Chapter Nine
993 Words
A Dangerous Warning
Aurora couldn't move.
The music continued.
People laughed.
Glasses clinked.
Conversations filled the ballroom.
Yet all she could hear were Lord Whitmore's words.
Your family is in danger.
A chill ran down her spine.
"What do you mean?" she asked quietly.
Lord Whitmore's expression remained grave.
"This isn't the place."
Aurora glanced around the room.
Everyone looked normal.
Relaxed.
Unaware.
Which somehow made the warning feel even worse.
"What aren't you telling me?"
Before he could answer, Lorenzo reached them.
"There you are."
His voice pulled Aurora back to reality.
She quickly forced a smile.
A terrible one.
Lorenzo immediately noticed.
His eyes shifted from her to Lord Whitmore.
Then back to her.
Something in his expression sharpened.
"What happened?"
Aurora opened her mouth.
Nothing came out.
Because she didn't know what to say.
That a family friend had just informed her that her family might be in danger?
That she was secretly a princess?
That she suddenly felt as if the floor beneath her feet was cracking apart?
No.
Definitely not.
"I'm fine."
The lie sounded weak.
Lorenzo clearly knew it.
But before he could question her further, Lord Whitmore stepped forward.
"Mr. De Luca."
Lorenzo nodded politely.
"Lord Whitmore."
The two men exchanged a look Aurora couldn't quite read.
It lasted only a second.
Yet something about it made her uneasy.
The rest of the evening passed in a blur.
Aurora smiled when required.
Answered questions when necessary.
Pretended everything was normal.
Inside, she was anything but calm.
Several times, she caught Lord Whitmore watching her from across the ballroom.
Each time, his expression remained troubled.
By the end of the event, her nerves were completely exhausted.
Outside, the night air felt cool against her skin.
The gala was finally over.
Thank goodness.
Lorenzo walked beside her toward the parking area.
Neither spoke for a while.
Aurora appreciated the silence.
At least until Lorenzo broke it.
"You've been distracted all evening."
There it was.
She had been waiting for that.
Aurora sighed.
"I know."
"Does it have something to do with Lord Whitmore?"
Her heart skipped.
She looked away.
"A little."
Lorenzo stopped walking.
"So something happened."
It wasn't a question.
Aurora closed her eyes briefly.
She hated lying.
Especially to him.
The problem was that the truth was far more complicated.
"I'm just dealing with some family issues."
Lorenzo studied her face.
For a moment, she thought he might push for more answers.
Instead, he nodded.
"Okay."
That surprised her.
"Okay?"
"If you don't want to talk about it, I won't force you."
Aurora blinked.
The response was so simple.
So reasonable.
And somehow that made it harder.
Because part of her wanted to tell him.
Not everything.
Just enough.
A black luxury car pulled up beside them.
Lorenzo's driver.
His ride home.
Aurora suddenly realized the evening was ending.
For some reason, that thought disappointed her.
"Goodnight, Aurora."
His voice was softer than usual.
"Goodnight."
Lorenzo opened the car door.
Then paused.
As if debating something.
Finally, he smiled.
A genuine one.
"Try not to worry too much."
Aurora laughed quietly.
"Easier said than done."
"True."
For a second, neither moved.
Then Lorenzo stepped into the car.
A moment later, he was gone.
Aurora watched the vehicle disappear into the distance.
Only when it vanished completely did she realize she was smiling.
Again.
This was becoming a problem.
The next morning, Aurora was awakened by loud knocking.
She groaned.
Whoever it was had terrible timing.
The knocking continued.
Relentlessly.
Aurora dragged herself out of bed and opened the door.
Lily stood outside.
Holding a tablet.
Looking alarmed.
Aurora immediately woke up.
"What happened?"
Lily stepped inside.
"Tell me you've seen the news."
Aurora frowned.
"I literally just woke up."
Without a word, Lily handed her the tablet.
Aurora looked down.
And froze.
The headline filled the screen.
BUSINESS TYCOON ATTACKED IN LATE-NIGHT INCIDENT
Her stomach tightened.
Below the headline was a photograph.
Not Lorenzo.
But another powerful businessman.
Someone Aurora recognized.
Someone connected to both the Kingsley and De Luca families.
She looked up.
"Lily..."
"There are more."
That wasn't reassuring.
At all.
Aurora continued scrolling.
Every article told a similar story.
Attacks.
Threats.
Security breaches.
Powerful families being targeted one after another.
Lord Whitmore's warning echoed inside her head.
Your family is in danger.
Suddenly, it didn't sound like an exaggeration anymore.
Later that afternoon, Aurora sat in one of the quieter corners of the university library.
A notebook lay open in front of her.
Completely untouched.
She wasn't studying.
She was thinking.
Trying to connect pieces that refused to fit together.
Someone was targeting powerful families.
The De Lucas had been attacked.
Now others were being targeted.
Why?
What was the end goal?
Money?
Power?
Revenge?
None of the possibilities felt right.
A shadow fell across the table.
Aurora looked up.
Lorenzo.
He sat down without asking.
"You look like you're solving a murder case."
Despite everything, Aurora smiled.
"Maybe I am."
"Should I be worried?"
"Probably."
That earned a laugh.
For a brief moment, things felt normal again.
Then Lorenzo's expression changed.
The humor disappeared.
"Something happened this morning."
Aurora's stomach dropped.
"You saw the news?"
Lorenzo nodded.
Aurora already knew what he was going to say.
"Someone is targeting powerful families."
The words hung heavily between them.
For the first time, neither treated it as a rumor.
Or coincidence.
Because it wasn't.
The attacks were real.
The danger was real.
And deep down, both of them knew something bigger was coming.
Neither realized just how close they were to the center of it.
That evening, miles away from the university, a man sat alone inside a dimly lit office.
Several photographs were spread across his desk.
One photograph showed Lorenzo.
Another showed Aurora.
Slowly, he picked up Aurora's picture.
A cold smile appeared on his face.
"At last," he murmured.
His fingers tightened around the photograph.
"Everything is falling into place.”
- Writer
