Chapter 4
Aurora
It’s Monday afternoon, and I’m finally home.
It’s been a long, exhausting day. Classes are hard, and honestly, I don’t even know why I’m studying economics.
Maybe I should become a therapist instead—so I can heal myself …
. If I even want to. Right now, I prefer my brain converting my fears into pure passion and lust. I’d much rather come by my personal nightmare’s fingers.
My chest tightens at the thought of Desire being condemned to an endless torture by none other than his own father. It’s horrible. No wonder he turned into a monster.
My phone buzzes in my back pocket, and when I pull it out, “Mom” is on the screen.
“Good morning, sweetheart. Dr. Getix told me you’d switched to another specialist.” Mom never uses video calls—since the leukemia, she lost her hair and only lets people see her in person.
That’ll change soon, though, as she’s in remission.
It was a hard time for our whole family.
Even before the kidnapping, I begged her to let me be a bone marrow donor, but she refused for some reason.
While I was in captivity, the doctors found another donor and performed the surgery.
“I’ve already switched, Mom.”
“What do you mean? Your father and I haven’t approved any new bills yet,” she says, with her usual hint of concern.
“That’s not a problem.” I sigh, hesitating to find the right words. I need to explain this somehow. “Desire Sterling arranged everything.”
I don’t see the point in hiding his name. He clearly knew this conversation would happen, and he’s certainly not afraid of anyone—not even my parents.
“Desire Sterling? Who’s that?”
“The one who takes care of me.” My Prince Harming’s name settles on my tongue with a bitter, burning aftertaste.
“Hmm, an interesting way to court someone—gifting a course of treatment …. Well, the new doctor must be good if Dr. Getix speaks of him with respect. But what’s going on, Rory? If I remember correctly, you were seeing another young man.”
“He’s in the past,” I state, putting a firm end to it, waiting for relief to creep into her voice. After all, no mother dreams of her daughter dating the son of the psychopath who kidnapped her. It’s amazing she never told my father. And honestly, it’s a shame she didn’t.
“You shouldn’t break up with Zack, sweetheart.”
“What?!” I freeze in place. “Sorry, but what the hell, Mom?”
“Honey, I saw the fire in your eyes when you talked about him. That kind of feeling comes only once. I never had that happiness, and I want it for you.”
My eyebrows shoot up. I can’t believe my ears. Happiness? She calls that happiness?
And this is the first time I’ve heard that things between Mom and Dad weren’t about love. They always told a beautiful story about how Dad bought her a plane for their engagement, and she just couldn’t say no to such grand romance—she was head over heels.
“Mom, Zack is a liar and a womanizer, and his father is a psychopath who kept me in a basement and beat me for weeks!” My voice is almost cracking. “Please, just for a minute, try being a caring parent and be glad I finally opened my eyes.”
“Sweetheart, I think you don’t even believe yourself right now.”
For the first time in my life, my mouth falls open to curse her out, but I catch myself. “Really?”
“Of course. You still have time to figure out your true feelings.”
“Thanks, but my contempt for all the Thorntons is crystal clear. No hidden layers. Nothing to figure out,” I snap.
I’m stunned by how strangely invested Mom is in that family. First, she tried to set Caleb up with their party girl, and now she’s lecturing me about my feelings for Zack. What’s with this weird loyalty to the people who destroyed my life?
I hang up and shove my phone back into my pocket.
After dropping my light jacket on the ottoman in the hallway, I walk to my bedroom and freeze in the doorway. On the perfectly made bed sits a large white box tied with a gold ribbon.
I swallow, my mouth suddenly dry. Kelsey has a spare key for emergencies, but I can feel it in my bones—this isn’t from her. And it’s not from my family either. The color combination reminds me of the other man.
My fingers tremble as I tug the ribbon and drop it to the floor. Under the lid, I find a stunning gold dress and matching heels on thin stiletto spikes. Lying on top of the fabric is a thick card with a short message: Your private ball is at 9:00 PM, Princess.
That’s not all. Beneath the folds of silk, something is gleaming. My hands tremble even more as I pull out a gold chain. The metal is cool against my palms, so I scan the room, peering into every dark corner and shadow behind the closets.
“Desire?” My whisper is barely audible in the empty apartment.
No one. Only silence and the nagging feeling that invisible eyes are watching me.
At that moment, my phone buzzes in my pocket.
Dr. Getix: Miss Aurora, your mother insists on an emergency session before you officially transfer to the new doctor. When would be a convenient time to meet?
I press my lips together, and bitter tears spring to my eyes.
This fucking caring prison: endless prescriptions, pills by the clock, and supervision that makes me sick.
It’s just a convenient way to keep me under their thumb.
If I resist now, Mom will strip me of the little independence I have left by hauling me back home, force-feeding me antipsychotics, and dragging me by the hand to specialists.
Dad and Caleb will let her, thinking they’re saving me.
That’s probably what’ll happen—I’ll become an obedient doll again, terrified of “bad people from the streets.”
Desire …. He’s the only one I’m afraid of. I know he’s just playing with me, and sooner or later, I’ll bore him like a broken toy, but in this gap between now and then, I have something to enjoy too. I’m ready to let him break me however he wants if it pushes back the sterile life waiting for me.
I strip off my clothes, stand naked in the middle of the room, and try on the chain.
It’s not a choker, hugging tight around my throat—which disappoints me a little—but a long necklace, falling into the hollow between my breasts.
My heart races, my nipples harden from the chill of the cold gold links resting against my skin.
As I peer at my reflection on the closet door, a sudden wave of weakness washes over me.
My legs give out, and I collapse onto the bed behind me, breathing heavily.
Now for the dress.