Aurora POV

"Hey !!"

"Are you trying to get killed? A man yelled as he drove past me. I stood frozen, cold raindrops pattering against my skin.

I was about to scream back when the rumble of an engine cut me off as a convertible slowed down beside me.

Four guys crowded inside it, the stench of alcohol drifting toward me before the car even stopped. The driver leaned over, his eyes crawling on my body before settling on my chest

"Hey babe, want a ride" he grinned

"We got plenty of room on our laps"

His friends beside him snorted. They burst into laughter

"You have some nerve!!"

"Get out" I snapped

"Oh feisty" The driver smirked, killing the engine " I like feisty"

One of the guys vaulted towards the back door and he staggered towards me

"Let's see if there's more where that action came from, shall we?"

I stepped back

"Don't you dare come close to me" I screamed

Before I could react, he lunged forward and grabbed me by the hair, yanking my head back. I screamed more furiously than terrified and clawed at his arm. My fingers slipped on his wet skin.

"You little-", He yelled. I swung my purse connecting with his temple. He leered at me, his eyes fixed on my chest.

The other men from the car were climbing out now, their movements predatory as they circled around me. I brought my knee up hard aiming for his groin but he twisted away at the last second

Before I could plan my next move, a sleek black car pulled up out of nowhere-so suddenly, so silently, that I hadn't even heard it approach.

The rear door opened.

A tall man with blue eyes stepped out immediately. Broad-shouldered and imposing in what looked like an expensive black suit. His face was sharp, dangerously handsome, with his jaw clenched so tightly.

"Is there a problem here?" the man said, his voice betraying nothing but respect.

This man looked like someone important, like someone people answered to. The guy who'd grabbed me froze. His fingers loosened from my hair immediately

"No-it's him," he hissed under his breath. To his friends: "Let's move. Now!!."

"But Boss?" one of his men said

"I said let's go" He yelled back

He loosened his grip on my wrist and shoved me forward. And just like that, all their drama died. They piled into their convertible, tires screeching as they sped away.

"What were you thinking?" The man in front of me snarled.

My heart stuttered.

His hands were gripping my arms.

."Let-let me go," I choked, trying to pull back.

He didn't.

"Are you trying to die?" he growled, shaking rain out of his hair. "You had some nerve confronting those men."

"It's none of your business!" My voice broke as I shoved at his chest.

He didn't move an inch.

"You're lucky " he snapped, ignoring my struggle.

"I said let me go!" I shoved him again, harder. This time he caught my wrists.

Both of them. Heat flooded my cheeks

"I don't need your help," I hissed. "I didn't ask you to save me."

"You men, you're all the same" I replied

His eyes narrowed, sharp and icy. "Yeah? "Well, too damn bad. I wasn't going to watch you get treated like a-"

"Like what?" I spat. "Say it."

He exhaled sharply through his nose.

His grip loosened around my wrist but not enough for me to pull away.

"You're welcome," he said flatly.

I wanted to scream.

"You're unbelievable," I hissed. "You don't know me, you don't even know what happened."

He exhaled through his nose, clearly losing patience.

"It doesn't matter."

"You should value your life a little more and just run when you find yourself in such a situation," he said, voice dropping to a growl.

My throat tightened painfully.

"You think I wanted to run into those goons?" I choked. "You think I-"

I stopped. He saw the pain and hurt in my eyes.

And I hated that he saw anything at all. His gaze flicked over my face then his jaw tightened.

"Come with me" he muttered.

"I'm not going anywhere with you," I snapped.

He raised a brow.

"It wasn't a request."

Before I could react, he slid one arm under my shoulders and the other beneath my knees and lifted me.

"Put me down!" I kicked at him, fists pounding his chest. "Put me down right now!"

He didn't even flinch.

"Stop fighting," he said flatly.

"Stop grabbing me!".

He carried me toward the sleek black car. The driver rushed to open the back door.

The man lowered me into the backseat with a gentleness that contradicted everything about him. The interior smelled like leather and rain with an expensive cologne meant to mask the scent

"No! I'm not getting in that car!" I twisted, furious, "Let me go!"

I gasped, this time I was outraged. He placed me inside the car anyway.

I scrambled immediately toward the other door. He blocked it with his palm. We stared at each other, both breathing hard. He leaned in, rain dripping from his hair onto his collar.

His body was so close that I felt the heat pouring off him. His arm braced beside me so much that it stole the air straight out of my lungs

We stared at each other, both breathing hard, with a few inches between us.

"You want to go again?" he murmured, voice low and rough.

My pulse stuttered. His eyes dropped to my mouth; this time slowly, sending a sharp, aching shiver through me. His gaze lingered there, as if memorizing the shape of my lips, imagining what they'd feel like under his

My mind reeled at the thought of who this Greek God sitting in front of me was. He leaned closer. His breath grazed my skin and his nose brushed mine.

I could have pushed him away.

I could've said something-anything. But I didn't.

My hand curled into his shirt instead, pulling him much closer.

His lips hovered over mine, his mouth almost touching my lower lip,

The heat between us tightened.

I felt myself leaning in-helplessly,

I want him now...

Aurora POV

For a split second, nothing else existed except the narrow space between us. Our faces were still far too close, breaths tangled, shared air warm and uneven. I could feel his exhale against my lips, the world outside the car feeling so unreal.

His eyes dropped not to my lips at first, but to the hollow of my throat, as if he were grounding himself, reminding himself to slow down.

My heart thudded so loudly I was sure he could hear it. I swallowed, my throat suddenly dry, my body painfully aware of how close he was. One inch closer and we'd be touching.

"Tell me to stop," he murmured.

His voice was low but there was something raw beneath it, something that made my breath hitch instantly.

I didn't answer instead, my fingers tightened around the fabric of his coat

"I want you" I whispered

His jaw flexed. He lifted one hand slowly, as though giving me time to change my mind. His knuckles brushed my cheek first, His eyes flicked to my face, watching every reaction my body made

"You're dangerous, Princess."

His thumb traced the line of my jaw. It was the kind of touch that made my skin come alive. My pulse raced beneath his fingers, betraying me completely.

The silence between us grew thicker,The nickname sent a rush of heat through me, my cheek pressing more fully into his palm.

He leaned in, his forehead resting against mine, our noses brushing. He tilted his head slightly, slowly, giving me time to pull away but I didn't.

Just as our lips were about to meet-

A sharp knock rattled the window. I jolted. We both turned at the same time. He looked back at me and then I glared at him, my heart pounding in my chest. His jaw clenched.

I tore my gaze away and turned toward the window, my hands trembling as I reached for the button. The glass slid down slowly, the night air brushing against my face.

A figure stood outside the car.

I blinked and squinted to see who it was. The shape sharpened into a familiar outline. I reached for the handle and yanked the door open so fast it nearly hit her.

"Emily" I breathed

It was Emily, my best friend. Her eyes were wide; too wide, like she'd been searching every dark corner of the city and had finally found me when she'd already started to lose hope.

"Aurora!" she breathed, her voice breaking on my name. "Oh my goodness!!."

She leaned closer, scanning my face as if checking for bruises or proof of every worst-case scenario she'd clearly imagined

"I've been calling you," she said quickly. "Over and over. Why didn't you answer? I thought you were-" Her voice cut off abruptly

And then her eyes shifted to him.

To the stranger who had just nearly kissed me. Her body went rigid.

"What the hell is going on?" she demanded.

Before I could answer, she questioned

"Who is he? And why is he in the car with you? Aurora, are you okay? Did he do something to you?"

"He didn't," I said too fast.

Emily's gaze flicked back to me, narrowing.

"Aurora..." she said slowly.

Then she smirked.

"Oh my..." she gushed

That look;the one that meant she was filing away every detail, just exactly what I needed, a best friend with instincts too sharp for her own good.

"Emily, I'm fine," I insisted. "He-he helped me."

Emily didn't look convinced

The man beside me didn't react at all. He didn't blink, didn't flinch, didn't even shift in his seat. He simply watched us quietly, his face calm, unreadable, almost amused.

I'm here to get you," she said, voice softening but only for me. "I was really worried. Your father wants you home now," she said turning her gaze towards me

"And I'm...sorry about what happened between you and Eth-" I nudged for her not to say more

She clamped her lips shut, but her glare said everything; You're explaining later, it promised. Every single detail.

Emily straightened. "I brought my car," she said brightly. "I can take you home, babe."

She leaned over to hug me, using the moment to whisper in my ear

"If you want to spend the night with him, I can totally understand," she murmured. "He's such a hottie."

"What the-" I pulled back instantly, shooting her a death stare.

She only grinned wider.

Before I could retaliate, his voice cut in smoothly.

"I guess this is my cue to leave now, Princess," He interrupted us." It seems like you're in safe hands"

"Yeah, sure" I replied, forcing calm into my voice, even as my pulse betrayed me.

"Goodbye knight in shining armor" Emily said to the man

"Bye for now, Princess"

Heat rushed to my cheeks.

He glanced at me then he really looked at me. His expression softened just enough to unsettle me, like he was saying something without words.

Then he nodded once.

I stepped back, closing the door as his driver started the engine. I watched as the car pulled away, taillights glowing red before disappearing around the corner.

I turned to enter the car with Emily

The car fell silent as we drove through the streets, the city lights blurring past the window

My hands rested in my lap, fingers clenched. Emily didn't speak. She didn't need to. I could feel her curiosity radiating off her like heat.

Finally, I exhaled slowly.

"Okay," I said. "Before you say anything-"

She cut me off. "You almost kissed a stranger in a car, Aurora ."

I winced.

"And not just any stranger," she continued. "A dangerously attractive one too."

I stared out the window, watching the city slide by. "I didn't plan it."

She snorted softly

I huffed out a quiet laugh despite myself. "He helped me. When some men were following me... he stepped in. He didn't have to."

"You looked like you wanted him," she said softly

I hesitated "He could be dangerous and a jerk like Ethan"

Emily sighed. "It's alright babe"

The rest of the drive passed in relative quiet, but my thoughts were anything but still. His eyes kept flashing in my mind. The way his voice sounded when he spoke my name. The heat of him, close enough that I could almost forget everything else.

As Emily pulled into my driveway, a sudden realization hit me so hard I sucked in a breath.

"Wait."

She frowned. "What?"

"I didn't get his name."

Emily burst out laughing as I stared ahead, my heart doing something dangerously close to hope.

AURORA POV

"I now proclaim you husband and wife; You may now kiss the bride,"

The priest's voice echoed. Ethan's hands were already on my veil. He yanked it aside with impatient fingers and captured my lips in a kiss that stole the air from my lungs..

His mouth claimed mine like he had every right to me, like the whole world was watching and he wanted them to see that I belonged to him. His arms wrapped around me, strong and unyielding, pulling me closer until there was no space left between us. The claps afterwards came distantly forced, the crowd whistled, cheering us on.

Then, I woke up startled, taking a deep breath, trying to calm myself down. The last rays of the sun lazily filtered through the tall, bare windows. My throat felt groggy and dry, and my eyes were so puffy I couldn't even open them all the way. I would kill for a glass of water, but I would die before asking for one. How I wished the dream was real and I was in Ethan's arms right now. This was the part where I knew it was a fantasy; if only he had not betrayed me

I stared up at the ceiling, blinking slowly, and felt the dull ache spread through my chest.

A soft knock broke the silence.

"Good Morning, Miss," I turned my head just as the door opened and a maid stepped inside, holding a tray of food.

"Hello," I said, giving a weak smile. The poor woman didn't do anything against me. There was no reason to be hard on her

"You haven't eaten anything since you came" she spoke with a sense of uneasiness in her look

"Ok, thank you." I gestured for her to come forward, and she placed the tray of food on my bed. There was a piece of steak, mashed potatoes, and salad with a glass of juice. I sighed and picked up the fork, forcing myself to eat even though my stomach twisted with every bite.

"Is my Dad still around?" I asked her, raising an eyebrow. The Man wasn't even here to receive me when I rolled through the black, wrought-iron gates of the estate in a black Cadillac DTS in the middle of the night..

Emily had taken the liberty of bringing me home. Of everyone in my life, at least she was the only one who cared enough to show up. My own father hadn't even bothered stepping outside. Not even a glance from a window.

Yes, miss," the maid replied. "He's home."

I nodded, jaw tightening.

"Shoot!" I muttered, suddenly remembering something. I rummaged through my bag for my phone, but it wasn't there.

"Your phone is in the drawer, Ma'am". The maid continued, saving me from spiraling further.

Oh." I exhaled. "Thank you"

"Your dad has asked that you be in his office after taking your meal" she said

"That's good" I mumbled making her give a confused look

"Sorry ma'am pls what did you say" she said and I smiled internally

I forced a polite smile. "I said it's okay by me"

"Okay, Ma'am, if you need anything, kindly let me know," She spoke as she turned around to leave the room. I ran after her, yanking at the door handle.

"Why -" My voice shook. "You locked the door."

"Orders, ma'am," she said softly without turning around.

Then she walked away, Her footsteps faded down the hallway, leaving me alone with the heavy click of the lock echoing in my ears.

So that was how it was.

I returned to the bed and forced myself to finish the food. Whatever was coming, I needed strength. My father never summoned me for anything good, and arriving hungry would only give him another excuse to tear me apart.

After a shower and a quick change into something simple;a white silk camisole and dark jeans. The maid opened the door and I made my way to his office.

The hallway was beautiful. Nothing here was designed to comfort; Everything gleamed;marble floors, framed art, high ceilings that made you feel small, to remind you who owned the space.

I knocked twice.

"Come in," my father's deep voice commanded.

I pushed the door open. The office smelled of leather and expensive liquor. Heavy furniture. Polished wood. Power soaked into every surface. My father sat behind his massive mahogany desk, a glass of whisky resting near his hand.

He didn't look up.

Not at first.

Not even for me.

"Dad," I said stiffly. "I was told you wanted to see me."

He finally lifted his eyes, cold and sharp, cutting like the rim of his glass

"Yes," he said. "Since you have failed to get married to Ethan ..just like you fail at everything;you and I need to talk."

His words hit harder than a slap.

My breath caught "Dad-"

"Don't." He cut me off with a dismissive wave. "Ethan was beneficial to our business. The Martins are powerful, established. An alliance with them would have strengthened our leverage. But you managed to destroy that too."

"I actually loved him." My voice cracked, exposed and humiliating. "And he hurt me."

"I don't care about your feelings," he said, voice colder than the ice in his glass. "I only allowed the relationship because it served us. Love had nothing to do with it."

I swallowed hard. My stomach twisted.

Of course, he didn't care. Why would he?

"But," he continued slowly, tapping a finger on the desk in a rhythm too controlled, too deliberate, "you will be of good use in this new arrangement."

My heart skipped

"Arrangement?" I whispered

I gripped the back of the nearest chair. "What do you mean?"

He leaned back, smirking

"Aurora," he said calmly, too calmly. "Sit down."Everything in me went rigid.

My mind whispered Don't give him the satisfaction.

I stood my ground.

"No," I said, voice thin but steady. "Tell me."

His eyes narrowed with amusement as if my defiance was the world's most entertaining joke.

"Aurora," he repeated,

"You are getting married-"

Then soon a group of men waltzed into the room with a dark figure leading them

" What!! Married to who - "I yelled

.