Damian sat in the chair by the window, his back turned to Aurora. The soft glow of the moonlight illuminated his features, making him look both calm and restless at the same time. Aurora lay on the bed, watching him closely. She could sense that something was on his mind. He had been unusually quiet since they came to the room.
“Damian?” she called softly, sitting up.
He didn’t turn immediately but sighed heavily, running his hand through his hair. “There’s something I need to tell you,” he said, his voice low and serious.
Aurora’s eyebrows furrowed in confusion. “What is it?” she asked, her tone cautious.
He turned to face her, his dark eyes locking with hers. “I think it’s time you knew the truth,” he said. “The real reason why I bought you.”
Her heart skipped a beat, her breath hitching. She sat up straighter, her nerves on edge. “The real reason?”
Damian nodded, walking over to sit on the edge of the bed. He looked at her, his expression unreadable, and then took a deep breath. “It’s not just because I wanted a maid, Aurora. It’s because of your father.”
Aurora’s mouth opened slightly in shock. “My father?”
“Yes,” Damian said, his voice cold and sharp. “I know him. He’s not the man you think he is. Your father is a mafia, just like me.”
The words hit Aurora like a punch to the gut. Her eyes widened in disbelief. “What? No, that can’t be true! My dad was just-”
“Just what?” Damian interrupted, his tone harsh. “A man who couldn’t afford to take care of you? A poor soul who left because life got too hard?” He shook his head. “That’s the story you’ve been told, isn’t it?”
Aurora nodded slowly, her hands trembling.
“Well, it’s a lie,” Damian said flatly. “Your father is wealthy. He didn’t leave because he couldn’t provide for you and your mom. He left because he didn’t want a child. He never wanted you.”
Aurora felt her chest tighten, the words cutting deep. “You’re lying,” she whispered, her voice shaky.
“I wish I was,” Damian said, his expression softening for a moment. “But I’m not. Your father has a history with my family. A bloody, horrible history.”
Aurora swallowed hard, her mind spinning. “What do you mean?”
Damian stood up and began pacing the room. “Your father killed my sister,” he said bluntly. “He tortured her. Made her suffer in ways you can’t even imagine. And then he killed her without mercy.”
Aurora gasped, her hand flying to her mouth. “No… that’s not possible.”
“It is,” Damian said, his voice heavy with emotion. “Your father is a monster, Aurora. And when I found out you were his daughter, I…” He paused, his jaw tightening.
“You what?” Aurora asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
“I wanted to hurt you,” Damian admitted, his tone cold and unfeeling. “I wanted to make you suffer the same way your father made my sister suffer. I wanted to break you, Aurora. That’s why I bought you.”
Aurora felt tears prick her eyes, her chest aching with pain. She couldn’t believe what she was hearing. “You wanted to hurt me? To punish me for something I didn’t even do?”
Damian stopped pacing and looked at her, his expression softening again. “That’s what I thought at first,” he said. “But then I got to know you. And everything changed.”
Aurora stared at him, her emotions a whirlwind of anger, sadness, and confusion. “Why are you telling me this now?”
“Because you deserve to know the truth,” Damian said, sitting back down beside her. “And because… I don’t want to hurt you anymore.”
Aurora shook her head, tears streaming down her face. “This is too much, Damian. My father, your sister, all of this… It’s too much.”
“I know,” Damian said softly, reaching out to touch her hand. “But you needed to know the truth. I couldn’t keep it from you anymore.”
Aurora pulled her hand away, her heart racing. She felt like the ground had been ripped out from under her. Everything she thought she knew about her life was a lie.
“Why didn’t you just kill me?” she asked bitterly, her voice shaking with emotion.
“Because I couldn’t,” Damian said, his voice filled with an emotion she couldn’t place. “I thought I could, but then I saw you. And you weren’t the person I thought you’d be. You were strong, brave, and… different.”
Aurora stared at him, her mind racing. She didn’t know what to say, what to feel. All she knew was that her life would never be the same again.
For a long moment, neither of them said anything. The room was filled with a heavy silence, the weight of Damian’s confession hanging between them.
Finally, Damian broke the silence. “I’m not asking you to forgive me,” he said. “I just… I needed you to know the truth.”
Aurora looked at him, her eyes filled with pain and confusion. “I don’t know what to do with this,” she said softly.
“You don’t have to do anything,” Damian said. “Just… don’t hate me.”
Aurora didn’t respond. She didn’t know if she could promise that.
As the day stretched on, they sat in silence, both of them lost in their own thoughts. The truth was out now, and there was no going back.