"I don't think we should be here, miss," Calvin stated nervously, gently shutting the door behind her, "If your mother finds out, she'll be furious."Aurora gave the large building a long look, a determined expression fixed on her face, "She won't know if you don't tell her."She walked away without another word, stopping in front of the small camera scanner. The gates buzzed loudly and the metal drew open with a disturbing sound that grated at her nerves, she sucked in a small breath through her mouth before walking into the large courtyard.Rosedale county prison was nothing like she'd imagined, not that she had ever thought about it before, it was neat and crisp albeit a little bit large and she wondered just how many prisoners were locked behind these walls.She was stopped by a prison guard, a tall looking man dressed in blue shirt and matching pants with a cap on his head,"Your ID, ma'am," He grunted in a monotonous voice and she took out her purse from underneath her arm, fish
Aurora walked out of the doors, her chin tilted high and her shoulders squared, the intercom buzzed loudly again and the metal parted for her. Once she spotted her car, the confidence melted and her legs trembled, she would've landed on the ground if it weren't for Calvin's quick save.He frowned, eyeing her with a concerned look, "Are you okay?"Her tongue felt too heavy to lift so she simply shook her head.Calvin sighed, muttering to himself about hoe he knew this was a bad idea from the start. His arms swept her feet from the ground and he carried her into his arms, walking silently until they got to the car.She has no idea how he did it but he managed to pull the door open singlehandedly whilst still carrying her and gently placed her on top the chair. As he moved to close the door, she reached out to him,"Don't tell anyone about this," Then she added with a bit of desperation, "Please?"He seemed to contemplate on the matter but nodded after a while, "Your secret is safe with
The sound of gravel crunching alerted her that someone was approaching, she didn't bother to turn around because his familiar scent wafted into her nose,"How long has he been in there?" Ryan questioned, coming to stand beside her.Her eyes flickered towards him for a moment and back to the coffee shop across the road. From where they stood, they had a vantage point of what has happening inside the shop. Matt was currently seated on one of those tables that were beside the large glass window,"A few minutes," She answered, checking her wristwatch for accuracy, "I'm still waiting for her."Ryan hummed, tucking his hands into his pocket, "And where is she?" She tipped her head to face him, showing her the text message that was just sent, "On her way, I should go in." His gaze caught hers and she caught something flash in his eyes and he sighed, reaching out to her. Aurora held her breath in anticipation,thinking that he was going to take her face into his hands rather, he wrapped a ha
Aurora sat upright with a drained sigh, she rubbed the heels of her palms against her eyes and stretched her limbs, they popped with a satisfying sound and she sighed again. Her eyes darted towards the wall clock, the slender finger of the second ticking slowly.She reached for her phone on the bed stand, three missed calls and two texts, one from Natasha and the other from Mason. Aurora felt guilty for not responding to any of their calls or messages but she honestly didn't know what to say to either of them.Besides, maybe they felt disgusted with her and wanted to keep their distance. It would make sense, everyone thought she was just like every other socialite who indulged in wine and debauchery. She was just lucky enough to still retain the title of being one of Chicago's princesses. The prima ballerina of the twenty-first century.It was laughable really, that her mother believed her entire life to revolve around that title. She threw the device on the bed and flicked on the bed
Breakfast was always a chore for her. She couldn't decide between chucking the plate away and stabbing through all the tomato slices. Today wasn't any different, the amount of greens thrown into her plate was enough to make her nauseous with disgust.She threw a sharp glare towards her mother was busy chewing down the delectable looking pasta on her own dish. Her father had gone to work early today so it was only her and Miriam on the dining table,An event that she was not looking forward to in the least. "So I spoke to Clara last night," Her mother began and she stabbed a fork into the chopped parsley, raising it to her lips, "Your wedding has been fixed to hold three weeks from now."It didn't surprise her at all. Her father was gracious enough to reveal all the matrimonial plans her mother was busy making, including the villa that they were about to purchase on an island somewhere. Miriam cocked her head, frowning, "You don't look surprised, did you know about it already?" Auro
The moment Aurora walked into the academy, everyone's heads turned towards her. At first she tried to act unaffected but that became increasingly hard to do when people began coming out of their classes, whispering and muttering behind their palms.Thankfully, the dressing room wasn't far and she picked up the pace. When she slid into the large room and noticed that there wasn't anyone in here except her, she released a grateful sigh and the proceeded to quickly change out of her normal clothes. Aurora deftly tied her pointe shoes and after making sure that her hair was still secured in the bun that she'd put it in, she walked out of the room.The contest was still going to hold in the theater hall so she marched in the direction. When she arrived backstage, she noticed Louisa practicing her moves and that caused her to raise a brow,"How long have you been here?"The blonde startled, nearly toppling over her own feet, "Aurora!" She called with a gasp, her eyes wide in shock.Aurora s
"Losing," Aurora said breathlessly and returned her gaze to the professor, "Isn't it obvious by now that that is what I'm doing?" "What?" "Losing," Aurora said breathlessly and returned her gaze to the professor, "Isn't it obvious by now that that is what I'm doing?" Everyone was dumbstruck by her revelation, including Louisa who had her mouth agape with surprise. Aurora took the opportunity to rise, pretending to wipe dust on her skirt, when she looked back at them, Monroe in particular, her gaze was firm,"I thought about what you said and you're right, it's in no way fair to anyone in the academy if I keep getting the spot that's meant for everyone. I decided to let the rightful owner take this spot instead," She gestured with her head towards Louisa, "I watched her dance and I'm fully convinced that with more practice, she'll do an excellent job during the nationals. Besides, I think it's about time for a new prima ballerina to take the stage."Monroe had a pale expression, her
"You got the role?"Aurora nodded, glancing towards her friends who bobbed their head along with her. Her mother's lips split into a large grin, her silver eyes twinkling with excitement.She jammed her palms together, "Oh, I always knew you would make me proud." Aurora stiffened when Miriam pulled her into a hug, "This calls for a celebration, we have to throw a party as soon as possible."Her ears perked up at that and she quickly pulled herself away from the hug, "What about tonight?" She queried hopefully."Tonight?" Miriam cocked a brow, looking between her and the others.Mason slipped in, nearing her, "Yes, Mrs Rochester, it has been too long since anyone has thrown a party in Rosedale, think if it as you opening the season."Miriam fell silent, her thinking face coming on and Aurora crossed her fingers behind her back. Then she smiled, her mouth growing wide with elation,"That's a wonderful idea, Mason!""Agreed," Natasha chipped in, "But it has to be big, a night to be remem
Evan slurped noisily from the smoothie cup in his hold, the young mother sitting her her two kids in the table adjacent his kept throwing him dirty glances but he didn't pay her any attention.His focus primarily on the trio walking along the sidewalk, there were about to cross the road and he just knew that they were coming here. After all, this was their usual spot, every Saturday they always assembled here and ordered the same thing.Just as he predicted, seconds later, the three friends bursted through the front door and stealing the attention of most people who were either mid-bite or swallow. Evan watched with hawk eyed focus as the three of them sauntered to the counter, making gestures with their hands as they placed their order.His gaze was fixed on the girl in their middle, the one who seemed much more quiet, allowing her friends to do the talking."Sorry, did you order for a cheese hamburger?" His attention was momentarily stolen by the smiling waitress who held a plate of
Ryan killed the engine of the motorcycle and pulled off the helmet from his head, raking his fingers through the curly strands of his hair. He always hated having to wear the goddamn helmet but the precinct officers were getting serious about road regulation rules so he always had his helmet plus an extra.His long legs crossed the entryway, walking casually into the dimly lit building. A merry tone slipped into his mind and he began whistling, he knocked the usual way on the door and it was pulled open for him to enter."Hey, man," Nate, the large bouncer who usually stood at the gate greeted with a gruff nod and stretched his hand.Ryan accepted it for a shake, patting his back in response. "Rossi has been waiting for you," Nate told him as they both walked through the dark hallway. Since they were already used to the passage, it wasn't hard to find their way past.Ryan grunted in a sign that showed that he had heard, "How mad is he?"From this point, he could hear the loud bass an
Ryan could list off his head a thousand and one reasons why he shouldn't be here just before a fight but he would ignore them anyway. He knew Theo would blow his shit if the big guy found him sitting her but Ryan honestly couldn't help it.Today was a shifty day fof him and he needed some booze to calm his system. He downed the entire glass in one gulp and poured himself another shot. As he swiveled the whiskey around in the ice, Ryan took the opportunity to really look at the bar. It wasn't his usually setting, the place was too bright and it looked expensive as well, obviously for the hotshots but he didn't have any choice. It was the only place close to the ring and if he chose to drive to his usual spot, he was likely to miss the fight which would give Theo even more reason to bash his face in.Ryan looked towards the left, catching the eye of a busty brunette smiling his way. She was surrounded by two other girls and they looked like they were discussing something, although her
She placed the foiled turkey into the oven and closed it shut before proceeding to pull off the mittens covering her arm. Aurora took long strides towards the counter, taking another long look at the recipe book sitting on the counter.It was pure luck that she was able to get Rosa's cook book just before the older woman left for her hometown in Spain. Aurora was leafing through the Christmas recipes on the book and she sighted this particular dish and of course, come gingerbread. Christmas wasn't complete without one.She went on with mixing the batter whilst putting the necessary ingredients. The noise from the living room and overwhelming and she cast a dubious glance at the doorway.Would Ryan be okay with the kids? He wasn't really the best of a role model for the children and most of the times, he joined in on their shenanigans rather than stopping them."Hey, babe!"Speaking of the devil. Aurora smiled warmly at him, giggling when he wrapped his arms around her waist and presse
|FIVE YEARS LATER|"Thanks."She dropped down from the cabby, pulling her shades to the top of her head. The driver came down and helped pull out her luggages, dragging them towards where she stood. She gave him a grateful smile and he tipped his head in response.She watched the house in front of her with a nostalgic smile before moving to wrap her fingers around the luggage handle. Her steps were slow, the clicking of her booted heels resounding against the pavement.Finally, she got to the front door. She took in a sharp inhale before rapping her knuckles against the glass frame. No response came and she knocked again, hearing a high-pitched 'I'm coming' echo from inside.Aurora took a step back and waiting, listening to the rustling on the other side. She blinked and the door pulled open, revealing a disheveled Rosa. "Diós mio!" Rosa gasped, wide-eyed and mouth parted in astonishment, "Aurora!" She squealed in excitement, pulling her into her arms and squeezing her tightly. Auro
"Have you taken everything?"She pushed the suitcase out the door and kicked it close with her booted foot. Aurora blew out the stray strand of hair that had escaped from her messy bun and was now dangling in front of her face. Her father took one of the heavier bags from her hand and she rested the other smaller one on top the suitcase before leaning against it,"Yeah but I packed light, I didn't want to exceed the airport's luggage limit," She answered, pushing away from the suitcase and strolling after her father.Harry scoffed but it was more of an amused one, "This is you packing light?"She threw him a look and chuckled as they meandered downstairs, there was a clanging noise coming from the kitchen area and she cocked a brown"Rosa has been at it since early this morning, claims you need to have good food when you leave," Harry shrugged, "I told her not to bother, the airplane gives good service meals but she wouldn't have it."Aurora laughed softly, nodding her head, "Tell he
Dinner ended after the entire fiasco but she was stunned to see her father laughing proudly, even Matt seemed more livelier than when he first arrived. They walked out of the restaurant together and waited out front for the valets to bring in their respective cars."I wish we could have more nights like this," Matt confessed, a relaxed expression shining in his eyes. He wrapped his arms around Louisa, pulling her closer into him.Her father nodded in agreement, "Me too."Louisa stalked forward, taking her palms and smiling, "I know you're leaving tomorrow and I might not get the chance to see you off but I wish you all the best," She wrapped her arm around Aurora in a comforting hug and she reciprocated the gesture.Matt hugged her after that, reminding her that she would always have a place in their hearts and bade her goodbye too.Their cars soon came and they waited for each one of them to go in and drive off, waving them goodnight."Don't stay out long!" Her father had yelled much
"How do I look?" Aurora peeped over her shoulder at him, fluffing her hair one last time before swiveling to completely face. She smiled, sauntering towards where he nervously stood and reached up to arrange the bow tie around his collar,"I think you look splendid," He cocked his head to the side and she chuckled, "What?" Ryan shook his head, the curls bouncing with the effect, "Nothing, it's just that I wasn't quite looking for that word. What's splendid supposed to mean?"She knew he was joking with her because a devious smile had begun crawling up his lips. Aurora smacked his chest and rolled her eyes, moving to grab her purse from the counter,"Let's go now or else we'll be late."Ryan breathed out but nodded and linked his fingers with hers as they walked out the door. The night's air was quite chilly, she was grateful that she'd decided to wear the cashmere overcoat like Rosa advised."Why do you think your dad wants dinner with me?" He asked as they slipped into the car with
Aurora walked hand in arm with her father, the weather was fairly gloomy with the sun glowing dimly from between the clouds. She was thankful that it wasn't going to rain today, or at least that was what the forecaster announced earlier this morning. The wedding was a open event, set up in one of the finest gardens she'd ever seen."I think it's going to rain," Natasha muttered from beside her, frowning at the darkening clouds.Mason hissed, jabbing his arm into her side, "Don't jinx it." Aurora smiled at their banter, shaking her head softly. After the entire rollercoaster, she'd signed off from the school to the dismay of the Chancellor. Louisa has gotten the role, thank goodness, and she was in the process of preparing for the main competition which was weeks away."Don't fret," Her father told them warmly as they settled on the last row of chairs, "It's not going to rain, my feet always tingles whenever it's about to and so far, I haven't felt anything."They both gave his open m