Chapter 68: THE BOMB

She pushed the door open.

Nicholas was there.

Standing perfectly still, framed by the dim light of the hallway. His face unreadable, every expression masked in shadow.

The maid froze beside her, a sharp, stifled gasp escaping her lips.

No words, no movement. Just the tense silence, heavy and suffocating.

Aurora’s heart thudded in her chest as the door hung between them.

OH GOD...

Then Nicholas’s expression shifted... first blank, then confused.

He reached up and pulled a small earbud out of his ear.

It had been there all along.

He hadn’t heard anything.

Relief washed through Aurora, loosening her stiff shoulders. The maid quietly exhaled, her fear draining just enough for her knees not to buckle.

Nicholas looked between them, confused.

"Why are you here?" he asked.

Aurora forced a small, casual smile. "Oh… I was kinda bored. I wanted someone to talk to"

"You should have come to me," he said softly.

"I went to your room and you weren’t there. I searched everywhere for you. When I didn’t find you, I checked here"

The maid lowered her eyes quickly, hiding her trembling hands. Aurora shifted subtly forward, shielding the woman without making it obvious.

"Oh," Aurora said lightly, even though her heart was pounding. "I didn’t know you were looking for me"

Nicholas studied her for a moment, his gaze lingering like he was trying to read her soul. Eventually, his eyes softened just a little.

"It’s late," he said. "Come on. I’ll walk you back"

Aurora glanced once at the maid, silently reassuring her, then stepped out into the hallway with Nicholas.

The door closed behind them.

Nicholas walked her down the hallway, his steps steady and unhurried. Aurora kept her breathing calm, her expression soft and composed, even though her mind was spinning.

They reached her door.

"Goodnight, Aurora," he said gently. "Get some rest"

"Goodnight, Nicholas" she replied with a small smile.

He lingered for a second, eyes on hers, then finally turned and began walking toward his own room.

Aurora waited until he was a few steps away before letting out a slow exhale.

Nicholas reached his door, placed his hand on the handle… then stopped.

His posture tightened.

His expression changed, his jaw clenched.

Because he had heard everything.

No music had been playing in his ear.

The earbud was silent.

He didn’t confront her, didn’t say a single word.

He simply opened his door and walked inside, shutting it behind him with a soft, final click.

Immediately Aurora got into her room and locked the door, she hurried across the room, grabbed her phone from the nightstand, and sat on the edge of the bed.

She opened her messages.

Matteo.

Her thumbs flew.

She typed out everything— the maid’s confession, the underground rooms, the trafficking, the threats, the sister trapped below, Antonio’s lies, the danger, all of it.

Her heart pounded as she hit send.

The message went through.

And now… all she could do was wait.

Aurora collapsed back against the pillows, staring at the ceiling, her pulse still racing.

•••

NEXT MORNING

Aurora woke with a violent jolt.

Her head spun, her breath coming in fast, sharp bursts. She tried to move, but her arms would not budge.

Her wrists were tied to a chair.

Her ankles too.

A blindfold pressed against her eyes, suffocating her in thick, disorienting darkness.

Her throat felt dry.

A metallic scent clung everywhere.

Was she in a basement, dungeon or prison?

Panic clawed up her chest.

"Where the fuck am I?" she whispered, voice shaking despite her effort to stay composed.

Silence answered her.

Then she heard it.

Creeeak.

A door opened slowly somewhere in the room.

Footsteps followed.

Aurora’s pulse pounded so loudly she could hear it echo off the walls.

A familiar voice filled the space.

"Hello there, future daughter-in-law"

Antonio.

Her stomach dropped.

She stiffened, fighting the urge to pull against the ropes.

"Why is your supposed future daughter-in-law in this state?" she forced out, her voice sharp even as fear scraped her throat.

Antonio laughed.

A deep, cold, amused sound that did not belong to a human being.

"Oh, Aurora" he said. "You really thought I would not find out"

She felt his presence move closer. She could hear the shift of his breath, the smugness dripping from every word.

"You thought I was a fool" he whispered.

"And that I would not discover who you really are"

His fingers gripped the blindfold.

"Let me help you see things clearly"

Light exploded across Aurora’s eyes as he yanked the cloth away.

Her vision blurred from the sudden brightness, then sharpened.

Her heart froze.

They were in the underground.

The same corridor of nightmares she had stumbled into before. The same cold walls. The same metal doors. The same smell of suffering soaked deep into the concrete.

Antonio stood in front of her, smiling with chilling delight.

"I ran a little background check on you" he said casually, as if discussing the weather.

"You are Vincenzo’s daughter. And Matteo Moretti's wife"

He tilted her chin up with two fingers.

"You are probably here because of Matteo. Because he wants revenge"

His smile widened into something grotesque.

"What a loving wife you are"

He straightened, watching her like a predator admiring a trapped animal.

Aurora’s blood ran icy cold as she glared at him, fury coiling in her chest. Without a second thought, she spat on his polished shoes.

"You’re evil" she spat, voice shaking but sharp.

Antonio bent down slightly, his smile widening as if he expected it.

"I know" he said calmly, almost proudly.

He reached into his pocket and pulled out a vape, the tip glowing faintly as he inhaled deeply, exhaling a slow, curling cloud of smoke that filled the underground.

Aurora’s eyes narrowed, brimming with defiance.

The sound of the door opening made both of them glance up. Nicholas walked in.

He froze for a moment, taking in the scene: Antonio, the vape, Aurora standing tied and furious.

"Oh… what was I expecting?" Aurora snorted, her voice dripping with disdain. "That you’re completely innocent and don’t know what your father is involved in?"

Nicholas’s gaze met hers, steady and unwavering.

"I didn’t know anything until last night," he said firmly. "In fact, this is my first time coming here. I have to be with my dad always. I will always be by his side"

Antonio exhaled a long plume of smoke and glanced at his son, pride flickering across his features.

"That’s my son," he said, voice softening just enough to sound human. "I’m proud of you"

Antonio smirked at Aurora, then stepped behind her.

"Let’s keep those pretty eyes from seeing too much" he murmured.

Before she could jerk away, he slipped the blindfold back over her eyes, tying it tight enough that the knot bit into her hair. The world vanished into blackness. She felt his fingers brush her cheek deliberately before he stepped back.

Footsteps echoed.

Antonio’s voice drifted away. "We’ll be back for you later"

Nicholas said nothing. Only the soft sound of his shoes turning. Then both men walked out, the heavy underground door shutting with a cold metallic thud.

Aurora was alone.

Bound and blindfolded. Surrounded by the stench of mold, metal, and dried blood.

She listened to their footsteps fade. Then silence swallowed her whole.