AURORAI couldn’t decide if Marco’s silence was a blessing or a warning shot. Since the last meeting, he’d kept a professional distance; he was being cold, efficient, and annoyingly invisible at every Romano family event. He was present when it mattered, gone when it didn’t. Not a glance, not a word more than necessary. I’d assumed he’d chase that mystery girl, that something in him would crack, but Simon’s updates came up empty. Whoever she was, she’d vanished like a ghost, and Marco? He’d buried himself in work like it could silence whatever haunted him.And me? I was sitting in the open, pretending the crosshairs weren’t aimed directly at my back.Dominic had changed, too. The usual arrogance in his st
AURORAHe was already bleeding frustration into the punching bag, each hit louder than the last, like he was trying to beat the truth out of the canvas. Good. Made it easier for me to catch him off guard.Without thinking, I jabbed him—just once, but hard—right into his ribs. The sound he made as he hit the gym floor was divine retribution.“You pathetic son of a bitch,” I snarled, standing over him like the beast he loved to provoke. My fists were still clenched, and God, I wanted to hit him again. “What have you told Marco?”He blinked, half smug, half surprised. That signature Dominic smirk bloomed on his lips as he extended a hand to me, like I was going to help him up. Cute. I slapped it away, then kicked his foot for good measure.
MARCOThere were a million things I once believed about myself—untouchable, unbreakable, and goddamn bulletproof. And then I saw her. One look, and that was all it took. One fucking look at her with him, and my entire delusion of self-image cracked like a delicate glass.Jealousy? Hell yes, I’ll admit it. I’d never allowed my mind to go there, to picture Aurora with someone else. Aurora belonged in leather and shadows, her lipstick blood-red, her heels merciless, and a gun always somewhere close enough to kiss her skin. That was the version of her I’d written into my story. The version that stayed. A goddess with venom on her tongue and chaos in her smile. Men wanted her, fantasized about her, but none ever dared to step into her orbit.
AURORA"Thank you…for today," I said softly, my voice trailing off at the end. I meant it more than I could explain—because days like this, moments like this, weren’t common for me. I hadn’t laughed like that in a long time. Maybe ever. I hadn’t realized how much I’d missed simply feeling…normal.Simon looked at me, his smile easy, his eyes warm. "Anytime," he replied. "I had a good day too… thanks to you."With a smile, I stepped out of the car slowly, deliberately, letting every inch of red silk and bare skin speak for me. The dress clung like it had been sewn on, and I knew the moment Marco saw me, he’d feel it—rage, regret, lust. Hopefully, all three.T
AURORAThe red dress was a statement—loud, unapologetic, and completely out of my comfort zone.I’d barely gotten the words “need help picking out something for a wedding” out of my mouth before Sammy damn near squealed like a kid who just found out her crush liked her back. The way she lit up, you'd think I’d just announced my engagement and not that I was tagging along as some guy’s plus one.To be clear—Simon was not a boyfriend.Not a friend, either.More like… a beautiful question mark I couldn’t stop circling back to.But still, I let Sammy pull me through racks of designer gowns like we were preparing for
AURORAI was sitting in the minimalistic living cum dining space, with a leg propped on the table. The last time I had been here, the place was at least looked new, now, not so much.And would it kill him to get a housekeeper at least once a week? God! I knew men were never very particular about living standards but at least they could live a better life.It was what felt like an eternity later when I heard the telltale sound of the lock clicking open. Finally.The door creaked, the knob turned, and in walked the man I’d been waiting for—he strolled in without urgency, keys jingling, sleeves rolled up, and sin carved into the way he carried himself.He paused when he saw me. Of course he did.