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

.

Aurora POV

"Welcome...."

" I can see you've finally decided to join us"

The room revealed the Mafia Lord ; Damien Dmitri, with a group of lawyers. He walked in and stood beside my father

"You're making the right choice, future daughter-in-law," Damien said, his voice a low, silky drawl that always managed to make my skin crawl. He leaned against a mahogany desk, his dark eyes fixed on me

"I didn't have much of a choice, did I ?" I snapped.

His lips curled into a slow, knowing smile. "Not really. I have you and your family at my knees."

The words hung in the air, thick and heavy. It was the brutal truth. Damien held all the cards. My father already had accrued a huge loan from him and couldn't pay it back leaving us his family completely at Damien's mercy. And I was the price he demanded.

"You animal," I cursed. The lawyers in the corner shifted uncomfortably. My father remained silent, his head bowed in defeat.

Damien merely chuckled, a low, rumbling sound that sent a shiver down my spine. I stood my ground, refusing to cower, even though every instinct screamed at me to run.

"I hate you and your family"

"That's enough" My father scolded me

The lawyers scrambled to their feet. For a few minutes, there was total silence. The silence in the air extended as one of the lawyers shuffled some papers and beckoned one of his assistants for another document. A sense of drama filled the tangible air. I glanced at both of them with a straight face wanting to get this over with as quickly as possible

"Sit down" my father commanded, his gaze turned toward me

"I can't believe you let them do this," I said to my father, my eyes almost teary

"This is the only way to guarantee our family's safety " He flinched, but his expression remained resolute

"I'm sorry, Princess, but this is for the good of our family". He replied, his voice low but firm

I steeled my gaze, focusing on getting this over with as quickly as possible. We were all seated ready to sign the contract

When I opened them again, I forced a mask of composure onto my face. "What are the terms?" I asked, my voice cold and detached.

Damien's smile widened. "Now, that's what I like to see. "Let's discuss the... finer details, shall we?" He gestured towards the desk. "Gentlemen, if you would."

One of our lawyers slid the contract towards my father's lawyer. The man had a tall frame, was dressed in a fitted suit, and wore a pair of glasses

After reading the first couple of pages, he looks up and mumbles something in Dad's ear and passes the document over to me to sign

I curled my fingers into fists, my anger shining through the fear I had worn earlier.

"Sign the document " my father grunted

I grumbled something about still living in the last century. I swallowed my pride and then penned down my signature on the dotted lines.

As soon as the ink dried, I rose from my chair and made my way to the exit. As I opened the door to go out, I crashed into a solid figure in front of me

"Hey...Are u blind" A voice snapped

I paused, already feeling irritated

"Watch where you're going" I shot back

My eyes landed on him. It was the man who rescued me from those goons. He stood before me, an imposing figure in a perfectly tailored suit and blazer that emphasized the sculpted lines of his arms.

"Go pack your things now!!" my dad ordered, halting the tension between us.

"What? " I queried as I stepped back into the room,

"You'll be staying with Ryan Dmitri for now, till the wedding.

So that was his name, I murmured to myself

"The wedding will be in two months. People need to believe you had been seeing each other before you got married. We need to show we're a united family" my father continued his ranting

"Guess we're going to be seeing more of each other," He turned towards me, a thin smile curving his lips. The glint in his eyes sent a chill down my spine.

"No Dad, I won't ..." I screamed, my voice cracking

.

"This is insane!"

The thought of being confined with him, of being subjected to his presence and his control, was unbearable.

"Why are you so heartless?" I screamed, tears streaking my makeup. "All you think about is the Mafia, you don't deserve to be a father!"

My father's face darkened, His eyes widened at my outburst and he raised his hands ready to hit me. I stiffened my body, getting ready for the impact. I waited for any sign of pain but it never came

Instead, a sharp slap echoed through the air and I twisted on my heel. My father tumbled backward, holding his cheek, his back hitting the wall. My mouth went slack. My eyes flitted between my father and Ryan.

"Don't you dare lay your hands on her" I heard Ryan say, his brooding, calm movements a sharp contrast to what he just did. He took one step toward my father, erasing all the space between them, and yanked him up by his shirt.

"No one touches my woman against her will" He reached into a black duffel bag in his back pocket and unzipped it, producing a small Swiss knife.

My father's eyes widened, a flicker of fear replacing the anger in them. He turned to me, pleading in his eyes. Ryan grabbed his neck, the veins in his neck popping out immediately

"You're a dead man," Ryan exclaimed, flipping the knife open and producing a sharp edge.

"No, pls stop, you'll kill him," I pointed out, his words sending chills down my spine. My father struggled to breathe, his face turning an alarming shade of purple.

His eyes began to close, and the blood had now rushed up to his face...

Ryan POV

A Few Weeks Earlier

Weeks had passed since I had encountered the lady from that night. Something in me couldn't just get her out of my mind. I pulled into my usual spot near the mansion and killed the engine, but I didn't get out right away. My hands stayed on the steering wheel, fingers flexing slowly, jaw tight.

Because my mind wasn't there.

It was still back on that road a few hours ago.

Still stuck on her.

The street had been nearly empty that night just the flicker of a dying streetlamp and the distant hum of traffic too far away to matter. I remembered it all too clearly; the way they surrounded her, circling like animals. The sound of her struggling. The fear she tried to hide but couldn't.

And their leader;Martini. Just another low-life parasite who thought preying on the defenseless made him powerful. He knew who I was. They all did, that's why he ran

I could still sense the fear she tried to hide behind that sharp, defiant stare. The way she fought back, even when she was outnumbered. I could still feel the heat of her body against mine. She'd looked at me like I was another threat, ready to bite if I stepped too close.

Our faces had been inches apart. It was close enough that I felt the warmth of her breath against my lips.

Only if either of us had moved just a little-

I exhaled sharply and dragged a hand down my face.

Yeah.

I liked that part.

I pushed the car door open and stepped out, the cold night air snapping me back into the present. My footsteps echoed as I moved towards the entrance. The heavy front doors opened before I reached them..

I had been summoned to the mansion. I hoped it wasn't for some bullshit

An "important meeting," the message had said.

It was a meeting with my father. Damien Dmitri; The Mafia Lord

The guards stood on either side, dressed in black suits, earpieces in, faces firm. They didn't wave. Their gaze shifted towards me.

They just watched.

"Welcome Boss" one of them finally spoke out

"The Big Boss has been expecting you'

"Has he," I muttered.

The second guard stepped aside and pulled the door wider. "He's in his office, sir."

I gave a short nod and walked past them without another word.

The air inside was warmer and smelled like expensive perfume

Soon a familiar voice cut through my thoughts

"Sir Ryan!"

I looked up to see Mrs. Patricia, one of the oldest maids in the house, hurrying toward me with a bright smile that didn't quite reach her tired eyes.

"I see you still haven't retired," I said.

She laughed softly. "And miss all the drama in this house? "I don't think so, Sir "

"Your mother is in the gallery." Her expression softened. "She had tea earlier but didn't drink much."

"I'll see her after."

"She'll be happy," she said quietly. "She always is when you come."

Nothing about this place had changed. And that was the problem.

The mansion was a place of power and bloodshed. Its massive building stood with tall columns, endless windows, and walls that had seen more blood than most battlefields. The gardens were still perfectly trimmed, the fountains still running, water flowing clear and innocent, as if it didn't know the kind of deals made inside

And the air, the mansion always smelled the same. The scent of expensive cigarettes mingled with the rich aroma of whiskey filled the air. It was a symbol of the world we lived in.

But I grew up here. Ran through these halls as a kid who still believed monsters lived under beds instead of sitting at the head of the dinner table.

Back then, the mansion felt big in an exciting way.

Now it just felt heavy and haunted.

My mother used to stand on the balcony overlooking the gardens, sunlight in her hair, her voice soft as silk as she told Ronald and me stories about our legacy.

"You are Dmitris," she would say, resting a hand on each of our shoulders.

"Strong. and unbreakable...The world out there is cruel but you will be stronger than it."

She always held Ronald a little tighter when she said it.

He was younger by four years.

Her favorite.

The heir everyone expected, until the night twisted metal and shattered glass stole him from us on a rain-soaked highway, ambushed by enemies who never showed their faces. A "car accident," the papers said. But we all knew the real story behind his death. He was a victim of the world he was born into

Ronald's car had been run off the road on a dark stretch of highway. No witnesses. No survivors.No bodies worth burying.

We buried an empty coffin. My mother's nails dug into my arm so hard they broke skin, but she didn't even notice. She didn't cry. She just stared at the coffin as if she looked hard enough, her son might appear inside it

After that, my mother stopped going out to the balcony. She stopped singing. Her smile dimmed

She didn't die, but she faded piece by piece until she was just a ghost wandering the mansion halls in silk robes and silence.

And as for me;I learned a few things

The mafia doesn't let you leave ;not really. You can move out. Get your own place. Build your own crew. Carve your own name into the underworld.

But blood like ours? It's a leash.

And you don't feel it until it tightens

I left years ago. I built my own territory. My own men. My own operations. I stopped thinking of the mansion as home.

The dark and lawless world outside those gates?

That became home. I used to think crossing these gates meant not leaving the normal world behind.

That wasn't true. At least, not for me.

I was born in the Mafia World

Born for blood