One month ago.“I’m thinking about opening a gallery,” Rory said to Daniel.Daniel was dressing for work, while Rory was resting in bed. She still wasn’t allowed to move around because of the incident.“That is very good, Koala. But I think you should hold on for a little bit longer” Daniel responded, while buttoning up his shirt.“Why?” She got off bed and walked up to Daniel to help him knot his tie, “I already have a large following and enough money to invest in a place. Plus I’m already speaking to Oliver”. “I’m not saying you don’t”. He grabbed her by the waist, “And I think you should still be in bed, resting”“But I’m bored” She said dramatically and rested her head on his chest. Daniel chuckled.“It’s not funny” She pushed him away about to runaway, but Daniel didn’t allow her to escape. He was faster and tightened his grip on her waist.“Where do you think you’re going? Want to run away from your Prince, Aurora?” He smirked.“My Prince was named Phillip, not Daniel, so…..” S
The present.The dinner with Daniel’s family went so well, that Aunt Star and everyone else urged her to come back.At some point, Aunt Star called Rory aside.“Thank you Rory” Aunt Star’s eyes were sincere. She was genuinely thanking her.“For what?” Rory’s eyebrows furrowed in confusion.“For everything. For Daniel. He…..” She sighed.“He?”“He's just so happy. Happier than he has ever been in years”“You’re welcome, but I honestly do not know what I did” Rory let out a light chuckle.“You have no idea” Aunt Star was enlightened. She had no idea and looked at Daniel, who was across the room feeling bored out of his mind without his wife.Rory followed her line of sight and smiled at Daniel, whose face lit up like a kid at Christmas when he saw his wife giving him attention.“I've heard the rumors about how cold he is to outsiders”“He was cold, only to outsiders at first, but after the incident…..” She trailed off again.“What incident?”Aunt Star wanted to say something else, howev
I would love to thank all of y’all for your unwavering love. Thank you for the support you've given this book and for sticking with me. However, this new year I went through the book and discovered a lot of issues with the book. The book is by no means a reflection of my writing style. I made a lot of errors and failed to upload on time because I didn't know the direction of the book. I would like to rewrite the book. There aren't a lot of changes to be made. I want to make this book better for all of y'all. Please comment your thoughts and thanks for your support.Happy New Year,Love from your author❤️
“How can you start without the star of the show?” Her voice was loud enough for most people to hear and for the people who didn’t, her presence was enough to attract the attention of everyone.She hadn’t walked into the banquet. She just stood in front of the two large doors and she was shining like a diamond.She wore a sapphire blue gown that hugged her body perfectly, revealing the curves she’d gained over the months. The gown had real tiny diamonds all over it that she just sparkled and it reached her ankles. Her long earrings, heart-shaped necklace, bracelet, and shoes were also sapphire blue. Everything matched her sparkling blue eyes. Her hair was done in a high ponytail, revealing her beautiful features. She held a small blue purse to accessorize.By the time everyone had come back to their senses, she had already walked in and stood in front of the Devane Family.“Hello father,” She greeted him with a smile. Whether it was real or fake, Mr Devane didn’t know.“You… what are yo
Saturday morning arrived and Rory decided it would be a good idea to watch something with Daniel.“How about we binge a whole series?” She suggested to Daniel. Lucas had already gone back to the Froster house for the weekend, and the house was getting kind of boring.“Binge?” Daniel raised a brow.“Yeah. I was thinking a superhero series.” Rory said. “I know you must be busy, but let's watch it,” She clasped her hands and pouted,”Pretty please”.Daniel sighed and said, “Fine.”“Yay!” She jumped up excitedly.Rory also managed to get Daniel to match outfits with her. They both wore a grey hoodie and joggers.“We are matching!” Daniel was mesmerized by how happy and cute she looked. She was very beautiful with her wide smile. He knew from that moment, he'd do anything to retain that smile on her face.Even though they had a home theatre, Rory opted for the living room. They snuggled together on the couch and started watching ‘The Flash’.Daniel was paying attention to Rory’s expression
Daniel drove her to school. Surprisingly, the atmosphere wasn't as weird as she expected it to be after the previous night’s events. Before they arrived at school, she asked Daniel to get her a birth control pill.She didn’t want to get pregnant. Not yet at least.She kissed Daniel and got out of the car, with Lucas.Daniel went to the office, and everyone was shocked. He wasn't smiling or dancing, but the oppressive air and cold aura disipiated. He was a perfectionist and hated any kind of mistake, so when a head of department made a mistake during a presentation and he didn't fire him, in fact he even corrected him, sent the whole company into frenzy.They wondered what could have put the boss in a good mood.“Maybe he finally found a girlfriend,” A female employee suggested to the others. They usually didn't gossip because nothing big ever happened at Froster Corp, but this was news to be talked about.“I think so too.”“I wonder who she is? Someone formidable I presume” Another w
The day of the competition finally arrived and everyone in class D wished Rory, Terrence, and Anna ‘Good Luck’.Before Rory left for the competition, Butler Zoe announced that they had guests, so she and Daniel came downstairs. The so-called guests were Nate, Siao, Asher, Oliver, and Tyler.“What are all of you doing here?” She was taken aback. “To wish you good luck, silly” Siao smiled at Rory. She was wearing a black fur trench coat with her hands in her pocket.“Awwwn. Thank you guys so much!” Rory’s heart melted.“We also have gifts for you” Nate wiggled his brows.Tyler stepped forward and gave her a four-leaf clover, Asher gave her a passport picture of a celebrity.“Who's this?” Siao asked.“It's my husband, Arturo! He's a big international actor and singer!” She gushed.“And you gave her that as a gift because?” “Because he's my good luck charm. He will help you during the exams!” “Thanks?” Rory furrowed her brows, unsure of what to say. It was a gift of good measure.Nate
The exams end well with no interference. However, Rory wasn't very delighted with the turn of events.The Devanes managed to restore their image in the eyes of the public because Samantha landed a role as the female lead in a movie that was popular. After all, it was adapted from a best-selling novel. She remembered that that was the same movie Siao had asked her to audition but she didn't go. She didn't want to be an actress but everything that belonged to Samantha was rightfully hers, so she was going to get it back.To her, the best kind of victory is the one where you stand in front a floor-to-ceiling window, sipping an expensive red wine while staring out the window looking at the bustling night city with a smirk on your face, knowing your enemy's victory is just fleeting.***Daniel had come to pick her up and they arrived home. They were going to go to the Froster Mansion in the evening.Rory had already chatted with her friends when Miss Agatha’s call came in.“Rory dear, I w
Rory’s gaze locked onto the tail lights flashing like taunts in the distance. The night was thick, the road weaving like a black ribbon through the desolate countryside. Nate gripped the wheel beside her, jaw clenched and eyes narrowed in concentration, while Oliver sat in the backseat, his laptop balanced on his knees, fingers flying over the keys.“They’re gaining speed,” Rory muttered, adrenaline flooding her veins. “Can you keep up, Nate?”He gave her a quick, fierce nod. “I’m not letting him get away with Daniel.” His voice was tight with determination, as he pressed down harder on the gas. The engine roared in response, pushing the car forward as it veered dangerously around another sharp bend.Oliver’s face glowed from the laptop screen in the backseat. “I’m trying to hack into Jordan’s phone,” he said, his tone laced with urgency. “If I can disrupt his GPS or disable the car remotely, it’ll give us an advantage.”Rory threw a glance over her shoulder. “How long will that take?
“Right!” She yelled, jerking away from Jordan’s evil touch. “Really? Well, I’m sorry, love. Your guess is wrong!” Jordan informed her and she closed her eyes, trying to stop the tears from flowing.“Please don't kill them! Please!” She pleaded and Jordan clicked his tongue repeatedly. “Awww. But you should have guessed properly!” He brought out a gun and shot the woman on the right in the head. ‘Bam!’“No!” She shrieked. “No, no, no! You monster! You freak of nature! No wonder your parents die! They deserved to die than to see the monster that you've become! Yes! They deserve to die!”“What did you just say?” His head snapped to hers, looking her dead in the eyes, his gun pointed at her, daring her to speak.The gunshot echoed in her ears over and over again but she didn't care. He should get it over with. “I said that your parents deserved to die the way that they did! Who would want to have a deformed and debased being as their son? I most certainly would not even if my life depen
[Trigger Warning: Mention and mild depiction of SA. I tried my best to shorten it.]***They said darkness enveloped you when you were dead. However, Rory felt the opposite. Darkness shrouded her because she was hopeless. Because no one was going to save her but herself. That's what she did. She played the part of a docile girl after the beatings Jordan had given her. She stopped saying, ‘Fuck You’ and curled herself into a ball and sobbed. Jordan crouched down beside her, as her shoulders shook. “Awww. Weren't you the one who wanted to pretend to be brave, Aurora? You know I like you like this. Weak, defenseless, and helpless.” He reached out and touched her hair, twirling them in his fingers but Rory kept shaking, tears streaming down her face.It felt like a thousand horses were stampeding on her body and that she was being thrown off a cliff, over and over again that the pain became a sound. It was a sound at this point, pushing her to the brink of insanity.Jordan smiled, a rea
The table was the only thing dividing Oliver and Daniel. But what kept Daniel calm was a mystery to Oliver as the video on his laptop played. Daniel had aged badly. He had stubble, his eyes were heavy, and dark circles covered the beauty of his steel eyes, still, the sharpness in them swirled as he peered at the screen. What was playing was a blurry video of a woman in the car who had almost hit Nana Clarisse as she tried to escape. It was very fleeting and unclear but he got a glimpse of those blue eyes and he knew who it was. His Koala. “How is the old woman?” he asked monotonously. Life had been sucked out of him these past few weeks and to make matters worse Rory’s family had been attacking his company non-stop because they blamed Daniel for everything. Oliver understood that they had lost their daughter twice and this was a normal reaction but how did this solve the problem? Although both sides were working together to save Rory. That was the most important thing at this poi
The car sped down the road, its headlights cutting through the night like blades. The hum of the engine was the only sound in the tight space, broken occasionally by the crackle of the walkie-talkie. Rory packed at the side of the road, gathering her thoughts. “This is The Riddler to Sleeping Beauty, do you copy?” Jordan’s voice came over the static. “The Riddler. I like ‘The Riddler’ but that’s already taken. What about ‘The Puzzler’? No that sounds terrible. What do you think, Sleeping Beauty?” Aurora hesitated, her fingers gripping the steering wheel so tightly that her knuckles whitened. Her eyes narrowed in on her target. The task he gave her was to run over Nana Clarisse, who was buying something beside the road. He wanted her to kill her Nana? How could she? How would she? “Sleeping beauty? I asked you a question. Which name do you want me to use? I need an answer.” Rory would never take for granted his light and playful tone. He never joked around. Everything he said was
Aurora awoke with a pounding headache, her temples throbbing in rhythm with her heartbeat. A low groan escaped her lips as her eyes fluttered open, but she instantly regretted the movement. The world around her was dim, blurred. She could feel the rough wood pressing against her back, the cold bite of tightly knotted ropes digging into her wrists and ankles. Panic gripped her, sharp and immediate. She was tied to a chair. As her senses slowly returned, fragments of memory surged forward in jagged flashes. The sound of a gunshot echoed in her mind. Zoe... Butler Zoe was shot. Her heart clenched, bile rising in her throat. The old man, who had cared for her like a father, had died. For her. Because of her. A tear slipped down her cheek, unbidden and burning. She quickly blinked it away. She couldn't break now. Zoe's sacrifice couldn't be in vain. She had to get out. Her eyes swept her surroundings light barely illuminated the large, grey expanse. It was barren and cold. The place l
Daniel stepped into the dimly lit house, expecting the usual stillness, but instead, a strange scent filled the air—coppery, metallic. His pulse quickened as he scanned the room, his eyes freezing at a horrifying sight. Butler Zoe, his loyal companion, sat slumped against the couch, blood staining his white shirt, the fabric darkened around a bullet wound in his chest. “Zoe!” Daniel’s voice broke as he rushed forward, falling to his knees. His hands hovered over the wound, shaking, unsure where to press, where to help. Zoe’s breath was shallow, each inhale a desperate grasp for life. “Mr. Daniel…” Zoe’s voice was faint, almost swallowed by the gurgling sound in his throat. He tried to lift his head, but the effort seemed monumental. “Where’s Rory?” Daniel’s voice was frantic now, his hands pressing harder against Zoe’s wound, trying to stop the relentless flow of blood. “Where’s my wife, Zoe? What happened? Tell me!” Zoe’s eyes fluttered, struggling to focus. His lips parted, but t
Aurora sat at the long, polished oak table, the clink of silverware on china filling the air. The dining room was imposing with its towering walls lined with ancestral portraits that seemed to watch her every move. Her family—the family she had only just found out about—sat across from her, each holding a strange, silent tension. It was as though she were a foreign object, placed delicately on the surface of their world, and no one was quite sure what to do with her. Her mother, Anita, sat at the head of the table, her face a carefully constructed mask of poise, though Aurora could see the warmth of curiosity beneath. Her eyes darted occasionally to Aurora, as though she couldn't quite believe her daughter was real. Her father, Romero, gripped his wine glass a little too tightly. Emiliano sat across from her, Santiago beside her, and Diego, another brother she just found out that she had sat beside Santi. Then there was Antonio. Her twin brother was seated directly across from her.
Daniel was behind his desk, Oliver seated in front of the desk and Rory at his side. “First, we have to put all the clues we've had so far for the past three years,” Daniel said. “Three years? Didn't everything start this year?” Rory furrowed brows. “I’ve been receiving threatening messages from an unknown number after Blaire’s banquet. The first one was sent to Malcolm: ‘Sleeping beauty has pricked her finger.’” “And you didn't think to tell me? That my kidnapping was not by the Devanes?” Rory’s voice hardened. She wondered what other things he was hiding. Their hug at the hospital didn't mean their relationship was fixed. She wasn't sure if their relationship could ever be mended. “Let’s not stray off-topic for now. We know that the person involved likes riddles but is more straightforward when speaking to Daniel which means he has a personal vendetta against Daniel. Targeting Daniel is the goal since he attacked his mother first.” “The person also loves anagrams and is