Jake had become useless—completely worthless.He was a shell of the man he once was. Every night he stumbled home drunk, reeking of whiskey and pain. And each time, without fail, he unleashed all that pent-up fury on the only person still by his side: Aurora.
Sometimes, in the haze of alcohol and grief, he'd raise his hand, trembling with rage, ready to strike her. But just as his palm hovered in the air, his eyes would meet hers—those innocent, tear-soaked eyes—and something inside him would freeze. He couldn't do it. Not completely. But he kept hurting her anyway… emotionally, mentally, breaking her down piece by piece.
Jake needed help. He was spiraling—drowning in guilt, rage, and heartbreak. Yet he was destroying the very person who could've saved him.He wanted Aurora. He still craved her presence beside him. But the anger he held toward her—twisted and misplaced—was stronger than the love he was too broken to show.
And Aurora… she was fading.
She barely spoke. Her tears came freely now, as if her soul had stopped trying to hide the agony. Every second in Jake's house felt like torture—like a prison sentence she didn't deserve.She cried herself to sleep each night, curled up in silence with swollen eyes and a shattered heart. Her once-glowing skin had gone pale. She was thin, ghostly, unrecognizable like an abandoned orphan no one cared to save. If anyone saw her now, they'd mistake her for someone diseased, as if sorrow was contagious.
But Aurora didn't care about how she looked anymore. Vanity meant nothing when your soul was caged.All she wanted now was to get out. To escape. To breathe again.
One morning, with tears streaming down her face and her voice barely a whisper, she turned to one of the younger maids.
"Please," she begged, clutching the girl's arm, "please… just give me your phone. I swear, I only need to make one phone call. Please I'm begging you."
"I'm sorry, madam," the maid said nervously, looking around. "I'll get into serious trouble if anyone finds out…"
"You won't. I swear on my life you won't. Just one call. That's all I ask. Please…" Aurora's voice cracked. "Help me."The girl hesitated, heart pounding, then slowly nodded."Okay, ma'am. I'll help you," she whispered. "But you have to make the call in the store room, where no one will hear you."Aurora grabbed her hands with trembling gratitude. "Of course. Thank you—thank you so much."
She dashed quietly to the store room, the maid watching the hallway as Aurora quickly dialed a number she hadn't called in months.
Her father.
Angel was still in Miami, and unreachable—or so she thought. This was her last hope.The line rang once. Twice."Hello?" came her father's voice."Dad? Dad, can you hear me? It's Aurora," she cried, her voice thick with desperation. "Please, get me out of here. I want to come back to you and Mom. I can't stay with Jake anymore. Please help me."
There was a pause.Then, her father's cold, bitter voice snapped through the phone.
"Oh… so now your precious boyfriend is mistreating you?" he scoffed. "What did I tell you, Aurora? The day he dragged you out of my house like a hero, I warned you, didn't I?"
"Dad, please—"
"I may not be the father you wanted, but I'm not stupid," he continued harshly. "I knew this would happen. You thought you were so grown, so independent. Well, now look at you. It serves you right. You made your choice. Now bear the consequences."
tut tut tut
The call ended.
"What the f—?!" Aurora gasped. "He hung up on me?!"She clutched the phone to her chest, breaking down into sobs."Oh God… what do I do now? Mom won't be able to help either… She always listens to him."Her hands shook as she quickly dialed another number.
Angel.
It was a long shot, but she had to try.The phone rang.And then—"Hello?"
"Angel!" Aurora gasped. "Oh, thank God. You picked up. Are you back in New York?"
"Of course, Aurora! I've been back for two weeks now. Where are you? I've been calling you like crazy! I even went to your clinic—your assistant said you haven't shown up in over a month! What is going on?! Your dad said he doesn't know where you are. I didn't want to ask Jake… I thought maybe you were on a trip…"
"Angel…" Aurora's voice broke. "I've been kidnapped."What?!" Angel shouted.
"Yes. By Jake. I don't know what's wrong with him. He's not the man I fell in love with. He barely speaks to me. He gets drunk and takes it out on me. He… he keeps me locked inside. I think he hates me now. Please, Angel—I need you. Get me out of here."
There was a pause. Then a dangerous calm in Angel's voice."How dare he… Who the hell does he think he is?!" she growled. "Aurora, listen to me—I'm coming to get you. Right now. No matter what it takes."