Chapter 0004

Aurora POV

Sighing, I slowly slip off of the vanity’s bench, barely missing my step-mother moving past me to drag her daughter farther into the dressing area. Both of their excited chattering sends another wave of nausea rolling through me.

I may want to roll my eyes at Camilla’s excitement but deep down I know exactly why she and my step-mother are practically vibrating with anticipation.

The heir to the Guerrero family, Dominic, is unlike most heirs.

Not only does his name command attention but barely anyone has ever seen him. He’s never been captured in media but despite that, his reputation precedes him. Whispers of his authority, his impossibly good looks, are enough to make any young woman in the syndicate world fawn.

To me, though, he seems like a nightmare.

Dominic isn’t just some rich heir playing with his father’s forces for fun. He’s ruthless, merciless and undeniably lethal. He’s a man who has clawed his way through the ranks of his family through blood and violence with calculated precision.

Something my stepmother and sister seem to forget.

He wasn’t like Luca, a naive boy who basked in the praise of his father, an eager and impressionable man vying for power that would one day be granted to him.

Dominic is the real thing. The next Capo to his family’s regime.

Not too long ago, there had been a rumor going around about Leonardo, Dominic’s father, stepping down and letting his son take over the family. He’d been asked for a timeline, a simple question, for when the shift in power would begin to happen.

As a result? Leonardo had shot the man who asked in the leg and then ordered him to be exiled from the city.

That alone says more than enough about the tumultuous relationship between father and son. But not that he’s set to attend the dinner tonight, I’m not sure what to make of it.

Camilla seems committed to remaining oblivious to this. Or maybe it’s just that her desires for the man are shallow enough to overlook what she wants to get herself tangled up in.

Either way, it isn’t my problem to fix or to worry about. All I can do is focus on making it through the rest of this month, until my marriage, alive.

“You have a real chance at seducing Dominic tonight, Camilla.” I hear Beatrice say. “If you can win him over, our family will be safe for good.”

That alone has me scoffing softly to myself.

If Dominic Guerrero could be swayed so easily, my marriage to his father wouldn’t be happening in the first place. That had been my father’s first plan when all of this started months ago—offering Camilla up to the heir as a peace offering instead of myself.

The result? A cold rejection from one of Dominic’s assistants.

It seems Dominic was never interested in peace like his father. He’d refused to attend any meeting or dinner engagement with my family so far. Though, tonight apparently things have changed.

That alone fills me with unease. Leaving a heavy, gnawing feeling that settles into my gut. Whatever happens tonight can’t be good. Not with a psychopath like that being added to the mix.

Heading over to the door, right as my hand brushes over the handle to leave, my father’s firm voice stills me.

“Don’t fuck tonight up.”

The or else is silently tacked on.

I don’t turn around to respond, I don’t need to. We both know what will be waiting for me if I fail.

Closing my eyes, I rip the door open and head out into the hallway.

I hope tonight at least passes quickly.

By the time we arrive at the restaurant, I’m nearly ready to puke.

The car ride had been suffocating, filled with Camilla’s excited chatter each mile we traveled. The reality of my situation, the weight pressing down on my chest, has only grown heavier since leaving the estate. Now it’s nearly unbearable.

The outside air is cool, doing nothing to soothe the nausea rolling through me and twisting my stomach into uncomfortable knots. It’s not fear that has me feeling this way, it’s something worse.

Dread.

Because unlike Camilla who still clings to this ridiculous notion that this night is going to hold some kind of glamorous opportunity, I know what’s waiting for me behind those doors.

Without Gianna here to keep me company, I’m all alone, stuck with the family who hates me and wishes me gone. It’s not exactly a new thing to be ostracized but that doesn’t stop me from feeling alone nonetheless.

“Move.” My father growls into my ear, his breath hot against my skin.

Before I can process the command, he shoves me forward, forcing me to catch my balance in my heels. I grit my teeth, swallowing the lump in my throat and force my legs to carry me forward.

Speaking back now won’t change anything. It never does, anyway.

Instead, I force myself to follow them into the restaurant, back to a private room in the very back away from the main dining area.

The moment we step inside, the air changes. The lighting is dim, intimate, meant to cultivate some kind of exclusivity. Expensive decor lines the walls, polished hardwood floors gleam under the fancy chandeliers above.

A waiter greets us immediately, bowing his head before leading us to an already set table. As we arrive, there are a few people already sitting at it, among this is Leonardo.

Seeing him up close like this for the first time is a shock I’m not quite prepared for.

As old as my own father, he’s slightly balding on the top of his head. His suit, undoubtedly expensive, strains just slightly at the waist when he stands. When he stands, he is barely taller than me with my heels on, an eager smirk stretching across his face when he spots my step-sister first.

Worst of all? His eyes are dark and calculated.

He spots Camilla first, his face lighting up instantly.

“Welcome.”

To my horror, his arms outstretch towards her and before she can react, he pulls her into an embrace.

My sister jolts, quickly shoving him off with a sharp, disgusted gasp. “What are you doing?!”

The energy in the room shifts instantly.

Leonardo’s expression falters for a fraction of a second, just long enough for something dark to flash through his eyes—anger, insult.

My father grabs her arm and pulls her back, keeping his hand around her in a vice grip.

“Sorry,” he says quickly. “This is my other daughter, Camilla.”

Leonardo’s gaze flickers from Camilla to me, and just like that the anger is gone. Wiped clean as if it never existed in the first place.

“Ah,” He hums, eyes sweeping over me. “I see. You two look quite similar. But Miss Aurora, you are beautiful. Sorry for the honest mistake.”

He moves around the table, his arms spreading open again, expectant. I barely suppress the shudder that rolls through me as I force a smile onto my face, leaning in to embrace him.

“It’s nice to finally meet you.” Is all I can murmur.

His hand presses against the small of my back, firm and lingering. The scent of his cologne is musky, too overbearing for me to want to breathe in outside of a few quick intakes. For the thousandth time I try to think of a way out of this.

An escape plan that will not only save me from this marriage but this life of living as a mere pawn.

Nothing comes to mind when he finally pulls back from me, his eyes wandering down to the slit running down my chest. “It’s very nice to meet you.”

There’s no way out of this. I’m trapped in this world whether I like it or not. Caged by the power struggles and alliances of men who see me as nothing more than a simple bargaining chip to get what they want. A body to be used, a sacrifice to be made in the name of peace.

I stare down at my feet, defeated.

“Shall we all sit?” My father suggests.

“Mr. Guerrero,” someone says from behind me. “Your son has arrived.”

My spine stiffens.

Dominic.

Slowly, I lift my eyes up to train them back behind me, taking in the man making his way towards our table.

My heart stops in my chest when I recognize him.

The man.

From my one-night stand.

“Sorry I’m late,” he says, an easy smile resting on his face. “Hope you all didn’t get too cozy without me.”

“We all just arrived,” Leonardo says, his hand still lingering on the small of my back. “Glad you could make it for once.”

“Yes, it truly is a miracle. Isn’t it, father?”

My breath catches in my throat.

Father?

My last glimmer of hope is shattered.

My one night stand is Dominic Guerrero. Leonardo’s son.

He stops right in front of me, that smile slowly working its way into a smirk. “Hello.”