Chapter 66 THE TRUTH (1)

Chapter 66 THE TRUTH (1)
Aurora woke with a sharp gasp.

Her skull throbbed violently, each heartbeat pulsing like a hammer against the inside of her head. She blinked through the haze, her vision swimming until the room around her began to settle into shape.

A bedroom. It's warm and cozy with soft amber lights that glowed from the lamps. A luxurious duvet covered her legs. Heavy curtains blocked out the night.

She shot upright only for a wave of pain to slice through her forehead, forcing her to wince.

A deep voice broke through the silence.

"Easy, Aurora. Slowly"

Her breath hitched.

Antonio DeLuca sat beside her.

Perfectly composed. Hands folded with a faint, grim smile carved on his face as if he had been waiting for her to wake… evaluating her.

Her pulse spiked.

She remembered the underground, the stairs, the padlocked doors, the disturbing paintings, the voice, the hit.

And now...this.

She swallowed tightly. "W-Where am I?"

"In one of the guest rooms," Antonio said smoothly, leaning back in the chair. "You fainted. In the hallway"

Aurora’s fingers curled around the blanket. "I… fainted?"

His eyes sharpened just a little... too keen, too knowing. "Yes. You must’ve been overwhelmed. New environment. Stress. Maybe you skipped dinner" He shrugged, smile deepening. "Happens to the best of us"

Her stomach twisted.

He was lying.

And he was too calm.

Aurora forced her expression into soft confusion. "I… I thought I was somewhere else…"

Antonio tilted his head, amusement flickering in his gaze. "Somewhere else? Like where?"

Her heart stumbled.
This was a test.

A trap disguised as concern.

She lowered her eyes, voice barely above a whisper. "I must’ve been dreaming"

Antonio chuckled lightly... too lightly. "Dreams can be strange, can’t they? Especially when one is stressed" He leaned forward slowly, placing a gentle hand on her wrist. "But you were never anywhere but this house"

Aurora lifted her gaze to meet his.

He held her eyes too long.

A cold shiver crept down her spine.

"Of course," she murmured with a soft, embarrassed laugh. "It must have been a dream. I guess the wine affected me more than I thought"

His smile widened, satisfied. "Good girl"

Aurora kept her face composed, even as bile rose in her throat at the phrase.

Antonio stood slowly, his shadow stretching over her. "You know, Aurora…" he began, "this family takes care of its own. And we protect the people we welcome into our home" He glanced around the cozy room, then back at her. "You’re safe here. As long as you trust us"

The words slid into the air like a warning disguised as a lullaby.

Aurora nodded gently. "I trust you, Mr. DeLuca"

His eyes gleamed with dark approval.

"Good." He turned toward the door. "Nicholas was worried when he realized you were missing. I told him you were resting. He’ll check on you in the morning"

Aurora’s breath hitched again. "Does he know about… me fainting?"

"No." Antonio opened the door, pausing in the doorway. "And he doesn’t need to"

Their gazes locked.

A silent threat.

A silent reminder of who held the power here.

He smiled one last time, that same grim curve of his lips.

"Sleep well, Aurora"

The door clicked shut.

The moment he was gone, Aurora’s mask collapsed. Her trembling hands clutched the blanket as cold sweat dripped down her spine.

He knew.

He knew she went down there.

He knew she saw something.

And he wasn’t angry.

He was calm.

Which meant one thing:

Antonio had a plan.

Aurora slowly exhaled, steadying herself.

"Then so do I" she whispered.

She lay back down, closing her eyes not to sleep, but to think and prepare.

Because the game wasn’t over.

It had just begun.

Aurora lay still for several minutes after Antonio left, trying to steady the trembling inside her chest. But the pounding in her head lingered… and so did the dryness in her throat.

She swallowed hard.

Her lips felt like sandpaper.

"I need water" she whispered to herself.

She slipped out of the soft bed, her legs a little unsteady, and opened the door quietly. The hallway was dim and silent. 

She found the kitchen lights still on.

A young maid stood at the counter rinsing some plates. She turned when she heard Aurora enter, her eyes widening a little, fear flickering there for a brief second.

Aurora opened a cabinet silently, took out a glass, and filled it with water. She drank half of it in one long, thirsty pull before setting the glass down gently.

Then she moved closer to the maid.

The girl's hands stilled on the plate. She tensed.

Aurora kept her tone casual. "What work does Antonio do?"

The maid froze. Her shoulders shot up, and she quickly turned back to the sink.

"Uhh... a businessman" she muttered.

Aurora tilted her head. "What kind of business is that? At least I need to know what business my future father-in-law is into" She gave a soft, polite laugh, as if she were simply making conversation.

The maid’s fingers slipped, almost dropping the plate. "No... please leave me alone"

She hurried away from Aurora like a panicked animal, disappearing into the pantry area.

Aurora watched her flee, a cold, determined smile touching her lips as she murmured, "I'm going to ruin you, Antonio"

She turned to head back to her room when suddenly a hand grabbed her arm.

Aurora spun sharply.

It was the same maid.

Her face was pale, her breathing uneven. She kept glancing over her shoulder, eyes darting around the kitchen as if expecting someone to storm in at any moment.

The maid’s grip trembled around Aurora’s wrist.

"I... I’ll tell you about his business," she whispered, voice cracking.
"Please... come into my room"

Aurora nodded.

"Lead the way" she whispered back.

The maid nodded shakily and tugged her toward the servants’ corridor, glancing behind them every few seconds as if he could appear at any moment.

The maid led Aurora through a narrow hallway meant only for the servants. Aurora noticed how the girl’s hands shook as she fumbled with her keys. She pushed her small room door open and quickly ushered Aurora inside.

The moment the door clicked shut, the maid locked it twice.

She pressed her back against the door, chest rising and falling in sharp breaths. Her eyes were red, watery and terrified.

Aurora stepped closer. "You can tell me. You’re safe with me"

The maid covered her mouth with both hands, trying to steady her trembling.

Then, in a whisper so fragile it felt like it could shatter, she began.

"Antonio… he does human trafficking"

Aurora’s breath stilled.