AURORA My gaze narrows to the blinds, it would seem the sun has risen. I didn't sleep last night, I couldn't sleep, especially not with Caelum watching me. He insisted he wanted to talk, I wasn't sober enough to talk, nor was I sober enough to take the drunk he offered me. I don't have the answers to his questions, if I did have them, I would have given them to him, and moved on to the next hell fate throws at me. But still, Caelum insists we talk, he insists he will hurt me until I break to bits of me, but how? I'm already bits of the girl I used to be. The girl that never grew into a woman, the one that hurt so much, she only knew one language. Caelum wanted us to find common ground, switching between all the languages in my file when he had at least two bottles of liquor. He didn't try one language, the one language I'm fluent in, pain.At some point in the night, he decided to quit trying, and he fell asleep somewhere around an hour ago. I've been watching him sleep, I

AURORA Yesterday was hell, I came home sore and tired from running from store to store with the professional stylist Caelum hired for me. Francesca Weingarten, a woman about my age with the style of a magazine cover girl. Her style is too extravagant for my taste, I prefer the glamour that doesn't scream loud from afar. Away from shopping in the most expensive stores, most of which I left empty-handed because I liked nothing, we also went to the beauty parlour. I enjoy going to hair salons but that was particularly dreadful, I had to go get my hair done in a way Caelum would prefer, straightened. Aside from that, I had to change my nails, to longer nails, with subtle 'elegant' colors that he likes to look at. Francesca also suggested I get a change of hair color, switching it blonde which I was considering until she mentioned it was the color of his wife's hair. I'm not trying to remind him of his wife, I'm trying to make him miss his wife, so he can go running back to her, a

EMELIA I'm running to and fro around the house, looking for the boys in every room of the house with Aurora on my arm, looking for my fiancé in every room of the house. It takes a whole drink before we can go outside, Aurora and I both holding a wine beer in each hand. I'm eager for Aurora to meet my husband to be, something always comes up. With him and if not, then it comes up with Aurora. I've shown Aurora my engagement photos, and she must have seen pictures on my social media but most are always with his face hidden in the crook of my neck or under a hat. We do it to avoid the press attention, considering he is very well known, and the most eligible bachelor that hasn't sunk his dick in every female he meets. Ryker hasn't seen a picture of Aurora either, except maybe one or two but I want them to meet in person. I need my best friend to meet the man who makes my stomach flutter, the man who makes me feel like I'm floating and need not be brought down to earth. And for

(Caelum’s POV continues)“Wait, so this is her kid?!” Cassian gasps. “Rumor has a baby?”Buzzkill, that's what Cassian is. Sending a praising message to Scarlett, I dropped my phone once again. “Yes, she does.”“So she's married? Or at least in a relationship. You're looking to fuck another man's future wife?” he teases, a grin spread on his lips, eyes dancing with mischief.“Getting in her panties is not an objective, I've been in them, nothing special.” “Well, I want to get into her panties, I have no doubts it's special. But come on, seriously? She has a kid?” his grin fades. “I would not guess just by looking at her.” “Wouldn't guess she's a viper now would you?” “Viper?” he laughs. “That woman is harmless, except for when she's performing her act.” I roll my eyes, grabbing my phone once again, I text Aurora to come outside in exactly five minutes.Five minutes later, the car pulls up at Fantasy Elite but Aurora doesn't come out just yet. Fifteen minutes later, she's stil

CAELUM I promised Scarlett I would be home tonight, and I am. But at what cost? Leaving Aurora passed out in my bed is haunting me, but I know she's safe there, my security team is discreet but efficient, they won't let her notice their presence but they'll not let anything harm her, even when a mosquito aims to bite on her, I'll be essentially notified.My phone lies on the side of the bed where I always keep it, but this time I'm more alert to any vibrations. Scarlett is asleep now, but I reckon when I walked in, she wasn't asleep but pretending to sleep. I could see her eyes fluttering, contemplating peeking at me and not.I'm glad she didn't, I'm wasted, intoxicated in the scent of Aurora's body perfume.Goddammit, Aurora.There's something about this woman, not only something alluring and captivating, but also something dark, and it calls to me, calls to the darkness inside me.I want to brighten it, it's clearly haunting her. Her patterns infuriate me, I hate how she spaces o