Chapter Seven
1016 Words
The Call Home
Aurora barely remembered leaving campus.
The message from her grandfather kept replaying in her mind.
Come home immediately.
Four simple words.
Yet they were enough to make her stomach twist.
King Alexander rarely sounded urgent. In fact, he usually preferred to discuss important matters face-to-face rather than through messages.
Which meant something had happened.
Something serious.
"Aurora?"
She blinked.
Lorenzo was still standing in front of her.
The charity gala had been forgotten the moment she'd read the message.
"You okay?"
Aurora forced a smile.
"Yeah."
It wasn't very convincing.
Lorenzo's eyes narrowed slightly.
"You don't look okay."
For a second, she considered telling him the truth.
Not everything.
Just enough.
But old habits won.
"I'm fine."
The lie came easier than it should have.
Lorenzo didn't look convinced.
Still, he nodded.
"If you say so."
Aurora hated that he looked disappointed.
The drive to the palace felt longer than usual.
Outside the car window, the city lights blurred together.
Normally, Aurora enjoyed the quiet ride home.
Tonight, she couldn't sit still.
Questions crowded her mind.
Was her grandfather sick?
Has something happened to the royal family?
Was it connected to the file she'd seen in his office?
By the time the palace gates came into view, her nerves were stretched thin.
The moment the car stopped, she stepped out.
A palace attendant was already waiting.
"His Majesty is expecting you."
Aurora frowned.
That wasn't unusual.
The worried expression on the attendant's face was.
Without another word, she hurried inside.
King Alexander was standing by the window when she entered his study.
He didn't turn around immediately.
Aurora noticed that first.
The second thing she noticed was the file sitting on his desk.
The same file.
The one containing Lorenzo's photograph.
Her pulse quickened.
"Grandfather?"
Slowly, he turned.
For the first time in years, he looked tired.
Not physically.
Emotionally.
The sight unsettled her.
"What happened?"
The king motioned for her to sit.
Aurora remained standing.
"Grandfather."
A sigh escaped him.
"There has been an incident."
Her heart sank.
"What kind of incident?"
King Alexander was silent for several seconds.
Long enough to make her anxious.
Finally, he spoke.
"The De Luca family was attacked."
The words hit her harder than expected.
Aurora froze.
"What?"
"It happened this evening."
Her mind immediately jumped to Lorenzo.
Was he hurt?
Was he safe?
The concern came so quickly that it surprised her.
Apparently, it didn't escape her grandfather either.
His eyes softened.
"According to our information, Lorenzo wasn't harmed."
Aurora released a breath she hadn't realized she was holding.
Only then did she realize how worried she'd been.
"Why are you telling me this?"
King Alexander walked back to his desk.
"Because I don't believe the attack was random."
Aurora frowned.
"What do you mean?"
"I believe someone is targeting powerful families."
The room suddenly felt colder.
"The De Lucas aren't the first."
Aurora stared at him.
"And they won't be the last?"
The king didn't answer.
He didn't need to.
The silence said enough.
A chill ran through her.
For years, Aurora had known her grandfather dealt with matters the public never heard about.
Political conflicts.
Business disputes.
Security concerns.
But this felt different.
Bigger.
More dangerous.
"Who would do something like this?"
King Alexander looked toward the window.
"If I knew, we wouldn't be having this conversation."
That answer wasn't reassuring.
Not even a little.
"Aurora."
His voice pulled her back.
"What?"
The king hesitated.
Something he almost never did.
"There is another reason I asked you here."
Aurora's stomach dropped again.
Of course there was.
There was always more.
"What is it?"
King Alexander studied her carefully.
"As this situation develops, I need you to be cautious."
She laughed softly.
"I'm always cautious."
"No."
His expression remained serious.
"You aren't."
Aurora opened her mouth to argue.
Then I closed it.
Because unfortunately, he had a point.
The conversation continued for another hour.
By the time it ended, Aurora's head was spinning.
She had arrived expecting answers.
Instead, she was leaving with even more questions.
As she stepped into the hallway, she pulled out her phone.
Without thinking, she opened her messages.
Her thumb hovered over Lorenzo's contact.
She stared at the screen.
This was ridiculous.
Why was she even considering it?
The De Luca family was powerful.
They had security.
Protection.
Resources.
He was fine.
Probably.
Still...
Before she could change her mind, she typed.
Are you okay?
Aurora immediately regretted it.
Maybe she should delete it.
Yes.
Definitely delete it.
Too late.
The message had already been sent.
"Wonderful," she muttered.
Five minutes passed.
No response.
Aurora told herself she didn't care.
Ten minutes passed.
Still nothing.
She absolutely did not care.
Fifteen minutes later, her phone buzzed.
Aurora grabbed it so quickly she almost dropped it.
One message.
From Lorenzo.
I'm fine.
Aurora stared at the screen.
That's it?
Two words?
She rolled her eyes.
Typical.
A second message arrived.
How did you know something happened?
Aurora froze.
Good question.
One she couldn't answer.
Not honestly.
Her fingers hovered above the keyboard.
Then another message appeared.
Were you worried about me?
Aurora immediately locked her phone.
Absolutely not.
She was not having this conversation.
Not tonight.
Not ever.
A laugh escaped her despite herself.
Unfortunately, she couldn't stop smiling.
Several miles away, Lorenzo sat alone in his office.
His phone rested in his hand.
A small smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.
His cousin, Marco, noticed immediately.
"That's new."
Lorenzo looked up.
"What?"
"That smile."
Marco pointed at him.
"I've never seen it before."
Lorenzo's expression instantly returned to normal.
"I don't know what you're talking about."
Marco laughed.
"Sure."
His gaze fell to the phone.
Then back to Lorenzo.
"Who is she?"
Lorenzo didn't answer.
Which was the answer enough.
That night, Aurora lay awake staring at the ceiling.
The attack on the De Luca family lingered in her thoughts.
So did Lorenzo.
And somehow, that worried her even more.
Because danger was one thing.
Feelings were another.
And she wasn't sure which one was more complicated.
- Writer
