CAELUM I let Aurora escape me that morning, I let her believe I was asleep when she left me. I was watching her carefully, the panicked face she made when she saw me, the way she looked back at me with a furrowed expression before sneaking out of the hotel room, I saw it all. I could have stopped her there and then, but no, I knew I'd find her. Aurora isn't going to run from me, not anytime soon, particularly not now that I'm bored. With all the crap that's going on in my life presently, I need a little excitement in my life, a new toy, and Aurora is exactly that. Getting Aurora's address wasn't much of a hustle, I had someone follow her the moment she left, and they tipped me off.Being in her apartment was a bit of a shock for me, I didn't expect to see her with a child. I always did hope she had a nice life but seeing her nice apartment, the cozy decoration of the place, and her child gave rise to feelings I didn't know I had. I wondered if the person she had a baby wit
AURORA’s pov When Caelum left my apartment, I was rattled, every goddamn knock on my door had me startled, thinking it was him on the other end. Thankfully, it wasn't him, but who was to say he would not have returned? On Monday, I called in sick to work and spent the day with Layla, playing dress up and re-watching her favourite princess movies. It did me lots of good, and seeing that Caelum didn't come back, nor go looking for me at work, I was ecstatic. This morning, I cleaned my house up and took Layla to my sister Liana's apartment, where Olivia will be picking her up from, and I later on will pick her up from Olivia's apartment, which is just next door from mine.I missed the routine workout for tonight's act but it's fine, I can miss stage performance and throw myself into private rooms, or better yet, perform the sex act I should have on Monday. Today, I came an hour earlier than I usually do, which wasn't a wise decision. The girls are about to start training, the night
(Aurora's POV continues)“Of course, how else would a mere slave slut own twenty percent of such an elite club?” Brielle pouts.In response, I flinch at the word slave but quickly recollect myself, but Brielle being the observant bitch she is doesn't miss the action, neither does Caelum, it makes her grin, a grin that quickly converts to laughter. Caelum bounces her off his lap, instantly dropping her to the ground with a thud. Now it's my time to smile, her brother snickers, and when I turn to face him, he winks at me. I can't help but return his smile, especially not after he winks. Veering back to Caelum. My smile fades but now, he is giving me a tight lipped smile that has my bones rattling. His cold eyes are burning through my skin, he knows he's making me uncomfortable and he relishes it, Caelum is an asshole. One I hoped wasn't involved in anything shady, but look at the goddamn rich bastard now, I'm getting the feeling this is the least shady thing he is involved in
CAELUM Aurora.Stunning, deceiving Aurora.She's about to learn I'm always one step ahead of her, she thinks she's smart, too smart for the world and the men in it. Headlining Fantasy Elite seems to have put an ego on her, one bigger than she possessed back when I met her. Men fall at her feet and she can puppet them so effortlessly, she reckons and with great reason too, but I won't fall to her feet this time, I've done it once and that's one too many times. I regret falling for Aurora, but it wasn't something I could control. It was like a breath, not falling for her would be me holding my breath, which would only lead to me gasping for air. That's the only way I can describe how inevitable falling in love with Aurora was, it was that simple too. When I called her to my office, which is actually Cassian's office, I knew she wouldn't come to see me. I knew the brat in her would win, and she would defy me, leaving the contract unsigned. Hence I didn't bother going there,
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's POV continues) My phone is buzzing somewhere, I can feel it but I'm too drowsy, my body feels weak, too weak to grab the phone, so I let the vibrations die out, only for them to start once again. I groan, my hand lazily stretching and brushing the mattress until I feel the phone on it. With my eyes still closed, I swipe answer. “Hello,” I murmur into it, but the caller says nothing, instead the call drops, with a familiar sound in the back. Thankfully, I dropped the phone, glad I didn't open my eyes to glance at the caller ID because the drowsy effect would have subsided. I'm well over the moon, trying to get myself back to sleep but it appears that the effort I put into answering the phone was substantial enough to awaken me fully. I try to fall back asleep a third time, counting sheep, as a desperate measure but even then I fail. If I worked a full night yesterday, I wouldn't have any problem with sleeping, I would have drunk and danced myself to the after
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
***** (Aurora's POV continues) I'm in my dressing room, hair already styled and my nails perfectly done to my liking as opposed to the bullshit I let Francesca talk me into doing. The duo dance choreographers were on my neck today, stressing me with the new routine they came up with for us since Emelia was handling the beginners. It took us three hours to finish up with the rehearsals, and an extra hour getting my hair done for my opening act on stage. I love it, when I washed it this morning, I got the curls back but the hair dresser did a wonderful job with straightening it. It's now 11am, but with Layla gone from my apartment, Olivia at work, and Grace out of town, I'm going to be bored. I could binge watch my favourite series but I think I'm going to need more hours for that, plus it's a Saturday activity. My phone lights up on the chair beside me, I see it in the reflection of the mirror as I wear my lipstick. It's ringing but I don't grab it just yet, I first finish wea
CAELUMThere was a time when I was desperately pleading with Scarlett for a baby, and now that there's light of us having one? I'm not thrilled, I want to be thrilled, I want to be happy about it but I can't find one fatherly bone in my body to help me. Possibly its the wrong timing that hasn't sat with me but I'm having a hard time connecting with Scarlett on the news. Still, I have to consider her feelings, I shouldn't have reacted as irrational as I did because at the end of the day it takes two to make a baby.We made that baby, regardless of how drunk I was, it's time to face up to my actions. I was going to divorce her but now, I'm not sure what to do but I do know that I can't let another man raise my child and I don't want Aurora to further suffer.I'm drunk, and high as a kite, craving more because what I already took isn't doing the job, making me forget. My phone lights up with yet another message from Aurora, she's ecstatic planning for her store opening. I've given her a
CASSIANI've spent the last week with my fiancé and her family, as annoying as she is, we've got some common ground. She's not my ideal choice for a bribe but close enough, she'll have to do. My choice in a woman is near to Caelum's choice but less fiery, the kind of fire that Aurora exudes would scorch me a little bit. I've been in contact with Aurora throughout my trip, and her near death experience that rattled Caelum appears to have done the same to her too.I had ordered a few beers and texted my party people about the party I would be holding at my place tonight, to celebrate my return from my short trip but if I'm being entirely honest, it's to celebrate the misery that has not yet befallen me as I prepare for my marriage. Emelia and Aurora said they were not coming because they would be enjoying a night out in the city by themselves. Those two have formed what Ryker, Bishop, Caelum, and I had built the moment we met and it comes just as effortlessly. It's pure, my fiance will
EMELIANAI park my car outside a familiar neighborhood, I've been to it during my high school days I must say there's been major improvements made. I used to have a boyfriend that lived here and now I don't even remember his house. The feeling of nostalgia hits, but I ignore it and focus on my phone, checking the red dot until I see my location close in on a gated household. The gate is open, so I hurry inside, sure to close it behind me.Gianna called me an hour ago, she sounded hysterical and I couldn't catch what she said was happening so I decided to drive to her, using the tracker on her phone. She knows about it, which is why she insisted that I go and get her, minus her providing me with an address. I assume she just had an argument with one of her spoiled friends and now she wants her big sister to get her. This is nothing new there but it's usually Sienna's craft not mine. Hell, I'm just glad to be called.Knocking on the door, I wait for someone to open it for me but I get n
SCARLETTI've waited up for Caelum all night, he didn't respond to any of my text messages or calls, and eventually I couldn't get through to him. My parents are beyond mad at the way he stormed out, Mom was worried it could have been a family emergency so she called Caelum's mom and she said, according to her knowledge nothing alarming had transpired.It's seven in the morning, I have a magazine shoot at exactly 9 a.m and I'd be dammed if I breached the contract because my husband went MIA on me, again. Eva will be coming to pick me up, she already texted me to say she's on her way.I'm ready, trying to hide the bugs I have under my eyes from waiting up all night for Caelum to show up. I had spent the entire day decorating this room to surprise him, and now I want everything in this room gone, I don't want it taunting me to recall what I thought last night would be like vs what it actually went like. I'm about to open my bedroom door when it opens, the door slamming into me.“Fuck.”
CAELUMMy heart is racing, I just saw her this morning. How is she not okay? She was fine when I left her yesterday, ecstatic even. I'm speeding through traffic to get to her but I fear I might be too late. Bella called an ambulance to her apartment right before she called me. When I declined her call, she texted me saying Aurora wasn't feeling well, and from there, the messages got worse, alarming. I couldn't sit in that restaurant any longer, I wanted to get to her. Bella is no longer answering my calls, and I'm still far from Aurora's apartment. With Bella not responding to my messages, I fear the worst has happened and if so, I hardly believe in miracles but if anything happens to Aurora, God better perform one or get two for the calling of one. I don't know how it is that I stayed sane without Aurora, but I can't do it twice. I've had year's of therapy to get over Aurora, until I realized it wouldn't work and quit, I'm not ready for an eternity of therapy to cope with never bee
SCARLETTMy parents are in our city, and Caelum, and I to be having dinner with them, and after that Caelum is taking my mom to see her favorite opera while my father and I go to a twenty-four hour running amusement park. It's tradition, one we don't break but now, as I stare down at my phone it would seem like I've seen the last of this tradition.“Scarlett,” my mother calls out from across the table, her voice startling me.My phone slips out of my hand and drops to the floor beside me. My gaze instantly jerks up to meet my mother, “Sorry.” I blurt out, proceeding to pick my phone up.“Honey,” my mother squeezes my fathers hand but I know she's addressing me because her gaze doesn't leave mine. “Where is Caelum?”And there it is, I can't make up any more excuses for him, I don't know what lies to form for them. Caelum has been putting off dinner with my parents for the longest time now, and it's not like him. Caelum is punctual with his schedule but lately, his schedule means nothin
**************Fifteen minutes after Caelum rudely ended our call, Cassian's driver arrived to pick me up. I insisted on driving behind him because after whatever nonsense Caelum is wasting my time on, I will need to pick up three more little girls then go back to my parents house for Paulina. Cassian's driver left me ten minutes ago, he led me to a newly constructed yet famous shopping complex. I'm familiar enough with the place to know that his family owns a jewelry store here, one run by his other sister, Sienna. I've seen no sign of Cassian, despite seeing his BMW in the parking lot there's nothing else suggesting his presence. I've left him four unanswered messages and I'm just about pissed off by his temerity. Stymied, I fetch my phone and open his contact card, calling him one time before I follow through with my already made decision to leave this place. The phone rings and just when I thing it's going to die out, in the very second, he picks up. “Hey pretty girl.” I can a
AURORA“Paulina sweetie, did you get your backpack into the car?” I ask, seeing her run past me. Paulina, Everleah and Layla have a girls day party at my house tomorrow and to start, I'm having a sleepover for them tonight. I had to invite Layla's sister too because I want to grow up around her siblings seeing as I'm not planning on giving her any, perhaps I could adopt in a few years but right now, just Layla is fine.Paulina doesn't respond but a few seconds later she runs back, “Auntie?”“Did you put all your things in the car sweetie?”“Yes,” she nods. “I'll go double check to see if I didn't forget my fluffy bunny.“Okay, hurry up because we have to pick up Everleah too, and Sapphire.”“Aurora!” my mother yells from the kitchen, she's been confined to it for the last hour. I was starting to think she was simply avoiding me, and I would have thought it if she didn't order Chinese takeout specifically for me.Entering the kitchen, I see my mother in her apron, with prints of white
CAELUMThe hospital chose to keep me under observation under mom's request. I stayed to ease her worries, if not I would be back to work, or tinkering weak for Aurora's attention.“I love you.” I whisper to her, watching her sleep on the bed. It's been two days, I get minor headaches and my arm right hurts, I've been told to not overwork it but it's my favorite of late, I am both left and right handed but my right touched Aurora better. She came over as soon as she dropped Layla off at school, we had been talking nearly all night so I know she hardly slept. Looking at her now I feel contend, like I have my old Aurora back.The bed was swapped out for a bigger one by the physician because every time Aurora walks in, I want her laying next to me. The door to hospital room opens, revealing my sister on the other end, with a bouquet of flowers. “Hey,” she faintly smile, walking past me to set the flowers in a vase. “From mom.” she tells me, her gaze shifting to Aurora on the bed. I see a