The Monster's Protégé のすべてのチャプター: チャプター 51 - チャプター 60

AURORA I planted the bottle of alcohol on his bedside table and rose off the floor. Between the alcohol swimming in my system after the rush of adrenaline and the shooting, and the asshole currently lying on his bed, far too many memories were drudged up for one night that I wanted to avoid because memories were dangerous things, and I did not trust myself around Marco. When Viktor pushed me to work with him, I’d lied to myself that it was nothing but a job, and when Marco and I stood side by side, armed and alert, just like old times, I, once again, lied to myself that he does not matter anymore. The truth was, he mattered. He mattered in a way my volcanic rage once again found a home for betraying me like I wanted to pound and kick and slap him for breaking my heart, at the same time, I wanted to feign that the heartbreak was of no consequence at all. It was like I was at odds with myself. And I hated it, every moment of it because I was always at odds with others. I was about

[ AURORA ]I didn’t see Marco for a week and thank God for that because the last thing I needed was to deal with the mess I’d made. A drunken, reckless, one-night stand with my ex—as if I hadn’t already given him enough ammunition to feed his overinflated ego. The satisfaction of knowing he still had some kind of hold over me? I refused to give him that. But the truth was, that damage had already been done. And like some naive fool who thinks that ignoring a problem makes it disappear, I convinced myself that if I didn’t see Marco if I didn’t hear his name, then none of it had ever happened.Sammy, of course, tried to pry. She poked and prodded, waiting for me to crack, but she was too distracted by her own sinful adventures with Lorenzo to dig too deep. She suspected something, but I managed to slip away before she could corner me.Dominic, though? He wasn’t so easy to dodge. He didn’t ask questions—he didn’t have to. He just smirked, knowing, smug, waiting for me to admit what he al

AURORA The past few days had felt like slow, calculated torture—mental warfare in its most exhausting form. I would have taken bruised knuckles and bloodied hours on the field over this waiting game any day. At least then, I’d feel like I was doing something.After Viktor’s wedding—an event that came with more tension than romance, if you asked me—he and his new bride were whisked away, much to his irritation. A honeymoon, paid for and planned by none other than Alessandro Romano himself. A private island, of course. One of the many jewels in the Romano crown. If I remember correctly, it had once been a gift for his wife..With Viktor gone, the weight of our world fell onto Dominic’s shoulders. And to his credit, he bore it well. Marco and I—seated as far apart

AURORA Viktor Romano was back.There was something about his presence that sucked all the air out of the room—the kind of quiet that demanded attention, not because he was loud, but because power never needed to raise its voice. We were in the Romano conference room—floor-to-ceiling glass on one side, steel and smoked wood everywhere else. He sat at the head of the table, his fingers were steepled, gaze locked ahead like he was playing chess with ghosts.Dominic was already slouched beside him, all leather jacket and insolence. Marco sat across from me, unreadable, crisp in black. And me? I leaned back in my chair, boots kicked out, expression bored—but every nerve in my body was on high alert.

AURORA The red dress was a statement—loud, unapologetic, and completely out of my comfort zone.I’d barely gotten the words “need help picking out something for a wedding” out of my mouth before Sammy damn near squealed like a kid who just found out her crush liked her back. The way she lit up, you'd think I’d just announced my engagement and not that I was tagging along as some guy’s plus one.To be clear—Simon was not a boyfriend.Not a friend, either.More like… a beautiful question mark I couldn’t stop circling back to.But still, I let Sammy pull me through racks of designer gowns like we were preparing for