Dad?"
The word came out in a whisper, almost as if saying it too loud would shatter the fragile image in front of her.
Aurora's chest tightened. Her hands clutched the bedsheets, trembling. For a moment, everything around her slowed—the ticking of the wall clock, the heavy breath of Rafael beside her, even the rain pounding the windows. Her heart, however, raced violently in her chest.
The man standing in the doorway didn't speak at first. He just stared at her like she was a ghost—like he was the one seeing someone rise from the dead.
"I—I don't understand," Aurora stammered. "You're supposed to be dead."
"I know," the man said hoarsely. "And for the last eight years, I let you believe that."
Her stomach twisted. "Why?"
Behind her, Rafael was silent. His hand slid across her lower back, as if to comfort—or remind her he was still in control. Still watching.
Her father stepped forward, slowly, like approaching a wounded animal.
"I did it to protect you," he said. "From them. From the men I crossed. Rafael included."
"You knew him?" Her voice cracked.
"We were business partners. A long time ago."
Aurora turned to Rafael, betrayal boiling behind her ribs.
"You knew?" she asked him, voice barely above a whisper. "You knew he was alive?"
Rafael's jaw flexed. "I didn't know at first. Only when I traced your bloodline. I was looking into your past, making sure no enemies would come looking for you."
"So you researched me?"
"Of course I did," he said coldly. "I bought you, Aurora. I had to make sure what I was buying didn't come with baggage."
Her father flinched at those words. "He bought you?"
"Yes, Dad," she said bitterly. "Like a dress. Like an ornament. And then he fucked me like I was his salvation."
The silence that followed was a black hole.
Her father finally looked away. "I came to take you back. You don't belong in this world."
"I don't?" She laughed bitterly. "This world is the only one that's kept me alive. It gave me everything I hate, and everything I need."
She turned to Rafael, eyes burning.
"And now I don't know what the hell to do with either of you."
Later that night, she stood on the balcony, wrapped in one of Rafael's shirts, the scent of him clinging to her skin.
The door slid open behind her.
"I sent him away," Rafael said quietly, stepping out.
Aurora didn't turn around. "He just… showed up?"
"He made contact through one of the old channels. He found out where you were. I let him come. I wanted you to see."
"See what?"
"That even the people who claim to love you will lie to your face."
She turned then, her eyes meeting his in the dark.
"You included."
He came closer. "I've never lied to you about what I want."
His hands found her waist, pulling her against him.
Her breath hitched.
"You were mine before he walked in," Rafael whispered. "And you're still mine now."
Her resistance melted the moment he kissed her.
She shouldn't have let it.
But she wanted to.
Their mouths met with ferocity—hungry, angry, desperate. Rafael's hands roamed under the shirt, his palms hot against her skin. He slid it off her shoulders, leaving her bare beneath the moonlight.
He lifted her onto the balcony rail, the cold iron biting into her skin as he spread her thighs wide.
"I want them to hear you scream," he growled against her neck. "I want the entire city to know who you belong to."
Her hands gripped his shoulders as he dropped to his knees, tongue sliding between her folds, slow and deliberate. She cried out, head falling back, the stars spinning above her.
"God, Rafael—"
He sucked on her clit until her hips bucked, until her breath came in gasps, until her thighs trembled around his head.
Then he stood, unzipped his pants, and drove into her in one deep, punishing thrust.
She moaned—loud, raw.
He didn't stop.
He fucked her against the balcony, the cold wind on her skin a sharp contrast to the heat of his cock inside her. Every thrust was brutal, claiming, possessive.
"You're mine," he growled. "Say it."
"I'm yours," she gasped.
He reached up, fingers around her throat—not enough to hurt, just enough to remind her she was his.
He slammed into her faster, harder, until the pleasure blinded her.
Aurora shattered with a scream, her orgasm crashing through her.
He came seconds later, groaning her name into her shoulder as he emptied inside her.
They stayed like that for a moment—sweaty, tangled, feral.
And then he carried her inside, laying her on the bed.
An hour later, her phone buzzed.
A single message.
Unknown Number:
You're not safe there. He's lying to you. I can prove it. Meet me. Alone.
Aurora's heart pounded.
There was no name.
But something in her gut told her—
This wasn't over.
It was only just beginning.