HelenaI would be lying if I said I’ve been myself since my last call with Aurora… that bitch. I’m sure I heard a tiny baby girl’s voice call her “mum” that night. As much as I don’t want to believe it… maybe I was hallucinating, but the way she ended the call so quickly only made my suspicions stronger.Let it not be what’s going through my head.I grit my teeth and plop onto the couch in my room, my mind wandering through different thoughts—each one more scarring than the last. Why did she have to come back? Not now. Not when Leonard is so fixated on making things work between me and Jax.Damnit…I raked my hand through my hair, pulling in frustration. I haven’t even told my parents she’s back yet.Five years ago, I thought she could never return. Five years, I thought that was the perfect way to erase her. But no—she STILL HAD TO COME BACK!FUCKING BITCH!!The anxiety and fear became so much that the room suddenly felt suffocating. Clenching my jaw, I stood and started pacing
AuroraI left Dex in the cab and went inside the school to pick up Aria. I was almost in her classroom when I heard my name.“Ms. Brooks."I spun around immediately, and my confused eyes fell on Mrs. Catherina. “Mrs. Cathy," I smiled and stepped forward. “How are you doing?"She smiled back and stopped just inches from me, her hands intertwined together. We were standing in the passage, just in front of Aria's classroom, as other students and parents passed by.“I’m good. I guess you’ve been too, Ms. Brooks?" she returned the smile. I tore my gaze from the passing crowd and stared back at her. “Hope there’s no problem?” I chuckled, though deep inside, I really hoped there wasn’t.“Hmm…” She cleared her throat, and the way she looked at me told me there was. I prayed nothing had happened to Aria. My heart began to beat faster. The suspense was killing me. Sensing my unease, Mrs. Cathy cleared her throat again and continued. “...You know the school examination will be starting next
“Thud.” I flinched as a heavy stack of documents slammed down on top of my keyboard, nearly hitting the screen of my computer. Still, I didn’t dare look up.“I want all of this fixed before the client sees it,” Jax said, his voice as cold as the polished surface of my desk. “Every slide. Every number. Every word. And return them to my office before you go home.”“Do you hear me?” he added in a snarl. I quickly bobbed my head in understanding, gulping down the hard lump in my throat.He shot me another glare before turning and storming out of the room.The moment I heard the door shut, I let out a deep breath I hadn’t realized I was holding and picked up the files. What’s this? “Wasn’t Mr. Grey supposed to meet Madam Claudine for that?” the blonde whispered, earning a nod from the others. “Don’t tell me he came all the way here for that?” the one sitting in the middle snarled, glaring in my direction.Well, not only her—both from her minors, Madam Claudine, and some of the staff in
Last night, I couldn’t sleep. Not that I didn’t want to, but sleep never found me. I closed my eyes, but my mind didn’t follow. Those disturbing feelings—and then Helena’s threatening words about finding me if she wanted to—it was crazy. There was nothing I didn’t think of last night. In the end, I just watched Aria sleep.So this morning, I came early. Earlier than anyone else in our department. Maybe if I buried myself in work, I’d forget the growing knot in my stomach. Maybe I’d forget Helena. Or the fear. Or even Jax.I sighed and focused on the laptop screen in front of me, the faint hum of the monitor, the only sound in my corner of the room—at least, until the whispers started. From my side view, I caught the glances just a few desks away from mine. Their stares were sharp—like thrown knives. One actually came from Madam Claudine, our Head of Department, and the rest from the trio of women probably my age. They looked at me like I didn’t belong there.I didn’t miss how they l
With the type of anger that was brewing inside me, I wanted to lash out at her—but not in front of my little princess. Aria doesn’t have to know anything.I tore my gaze from her round, curious eyes and brought the phone closer to my mouth. Then snarled in a low, whispering shriek, “I don’t know how you got my number, but mind you, I am not doing this with you right now."“Oh, your concern is how I got your number?!" she yelled back from the other end of the phone, and my teeth clenched. I wish Aria were already asleep so I could give this witch a piece of my mind. “Let me remind you, penniless Aurora Avery, half of Boston is run by Russell. I can get your number, even your home address if I want!” I squeezed my eyes shut, swallowing the insult when struggling to calm my nerves.“You think you can come back and have him? Hahaha… Look, it’s been five fucking years and Jax feels nothing—absolutely nothing—for you now. Not with how you left him. Desperate whore!”“Me ‘and you knows’ w
AuroraThe scent of smoked fish clung to my fingers as I picked tiny bones from Aria’s plate, listening to her chirp about her day at school. Or at least, I tried to listen. She was seated opposite me, legs swinging beneath the high-backed wooden chair, her excited voice rising and falling like birdsong—light, animated, full of that effortless joy only a child could carry.“Mom, it was soooo... good,” she giggled, gesturing with her left hand at whatever she was describing while the other clung to her spoon.My head moved nonchalantly as I leaned forward to remove the remaining bones and drop them on the empty plate on the table—a dining table I had gotten from a local auction shop down our street.It was old, poor-looking, but I had to buy it so Aria would have a place to sit and eat. I had the surface covered with a lace tablecloth that had yellowed slightly at the edges. In fact, almost all the furniture here came from that local auction shop. At least, that’s what I could afford—u