Aurora Cruz.

Aurora’s pov

My heart hammered in my chest. I felt like a mess in front of him. I couldn’t withstand the intensity of his gaze. If I couldn’t even look him in the eye, how was I going to kill him? How was I going to avenge my father?

I couldn’t believe I was worried about my looks, my puffy red eyes from crying, tear-stained cheeks, hair sticking out at odd angles.

He had called me beautiful the first time we met. Did he still think I was beautiful? And why was he gawking at me in front of everyone?

No one said a word. I think they feared him. I glanced at the men in the room. Yes, they feared the man standing in front of me. The man who had made me blush so hard that night.

And then a thought crossed my mind.

“You have to let me go. You can’t take me away from my life and think there won’t be consequences. I have a family out there. They’ll be looking for me. I have a best friend. She won’t rest until she finds me,” I told him, my voice sharp. “I have a boyfriend…”

Nico snickered beside me, but I ignored him.

“He loves me. He would go through any lengths to find me,” I swore. “And I promise you, they will find me. The police will come here, and all of you will pay for your crimes. The ones I know about, and the ones I don’t.”

“What would you suggest I do?” he asked in a deep baritone voice.

I shuddered. I hadn’t expected him to speak. I didn’t even think he’d believe me. I was just trying my luck. But that voice, I had heard it before, and yet…

“What would you have me do?” he repeated. “To prevent the police from coming here?”

“I need to meet with them. They need to believe I’ve left of my own free will. Only then will they stop looking for me.” My heart was in my hands as I awaited his response.

“Hmmm,” was all he said before standing up and leaving.

My heart shattered.

Nico dragged me away and handed me off to the housekeeper.

“This is Nonna Rosa,” Nico said stiffly. “She’ll look after you.”

She was an older woman with silver hair.

“Come, bella,” she said softly. Her voice was warm. “You look tired.”

I didn’t speak. I didn’t thank her. I followed like a ghost, but not before casting one last glance at the spot where he’d been sitting. I shut my eyes, hating the emotions his voice stirred in me.

Get it together, Aurora.

We walked up the grand stairs and down a long hallway. She opened the door to a room so big, I almost laughed. The bed alone was bigger than my entire dorm room back in college. The walls were painted a soft cream, the windows draped in thick gold curtains. A vintage vanity sat in one corner, and a velvet armchair rested near an old fireplace that flickered with soft flames.

It was stunning.

But it was a cage. My cage.

I felt the tears returning. My legs carried me to the bed, and I sat down, barely breathing as the weight of it all pressed down on me. I wanted to scream. Instead, I stared at the fire until my vision blurred with tears.

Nonna Rosa placed a folded towel and robe at the edge of the bed. “The bathroom’s through there,” she said gently. “Everything you need is waiting.”

Then she left me alone in that beautiful prison.

That night, I cried into the expensive sheets, hugging a pillow that smelled like flowers. I cried for my father. For my freedom. For the life I once lived and loved.

I cried until my body gave out and I fell into a sleep so deep it scared me.

**

The next morning, I didn’t move. I just lay in bed, staring into the ceiling, consumed by my thoughts.

A knock at the door startled me.

Before I could answer, it creaked open and Nonna Rosa stepped in, carrying a tray and something draped in soft fabric over her arm.

“Buongiorno, bella,” she said brightly. “I brought breakfast. And something to wear.”

I sat up slowly. “Why are you helping them?” I blurted out.

Her smile faltered, just for a moment, but she didn’t reply.

She placed the tray on the vanity and handed me the dress. It was deep burgundy silk, elegant and modest. Not the sort of thing I’d ever pick for myself, but I couldn’t deny how beautiful it was.

“There’s warm bread, fruit, and espresso,” she added. “Eat, bathe, and be ready. He’s waiting for you.”

I blinked. “He?”

She nodded once, lips pursed. “He asked to see you this morning.”

A chill spread across my skin. I looked down at the dress. “What if I don’t want to see him?”

“You must,” she said gently but firmly. “It’s not safe to say no here.”

I wanted to scream again. Instead, I nodded. She smiled and left me to prepare.

I stood under the shower longer than I should have, trying to erase the ache in my bones.

He asked to see me. I wondered why. Was he finally going to kill me? He had sworn he’d show me a fate worse than death. What could that be? I was already living one. I was an orphan lost in a world I didn’t know, with no one I cared about around. What could be worse than this?

When I got out, I put on the dress, brushed my hair, and forced myself to eat a slice of bread and sip the espresso.

Then I stepped out into the hallway.

He was already there, standing at the foot of the stairs. A dark charcoal suit hugged his frame. The morning sun cast a glow on his features, throwing sharp shadows across his jawline. His hair was still damp, combed neatly back. I gawked at his frame, lean but muscular. I’d seen the tattoos the night before. I couldn’t help but wonder if there were more, and how far they stretched.

He looked… perfect.

And I hated that I noticed.

He looked up when I entered, his eyes dragging over me without shame. Then they met mine, and it didn’t matter how many times I’d stared into his eyes, they always left me in awe. For a moment, I saw the faintest flicker of something in his expression. Surprise? Admiration?

Then it was gone.

I stood still, uncertain.

“Come,” he said simply.

I walked slowly toward him. Each step was a war. I could feel his eyes on me the whole time. My heart shouldn’t have fluttered, but it did. And as quickly as it rose, so did the anger. I couldn’t afford to lose myself. This man had killed my father in front of me. For all I knew, he’d do the same to me.

I stopped a few yards in front of him.

“We are leaving,” he said, turning away.

“Where are we going?” I asked, still rooted in place.

He stopped and turned around sharply. The blank expression on his face had shifted to anger. His eyes narrowed.

“I have not given you permission to speak.”

My heart pounded. “If you want to kill me, just do it. There’s no need to take me out to the woods or an abandoned shack and hack me to death. A simple gunshot will do. I want it to be qu—” I stopped, realizing I was rambling.

He closed the distance between us.

My breath caught in my throat as he drew closer with every step. He stopped inches from me and leaned in. I shut my eyes, forcing myself not to stare at his lips, they were full and… Aurora!

“If I wanted to kill you, you’d already be dead, Aurora Cruz.”

My eyes flew open in fear.

He knew my name.