Chapter 2

Aurora POV

A soft slap jolted me from sleep, my eyes opening slightly, trying to see who might have done that because I couldn’t remember the last time anyone stepped into this small store I called my room.

Mom termed it too old and dirty for her to be there.

Joy, my sister, thinks she will contact some sort of disease if she moves anywhere closer.

Surprisingly, the two people that have spoken badly of this place are the ones standing before the flat old mattress I lay on.

On the right was Mom, her hand holding a fine blue gown with a pair of slippers. It didn’t look new. It was obvious it had been worn before, but those still looked better than the clothes I had arranged at the far corner of my room, as they had been patched many times.

“Aurora darling,” Mom called, her face showing off a smile, one I hadn’t seen on her face for ages.

Mom always had that frowned look when talking to me, but with Victor and Joy it was different.

Before I could speak, Joy already scooted to my bed, her ass sitting on the small bed she had once called dirty.

She reached for my hands so lovingly that if no one had witnessed how cruelly I had been treated, they would have assumed we were one big family.

“You didn’t tell us you have a rich boyfriend,” Joy said.

“What do you mean?” I asked,my brows pulling together.

I’ve never dated anyone since my eighteen years of existence. Never have I seen anyone admire me or tell me to be their girl. Who would when I am always dressed in rags?

“Does he have a friend you can link me up with?” Joy asked again, her eyes looking into mine with so much hope.

Now I was missing something. What the hell is she talking about?

“Joy, don’t trouble your sister. You can ask her later.”

“Darling, quickly clean up and change into this dress,” Mom said so lovingly, her hands lifting me up from the bed and dragging my ass to the bathroom before I could decline.

When I came out of the bathroom, Mom and Joy weren’t in the room.

I changed into the gown and slippers she had brought earlier before stepping out.

Just midway into the big living room, I froze.

Staring at the most feared man in the city seated on my father’s chair with his legs crossed, eyes looking at me predatorily,made the blood rushing through my vein freeze .

Even when the veil covered his face, I could still feel the intensity of his gaze on my skin.

It felt like he was peeling my skin off my flesh.

Before I could think of turning around to run, Mom came down from the stairs, her heels clicking hard at each step she took.

“Aurora, you already met your fiancé. I was about to come get you,” she said happily.

Fiancé?

What has gotten into her? Why the hell is she calling this dangerous killer my fiancé?

“You silly girl, you couldn’t even tell me about him till he came to ask for your hand in marriage?” she said brightly as if it was normal.

“Hand in marriage?” I asked loudly, making everyone look at me.

Dante, his men, Mom, Victor, and Joy, they all turned in my direction.

“He already brought everything to ask for your hand in marriage, and Victor and I have approved of it.”

“Approved of a marriage I had no concept of?” I fired in anger.

“Yes, look over there darling,” she said.

And that was when it dawned on me that I had been sold.

On the table were boxes, not just empty boxes, ones that had bundles of new dollar notes arranged inside, diamonds, golds, even wears.

“You gave me to a total stranger because of this?” I yelled.

“Aurora, you should behave and not let your husband see you as a stubborn bride,” she whispered.

“Hahaha.”

I laughed out loud.

Now he had migrated from being my fiancé to my husband.

How funny.

Well, if I can’t talk some sense into that greedy mother of mine, I will talk to the man who thought he could just barge into my home and win my family over with his wealth.

My feet thundered toward where he sat, confident, bold, unshaken.

“What the hell do you think you are doing?”

Silence.

He didn’t reply.

All he did was stare.

“I am talking to you.”

I pushed his shoulder slightly, which made his guards all point their guns at me.

“Aurora, you should learn to obey,” Victor yelled, his body leaning closer before he landed a hot slap on my face.

My face turned left.

“Haven’t I told you not to always disobey us?” he yelled again.

“Mr. Dante, we are very sorry for not training our daughter well. She still needs some more training. If you don’t mind, you can go with our well trained second daughter, Joy,” he said, his hands pointing to Joy where she sat.

Joy adjusted her clothes, her body moving seductively to entice him.

Dante stood up.

For a minute I thought he was about to walk to Joy, but I was wrong.

His legs moved to the door, exiting the room without replying to Victor.

The next thing I knew was two of his guards holding me by both hands and dragging me out.

“Mom, help, please,” I shouted loudly in fear.

“Don’t let them take me. I promise to always obey you, please,” I begged.

All my pleas fell on deaf ears as they didn’t even listen.

All they did was stay busy admiring, touching, and holding the golds, diamonds, and money without any bother.

My ass was kicked to the back seat.

The two guards stayed at both sides, another at the front with the driver.

My hands were handcuffed as if I had committed a crime I wasn’t supposed to.

The cars moved ,one after the other leaving behind the only house I have ever known.

I looked through the tinted window,my chest hurting painfully as tears rolled silently down my cheeks.

Mom didn't run after me.

Neither did my sister.

Did they ever care?

They had traded me away to the material things they care about,leaving me to the cruel hand of a stranger .

And now I had no idea where Dante De Luca was taking me.