Chapter 10
AURORA
"Girl, you look like death."
I stare at Chloe's face on my phone screen. She's not wrong—I've got dark circles under my eyes, my hair's in a messy bun, and I'm pretty sure I'm wearing the same shirt I wore yesterday.
"Thanks, Chloe. Really helpful." I grumble.
"I'm serious," she says, and Tiana gives Chloe a look before leaning into the frame, her brown doe eyes worried. "Aurora, what's going on? You've been dodging our calls for a week."
God, I can’t believe it’s been a week already.
One week of living in the same house as Axel, of avoiding his gaze at breakfast, lunch, dinner, of Leo's hands on me, his voice in my ear, his constant presence like a disease I can't shake.
It’s been one whole week of hell.
“I-I'm fine," I lie.
"You’re a terrible liar girl." Chloe crosses her arms. "Spill. Now."
I glance at my bedroom door. I locked it, but still. "I can't talk about it."
"Can't or won't?"
"Both?” I bite my lips.
Tiana's expression softens. "Aurora, we're worried. You look exhausted. Are you eating? Sleeping right?"
No. I'm throwing up every morning and lying awake every night thinking about Axel down the hall.
"I'm just stressed. Wedding planning is—it's a lot."
"Wedding planning?" Chloe's eyes go wide. "Wait, WHAT? You're getting married?"
Shit.
I forgot I hadn't told them even that bit.
"My father arranged it," I say quietly. "I'm engaged."
The silence on the other end is deafening.
Then Chloe explodes. "ENGAGED? Aurora, what the actual fuck?"
"Chloe—"
"No! You don't get to 'Chloe' me! You've been home for what, a month? And now you're engaged to some random guy your dad picked?!”
"It's complicated—" My throat closes around the rest of the sentence. I press my lips together, breathe through my nose, and try to find somewhere to start that doesn't make me fall apart before I get to the end of it.
Tiana's voice comes in, softer now. "Aurora. You know you can talk to us, right? Even with Chloe going full emergency broadcast over there — we're here. Whatever it is."
Chloe, to her credit, visibly pulls herself back. Takes a breath and nods.
That's what breaks me open.
"Everything is so messed up," I say quietly. The words come out smaller than I intended. "I keep thinking I'm going to wake up. Like, at some point, the universe is going to correct itself, and this is going to stop being real." I exhale. "I’m engaged to my nightmare."
Both of them go still.
"Who? Who is it?" Tiana's voice is careful. "Who are you engaged to?"
I take a breath. "Leo."
Chloe's face goes white. "Leo. As in—Leo from Kingston? The bastard who—"
"Yeah. That Leo. And his real name is Leo Santego."
"The one who assaulted you?" Her voice rises. "The one you had arrested?"
"My father doesn't know about that." I say it carefully, the way you handle something sharp. "And I don't — I don't know if it would change anything if he did. That's the part that scares me most. That he might know and still—" I stop.
"Aurora." Tiana's voice is very careful. "You cannot marry him."
"I know that."
"Then—"
"I know that, Tiana. I know it like I know how to breathe.
It doesn't change what's happening." I press my palm flat against my knee, feel the sting of it, and focus.
"There's more. There's — I need to tell you the rest of it, and I need you not to say anything until I'm done because I can only get through it once. "
Both of them go quiet.
"Remember the guy from the club? My bucket list guy. Silver hair."
Chloe's eyes go wide already. She remembers.
"His name is Axel Santego." I watch that land. Watch Chloe's mouth open. Hold up a hand before she can speak. "Leo's father. I’m pregnant, and the baby I'm carrying is his. And right now all three of us are living under the same roof while my father plans a wedding."
Silence.
Then Chloe makes a sound that is not quite a word. More like all the words happening at once and none of them making it out.
"I know," I say.
"AURORA—"
"I know."
"This is—" Tiana shakes her head. "This is insane. Aurora, this is actually insane."
"I know."
"Does Axel know?" Chloe asks. "That the baby's his?"
"Yes. He figured it out at the engagement party."
"And he's just—what? Letting you marry his son?"
"He arranged it." The admission hurts. "Before he knew it was me. He went to my father and proposed the marriage arrangement. For Leo."
"Oh my God." Tiana covers her mouth. "Aurora—"
"So yeah. I'm living in a nightmare. Leo's touching me constantly, making comments about my body, about the baby. Axel's watching from across the room, looking like he wants to murder someone. And my father is happily planning a wedding for his only child. I’m so overstimulated."
Chloe's face is red. "Run away. Pack a bag right now and leave. I'll buy you a plane ticket. You can stay with me—"
"I can't."
"Yes, you can!"
"No, Chloe. I can't." I meet her eyes. "My father would find me. And even if he didn't, where would I go? I'm pregnant with a mafia boss's baby. I can't just—disappear."
"Then stab Leo with a fork!" Chloe's serious. "I'm not joking. Next time he touches you, just—fork to the hand. Establishes boundaries."
Despite everything, I laugh.
"Aurora, you need to think this through," Tiana says gently. "Really think about what you're doing. Is there any way out? Any option you haven't considered?"
"I've considered everything. Trust me."
"What about Axel? Can he help?"
"How? Tell my father the truth? That would destroy his friendship with my dad, start a war between our families, and I'd still end up trapped or worse." I shake my head. "There's no good option here."
"There has to be something—"
"There isn't." My voice cracks. "I just… I just have to survive it."
Tiana's crying now. Chloe looks like she wants to punch someone.
“I have to go for breakfast now, talk later…”
"We love you," Tiana whispers.
"I know."
"Call us. Every day. Promise."
"I promise."
I end the call before I break down completely.
Breakfast is a special kind of torture.
The dining room is set up buffet-style, with eggs, bacon, pastries, and fruit. I load my plate with toast because it's the only thing my stomach can handle lately, and find a seat as far from Leo as possible.
It doesn't work.
The bastard plops down next to me anyway, chair scraping loudly. "Morning, beautiful."
"Morning."
His hand lands on my thigh. I freeze.
"Sleep well?" He's grinning in a very unsettling way.
"Fine." I move my leg. His hand follows.
Across the table, Axel's knuckles are white around his coffee cup.
"I was thinking," Leo continues, "maybe we could go into town today. Look at wedding venues.”
"I have work to do. My father needs help with the books."
"Work can wait. We should spend time together. Get to know each other better." His hand slides higher.
I grab his wrist. "Stop it, Leo."
"Why not? We're engaged."
"Because it's inappropriate."
"Inappropriate?" He laughs and whispers in my ear. "Baby, you’re getting married to me while being pregnant with another man’s child. What do you know about inappropriate?"
I shove his hand off. Stand. "Excuse me. I need to—I need air."
I leave my toast untouched and walk out before anyone can stop me.
The hallway's empty. I lean against the wall, breathe.
God, I can’t believe this is going to be my life now.
Tears threaten to spill, but I bite my lips hard. I won’t allow myself to break down. Not now. Not when I have a baby that needs her mother strong and healthy.
I look up, and I’m not totally surprised to see Axel standing by the door, just watching me. I see the anger and frustration in his eyes, but there’s nothing to be done about it.
He takes a step closer, but I turn and run away.
Dinner that night is worse.
The dining room's packed, and everyone is here: Dad's underbosses, their wives, Sergei and Alexei at the far end. I'm seated between Dad and Leo, with Axel directly across from me.
Leo's hand finds my thigh the second we sit down.
I don't bother pushing it off anymore. What's the point?
"Aurora," one of the wives, Maria, leans forward. "How is wedding planning going? Have you chosen a dress?"
I shake my head and focus on my food. "Not yet."
"You should definitely go to Valentina's downtown. She does beautiful work."
I nod once. "I'll keep that in mind, thank you."
Leo squeezes my thigh and smiles. "Whatever my bride wants."
Your bride wants to stab you with a fork.
I take a sip of water. Wishing it were vodka.
Across the table, Axel's jaw is tight. He hasn't touched his food, just been pushing it around his plate while Viktor tries to make conversation.
Our eyes meet.
Help me, I think.
His hand clenches around his fork.
"Aurora's going to be a beautiful bride," Leo continues, loud enough for the whole table. "Even with the extra weight."
The table goes quiet.
"Excuse me?" I turn to him slowly.
"The pregnancy." He grins, oblivious. "You're already getting a little thick around the middle."
I'm not. I'm barely six weeks along, still flat as ever. But he's trying to humiliate me, trying to remind everyone I'm damaged goods.
"Leo," Axel warns.
"What? I'm just saying, she's eating for two now. Nothing wrong with that. Besides, she’ll still look beautiful no matter how big she gets. Just like her mother.”
The table goes quiet again.
I freeze.
"I saw a picture in Don Luca's office," Leo continues, grinning. "It’s Aurora’s mother from when she was younger. Before she… what was it? Had that accident with the car?"
Mom didn't have an accident. She was murdered. Shot by a rival family when I was eight.
"Leo," I say quietly. "Don't."
"What? I'm just saying, she was beautiful, and so are you. Shame about what happened." He takes a sip of wine. "Though I guess at least she went quickly. Didn’t have to suffer."
The blood drains from my face.
This fucking bastard!
“That's enough." Axel's voice cuts through the room like a knife.
Leo blinks. "Dad, I was just—"
"I said enough." Axel's staring at him, expression cold. "Show some respect."
"I wasn't being disrespectful—"
SLAM.
Axel's hand hits the table so hard glasses jump. The entire room goes silent.
"Apologize." His voice is ice. "Right now."
Leo blinks. "Dad, I was just—"
"I don't care what you were doing." Axel's staring at him, and there's something in his eyes that makes even me flinch. "You just made a cruel joke about your fiancée's dead mother. You're going to apologize. Now."
The silence is suffocating. No one moves. No one breathes.
"I didn't mean—" Leo starts.
"NOW." The word is a command, absolute and terrifying.
Leo's face goes red. He turns to me, and I see it—the flash of anger, of humiliation.
Shit.
He's going to make me pay for this later.
"I'm sorry, Aurora," he says tightly. "That was inappropriate. I apologize."
"It's fine," I manage, because I need this to end.
The tension breaks slowly. Conversation resumes, awkward and forced. Dad's watching Axel with an expression I can't read.
I excuse myself the second dessert is served.
The terrace is blessedly empty.
I lean against the railing, breathe in the night air. My hands won't stop shaking.
He made a joke about Mom. Actually made a joke about her murder.
And I'm supposed to marry this absolute bastard in three months.
"You okay?"
I don't need to turn around. I would know that voice even in my dream.
"I'm fine, Axel."
"You're crying."
I touch my face, and yeah, he’s right. I didn't even realize I was crying.
"She died when I was eight," I say quietly. "Shot by the Kozlov family. My father retaliated, killed every single one of them. But it didn't bring her back, nothing can bring her back to us."
Axel's quiet for a moment. Then: "I'm sorry."
"Don't be. It was a long time ago."
"That doesn't make it hurt less."
He's right. It doesn't.
I turn to look at him. He's standing in the doorway, backlit by the house lights, and there's something in his expression that makes my chest ache.
"Thank you," I say. "For earlier. You didn't have to—"
"Yes, I did."
"He's going to be worse now. You embarrassed him in front of everyone."
"I don't care."
"You should. He's your son."
"He's a bastard who needs to learn respect." Axel steps onto the terrace. "And you don't deserve to be treated like that."
"I'm going to be his wife. I'll be treated however he wants." I shrug.
"No." The word come out snappy and annoyed. "You won't. Not while I'm around."
I shake my head and laugh because what else can I do at this point? "You can't protect me forever, Axel. Eventually, you'll have to let him—" I stop. Can't finish the sentence.
"You don't have to marry him."
I turn to look at him. Is he joking right now? "And what choice do I have, Axel?"
"Tell Luca. Tell him the baby's mine. We'll figure something out."
"Figure what out?" I step closer. "You marry me instead? Take Leo's place?"
He runs his hands through his hair. “That.. that’s not possible… fuck, I don’t know… I just, I can’t stand seeing you like this…”
"Why?" My voice cracks. "Why do you care?"
He doesn't answer. Just looks at me with those dark eyes, and I see everything he's not saying.
Because you're mine. Because that's my baby. Because I can't let you go.
"This is impossible," I whisper.
"I know."
"We can't—there's no way—"
"I know that too."
But he's closer now. Close enough that I can smell his cologne, feel his heat.
One step. One step and I could kiss him. And oh, even with everything happening, I want to kiss him.
I feel like I need to kiss him.
"Aurora?" Dad steps onto the terrace, cigar in hand.
"There you are." He sees Axel and pauses.
"J-Just getting some air," I manage.
"I can see that." He lights his cigar, takes a puff. "Your future father-in-law and I have been discussing. We're hosting a charity gala in two days. You and Leo will attend, of course."
Of course.
"What's the charity?" I ask.
"Does it matter?" Dad smiles. "It's all a front anyway. But we’ll put on a good show."
Money laundering disguised as philanthropy. Classic.
"I'll be there."
"Good. Wear something elegant. The press will be there." He turns to Axel. "Walk with me, brother. We need to discuss security arrangements."
Axel glances at me once and follows my father inside.
I'm left alone on the terrace, heart racing, body aching for something I can't have.
I touch my stomach, still flat, still hiding our secret.
I'm sorry, I think. I'm so sorry you're stuck in this mess.
But there's no way out.
Not for me.
Not for Axel.
Not for any of us.