Chapter 116

Aurora POV

I can’t stop smiling.

I throw my arms around Dominic’s neck. My heart is pounding, but it’s not from fear this time—it’s from this ridiculous, effervescent joy bubbling up inside me.

He’s smiling too, really smiling, Not that sly, knowing smirk he uses when he’s trying to keep the upper hand. His hands grip my waist, warm and sure, and then in one smooth motion he sweeps me right off my feet.

I yelp, half laughing, half overwhelmed, clutching at his shoulders as he carries me toward the bedroom.

“Thank you,” I murmur, my cheeks aching from grinning so hard.

“No need to thank me,” he counters. “All I want is for you to be happy.”

Over the next few nights, I throw myself into research.

I’ve never spent this many hours in front of a laptop voluntarily, but at this point, I’m obsessed. I comb through websites, course catalogs and student testimonials until my eyes blur. I spread papers all over the coffee table with more pamphlets I’ve printed out, lists of degree programs I may be interested in, tuition costs, and commute times.

Gianna’s on the phone with me almost every night while I work and research, helping me dig through the information and reading out more reviews she finds online.

“Okay,” she says on the third night, her voice warm but tired. “If I can’t go with you, I’m at least gonna make sure you don’t end up somewhere full of pretentious rich kids who wear blazers to class and don’t know the difference between taxis and rideshares.”

I snort, clicking on another program. “Thanks. I’ll keep that in mind. Who knows, maybe one of them will become my new best friend.”

She lets out a fake gasp of outrage. “You take that back!”

I laugh.

We end up narrowing it down to two schools I’d love to attend, both of them close enough for me to commute from the penthouse with the twins escorting me with minimal traffic.

When I bring them up to Dominic the next morning, I can tell he’s still a little wary, but he keeps his word. He sits beside me on the couch, going through the websites I’ve bookmarked, asking me questions about what I want out of each program.

“I’ll go with you to see them later this week,” he says finally, and I beam at him, already picturing us walking across manicured quads together.

Except, of course, something comes up.

The universe always has to humble me somehow.

The morning of our first tour, Dominic’s phone rings while I’m zipping up my boots. The conversation is short and clipped in that tone he only uses when something seriously wrong is happening.

When he hangs up, he’s already sighing and grabbing his jacket.

“I have to take care of something with the syndicate. The twins will have to go with you. They’ll keep me updated.” he says, looking annoyed.

It’s not what I wanted, but I understand. This is his life and I knew what I was getting into when I agreed to marry him.

Soon I find myself in the backseat of the black SUV with the twins who seem determined to turn this into a field trip.

Luca keeps glancing at my stack of papers. “So, what are you gonna study? Please tell me it’s not something boring like accounting.”

“Accounting’s not boring if you’re laundering millions through fake companies,” Marco shoots back dryly, making me laugh despite myself.

“I don’t know yet,” I admit. “That’s kind of the point of visiting, right? I figure maybe being around people who already know what they’re doing will help me decide.”

“Worth a shot,” he replies.

When we pull up to the campus, I’m struck by how open and alive it feels. Students are sprawled across benches and steps, laptops and textbooks in their hand. The air around us buzzes with chatter and the scent of coffee from a nearby cafe just inside one of the buildings.

We check in at the admissions office and the woman at the front desk gives us a map for the self-guided tour. The twins flank me like bodyguards, not at all trying to blend in like I hoped they would, but they’re respectful enough to hang back while I stop to read the plaques in front of buildings or peek into a few of the open classrooms.

Halfway through the tour, we step into the liberal arts building and that’s when we run into him.

One of the professors for the Arts Department.

He’s leaning against the doorframe of a large lecture hall, sleeves rolled up. He’s younger and has the kind of face that belongs on book covers and university brochures. There’s an energy to him… magnetic without being overbearing.

I can’t help but stare at him as we pass by, catching his attention accidentally.

“You three look a little lost. Touring?” he asks, his smile warm and inviting.

I nod, trying not to stare again. “Yeah. Just… um, looking around.”

“Well, you’re welcome to step inside,” he says, gesturing toward the empty classroom. “I was just finishing up with my office hours, but I can give you the quick version of what I teach here if you’re interested.”

We follow him in, me out of genuine curiosity and the twins because they clearly don’t want to let me out of sight.

Rule number one of Dominic’s they intend to follow down to the letter.

He talks for maybe five minutes but it’s enough to draw me in completely. He’s animated when he speaks, his hands moving as he walks me through his classroom—or rather art room as I look around and realize—explaining how his course blends history, politics, and cultural studies into a single narrative that all accumulates into the art his students wind up producing.

“Learning is about connection. It’s about finding the thread between yourself and the world and pulling at it until you unravel it and understand the pattern.” He says at one point, looking right at me and making enough eye contact that a shiver runs up my spine.

I can’t help but smile at that. “That sounds fascinating.”

“Oh, it most certainly is.”

When we leave, he walks us to the door. “If you decide to enroll here, sign up for my class. I promise you won’t be bored.”

He throws me a wink and for some reason, butterflies kick up in my stomach.

We’ve barely stepped back outside when Luca’s phone rings. He listens for a moment, then gives Marco a look.

“That was Dominic. We need to get back.”

I nod, even though part of me wishes I had more time here to explore the other nooks and crannies I know are hiding in plain sight. This place is exciting me and I haven’t even attended a single class.

As we head toward the parking lot, I glance back at the building, catching one last glimpse of the professor through the glass doors as he disappears into his office.

Even as the SUV pulls away from campus, I can still hear his words echoing in my head.

I can’t help wondering what it would feel like to sit in that classroom, listening to him every week.

Maybe if Dominic agrees to it, I just might.