Chapter 42

Aurora POV

My nerves are frayed from the past few days spent trying to work with Gianna while we comb through the channels of the underground like last time. It’s long and grueling work and with no point to work off of like I had with Leonardo’s impending assassination, both of us are left coming up with a whole lot of nothing.

Following leads that result in a dead end has been the story of our life.

I’ve barely left my room other than to occasionally grab food for us downstairs, right now being one of those times. My stomach clenches painfully with hunger while I make my way down to the main floor, forcing me to put my hand over it to help ease the pain.

Ugh…

As I pass by the main dining hall, muffled voices drift out into the hallway. I stop short, cold dread pooling in my stomach as I recognize one voice immediately.

Dominic.

He’s here?

Spinning on my heel, I head that way, needing to see him with my own two eyes to know that all of this researching and spending countless hours staying up and finding nothing isn’t just my mind slowly going insane from the overload.

Passing through the archway, I find Dominic sitting at the head of the dining table with one leg crossed over his knee and his hands laced casually in his lap, his posture completely at ease. Opposite him is my father with an expression that barely restrains the annoyance he’s trying to hide.

My father’s never been good at pretending to bite his tongue when he doesn’t have the upper hand in a situation. Being intimidated by Dominic isn’t new, however having it done to him in the comfort of his own home must feel even more insulting than usual.

It almost makes me laugh.

Dominic’s eyes flick to me instantly, his gaze unreadable. “Aurora… Come join us.”

My father turns to look at me, scowling openly but says nothing to deny the request.

I hesitate for a long moment, unsure of what I’ve just walked into along with weighing my options: ignore my father’s very obvious signals telling me to go away or ignore Dominic’s very pointed move to include me in whatever this is.

The problem is I’m not sure what road will be the lesser of the two evils.

“Aurora.” Dominic prompts again.

Fuck.

Pulling in a deep breath through my nose, I slowly make my way over to the table and take a seat next to Dominic’s other side.

His smile is smooth when he turns it to me, clearly very pleased that I’ve decided to choose him instead of my father. Figures… it’s just another way for him to prove he doesn’t lose. “We were just discussing the upcoming wedding.”

What?

Anger bubbles fiercely beneath my skin, causing me to dig my nails into my palms beneath the table. Dominic promised to give me time to think it over. While I didn’t think he’s actually honor my wishes if I ended up telling him no, he at least gave me his word he wouldn’t pressure me into making a decision until I was ready.

What the hell?

This was supposed to give me time to find something with Gianna. Another pressure point to use against him in order to stop him from forcing me to bend to his will whenever he snapped his fingers.

Him moving up the timeline like this fucks everything up.

Dominic watches me closely with that unforgiving stare, slightly amusement ticking at the corner of his mouth. What I wouldn’t give to lean over and slap that expression off his face. If I did, maybe my father would actually take favor of me for once in my life.

When he eventually turns back to my father, he says, “The date will be exactly one month from today. Invitations are already being printed and I’m in the process of securing the venue.Your guest list will be expected within one week.”

My father narrows his eyes. “You’re awfully eager to marry my daughter. I’m surprised considering the last wedding we all attended, quite a few people perished.”

He merely shrugs in response. “Unfortunately that is the nature of the business we are in, is it not?”

My father looks like he’s about to argue but thinks better of it at the last moment. “Actually, I've thought about your proposal. Camilla is far better suited as your wife.”

The hard stare he gives my father in response sends a chill racing down my spine, almost causing me to shrink in my seat despite not even being on the receiving end of it. “I thought we already settled this, Francesco. Aurora will be my wife. This is non-negotiable.”

“Camilla is prettier and more refined. She's obedient and is willing to produce as many heirs as you’d like. She is everything Aurora is not. Why insist on the daughter that has already brought your family trouble?"

My chest tightens at his words. I'm used to insults but hearing them thrown out this casually as though I'm nothing more than defective merchandise still cuts deep. Especially with Dominic as the receiver. He’s known about my problems with my family, and especially my father, for a while now but he’s never had to actually witness it first hand.

The cruel remarks, the cold shoulders, the bare acknowledgements.

It embarrasses me in a way I never thought possible.

I don’t… I shouldn’t care what Dominic thinks about me. He’s a psychopath with no cares outside of his own selfish needs. Wanting him to like me and see through the bullshit words my father spews shouldn’t be something I want.

And yet… I do.

I hate myself but I do.

Dominic slowly leans forward, placing his laced fingers onto the table in front of him. His eyes darken dangerously. “I’ve already made my decision. Aurora will be my bride and I won’t waste any more breath justifying my choice to you or anyone else who seems to have a problem with it. Is that clear?”

The room plunges into stifling silence. Even my father, arrogant as he is, knows better than to push the man sitting next to him any further than he has at this point.

Dominic rises to his feet a moment later, his gaze shifting to me. Though not as cold as the one he fixed on my father, this one isn’t exactly warm either. “I'll be in touch soon.”

Without another glance, Dominic strides from the room, leaving my father and I back in the uncomfortable silence.

I hate to admit it to myself but… it feels nice that he stood up for me. Dominic’s insistence on marrying me probably isn’t for any other reason than something nefarious, however that small, sick part of me is happy he didn’t allow my father to change his mind.

There’s definitely something wrong with me.

When my father turns to me, his expression shifts to one I’ve never seen before. Not in all the years he’s treated me badly or beaten me. This one isn’t at all like the annoyance he usually wears whenever I’m around.

This is like a violent maelstrom.

He shoves up from the table, knocking his chair backward. My entire body flinches from the sound.

“Do you know what you’ve cost me?” He grits the words through his teeth, slowly circling around to the other side of the table where I’m still sitting. “Do you know what trouble you’ve caused this family? He’s planning on using this marriage as a way to stake his claws into our family. And you’re letting him by agreeing to the marriage.”

Confusion bubbles up in me. “What? If that’s the case, why would you offer up Camilla—

His hand cracks across my face before I can finish. Pain explodes in my cheek, forcing a startled gasp from my throat as I topple out of my chair and fall onto the floor next to the table. Hands dive into my hair to grab a fist full of it, yanking me back up onto my feet.

“She’s got more brains than you. She’ll know how to seduce him into giving her all his secrets. Something you aren’t capable of.”

Tears sting my eyes. “Please…”

He slams me down onto the table, twisting both of my arms behind me in order to hold them against my back. His fingers are so bruising that they make my bones ache. “You’re too stupid for a mission like that. You don’t know the first thing about squeezing secrets out of a man. He only wants you because he knows you’ll be easy to exploit against us.”

I want to shout at him that he’s a fool for thinking Dominic can be exploited so easily. Even if what my father says is true about his plan to send Camilla into the marriage as a spy, there’s no reality where Dominic cracks simply to the whims of a woman.

He’d sooner shoot and watch Camilla bleed out at his feet for fun before he uttered a single fact about himself to her.

I’m lifted from the table again and tossed back onto the floor. A foot slams against my hip, choking a gasp of pain out of me once again while I try to curl myself into a protective ball.

“You will convince him to marry Camilla instead,” he hisses down at me. “I don’t care how you do it. You will beg him if you have to or else you will not be living to see another year. Either you fix this disaster or you die.”

“Dominic won’t change his mind—he already said—”

Another blow silences me. “Shut up. You don’t get to tell me what Dominic Guerrero will or won't do. You are nothing. And you'll do as you're told.”

Deep down, I know it's hopeless. Dominic isn’t someone who bends to others’ no matter what the circumstances are. I’d gotten lucky by putting him on the spot the way that I had and will never be able to do it again. Whatever Dominic wants, he takes it and apparently that includes me.

“You have two days," he tells me, stepping over my shaking body. “You know what happens if you fail.”

When he finally leaves, I lay there for a long time.

Humiliation stings more sharply than the blows themselves. I should’ve known better than to appease Dominic’s side by coming down to sit instead of trusting my gut and walking back upstairs. Experience has taught me better than this—shown me who the real person I need to fear is: my father.

The one capable of ending me.

Dominic is his own breed of monster but my father is worse. A man willing to kill his own offspring for failing him.

At least Dominic had a reason behind wanting his father dead. Mine simply wants to be spiteful against my dead mother.

Tears leak down my cheeks.

I feel fractured, caught between both of them. Neither of them truly cares what happens to me as I'm nothing more than a pawn, easily discarded once I’ve served my purpose.

Yet somewhere, buried beneath fear and despair, an ember of anger flickers stubbornly to life like it always does.

Dominic betrayed me today by showing what little respect he has for my autonomy and my father’s violence only confirms what I've always known: to both these men, I'm merely a means to an end.

But they're underestimating me.

They think I have no backbone to stand on my own but they're wrong. I can still protect myself. I can still protect Gianna and Stefano, too.

I may be cornered, trapped, and afraid.

But this isn’t over yet. Whatever it takes, no matter the consequences, I won't let either of them destroy me.

Not without a fight.