Is this a dream?
Aurora repeatedly wondered if she had fallen asleep outside on the terrace.
Because how did the man who haunted her in her dreams and gnawed at her conscience for the past month suddenly come to life?
Blinking hard, the man did not turn into a whisp of smoke—poof—he remained standing before her with a menacing look in his deep steel-grey eyes.
"How did you find me?"
These words left her lips before she could think, gentle as a whisper in the cold, harsh winter.
She had been curious before.
Despite that night being spent in reckless whim, Aurora couldn't stop thinking about it. About the man who made her feel alive and the burning desires she never knew she could experience. She regretted never getting his name.
But that was before she found out who he was.
Caesar Alexandrovich Dragunov.
A name that held so much power. Danger. And fear. His name was not unknown if you asked someone in the right circle. Even Aurora, who lived in poverty, had heard of him through Dominik.
But her husband's expression changed everytime Caesar's name was mentioned. She knew that look. A reflection of herself when she looked in the mirror. Along with his fear, Aurora remembered him cursing the man.
"That devil."
Aurora thought he was cursing him, putting Caesar's name synonymous with the Devil. But she was wrong to think of it like that.
In truth, he really was the devil. A man who never needed to sin because he's sin itself.
And she walked right into his arms and committed a sin she now regrets.
Why can't it be anyone else? Why does it have to be you?
These questions have plagued her mind after learning who he was. It was her fault that when she entered the club and accepted his offer to sleep with him. She should've known better.
No, it wasn't her fault.
Why did he have to ask her that night? Any night, and she would refuse him. But her emotions got the better of her, clouding her mind along with all her reason. A bubbling desire for payback against Dominik, who abused her and his endless infidelity, covered her fear and threw caution to the wind.
She willingly accepted and went with him.
And after having sex with the mysterious man, she sneaked out when she was certain he had fallen asleep. That was how that night ended.
IF only she hadn't seen him on the news, she'd be none the wiser. She would never know who the man she slept with was.
And what was worse than finding out who he was?
Caesar had been looking for her—the woman he had slept with. Ironically, it was Dominik who broke the news to her, scoffing at the rumors, unknown to him that the woman Caesar had been looking for was just right beside him.
Dominik also told her that whoever the fortunate woman was truly unlucky. She had been curious to ask why. Thankfully, he didn't notice anything amiss with her and revealed the reason.
Because it was known that those women he was seen with were no longer alive. It was said that he had killed them in a moment of passion. No one could survive him. A ridiculous gossip even spread that Caesar should have changed his preference to men so that his lovers wouldn't die so easily.
Aurora paled and dared not breathe when she heard this.
Caesar didn't hurt her. But that night was certainly the most intense she'd ever experienced. Those rumors seemed to be true.
When she learned she was pregnant, Aurora knew there was no way to hide it. If Dominik finds out, he would be suspicious since they haven't slept with each other for the past six months. Where would a child suddenly appear? He would definitely have her abort it.
So, Aurora thought she should tell Caesar.
However, she found out what kind of man he is. She became conflicted and confused about what she should do.
A month later, the man finally appeared before her.
"It wasn't so hard to find you."
His answer came short and deep.
Caesar stepped forward, his head turned as he let his eyes wander inside the room. A hint of amusement appeared in his tired eyes as it finally settled on the huge wedding photo across the room, contained inside an intricate-patterned frame.
A picture of Aurora and Dominik.
Aurora lifted her head and followed his gaze.
At a glance, the couple in the picture was full of affection. Tears even appeared in Aurora's eyes as the tips of her lips curled into a smile, captured by the film in a timeless manner.
However, it was anything but.
The tears? It gathered in her eyes as Dominik's hand wrapped around her arm like iron.
The smile? A forced one that came after a threat spilled from his mouth.
Dominik, on the other hand, looked satisfied. He grinned at the camera as he took the picture with her, knowing fully well he had her life in his hands.
"Sir, what should we do with her?"
His secretary, Romano, asked behind him. Caesar turned around, and he saw her.
A woman in her early twenties. Still young. But pretty.
Dominik sure found a good woman for someone ten years her senior. Caesar mused as he took another step.
He crouched down, his elbows resting on his knees, as his eyes leveled with hers.
"Where is Dominik?"
"Why are you looking for—"
"Ah!"
A groan escaped her lips. The hands holding her down reached her hair, tugging painfully, so that her scalp tingled in pain.
"Answer me."
"I… I don't know."
Tears filled her eyes. She knew they weren't gentlemen despite the suits they wore. But she underestimated their level of cruelty.
"I really don't know," she repeated with her brows creased.
"Do you know why I'm here?"
Caesar's indifferent tone as he asked her a question caught her off guard. His face filled her eyes as he leaned forward. She didn't know what she hoped the answer would be to his question. She still didn't understand where Dominik fit in this picture.
Trembling and in pain, she shook her head. Her hair untangled from its tie as it was grabbed, spilling over her shoulders and waist like a waterfall.
His silver eyes followed the gentle movement, lingering on her small and slender neck.
"I've come to take something from you."
His words were like thunder to her ears.
Her trembling lips opened and closed. Her eyes stared back at him.
"You see… Dominik is such a slimy bastard. He took something from me and disappeared." His tone turned harsh, his eyes gained intensity as they met her own. "I don't like losses. So, I have to take something of value from him."
"What…? Then, why…?"
If Dominik took something from him, why did Caesar have to come for her? It didn't make sense. She knew nothing about his whereabouts. It didn't matter how much they questioned her. Dominik never revealed anything to her.
A warm hand suddenly encased itself around her neck. The sudden constriction felt like a snake had crawled and wrapped itself around her.
"Ngh…!"
A groan of pain left her pale lips as her eyes widened.
It wasn't the first time a hand grabbed her neck. But this time, she felt the hands of the man before her could easily snap her neck without even putting any strength.
Her vision swam, distorted, and she panicked. Her hand came up to grab the wrist of this man, her nails digging into him as she desperately struggled against him.
"Would your husband come to your funeral if you died?"
His words matched the pressure around her neck, stealing her breath, and as seconds ticked by, her head throbbed as she was deprived of oxygen.
Despite the impending doom or the threat hanging over her head, Aurora didn't seem affected by what was said.
Rather, a smile bloomed on her lips like the flowers on a Sakura tree in Spring.
Tears finally dripped down her face.
A moment of silence filled the room. The sound of the wind howled crazily outside, slapping against the windows.