cracking violently as I clung to Rita’s forearms like a lifeline. "I didn't see them coming. And I collided right into them."

Rita gasped, her hand flying to her mouth as she frantically looked over her shoulder, as if expecting the twins to materialize from the shadows to execute us both on the spot. "Oh, sweet mother of God. You mean the masters?"

"Yes," I answered.

 Did you speak to them? Tell me you didn't say anything stupid, Aurea!"

"I didn't," I lied softly, my throat tightening.I couldn't bring myself to tell her the truth. “Vincenzo... Master Vincenzo told me to be careful. They just walked away," I whispered, forcing my voice to stabilize.

Rita let out a massive, trembling breath of relief, patting my shoulder as she stood back up. "You are incredibly lucky. Usually, anyone who interrupts their path gets dismissed immediately—or worse. Come on, pull yourself together. You need to wash your face. The head housekeeper is already breathing down everyone's necks in the kitchen, and we have an insane mountain of work to finish before the afternoon."

I nodded, allowing Rita to pull me to my feet. I smoothed down the fabric of my uniform, forcing my expression into a blank, emotionless mask. I had to survive. I had to focus on the work, but what if they touch me again, no that won’t happen, I repeated the lie to myself over and over again.

 I took a warm bath, after a few minutes Rita and I walked down to the kitchen, which was already a buzzing hive of high-stress activity. Dozens of chefs, maids, and footmen were moving in a blur of motion. The air was thick with the scent of roasted garlic, rich spices, and expensive coffee. I immediately threw myself into the chores, grabbing a polishing cloth and focusing entirely on the crystal glassware. I rubbed the glass until my hands turned raw, using the work to drown out the memory of them.

For the next three hours, I managed to hide in plain sight. I kept my head down, blending into the background like a ghost, desperately praying that the brothers had forgotten about me.

But my illusion of safety was shattered just before noon.

Signora Bianchi, the stern head housekeeper, stepped into the room. She was the only person allowed into the brothers' private wing. The entire kitchen went dead silent, Her cold, severe gaze swept across the room, ignoring the senior staff until her eyes locked directly onto me.

"Aurea," Signora called out, her voice echoing with a cold, formal authority.

I suddenly froze in place. I carefully set down the glass I was holding, my palms instantly breaking out into a cold sweat. "Yes, Signora?"

"Drop what you are doing," she commanded, stepping aside to reveal the grand hallway behind her. "Master Vincenzo and Master Velarius have requested lunch to be served in the private upper sunroom. And they explicitly demanded that you be the one to deliver the tray." 

A collective, suffocating gasp rippled through the rest of the maid, the polishing cloth slipped from my fingers and dropped to the floor, a cold chill raced down my spine.  As I saw Lyra’s face twist into an ugly, venomous scowl of pure hatred. Rita looked at me with wide, terrified eyes, shaking her head a fraction of an inch as if to say, don't go.

For the first time since escaping them this morning, I realized something terrifying.

they hadn't forgotten me.