Chapter 11

Julian’s clothes were wrinkled and his eyes were dark, but they burned with a strange light.He gripped my shoulders, his voice hoarse with desperation. "Aurora! I remember! You took a knife for me when we were sixteen. You shielded me in the slums. I remember everything!"Before he could finish, Miranda's bodyguards swarmed him.Julian instinctively pulled me into his arms, shielding me with his body.Just like at the graduation party. His back to the danger."Don't touch her!" he roared.A cane cracked across his spine.A tremor shot through him, but his arms only tightened around me, a human shield.A second blow. A third.I heard the crack of bone.Julian's face was white, sweat pouring down his forehead, but he was still a wall between me and the world."I won't let anyone hurt you again," he whispered, his voice weak but firm.With the final blow, Julian’s legs gave out. He collapsed.His last flicker of consciousness was spent making sure I was okay.His eyes rolled back. He col

Chapter 12

The two guards grabbed Julian. He ripped the IV from his arm, blood trickling down his hand."Aurora! Aurora!" he screamed like a madman as they dragged him out.Meanwhile, I stood at the clinic's large window, calmly watching the private jet take off and disappear into the night."Are you worried about the fallout from the party?" Cassian asked.I shook my head. "No. I'm worried it will cause trouble for you."My honesty pleased him. He looked at me with a flicker of appreciation."Want to see what real power looks like?"He led me to his office. A massive screen on the wall displayed the global map of the Acardi family's empire.Finance in New York, real estate in Europe, tech firms, manufacturing."All of this," Cassian said, his hand sweeping across the map, "is yours to climb."He turned to me, his eyes dark. "I've arranged an internship for you at the top law firm in D.C. They handle cases that shape national policy."My eyes lit up. It was the opportunity I'd dreamed of."I'll t

Chapter 13

The opening ceremony for Columbia Law School was held under the bright September sun.I stood at the podium, the chosen speaker for the incoming class.I wore a sharp, dark blue suit, my posture radiating a quiet power.Down below, Cassian sat in the front row of the VIP section, watching me with a smile.He had whispered to me earlier: "If you get a standing ovation, I'll give you a month of total freedom."It was a bet between us.My speech was on "A New Definition of Justice." My logic was sharp, my words powerful."True justice is not about revenge. It’s about using greater power to protect what's worth protecting."The words resonated with the audience. Professors nodded. Students watched in admiration.But I didn't see the man under a plane tree just beyond the crowd.Julian was a ghost at the edge of the crowd, hollowed out and broken, his eyes chained to me.His hair was a mess, his face bruised. Three days on a bus had left him looking gaunt and broken.Watching the radiant wo

Chapter 14

"Let me go!"Julian struggled in the dirt, trying to lift his head, but the guards were experts. He was completely immobilized.I stood up, not giving Julian a single glance."Let's go," I said to Cassian.As we turned to leave, Julian's desperate roar echoed behind us:"Aurora! I'll prove it to you! I'll prove I'm worthy of you!"Three days later, I was in the Columbia library.My phone vibrated. A text from an unknown number."Hilton on 5th. Room 1208. 8 PM tonight. We need to talk. – Julian"I frowned. Cassian's men were supposed to be watching him. How could he text me? Unless… unless Cassian let him. The thought sent a chill down my spine. I was suspicious, but I had to see it through.That evening, I pushed open the door to the hotel room.The scene hit me like a physical blow. My blood ran cold.Julian was lying on the bed, shirtless. Scarlett was curled up in his arms, just as naked.The sheets were a tangled mess, the air thick with the smell of sex and sweat. She had used

Chapter 15

Julian didn't kick Scarlett out. For three days, he wandered near the Columbia campus like a ghost.He didn't shower, didn't change his clothes. People instinctively moved away from him.But Julian didn't notice. There was only one thought in his head.This life was over. But if they burned together... maybe the next one would be a clean slate.…The week before final exams, I was in the university’s old archive room in the library basement. It was a remote place few people ever went.I was focused on the old files, completely unaware of the sound outside.Suddenly, there was a clang of metal.I looked up. A heavy iron chain was being wrapped around the door handles, locking me in."Julian?" I stood up, a dark feeling creeping over me.Through the small window in the door, I saw him.His eyes had a strange, feverish glow. In his hand was a lighter."Aurora, listen to me," he said, his voice muffled through the door. "We missed our chance in this life. But if we die together, maybe we'l

Chapter 16

Faced with Cassian's sentence, Julian trembled. The pain from his burns was excruciating.Tears of humiliation slipped from his eyes."I understand," he rasped.Two days later, Julian and Scarlett were sent back to Chicago.For the crime of crossing Cassian Acardi, the Falcone family was devoured. Their empire was carved up by rivals like a fresh kill. Julian went from heir to outcast.He and Scarlett lived in a rundown apartment in the slums. Scarlett cried every day, complaining about their hellish life.Julian spent his days by the window, a hollowed-out shell, watching a world that no longer had a place for him.Four years passed. The constant infections left Julian a walking skeleton, every day a new agony.One rainy day, Scarlett finally snapped."I've had enough! I can't live like this anymore!" she shrieked. "It's all your fault! And that bitch's fault!"She ran to the balcony and climbed over the railing.In her last moment, her hand shot out, clamping onto his leg in a death