Chapter 15

Aurea’s POV 

I spun around instantly, sprinting straight for the heavy door without daring to cast a single glance behind me. I bolted out of their private wing and flew down the corridors until I reached the safety of my bedroom. Slamming the door shut, I slid down the wood and buried my face between my knees, sobbing uncontrollably.

After a few minutes, I forced myself to my feet and walked into the washroom to clean my face. The girl in the mirror looked unrecognizable. My eyes were violently bloodshot, and my lips were swollen, bruised, and sporting a fresh, stinging cut at the corner of the lower lip.

How did I get myself into this? I whispered to myself, pulling frantically at my hair. I’ve never hurt a soul in my life, so why is this happening to me? How do I even escape them? The police, who are supposed to protect citizens from people like them, are entirely terrified of their name. How am I going to survive this?

I splashed freezing water over my face, carefully rewrapped the thick scarf around my neck to hide the marks and went to sleep.

The next morning,

I opened my bedroom door. Even though the thought of working made me sick, I had no choice. I had to blend in.

The moment I stepped out into the hallway, I collided straight into a soft body, stumbling back a step and snapping my head up to meet Rita's wide, worried eyes.

"What on earth happened to your mouth and head?" she asked immediately, pointing a finger at my cut lip.

"Oh! It's... it's nothing," I lied quickly, forcing a fake smile onto my face. "I was just chewing on my lip. I always do that when I'm incredibly nervous."

Rita narrowed her eyes slightly. "Then what about your head?"

"I told you, it was an accident—"

"Don't lie to me!" Rita snapped.

"Rita, please, let it go," I whispered.

"I am not letting this go! Tell me who did it."

My eyes kept darting reflexively toward the floor as I debated whether I should say it.

I sighed, finally letting it out.

"It's Lyra."

Rita’s breath hitched. “No. Absolutely not. I am going to find that bitch right now, and I am going to wipe that smug, slutty attitude right off her."

Rita spun on her heel, already marching toward the kitchen with pure vengeance in her stride.

"Rita, stop! No!"

I threw my entire weight forward, catching her by the waist from behind. "Let me go, Aurea!" Rita said through gritted teeth, straining against the hold. "She needs to be taught a lesson!"

"Please... I am begging you. If you really care about me, do not go to her."

Rita stopped struggling. Her shoulders remained tense, her breathing heavy, but she didn't push forward anymore.

Slowly, I released my grip, stepping around to face her. My eyes were wide, pleading.

With a heavy, ragged sigh, Rita reached out and gently wiped the tear from my cheek.

"Fine," she whispered, her voice trembling with suppressed fury. "I won't go to her. Not today. But I'm not letting her get to you."

I let out a breath I had been holding. She nodded weakly. "Thank you, Rita."

"Okay then. Well, I actually came down here to call you for breakfast," she continued.

"Yes, I'm absolutely starving," I admitted honestly. I instinctively wrapped my hand around her arm for comfort, and she offered me a warm smile in return.

We walked down to the kitchen, grabbed our plates from Miss Jade, and headed over to our usual spot in the staff dining hall. As we ate, Rita began gushing about her boyfriend. Her entire face lit up with a beautiful, radiant smile whenever she spoke about him.

Watching her, a pang of sorrow hit my chest. I had once possessed that exact same dream—the dream of finding a man who would love me exactly as I am, a man who would treat me with unwavering gentle respect. But instead, here I was, trapped in the lethal clutches of two dangerous monsters.

Thinking about them, an urgent curiosity flared within me. I had to know the truth.

"Rita?" I started, carefully darting my eyes around the dining hall to ensure no one was listening. "What kind of work do the Masters actually do?"

Rita stopped eating, staring at me in utter disbelief before bursting into a loud laugh. "You can’t be serious, right, Rea? There isn't a soul in the world who doesn't know what they do!"

I just blinked, looking thoroughly confused.

"God, Rea, you are so incredibly innocent," Rita explained, shaking her head. "The brothers are the top, most powerful young billionaires in the entire world today. I’ve been working for them for three years now. What I do know is that they are incredibly generous when it comes to paying and protecting their employees... but whatever you do, you must never end up on their bad side."

Rita leaned across the table, dropping her voice into a tiny, secretive whisper. "I also heard rumors from the upper staff... they say the brothers are deeply involved in the Mafia. That they are the actual Capos of the syndicate."

A sharp gasp of horror escaped my throat. The Mafia. And they are the heads of it. No wonder the emergency police officer had sounded like he was about to faint from terror the moment I mentioned their names.

"And yeah, apparently they also have a fiancée lined up," Rita continued casually, digging back into her food. "She’s the daughter of the second most powerful billionaire family right after the brothers. I heard a rumor that the family once had a daughter, but she was mysteriously kidnapped as a little child, and no one has ever seen a trace of her since. Their fiancée is an absolute spoiled brat who doesn't respect a single soul. The family also has two sons, and they are still desperately searching for their missing daughter."

Rita stood up from her chair, brushing off her apron. "Anyway, I have to continue my chores, and so do you. Since the brothers are actually staying at the mansion this week—which is incredibly rare—everyone is on high alert."

She offered me a quick wave and walked out of the dining hall, leaving me sitting completely frozen at the table.

But before I could process any of it, a loud crash suddenly echoed through the kitchen.

Every head in the dining hall snapped toward the doorway.