Chapter 39- César
“Ahh… Ren…” Aurora moaned, it carried pain and pleasure.
Leonard's hand fondled with her soft boob.
A gasp tore through her lungs. Her fingers almost tore through his shirt.
Nightime is the only time for Aurora to wear light clothes. Not the usual baggy armour.
Right now, she's in red pj's. Light ones. She's not wearing a bra underneath. She's not even wearing a pantie. Just the pj's and nothing else.
That's the opportunity he has now which he's taking advantage of. His hands on her nipples. Lips on hers. It's too much to take.
He parted their lips for a few seconds but she didn't even have the ability to speak cuz his hands never left her breast.
He finally reconnected their lips.
The kiss was different this time. He took his time to savour every taste her lip has for several minutes.
His hand was still worshipping her precious breast.
He broke the kiss, Aurora gasped for breath.
Her hand went to stop his that's currently touching her other breast.
“Stop… stop…. Please…” She pulled his hand.
“I don't pleasure girls, Noelle. But I'm doing that now.” He said, staring deeply into her eyes.
“I… don't… want this…” She stuttered.
“Why stuttering?” He pecked her lips sweetly.
That's when reality hit her.
They're on a bed… her bed… together… behind a closed door… at night…
Her breath hitched. “Get off me. Get off.” She pushed his chest.
“We're not done here.” He gave another peck to her lips, his hand snaking under her shirt again.
“We are. Now stop.” She swallowed.
He got up without arguing, which surprised her.
Aurora stood too, feeling light-headed, dizzy.
Who wouldn’t? After having those cold hands wrapped around their—
Fuck.
“How did you even sneak in here? The guards are usually on high alert at this hour.”Sshe said quietly.
He turned to her, a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips. “Don’t know how I did it. All I could think about was your lips. And I’m definitely doing it again.”
“You are such a mothe…”
“...Motherfucker. I know.” He cut in, stepping closer. She immediately took a step back.
“Ren… behave yourse…” She stopped mid-sentence, narrowing her eyes. “Why did you tell me to call you Ren?”
He held her gaze, his tone flat but heavy.
“It’s the only part of me that isn’t broken.”
“What does that even mean?” She asked, confused.
“That’s the only question I’ll answer.”
She exhaled sharply, trying to steady her voice. “Well, I have another question, but it’s not about this. It’s about the villa.”
“Proceed.” He was already coming closer again.
“Why does everyone keep saying I’m the only girl from college you’ve taken there when I know for a fact that Oma has been there?”
He tilted his head. “Why are you suddenly intrigued?”
“I’m the one asking the questions here.”
“Cute.” He murmured.
“Go on.” Aurora pressed.
“Why does everyone keep saying I’m the only girl from college you’ve taken to the villa? When I know for a fact Oma has been there.”
“She barged in. I didn’t stop her. I wanted to fuck her, she was playing virtuous. Kept doing it over and over, like she had something to prove. Till we reached the point where she acts like she owns the damn place.”
He stepped closer, his tone dropping lower, darker. “She’s lucky she’s your best friend. Or she’d be a goner by now.”
Aurora froze. The words sank like ice down her spine.
She didn’t know what made her shiver more, the threat in his voice, or the way he said it like it was nothing.
Her throat tightened. “You’re sick.” She whispered.
He smiled faintly. “Maybe. But at least I don’t pretend not to be.”
Aurora froze.
The words cut through her like ice, and yet… that look in his eyes burned hotter than hell.
“You’re sick.” She whispered.
He smiled faintly, stepping closer till his breath ghosted her cheek. “Maybe. But you’re still standing here.”
Her pulse jumped. “Because I’m trying to understand what’s wrong with you.”
“Or maybe you’re trying to understand what’s wrong with you.” He said quietly. “Because you keep letting me this close.”
Her lips parted, but no words came out.
His hand rose, brushing a loose strand of hair behind her ear, slow, deliberate, the kind of touch that wasn’t meant to comfort but to remind.
“You hate me, remember?” He murmured, eyes locked on her lips.
“I do.”
“Then stop trembling.”
“I’m not—”
Before she could finish, he leaned down, his mouth barely inches from hers. “I told you I'll do it again.” He whispered. “You think I'm bluffing?”
Her breath hitched. “Ren…”
He smirked. “That’s more like it.”
Then he pressed a single, soft kiss to her cheek, painfully close to her lips. Just enough to leave her dizzy and infuriated.
“Sleep tight, Noelle.” He turned toward the balcony, his silhouette melting into the shadows again as he jumped down swiftly.
Aurora rushed to the balcony, seeing him still going down easily like he's done this before. “You're insane.” She hissed after him.
From the dark, his voice came back, low, taunting. “Good thing you like trouble.”
The smell of pancakes and maple syrup filled the Raven mansion dining room.
Aurora sat quietly, her fork moving faster than usual, cut, scoop, bite. Over and over.
Gemma looked up from her coffee cup, staring at her daughter in silence.
Melvin noticed too.
Aurora has always been a foodie, but she hadn’t eaten this much in ages.
She usually just poked her food around, pretended to chew, then left quietly.
But this morning, she cleaned her plate like she hadn’t eaten in days.
“Would you like more, honey?” Gemma asked softly.
Aurora didn’t answer. She just nodded and reached for another pancake.
Melvin watched her carefully. When she finally stood up and left, he exhaled slowly.
“She’s eating again.” He said, his voice low.
Gemma folded her hands together. “It’s a good sign, right?”
He shook his head. “Not always. Sometimes when people start changing habits like that after trauma… it’s their body’s way of coping. Could mean she’s healing. Or breaking.”
Gemma sighed, rubbing her temple. “I’ll call Dr. Nina later. She should know.”
Upstairs, Aurora leaned against the door after leaving the dining room, breathing heavily.
The pancakes sat like stones in her stomach.
She needed that much food, after feeling light headed all night.
Again, last night, she had checked herself again. Her thighs were drooling with… Whatever it's called, she doesn't even wanna think about it.
He's made her aroused twice now. She even had to change into another set of pajamas.
She sighed deeply. Going to change for college.
F?ck Mondays.
MINUTES LATER…
Outside, a car horn beeped lightly. Oma.
Aurora stepped out, the morning air brushing her face.
Oma’s window rolled down, her hair flying messily. “Good morning, sunshine!” She teased.
Aurora managed a small, genuine smile. “Morning.”
Oma froze. “Hold up. Did you just… smile? Are you smiling right now?”
Aurora shrugged. “Dunno. Already makes me feel pathetic.”
Oma blinked. “Okay, who are you and what have you done with my best friend?”
They both laughed quietly as Aurora slipped into the passenger seat, giving Oma another shock this morning.
“Girl, you legit just laughed. What's going on? Did happiness visit you last night?” Oma said, wide eyed.
Aurora eyes turned distant.
More like sin visited her last night.
“Auri!” Oma snapped her fingers.
“I don't know what's happening, but I love it. Keep this up. I missed your pretty smile.”
“Don't bother. I'm never doing that shit again.” Aurora rolled her eyes.
Oma pouted, started the car and drove off.
ALL ELITES COLLEGE
The campus gates buzzed with uneasy chatter. Groups of students huddled around, phones in hand, whispering like the air itself carried bad news.
“Feels weirdly loud today.” Oma muttered as she and Aurora walked in.
They had barely made it past the hallway when Ivy came running toward them, her face pale. “Oh my God, Aurora! Oma! Have you heard?”
Oma rolled her eyes. “If it’s about Aurora again, spare us, please.”
Ivy shook her head breathlessly. “No… it’s Nicole. She’s—she’s gone.”
Aurora froze. “What?”
“They said she was found dead this morning at Neon Haven Hotel. She went there with that Caspian guy. The police are everywhere, it’s all over the news.”
Oma blinked, confusion and disbelief mixing on her face. “Wait… what did you just say?”
Ivy’s voice shook. “She’s dead.”
Oma frowned. “How… What about Caspian? Where is he?”
“He’s nowhere to be found,” Ivy said.
“According to the hotel staff, he left sometime last night. When the cleaners went to the room this morning, they found Nicole… tied to the bed. There were stab wounds all over her.”
Oma’s hand flew to her mouth. “Jesus Christ…”
The world around Aurora blurred for a moment.
Her pulse roared in her ears.
She could almost see it, Nicole’s body, blood pooling, silent screams trapped behind her open eyes.
Her breath hitched.
Oma quickly gripped her hand. “Hey… hey, breathe, okay?” she whispered.
All around them, students were staring at their phones, voices rising in shocked murmurs:
??? “This is insane.”
??? “They said it was brutal.”
??? “Caspian vanished. He’s the prime suspect.”
??? “Nicole would literally sleep with anything with veins, but damn…”
???” So fucking gory.”
Oma shook her head. This is terrible.”
A pink sports car parked outside softly. It screamed EXPENSIVE.
Kimberly sat behind the wheel, her sunglasses glinting in the morning sun.
Her hair was back to the original color, ebony black, which enhanced her facial features more. It made her look lethal. She had her hair trimmed so it isn't as long as before.
The faintest smirk played on her lips as she scrolled through her phone, the headline flashing bright across the screen.
~ STUDENT FOUND DEAD AT NEON HAVEN HOTEL.
She let out a small laugh, soft, cruel, satisfied.
“Well.” She murmured, tossing her phone onto the seat. “One less headache to deal with.”
Her manicured fingers tapped the steering wheel in rhythm with the music thumping through her speakers.
“She should’ve known better than to fuck around.”
She laughed out again. Evily.
Kimberly checked her reflection in the rearview mirror, adjusted her lip gloss, then stepped out of the car like nothing had happened. Like she wasn't brutally humiliated days ago.
??? Someone pinch me
??? She badly wants to be the main character
??? You shameless bitch. You wanna be humiliated again?
??? Did the shame make her dye her hair?
Students threw different comments at her, but Kimberly walked through them like a queen untouchable by chaos.
All this doesn't matter. They dare not touch her anyways. She's just ecstatic about Nicole's death.
For her, Nicole’s death wasn't tragedy.
It was convenience.
What a great welcome gift for her.
Word spread fast, the police were on campus.
Every class was dismissed early. Students gathered in groups, phones buzzing with notifications, all saying the same thing:
“There’s going to be an interrogation.”
The announcement was posted on the blog.
~ All students are to remain on campus until further notice. The authorities will be conducting brief interviews regarding the tragic incident that occurred this morning.~
??? “Interrogations? For what? It’s not like we killed her.”
??? “They said the officers are already in the Dean’s office.”
??? “Bro, imagine being called in for questioning and not coming back.”
??? “You watch too many movies, man.”
The campus was crawling with tension. Police cars lined the main drive like a parade of bad news.
Everywhere, whispers. Phone screens glowing. The same headline repeating.
~ STUDENT FOUND DEAD AT NEON HAVEN HOTEL.
Inside the administrative office, the police had turned one classroom into a makeshift questioning space.
---
Student #1 – nervous, adjusting his glasses
“I mean, Nicole wasn’t… you know, nice. She was always loud. Always picking fights. But she didn’t deserve that. Nobody does.”
Detective: “Did she have enemies?”
“A lot. But she liked it that way.”
---
Student #2 – smirking slightly, chewing gum
“She was with that guy, Caspian, right? It’s not even shocking. She always ran her mouth. At least, now in hell, she'll realize that holiness is bae.
---
Student #3 – quiet girl, shaking her head
“I didn’t know her. Not really. She… she used to sit at the back in English. Always staring at her phone.
---
Student #4 – boy with earbuds hanging from his neck
“You guys should check the hotel’s security cams. The guy she was with? He barely showed up in classes. Like he wasn't even here for learning shit.
Detective: “You’re sure of that?”
“Does a shark bark?” The guy rolled his eyes.
---
Student #5 – laughing under her breath
“It’s crazy how everyone’s pretending to care now. Days ago they called her a coward, today they’re lighting candles.”
The detective looked up.
“What about you?”
“I don’t pretend.”
Students kept being interrogated but it's as if they saw it as an opportunity to say whatever they wanted to say to Nicole directly.
So much hate.
Sin.
That’s the only word that fits this place.
The place glowed with red, blue, and violet, colors bleeding into one another like bruises. Neon signs flickered against cracked walls painted with obscenity.
Every corner breathed corruption; laughter mixed with muffled cries, and shadows traded both pleasure and pain.
The air reeked of smoke, sweat, and something unholy.
Crimson lights washed over a vast hall. At its center, a black marble throne carved with serpents gleamed beneath the glow.
Behind it hung a portrait of a crowned man, naked, surrounded by naked women. Next to it, a smaller frame read:
“The body craves. The body serves. The body obeys.”
A scream shattered the air.
“No! Let me go! Please!”
Two men dragged a teenage girl through the doorway, her wrists bound, her feet scraping the floor. She couldn’t have been more than sixteen.
A tall man stepped forward from the shadows. His coat shimmered under the red light; a cigar burned between his fingers, smoke curling like a serpent. He carried a cane crowned with a skull.
He sat on the throne, smiling faintly.
“Didn’t your parents teach you not to wander at night, mi ni?a?”
The girl sobbed, shaking her head.
“I was going to get medicine for my mother. Please let me go, I won't tell anyone. Please. My mom is sick, she needs her meds. Please…”
“Sorry darling, but you already caught my eye. Now, is it right for a teenager like you to look this beautiful?” His voice was eerily calm.
“P-please let me go…” She shivered.
“Do you know what I do to pretty girls?” He took his cane to her cleavage.
“No no… Please…” She recoiled.
“Don't worry, you'll beg for it. You'll love it, okay?” He puffed another smoke.
“No no no no. My.. my mom. Please don't do this…… No!!!!”
“Take her inside. Inject her.” He said, waving a lazy hand.
“NO!!!”
She screamed again, but the sound faded as the guards pulled her away.
Then silence.
Only the sound of dripping wax and low, distant laughter, and moans of those busy getting pleasure in the inner chambers.
Footsteps echoed.
Someone was entering.
From the darkness, a figure appeared, tall, wearing black, his hair a messy halo under the red light. The man on the throne smirked, leaning forward.
“César.”
Zane met his gaze, eyes unreadable.
“Father.”
.
.
.
TBC…