LOGINAURORA POVThe sun was bright over Ryan’s villa. It hit the pool water and made it shine like glass. Everything looked calm from far away. But my heart was not calm at all.I stood at the edge of the pool in my black bathing suit. I did not feel comfortable. I didn't feel safe. But I had to stay here.My father’s words kept echoing in my head.“If you don’t bring me what I want, your cousin will suffer.”I closed my eyes for a second. I hated the man. But I also had no choice. I opened my eyes again and looked at Ryan.He was already there. He sat near the pool, relaxed, as nothing in the world could bother him. He had a glass of champagne in his hand, and his eyes were half on the drink and half on me. He sat there calm with a fiery glint in his eyes.“Are you going to stand there all day?” he asked.I forced myself to breathe“I just came to swim,” I said.He nodded slowly.“Then swim."He scoffed. That was it. There was no question about it. That surprised me a little. I thought
AURORA POV “Luciana!” Ryan’s voice echoed through the restroom. Everything stopped at once. Luciana’s hand was still in my hair, pulling hard enough to hurt. My chest rose and fell quickly as I tried to catch my breath. Anger burned inside me as I stared at her. Then, she slowly let go of my hair. My scalp still burned. I looked up and saw Ryan standing at the entrance with Luca behind him. Ryan walked in with an aura. The air filled with tension. His face looked calm, but I knew better. I could see the anger in his eyes. The kind of anger that made everyone in the room feel uneasy. Luciana turned to him. I stood in awe as her face softened. “Ryan…” She called out his name in a gentle tone. It felt like they were close. She gazed at him like she had some right over him. I hated it. Ryan ignored her, and his eyes moved straight towards me. His jaw tightened. He knew who she was. My hair was messy. My lipstick was ruined. My dress was wrinkled from the struggle.
AURORA POV I trailed my fingers over one of the dark evening gowns, imagining how it would look with a chunky string of pearls. It was an emerald green gown. I put it on and it hugged my curves in all the right places, its simple elegance belying its hefty price tag.. It had a small slit on the side and showed just enough skin. I turned slowly, looking at myself. Emily became quiet.“That’s the one,” she said.I looked at her. “Really?”“Yes. That’s your dress.”I looked back at the mirror. This was definitely it I thought to myself “I’ll take it,” I said, turning to Stella “I think that would look perfect on you” Stella says appearing as if from nowhere We wrapped up the clothes, made payments, and made our way to the limo. Mr Liam opened the door for me while taking hold of our overflowing shopping bags.I waved goodbye to Emily. She squeezed me and we hugged tightly. As I bowed to enter the limo, I noticed her glinting pair of eyes staring at me. Then Emily entered her car and
Aurora POV“Hey princess, it's time to wake up!” A high-pitched voice rang in my ears; I groaned and turned to the other side, pulling the blanket over my head I didn't want to open my eyes,“Come on,” he said again, brushing my skin. I opened my eyes and looked towards him. It was Ryan. He was awake, lying on his side and staring at me. He had a smirk playing on his lips“You're the laziest person I've ever met “He saidI frowned. “And you talk too much in the morning.”He rolled his eyes, his lips curving into a smile,“You look so beautiful when you sleep” He added,I glared at his words. We had slept in the same bed but this time it felt different. I felt every inch of his body against mine last night. It was so magical. I was happy. Maybe, just maybe, our marriage was taking a new turn.“We're going to a party today he said, drawing me back to reality “A party?” I asked, sitting up slowly.He nodded and sat up, running a hand through his hair“There's a lot of money in your
AURORA POVHe fixed my panties and smoothed my skirt down. Then, he pulled me off the desk and carried me out of the office in his arms. They felt so strong that it was like I didn't weigh a thing. My arms wrapped around his neck. We went straight to his bedroomThen, he kicked the door shut and set me on the big leather chair by the window. He looked at me “Ryan?” I said, my breath caught .“Yes?” he answered, his voice low“What are you doing?” I asked “Isn’t it obvious?” He smirked. “I’m trying to apologize to you.”“For what?” I scoffed, even though my body was still tingling.“Shouldn’t I be the one apologizing for trespassing and desecrating your ‘inner sanctum’?” I finished in air quotes.He raised one eyebrow. “Okay then” He leaned back against the wall. “Go on then. Apologize.”“Are you kidding me?” I yelled. “You scolded me because I walked into a room in our house and now you want me to say sorry?”Anger surged through me and my gaze met his“I went into a room in the
AURORA POV My father knew what he was doing. This time, he had me kidnapped in broad daylight. He blindfolded and tossed me into a van while dropping me just in time in the exact same location so no one would notice. He knew no one would suspect a thing, not even Ryan I stood there and picked up my phone to call the bodyguard who had dropped me at the orphanage “Come get me,” I whispered into the phone. “I’m ready to leave.” Ten minutes later, a black SUV pulled up. I bowed my head to enter it without a word. The driver didn’t ask any questions. Then. I sank into the leather seat and stared out the window. I thought about the encounter I had with my dad. Father wanted something from me. Something that was hard to give. He wanted information on Ryan. Ryan wasn’t just some rich businessman. He was mafia blood and I was supposed to get close enough to betray him. The car stopped in front of the house, and I stepped outside. My steps were steady, but inside, my chest felt like it
RYAN POV The reception party had started .The hall was filled with guests,friends and enemies alike.My first cocktail was strong enough to burn all the way down in only a few minutes, and I instinctively pulled Aurora’s chair closer to mine as she sipped on her lighter cocktail. She didn’t say m
RYAN POV The scent of incense clung to the air,, curling into my lungs with every breath I took.The catholic priest stood at my back as I watched down the aisle for my bride-to-be. Aurora’s stepsisters sat in the front pew on the left side, whispering in hushed tones for the past thirty minutes.My
Aurora POVThirteen hours later, I found myself in the middle of a shopping mall, searching for a wedding dress. My stepmother stood to my right, her face rigid as always, while my cousin Lia lingered on my left. Her sharp eyes glared at me.“Aaaaghh….” I screamed.I swayed as the seamstress behind
Aurora POV A wave of sickness wrenched me from my unconscious mind. I stumbled toward the bathroom and threw up, kneeling on the cold marble floor. I was too exhausted to get up so I shuddered. Miss Clara reached over me and flushed the toilet before stroking my hair back from my forehead. “Are







