Ryan’s POV
When I heard her say it, when those words fell from her lips-a feeling I couldn’t describe took over me.
“Yes, I am,” she said, her voice soft, almost shy.
For a second, I couldn’t breathe. The room felt smaller, the air heavier, and all I could think about was her. Untouched. Pure. Mine.
Without thinking, I pulled her into my arms. I held her tight, tighter than I probably should have, but I didn’t care. I wanted to feel her against me, to know she was real, that this moment wasn’t some cruel dream.
She let out a small, surprised laugh as my arms wrapped around her. “Ryan, I can’t breathe,” she mumbled, gently tapping my back.
I released her immediately, though the urge to keep holding her was overwhelming. “Sorry,” I muttered, stepping back a little.
She looked up at me, confusion etched across her delicate features. “What was that for?”
“Aurora,” I said, her name rolling off my tongue like it belonged there.
“Yes?”
“I don’t want you talking to any man, laughing with them, or even looking at them like you looked at me earlier.” My voice was firm, almost commanding.
Her brows furrowed. “What? Ryan, that doesn’t make any sense.”
“It makes perfect sense,” I shot back. “You’re mine, Aurora. I don’t want to share you with anyone.”
She blinked, her lips parting as if she were about to argue, but no words came out. Instead, she stammered, “I… I’m sorry, but you can’t just say that. We’re not even a thing. I barely know you.”
“Yet,” I said simply, leaning in slightly. “You’ll have all the time you need to get to know me. I’m not going anywhere, Aurora. I’ll wait for you.”
She looked at me like I was crazy. Maybe I was. But the thought of another man even looking at her drove me to madness.
She sighed, clearly trying to make sense of everything. “This is weird, but… okay,” she finally said, though her voice was hesitant.
I smirked, pleased with her answer. That’s all I needed to hear. “Good.”
Her face softened, and I decided to change the topic. “What’s your favorite color?”
She looked at me, clearly caught off guard. “What? Why are you asking me that now?”
“Just answer the question,” I said, crossing my arms.
She sighed, rolling her eyes playfully. “For clothes, I’d say black. As for an apartment, I haven’t really thought about it. Maybe gray or white? Something simple, not too flashy.”
I nodded, already texting Cornel. She doesn’t have a specific color preference. Just make it elegant and nice.
When I looked up, she was watching me curiously. “Why are we still sharing the same room?” she asked.
“Because we should,” I replied without hesitation.
Her brow furrowed again, but she didn’t argue. Instead, she let out a small yawn.
“You should go to sleep,” I said, softening my tone. “We’ll be heading back tomorrow.”
“Tomorrow?” Aurora asked, her brows knitting together.
“Yes, tomorrow,” I confirmed. “After what happened, I don’t think I’d be able to stay here another day and tolerate that man, Craig.”
“But we were supposed to attend a formal party tomorrow evening,” she pointed out, her voice tinged with hesitation.
“We were,” I said simply. “Unless you still want to go?”
She looked at me for a moment, her expression torn. “Would it be weird if I said yes?”
I tilted my head, intrigued. “Why do you want to go?”
“Because I’ve always dreamt of attending a party,” she admitted, her voice soft but firm. “Any party, really. But this one in particular would help me learn more about my job and the people involved in it.”
I couldn’t argue with her reasoning. She had a way of making even the simplest things sound so significant.
“As you wish, my little one,” I said, a small smile tugging at my lips.
Her cheeks flushed slightly. “Why do you keep calling me that?”
“Because you’re my little one,” I replied, my tone laced with certainty.
She seemed to mull over my words before asking, “Do you have any siblings?”
Her question caught me off guard. Of all the things she could have asked, why that?
Draven’s voice echoed in my mind. Are you really going to tell her?
I hesitated for a brief moment. I will. But just part of it, I replied inwardly.
Aurora was still watching me, waiting for an answer.
“I had a brother,” I said finally. “A twin brother, to be precise.”
“Had?” she repeated, her voice barely above a whisper.
“Yes, had. He’s dead now.”
Her eyes widened with shock and sympathy. “Oh no, I’m so sorry. I shouldn’t have asked. I’m so stupid. I’m sorry for bringing it up,” she rambled, her hands fidgeting nervously.
“It’s okay,” I said, my voice calm and steady. “It happened a long time ago.”
She looked down, her head bowed as if she thought she’d hurt me. But she hadn’t. If anything, she was the one who stirred emotions I thought were long buried.
He didn’t deserve her pity-or mine.
I reached out and took her hands in mine, intending to reassure her. I wanted to tell her not to worry about anything, that I’d long since moved on. But before I could say a word, her phone buzzed, breaking the moment.
Aurora flinched slightly, startled by the sound. She pulled her hands from mine and reached for her phone, glancing at the screen.
Aurora reached for her phone, her delicate fingers trembling slightly as she picked it up. She glanced at the screen and said softly, “It’s an unknown number.”
I said nothing, my curiosity piqued, as she answered the call.
“Hello?” she said, her tone cautious but polite.
There was a brief pause as she listened to the person on the other end of the line. Her brows furrowed slightly, then smoothed out.
“Oh, thank you,” she said, her voice brightening.
She ended the call and placed the phone back on the nightstand. I didn’t say anything, but my gaze lingered on her. She noticed my questioning look, and a faint smile tugged at her lips.
“It’s from the bank,” she explained. “My account is ready.”
I didn’t expect the wave of relief that washed over me at her words. Perhaps it was because this small step gave her a sense of independence, something I could tell she valued.
“Send me the account details now,” I said, my voice firm but calm.
She looked at me for a moment, her expression a mix of surprise and confusion. “Okay,” she finally said, and within seconds, I received the details.
Without a second thought, I pulled out my phone and transferred some money into her account.
A few moments later, Aurora’s phone pinged with a notification. She picked it up, her eyes widening in disbelief as she stared at the screen.
“Ryan, I think you mistakenly transferred some money to me,” she said, looking up at me with a mixture of confusion and disbelief.
“It’s not a mistake, Aurora,” I said simply.
Her expression shifted from shock to something deeper, something I couldn’t quite place. “Five thousand dollars?” she practically screamed, her voice rising an octave.
I couldn’t help but chuckle at her reaction. “Yes, five thousand dollars.”
“Why would you do that, Ryan?” she asked, her voice soft now, almost hesitant.
“Because you work for me,” I said.
“But it’s not even the end of the month,” she pointed out, her brows knitting together.
“Okay, fine,” I admitted, raising my hands slightly in mock surrender. “I just did it because I wanted to. It’s not your salary, little one.”
She opened her mouth to argue, but I cut her off.
“No, Aurora. Just accept the money. It’s nothing for me,” I said, my tone firm but reassuring.
Her lips quivered as she blinked rapidly, trying to hold back tears. Before I knew it, she crossed the distance between us and wrapped her arms around me in a tight hug.
“Thank you,” she whispered, her voice thick with emotion.
In that moment, I held her close, wishing I could freeze time. The way she leaned into me, her gratitude genuine and unfiltered-it was something I didn’t realize I needed until now.
She was mine to protect, mine to take care of. And I’d do whatever it took to ensure she never had to worry about anything again.
“Now, let’s see the clothes you want to wear tomorrow,” I said after she released me from her embrace.
“I don’t understand,” She said, looking confused.
“You know what? We will get new ones for you tomorrow.”
“I want you to look exceptionally beautiful.”.