Aurora's POVEntering the exquisite hall, I was awed by what I saw. The atmosphere was electric, filled with laughter, music, and the clinking of glasses. The dim lighting added to the mystery of the masked party, making it feel like we were stepping into a different world.“This is amazing!” Sophie exclaimed, and I hummed in agreement.“Come on, let's mingle,” Sophie pulled me along as we mingled with the crowd, sipping on cocktails and admiring the extravagant decorations. Everywhere we looked, there were people in elaborate masks and glamorous outfits, adding to the allure of the event.“Look around, you might catch a big fish,” Sophie whispered, and I scoffed. “Stop sounding like a slut,” I murmured and laughed. “Well, I am a slut, it's you who isn't,” she smirked atme, and I shook my head.As I sipped my drink, I scanned the room, observing people conversing with each other. I noticed everyone was wearing masks except for a certain man dressed in a gray suit.“That's De Mino,” S
Aurora's POVDe Mino raised a concerning brow at me. “Is everything okay?” He asked, and I gulped, shifting my gaze away from the door towards him.“Yes, it's just that…” I stuttered, pulling away from him. “I need to use the restroom,” I excused myself before he could say a word. Luckily, I located the restroom and took out my phone from my purse. I dialed Sophie's number several times, but she didn't pick up. Feeling frustrated, I stood before the mirror, contemplating what to do. My godfather was in there, and there was no way he wouldn't recognize me, even with the mask. He knew me too well not to recognize me at first glance.“What do I do?” I murmured, panicking as I nervously tapped my feet on the floor. I thought of how angry he would be if he found me here, and then a silly thought came to me. I frowned at my sudden change of attitude. Why was I acting so scared of him when I should be a pain in the ass for him? In fact, I shouldn't be panicking here; I should do something t
Lord Frederick’s POVI didn’t know when I lost control, and my hand landed on her face. It was something I had never done and would never do in my right senses. I lost control of myself and didn’t realize I had lifted my hand on her. At first, she was stunned by the slap as she held on to the part of her cheek I had hit. She lifted her gaze to hold mine, and I realized her eyes were filled with tears. Just the sight of that broke me into a thousand pieces, and all the anger in me vanished away and was replaced with guilt.“Aurora…” I tried calling as I took a step closer to her, but she shook her head as a strand of tears fell on her cheek. “You have no right to hit me, you have no fucking right.” She cried out and ran up the stairs. For a moment, I didn’t move. Instead, I just stood at the spot as guilt and pain washed over me. I didn’t believe I had lifted my head on Aurora. I could do anything to her, but not hit her; she was my precious little girl.“Damn it!” I grunted and clim
Lord Frederick’s POV Entering my room, I dialed De Mino’s line and he picked up.“Fred, I had no idea that girl was connected to you in any way,” he spoke before I could say a word.“Now you do, so I would appreciate it if you stayed away from her. I want you far away from her, understood?”“Sure, that isn’t a problem. We don’t need to fight over this,” he pleaded.“I hope so,” I ended the call and threw the phone back on the bed. I undressed and took a quick shower before returning to my room, where I found my phone ringing. Picking it up, I realized it was Ian, Aurora’s father.“What’s up?” I muttered the moment I picked up the call.“Nothing much, I just called to know if you struck the deal at the party,” he asked, and I sighed. I had totally forgotten that I was supposed to strike a deal at the masked party.“No, something came up, but don’t worry about it,” I assured Ian, who hummed and went silent for a moment before he spoke. “How is Aurora? She has refused picking up my call
Lord Frederick's POV I found her seated at the dining table, already having breakfast. Our eyes met, and she flashed a welcoming smile at me, warming my heart while memories of my dream replayed in my head. “Good morning,” she greeted cheerfully, seeming to be in a good mood. “Morning, sunshine,” I replied, not realizing when that slipped out of my lips. I saw her eyes light up, and she blushed and looked away, making me wonder if it was really my words that had such an effect on her. “You seem to be in a good mood this morning,” I asked curiously as I took my seat across from her. “Come on,” she rolled her eyes. “Is it a crime to be in a good mood?” She murmured and scoffed. “You know that's not what I meant. Is that you look unusually happy…” I trailed off and saw her shrug her shoulders. “Well…” she trailed off and held my gaze, giving me the opportunity to hold on to her bright sea-blue eyes. She seemed to be glowing this morning, and I couldn’t tell what had happened last ni
Aurora's POV On our way to the next shelf, one of his men walked up to him and whispered something into his ear. Lord Frederick nodded and signaled the man to leave. “Give me a moment,” he excused himself and moved away from me. I watched him take a phone from Fox, and then he placed it to his ear and began to speak. I couldn’t hear what he was saying, but from his facial expression, I knew he wasn’t happy. He seemed annoyed and upset. Not able to take my eyes off him, I watched until he ended the call and gave the phone back to Fox before coming back to me. “Is everything alright?” I was worried that he was going to send me back. “Everything is fine,” he flashed me a weak smile, which I wasn’t convinced by. “I’m not a kid. You may be way older than me, but that doesn’t mean I’m a kid. I can tell when something is wrong,” I murmured and saw a smile playing at the corner of his lips. “Really?” he raised a brow and got closer to me so that we were just an inch apart. “You are no
Aurora's POV A broad smile spread across his face as he left me and sat at the seat behind the desk. Staring one more time at the picture, I smiled at it before dropping it on the desk. I moved around the office, checking out the certificates and awards. A particular award caught my attention, and I had to pick it up. “Winner: Most Successful businessman of the Year, 2023.” I read it out and smiled before dropping it back on the shelf. I went through other awards and was amazed by his collection. It seemed he bagged awards every year. A sense of pride filled me to know that I had fallen in love with an incredible man. “What do you wish to have for refreshments? I'll tell my men to get it.” I turned towards his direction and noticed he had taken off his suit and tie and was only left with his white shirt. I gulped as I found it sexy, wishing I could unbutton his shirt and run my fingers beneath it. “Aurora.” He called me back to my senses. “Pizza.” I murmured and looked away. H
Aurora's POV: He led me back into his office, but just then his phone began ringing, and he picked it up. I watched him listen to the person on the other end of the call, and I noticed a big frown appearing on his face, which meant the call wasn’t a good one. “I'm on my way,” he ended the call and looked in my direction. “I will have to ask my men to take you back home.” “Why?” I asked while getting up on my feet. “I have to be somewhere…” “I'm coming,” I cut in. He shook his head and stepped closer to me. “I can't let you come with me.” “But you promised we'd spend the whole day together,” I frowned. “If I'm not going with you, then you are not leaving. I'm staying here with you, and we are going home together,” I spoke stubbornly. Lord Frederick stared at me, and I could see that he wanted to say something, but he held back his words. “Fine.” He went for his suit, put it on, and then walked out of the office while I followed behind. We got into the car, and Fox starte
Aurora's POVMy eyes widened at what lay before me. We were at the seashore, but what left me dumbfounded was the sandy floor adorned with red roses and candles. A wave of sweet fragrance hit my senses. I looked around and saw the most beautifully decorated space I could have ever imagined. A cold breeze gently caressed my face as I took in the breathtaking view.A trail of rose petals in shades of burgundy and cherry red led me to a small seating area set up with comfortable cushions and throws. As I approached, I saw a table covered with red satin cloths and silverware, complete with a bottle of my favorite wine. The sound of my favorite music played in the background.I turned and held Lord Frederick’s gaze, asking, “What’s this?” He took a deep breath before speaking.“You know how much I love you, right?” My heart fluttered as I looked into his eyes. “Of course,” I replied with a smile.I watched him take a deep breath and get down on his knees. “I know that this is too early, bu
Aurora's POVThree months laterLord Frederick led me to the jet that was waiting for us. It was huge, and the inside was bigger than it looked. He helped me into a seat and sat right across from me. He smiled at me, and I smiled back. I was beyond excited about our trip and was looking forward to everything we were going to do. He made sure I was comfortable throughout the flight, helping me to calm down when there was some turbulence, and just being there for me.We finally arrived, and the jet landed. We got out, and there was a car already waiting for us. Our luggage was put into the back before we got in, and the car started. We were taken to a huge hotel. It was a five-star hotel and looked expensive. It was stunning, and immediately we got out of the car, we were ushered inside. Lord Frederick had already booked a suite in advance, so we were taken to the room, which was on one of the top floors.When we got to the room, I was awed by how beautiful it was. It had everything you
Lord Frederick's POV Dinner was served to me at the table, but I couldn’t eat. In fact, I kept staring at the table as the quietness of the mansion made my heart ache. There was no Aurora, there was no William, and it seemed parts of my life were taken away from me. Somehow I was beginning to regret; perhaps I shouldn’t have sent her away, but then I knew I had to do what had to be done. If she desires to leave, then I have to respect her wish and let her go. “Boss, sir Ian is calling,” Fox said as he handed over the phone to me. I took it and placed it on my ear. “Ian,” I cleared my throat. “Frederick, what is going on?” he asked, and a lump formed in my throat. “Are you serious about leaving them here?” he asked, while I remained silent, not knowing what to say or do. “Aurora hasn’t been herself since she arrived, and I believe you know that. And William, he has been asking for you. Frederick, they need you; don’t send them away,” Ian urged while I just remained silent and s
Aurora's POV All through the night, I couldn’t sleep as I kept thinking about Lord Frederick’s decision. I knew he had given me what I wanted, to leave with William for my father’s place, but I couldn’t explain why I wasn’t excited about it. “Because you still love him, Aurora. He is still your daddy,” a little voice spoke in my head, and I couldn’t deny it. Despite my anger and everything, I had never stopped loving Lord Frederick, and now that we were together again after years of being apart, I didn’t want to stay away from him. But how do I tell him that? “Mama.” I heard William’s voice and turned to see him waking up from his sleep. “Good morning, William. How are you?” I placed a kiss on his forehead. “Good morning, Mummy.” He responded while I smiled at him. “Come on, let’s go bath and go downstairs for breakfast,” I said to William before leading him out of bed. After I bathed him, I dressed him up and gave him his toys to play with before I went to freshen up. Taking his
AURORA'S POVA light sigh eased through my lips as I tucked William into bed gently. I didn't want to wake him after today's experiences; it was the second time I had endangered his life in a shootout. He was too young for things like this; he could barely talk clearly. But at least it was good to see that Cain was dead, and so far, things had calmed down.I sighed before relaxing back into the chair, my gaze lingering on Frederick's for a while.He hadn't said anything throughout the drive home and had stayed close to me while we returned. He watched silently as I put William to bed.My eyes shifted from his eyes down to his side; a gasp escaped my lips. How had I not seen this earlier?“You are bleeding, Frederick,” I said. He looked down at the side of his shirt, now soaked with blood.“I know,” he responded with absolute nonchalance before locking his gaze back with mine.“Let's get it treated. You need it treated,” I added hastily, but he shook his head and gave me a steely gaze.
LORD FREDERICK'S POV“Sir!” Jason called out hastily. I exchanged glances with Fox and then moved my gaze back to Jason, who had called out to me in a tone of urgency.“Excuse us,” I ordered the men in the room; they all bowed and nodded slowly before making their way out, leaving Jason, who was the head of the tech team, my most trusted man, and myself in the room.“Is anything wrong with the bracelet? I did ask you to be careful when putting in the tracking chip, so what have you done this time, Jason? Everyone doesn't seem to understand their jobs anymore,” I complained, groaning and fuming with anger as I spoke.“About that, the tracking device is working perfectly. As a matter of fact, I got signaled just now that Miss Aurora had left the building; she seems to be on the move, in a cab, and headed somewhere,” Jason explained. For a moment, I wasn't sure how to feel.“Cain,” I muttered beneath my breath before rising to my feet. How dare he? He did not only put William under my wa
Aurora's POVEver since I heard Cain's terms over the phone to get William back, I had been restless. My mind had been thrown in a haze coupled with a splitting headache. I paced back and forth in my room, worry struck. I needed to do something, find a way, I needed to think, but nothing was coming up. I wasn't entirely sure my father knew about the situation, and maybe keeping it away from him for a while was the best option available, yet I couldn't just sit and do nothing.My tummy growled for the fourth time in a row, reminding me I had not eaten anything all day and night yet how could I? Perhaps Cain wasn't that heartless; William did consider him a father at some point; maybe William would be fed; those were the things I had hoped for, but what were the chances that my hopes were everything but wrong?What if I had been screwed over? What will I be left doing then? Then I thought deeper; I was simply scared. I felt knots tied in the pit of my belly; I would make that exchange
Lord Frederick's POVAs soon as Cain disconnected the call, I exchanged glances with Aurora; she had tears streaming out of her eyes already, sniffing hard and wailing. She was in pain, and so was I, but I couldn't falter; I needed to be strong. This was all my fault; I should have suspected that something was odd about Cain when he brought her to me.I should have known he was up to no good and gotten rid of him, but my carelessness had caused him to escape, and now things seemed to have spun beyond my control. I drew in a loud sigh before pulling closer to Aurora. I don't like seeing her in tears or pain; I would have murdered anyone who caused her to cry in cold blood, but this time I was the one standing at the other end of the knife.“Aurora, I'm sorry, but I promise I will get our son back.” She shoved my hand as I attempted to lay it on her shoulder; her eyes were hard as she raised her gaze to match mine.“Our son? Isn't this the mess that brought him down here? None of this w
AURORA'S POV“William?” I called out his name, slowly peering through the window. I shrugged slowly, knowing how much of a loose person he was. I never really expected him to remain in the room, to be honest.I wiggled into dry clothes, drying my hair with a towel as I made my way toward the entrance. I barely left him alone for five minutes, and he's already disappeared into thin air.“Has anyone seen William?” I asked one of the men I ran into; he shook his head negatively, and I nodded with a smile in response before making my way back toward the door. Something was odd, very odd about him; I could have used my time better.But I knew if he wasn't playing around in the corridors, he would, of course, be with Frederick.As much as I wanted to avoid him at all costs, I had to bring William back. I didn't want him getting too attached to Frederick; that way it wouldn't be much trouble when it’s time for us to leave.“Is William in here?” I asked as soon as I made my way into the room.