Chapter 34- Argument
Silence.
The music stopped, as if the smart house itself sensed the tension thickening the air.
Neither of them spoke. Aurora’s palm still tingled from the slap. Leonard’s cheek bore the faint red imprint of her hand, glowing under the villa lights.
Yet he didn’t flinch. Didn’t move. His calmness made it worse, that detached, unreadable calm that drove her insane.
Aurora’s chest heaved. Her voice cracked with fury.
“Every single time, what is wrong with you? Why would you do that?”
Leonard’s head turned slowly, eyes steady, tone flat.
“It wasn't your first kiss.” he said. “That’s why you kissed back.”
“I didn’t… her words stumbled, breaking into a tremor. “You forced me, Leonard!”
He brushed a thumb over his bottom lip, slow and deliberate, smearing her red lipstick against his skin. His voice dropped, low, careless.
“Could’ve fooled me.”
Aurora’s breath caught, eyes burning. “You think this is funny? You probably carry girls like that all the time, right? On your shoulders , in your arms? Right? Dance with them, kiss them, like they mean nothing.”
Leonard’s gaze lifted to hers, calm but cutting. “In years.” He said quietly. “I haven’t carried anyone like that.”
A pause.
“You’re the first.”
Aurora blinked, anger faltering. “That’s not something to be proud of.”
“Didn’t say it was.”
She exhaled sharply, then scoffed. “And who's the last girl you carried in your arms? Someone who didn't give a damn about you too? You seem to like them a lot.” Her words dripped with venom.
Leonard looked her dead in the eyes. “Someone who I was madly in love with but took me for granted.” He said flatly, unfiltered.
Aurora froze. “You have the ability to love?” She scoffed.
“Well, I don't care about what happened in your life. I don't care! That doesn't mean you have the right to kiss me without my permission! And you're wrong, I did NOT kiss back! I didn't!”
For a moment, neither spoke. Only the sound of their breathing filled the silence, hers ragged, his steady.
She stepped closer, fists clenched. “Do you ever feel anything at all? Or do you just take whatever you want?”
Leonard’s eyes darkened slightly, his tone still steady. “Only when it’s worth taking.”
Aurora’s throat tightened. “You’re impossible.”
He tilted his head, a faint smirk playing at his lips. “You say that a lot.”
She glared at him, voice shaking. “You disgust me.”
He looked down at her, the ghost of that smirk fading into something quieter. “And yet,” he murmured, “you kissed me back.”
Her voice broke. “I didn’t…”
Leonard’s gaze dropped to her lips once more. “Cherry,” he muttered. “You taste like cherry.”
Aurora’s breath hitched, rage spilling back. “You’re sick.”
He met her glare evenly. “Maybe.”
Silence again. The music still hadn’t returned.
Aurora turned sharply and shoved past him, her heart pounding, her lipstick smeared.
Leonard didn’t follow.
He stood there, running his tongue over the faint trace of cherry still on his lips, eyes flicking to the coat lying forgotten on the floor.
“Fuck.” he muttered under his breath, but this time, it wasn’t anger.
OUTSIDE~
Aurora burst through the villa doors, her heels striking the marble like thunder. The coat was gone.
Every head turned. Every sound died.
For a second, no one breathed. Then…
A wine glass slipped from someone’s hand, shattering against the tiles. A bottle tipped, red spilling like blood across the tablecloth.
Aurora didn’t flinch.
Her hair framed her face in soft waves, her eyes burning with a fury that made her look almost divine.
The black halter top glowed under the garden lights, her short skirt hugging her thighs with every determined step. The air around her seemed to shimmer, part rage, part heartbreak, part something no one could name.
Only then did she realize it, the coat. She’d left it inside.
Guess he got what he wanted.
But she didn’t turn back.
No one moved to stop her, not one of them. Because the moment she stepped out of Leonard Grande’s villa, she was marked.
They all knew what that meant.
Whispers began to break the silence, rippling through the crowd like sparks on gasoline.
~ “What the…”
~ “That’s what she’s been hiding under those coats?”
~ “Curse those big clothes, she’s gorgeous.”
~ “Oh my flipping God…”
Ivy’s eyes widened. Rosanne’s hand flew to her mouth, muffling her gasp.
Oma blinked hard, unable to look away. “She, she took the coat off?” she whispered. “She looks angry. What the hell happened in there?”
“Oh. My. God.” Ivy breathed out.
Kiara’s smile faltered. Her grip on the wine glass tightened until her knuckles turned white.
She tried to play it off with a scoff, but her heart was sinking fast.
So that’s why Leonard was so drawn to her. So that’s what he saw.
Aurora’s steps slowed at the edge of the garden lights. The cold night air kissed her bare skin, but she didn’t shiver.
She kept walking, past the pool, past the gawking crowd, past the music that dared not restart.
Behind her, the murmurs grew louder.
~ “I swear she looks like she came straight out of a dream.”
~“Leonard must’ve—”
~ “Shut up, she’ll hear you!”
Ivy’s gaze flicked toward Ricky, and yes, his eyes were locked on Aurora too. Completely, stupidly transfixed. Ivy rolled her eyes so hard it hurt.
Typical.
But the most shaken wasn’t Ivy.
It was Colette.
Her wine glass trembled in her hand, crimson spilling down her fingers. The jealousy that had been simmering all night finally boiled over.
Her throat went dry, her mind buzzing with a mix of awe and devastation.
Because Aurora, Aurora was even more beautiful than she’d imagined.
The rage she expected to feel didn’t come. Something else did. Something softer. Something dangerous.
Her pulse raced. Her breath hitched. And in one dizzy second, Colette realized it, she was in love with Aurora Grande.
Aurora was already gone by then, but her essence stayed.
A storm had passed through the party, and nothing, absolutely nothing, felt the same anymore.
RAVEN MANSION
Melvin’s phone buzzed once on the mahogany table.
He glanced at the screen, a message from the private investigator he’d hired weeks ago.
No words, just a single image.
He tapped it open.
The photo loaded slowly, the glow from the screen spilling across his tired face.
Aurora, standing outside the Grande villa, eyes sharp, hair wild, her black outfit catching the light. Her coat was gone.
Gemma’s voice broke the silence. “What is it?”
He turned the phone toward her.
Her breath caught. “Oh, God…” Her hand flew to her mouth. “Her coat, where’s her coat?”
Melvin didn’t answer right away. He just leaned back in his chair, exhaling softly through his nose, gaze fixed on the image.
“I knew this would happen,” he said finally, his voice low, almost resigned.
Gemma’s brows knit. “You knew?”
He nodded once. “The moment I found out Leonard Grande was her childhood sweetheart. That boy always had a way of drawing her in.”
Gemma’s voice trembled with a mix of worry and disbelief. “You sound… calm about this.”
Melvin looked at her then, eyes dark with something that wasn’t anger, but acceptance. “Because I’ve realized something, Gemma. Whatever’s between them, it’s not something we can break. Not the distance, not time, not even her trauma.”
Gemma’s throat tightened. She looked back at the photo, tracing Aurora’s face on the screen as if it might tell her something.
“She looks just like you when you were young,” Melvin murmured, almost to himself.
Gemma swallowed hard. “Then I suppose we should prepare ourselves for tomorrow night.”
He raised an eyebrow.
“The reunion,” She reminded. “Leonard will be there too.”
Melvin sighed again, this time heavier. “Then I guess we’ll see just how deep that connection really runs.”
The phone dimmed to black, but the image lingered in both their minds.
“I… I miss her,” Gemma murmured, her voice barely a whisper.
“She’ll be back soon,” Melvin replied quietly.
“No, no…” Her lips trembled. “I mean Ann—”
“She’s probably happy somewhere.” Melvin got up and held her shoulders gently. “You need to relax, okay? Don’t get tense again.” His palm brushed her cheek, warm but weary.
“I can’t… I just can’t. She was stolen from me.
” Her voice broke. “You, of all people, know the pain I went through in that labor ward. But I forgot all that pain when I first saw my Auri. She was… a breath of fresh air. My dawn. And then I had Annie. I…I don’t know why she was taken.
Why we couldn’t find who took her. I… I miss my baby. ” She sobbed into his chest.
Melvin wrapped his arms around her, rubbing her back, whispering quietly as she trembled.
But Gemma soon pulled away, tears streaking down her cheeks. “You promised me,” she said, voice cracking. “You said you would find my daughter. Why didn’t you keep your promise?”
“Gemma,” Melvin whispered, cupping her face. “You need to calm down, okay? You probably looked at that photo again. Shh.”
He drew her close again, letting her lean into his chest.
Gemma’s breathing steadied, but her eyes were glassy. “The world felt numb that night,” she muttered. A tear slid down her cheek.
“I lost a piece of my heart.”
---
FLASHBACK
“No! No, no, no! Where…where’s my baby?!” Gemma screamed, her voice echoing through the ward. She ignored the blood, the pain, the nurses. She only fought against Melvin’s arms as he tried to hold her down.
“Vin! Where’s our daughter?! Where is she?!”
“Mrs. Raven, please…you have to calm down. You just gave birth,” said the obstetrician, struggling to keep his voice firm.
The nurses stood frozen. Heads bowed. Knees trembling. All kneeling under Melvin’s order.
“How does a newborn go missing from this hospital?!” Melvin roared. “How? What were you all doing?!”
The only nurse still standing was the one holding newborn Aurora…crying, red-faced, tiny fists clenched. The nurse was shaking too.
“Annora! Annie!” Gemma’s voice shattered as she clawed at Melvin’s hold.
He tried, desperately, to soothe her, but she couldn’t hear him over the emptiness that screamed louder than her voice ever could.
“Sir,” the doctor said, eyes downcast, “we might have to sedate her. If we don’t, this will take a toll on her body.”
The doors opened. Charlene and Desmond rushed in.
Charlene clutched baby Leonard in her arms…his dark hair so thick it covered his little forehead. Her eyes widened the moment she saw the chaos.
“Oh my God,” she breathed. “Where’s the second twin?”
“You incompetent fools! Where’s the baby?!” Desmond’s voice thundered.
The nurses flinched. Aurora cried louder.
Charlene handed Leonard to Desmond and took Aurora gently from the trembling nurse.
“Shh. It’s okay, sweetheart. Shh…” she whispered to the crying infant. Within moments, Aurora quieted, though Gemma’s anguished cries soon set her off again.
“Melvin, do something!” Charlene pleaded.
Melvin signaled the doctor with a grim nod.
“No, no…what if they take my Auri too…” Gemma sobbed weakly. “Vin… find her… my Annie… f-find her…”
“I promise you,” Melvin whispered, pressing his lips to her forehead. “I’ll find our girl.”
The injection entered her vein. Within seconds, her body went still, her sobs fading into sleep.
A tear slipped down Charlene’s cheek. Desmond patted Leonard’s back gently, though even the baby looked uneasy at the tension in the room.
Melvin’s jaw tightened as he turned back to the staff. His eyes burned with fury.
“This hospital is shutting down,” he said coldly. Then his gaze softened as he looked at Gemma…pale, trembling, unconscious.
“I’ll find our baby,” he whispered. “I swear I will.”
---
END OF FLASHBACK
Melvin’s voice cracked the silence. “I know I failed you,” he said softly.
“I couldn’t find her. And I’ll never forgive myself for that.
” He brushed his thumb across her temple, wiping away a tear.
“But you can’t let this destroy you again, Gemma.
Remember how you couldn’t even breastfeed Auri because you were in shock?
Charlene did it for months. You’ve come too far to break now.
Aurora needs you. She needs her mother. Pour all your love into her, okay? ”
Gemma sniffed hard, her face crumpling. “As if that pain wasn’t enough,” she whispered, “I watched my Auri suffer… trauma. And now we can’t even decide if we want her to remember or forget. I… I can’t…”
“Shh.” Melvin pulled her close, resting his chin on her hair. “Don’t lose hope. She’ll be fine. We’ll all be fine.”
Gemma’s breathing steadied, but the tears didn’t stop. Her fingers twisted together on her lap, cold and restless.
“What if she’s suffering somewhere, Melvin?” she whispered.
He glanced at her, but she didn’t look back. Her eyes were far away, fixed on the dark window.
“What if she’s being mistreated by some wicked stepmother?” her voice trembled. “Or living somewhere unhealthy… or attending a low-class college… what if she never had a birthday party, or…” her voice cracked, “what if she’s homeless?”
Melvin’s throat tightened. He couldn’t bring himself to answer.
Gemma blinked hard, trying to steady her breath. “She’s supposed to be safe,” she whispered. “She’s supposed to have her mother.”
The silence that followed was heavy… the kind that hurts to breathe through. Outside, the night wind brushed against the curtains, carrying the faint sound of crickets.
Melvin exhaled quietly, placing a hand on her back. “Come to bed, Gem.”
But Gemma didn’t move. Her gaze stayed on the night sky, lost somewhere far beyond the walls of their mansion.
“I just hope,” she murmured, voice breaking, “that someone, somewhere… loves her.”
Melvin closed his eyes. Gemma stayed seated, her tears catching the reflection of the moonlight.
Right then, the sound of a car echoed from downstairs.
Seconds later, the living room door was slammed hard.
"She's home." Gemma whispered, quickly wiping her tears.
Melvin poured a glass of water and handed it to her. She took a few sips, her hand trembling slightly.
“Something definitely happened,” she murmured, staring at the photo still on the table. “I could tell from the photo the investigator sent.”
“At least she’s home,” Melvin said, placing a reassuring hand on her shoulder.
Moments later, another door slammed upstairs. Aurora's room.
The tension hung thick.
Oma arrived immediately.
She made her way to Aurora’s room. She barely knocked before the door swung open, revealing Aurora, still in her dress, hair tangled, eyes swollen from tears or maybe exhaustion.
“You came,” Aurora muttered.
Oma frowned. “Of course I came. You disappeared on me at the party, remember?”
Aurora scoffed. “Don’t act like you cared. You said you’d stay with me the whole night, but you vanished the moment things got messy.”
“That’s not fair,” Oma said softly, hurt flashing in her eyes. “You know I tried to find you. You just, you didn’t want to be found. Besides you drove off after storming out of the Villa angrily.”
“I don’t want to hear it.” Aurora’s voice cracked slightly, but her words were sharp. “You left me when I needed you most. Just like everyone else.”
Oma’s lips parted, her voice trembling now. “You think that’s fair? You think I don’t care? I worry myself sick for you everyday, Auri.”
“Don’t pretend to understand me,” Aurora snapped. “You never could.”
That one landed deep. Oma’s eyes glistened. She swallowed hard. “You’re right. I don’t understand you anymore. Because every time I try, you build another wall and then hate me for not climbing it fast enough.”
For a long moment, silence. Just the faint hum of the night air.
Then Oma took a shaky breath, stepping back. “You’re my best friend, Aurora. I just wish you’d stop treating me like your enemy.”
She brushed past Gemma and Melvin in the hallway. “Goodnight, uncle and aunt.” She said quietly.
Gemma exhaled. “I’m sorry for her behavior, sweetheart. She’s just… not herself tonight.”
Oma gave a small nod, forcing a weak smile. “I know. She never is when she’s hurting.”
The front door clicked shut behind Oma, leaving a hollow stillness in its wake.
Gemma’s hands were still clasped together, trembling. Melvin stood behind her, silent, his jaw tightening as he looked at their daughter.
Aurora’s breathing was uneven, her shoulders stiff, every inch of her screaming regret, but her pride holding her still.
“You didn’t have to speak to her like that,” Gemma said quietly.
Aurora didn’t answer. Her throat burned.
“She’s your friend,” her mother tried again, voice breaking a little.
Aurora’s lip trembled, but she kept her gaze on the floor. “She shouldn’t have left me,” she murmured, almost to herself.
Melvin sighed softly, stepping closer but not touching her. “Auri…”
She looked up, eyes glistening, tired. “Can you both just…” Her voice cracked. “Please. I just want to be alone.”
Gemma wanted to go to her, but Melvin gently placed a hand on her shoulder, stopping her.
They watched as Aurora turned away and sat on the edge of her bed, pulling her knees close. The soft lamplight brushed against her face, streaked with makeup, tear-slick, heartbreakingly young.
When they finally left the room, closing the door behind them, the silence that followed was deafening.
Aurora pressed her face into her arms. A shaky breath escaped her lips.
“I didn’t mean it,” she whispered to the empty room. “I didn’t…”
TBC….