Aurora's
POV
Aurora's
POV
I was descending the stairs when I heard the
knock at the door. My heart sank in my stomach. Ever since I met with Isabella
and Luca, I had waited with bated breath for someone to come rushing through
those doors to save me. I said a silent prayer under my breath that Isabella
had seen the signs and that she had gone to the cops. So with each passing day,
I'd wait eagerly, my heart racing when I heard someone at the door.
Angelo glanced up from where he stood in the
living room, his eyes met mine briefly.
"Are you expecting someone?" I asked, before I
could stop myself. We were not on speaking terms. As a matter of fact, he
hadn't said a word to me since that day, but I couldn't help but try.
He didn't answer me. Instead, he moved toward
the door without a word. I hovered near the bottom of the staircase, clutching
the railing with damp fingers.
The knock came again, louder this time. It
sounded urgent.
Angelo opened the door.
A man stood there in a police uniform,
sunlight glinting off the badge on his chest. I almost collapsed with relief.
My knees buckled slightly.
"Good afternoon," the officer said, eyes
scanning the space behind Angelo. "Detective Julian Reyes. I believe you
received my report about a girl—well, she was reported missing by her friend."
Angelo said nothing, just nodded once, a blank
expression on his face.
But me, I was already rushing forward. Hope
surged through me—a feeling I hadn't felt since that night when I was kneeling
on the asphalt cradling my severed father's head. Someone had found me.
Isabella had gotten my signs after all.
"You got a report?" I asked, trying to keep my
voice steady. I brushed past Angelo without a care in the world. "About a
missing girl? Aurora Cruz?" If this was my escape route, I'd take it. I
wouldn't cower behind him in fear anymore.
The officer's eyes flicked to me.
"That's me," I said quickly, desperately. "I'm
Aurora Cruz. Please, thank God, please help me. I've been trying to get away.
You have to take me with you. This man, this man here killed my father. I'm not
here of my own will. He made me lie to my friends. I was kidnapped."
Tears welled up in my eyes. I was finally
going to be free of this hell, and all it took was fooling Angelo to take me to
my friend. What a dumbass! It was easy—too easy. I looked at him, expecting—no,
craving—the look of defeat in his face, the fear that he was finally being
caught and his game was over.
But Angelo didn't even flinch. He stood like a
man who already knew what was coming.
Detective Reyes didn't move either. He just
looked me over with mild interest, then turned his attention back to Angelo
like I hadn't spoken at all.
"I hope you're holding up your end of the
bargain?" he asked casually in a calm voice.
My smile died on my lips.
"What?" I asked, heart beginning to thud in my
chest. "What di…did you just say?" I stuttered.
Angelo didn't answer me. His lips curled into
a small smirk. "Always, Detective Reyes. You know me, I always play by the
books."
"Good," Reyes said, nodding. "Then I'll keep
mine. Keep things tidy, under wraps." He glanced at me and then averted his
eyes. "I wouldn't want the paperwork getting messy."
My mouth went dry. The hope I had felt earlier
disappeared instantly.
"Wait—what's going on?" I asked, voice shaking
now. I looked between the two of them, hoping, praying I was misunderstanding.
But then they shook hands.
My head spun hard. Angelo was shaking hands
with the cop at his doorstep, like they knew each other, like they were old
friends, like partners. My eyes widened in fear. "You—you know each other?" I
whispered.
Neither of them looked at me.
"You said there was a report," I pressed,
voice rising. "You said someone called about a missing girl! I am the girl!" I
yelled. "I'm the one." I pointed at him. "He's the one who's keeping me here!"
Reyes sighed, finally turning to me. "Miss, I
don't know what story you're telling yourself, but as far as our department's
concerned, there's no ongoing investigation. You're safe, and no one's hurting
you. That's all I need to know."
I felt the ground tilt under me. Tears
trickled down my cheeks. Surely this couldn't be happening.
"But…but I'm not safe! H—he won't let me
leave!" I pointed at Angelo. "He said I belonged to him! He said I'd never
escape!"
Angelo didn't deny it. I wanted to knock off
the smug look on his face.
"Thank you very much, Detective Reyes," he
clamped his shoulder. "Your service is greatly valued…"
Hot tears clouded my vision as I took a step
backward. "No…no…no," I shook my head in disbelief. "No!" I drowned out their
voices. They were talking and smiling, oblivious to the pain I was in. I was
trapped here. There was no escape for me, only death.
'I am the Angel of death.'
I ran up the stairs and back to my bedroom, my
cage and dropped to the floor. I was a prisoner in Angelo's mansion. There was
no escape. I had played my cards well, and yet it was not enough. He had the
cops in his pockets. I already knew he had a long line of men fiercely loyal to
him. I hugged my knees to my chest, rocking back and forth as my sobs racked
through my whole body. I didn't know how long I had been crying when the door
opened and Angelo strolled in.
I scooted away from him, but it was futile. He
had an overbearing presence that made it seem like he towered over everyone. It
didn't help that he was tall and huge and, well, I was small, even smaller now
that I was sitting on the floor, my eyes red and glassy from crying. I couldn't
bring myself to look him in the eye, so I focused on his shoes. They were
Italian, very fine leather. I imagined they must have cost so much…
And then he crouched in front of me, forcing
us to be eye level. I averted my eye. He leaned closer, brushing past me so his
mouth was near my ear.
"I told you," he said softly, calmly. "You
have no idea what I can do, Aurora. There's no escape for you…"
His breath sent a chill down my spine.
I backed away.
He smirked. "Your friend Isabella made the
police report. Too bad your boyfriend didn't care. If you ask me, he let go of
you so easily," he chuckled. "He quickly moved on, huh? He never loved you?"
I bit on my lower lip to stop myself from
lashing out.
"Well, too bad for Isabella though. She was
nosy. I guess I have to teach her a less—"
Without thinking, I lunged for him. "You will
not hurt her!" I yelled.
Angelo caught me easily, pulling me back with
one hand gripping my wrist like steel. I screamed aloud in pain. I had my back
pressed to him, while his hand held mine behind my back.
"You forget you're not in the position to make
demands, Aurora," he whispered softly in my ear. "You are at my mercy." He drew
out the words.
I shuddered involuntarily. I could feel his
breath down my neck, his mouth only inches away from my ear. It didn't help
that I was pressed into his body, and wiggling away from his grasp was not
helping.
"I want you to remember, Aurora, that there's
no hole you can crawl into, no mountain you can climb, no distance you can run
that I would not find you," he snickered. "I'll use everything I have,
everything that I am to find you and bring you here, and I will make sure every
day that you spend here with me, until Dante's death anniversary, is as
miserable as it can get. And only after then will I set you free…"
"Free…" I whispered inaudibly. A tear dropped
from my eye.
"And give you a fate worse than death…"
I went limp in Angelo's grasp, like my bones
had dissolved. I stopped struggling in his arms. It was pointless. There was no
hope for me. I was stuck here with him for one whole year until he was ready to
mete out whatever punishment he had in store for me. As if living with him
wasn't punishment enough. As if my father dying wasn't punishment enough.
He let go of me. I heard the sound of his
footsteps as he walked out of the room.