Chapter 2

• Aurora’s Point of View
• “Smack!”
• The loud slap rang through the noisy private room, the sound cutting through the music like a gunshot.
• Betty’s perfectly made-up lips were knocked to the side, and five clear finger marks showed up fast on her pale face.
• She stared at me in shock, her body losing balance as she fell straight toward the broken glass on the floor.
• “Ah!” she screamed, pressing her hand down on the sharp pieces without thinking. Bright red spread across her skin right away.
• “Betty!” Kevin finally came back to his senses and rushed over, pulling her into his arms like he was shielding her. Then he turned around, his eyes red and full of anger, like he was ready to attack. Without warning, he shoved me hard on the shoulder.
• “Aurora, you fucking crazy bitch!”
• I was already struggling to stand because of the horrible pain in my stomach. His shove knocked me backward, and my lower back hit the sharp corner of the coffee table.
• A hot, deep pain shot through my waist.
• The cramps in my belly grew worse, like something inside was being torn apart.
• “Ugh…”
• Dark spots floated in front of my eyes, and I fell to my knees.
• In the chaos, my palm landed on the floor covered with broken glass. A sharp sting hit me as several pieces went deep into my skin.
• Blood mixed with the spilled liquor, turning my hand red.
• But Kevin didn’t look at any of that.
• He focused only on Betty. He held her hand gently, as if it were something delicate.
• “How bad is it? Does it hurt? I’ll take you to the hospital right now!”
• Betty leaned against him, her voice weak and whiny. “Kevin, it hurts so much… I didn’t mean I, I was only trying to joke with Aurora. I didn’t know she’d get so mad…”
• She cried as she spoke, giving me a quick look.
• But in her eyes, there wasn’t even a bit of guilt, only a pleased look, like she had already won.
• My stomach kept tightening, and cold sweat soaked my back. I felt my strength slipping away, like warm liquid was leaving my body.
• No… please, no…
• My baby!
• Fear grabbed at my chest. I used whatever strength I had left to reach toward Kevin, my voice shaking.
• “Kevin… help me… take me to the hospital…”
• “My stomach… it hurts so bad…”
• Kevin finally looked back at me, but there wasn’t even a bit of concern, just cold disgust and strong impatience.
• “Betty’s hand is bleeding, Aurora. I never thought you’d be this mean! I’m taking her to the hospital. Stop acting!”
• He lifted Betty into his arms, holding her carefully like she was something precious.
• As he walked past me, he paused for a moment. Then, in a low voice only meant for me, he said, “Don’t try anything. Get out of here. We’ll talk about this later.”
• With that, he carried Betty out of the bar without looking back.
• I watched helplessly as he walked through the door. That door shut out the heavy rain outside, and with it, my last bit of hope.
• “It was just a bump. What’s her problem? Who is she trying to fool with all this acting?”
• “Betty’s a rich girl. If she ends up with a scar, you think you can afford that?”
• “Look at her, pregnant and acting like she’s some kind of jewel. You can’t even touch her?”
• Kevin’s crew stood around me, their words full of laughs and mean comments.
• The dull ache in my lower belly kept growing stronger. I could even feel a hot trickle slowly leaking out.
• My mind started to blur. The voices around me faded into the background. All I felt was the sharp pain in my stomach and the burning sting in my palm.
• Hopelessness hit me like cold ocean water, pulling me down fast.
• Just when I thought I was about to pass out, a tall figure stepped in front of me, blocking the bright lights and the people staring at me.
• The loud music and noise in the bar seemed to stop at once. The whole place went quiet.
• I forced my head up, squinting at the light, and saw only a tall, lean man.
• He was dressed in a black suit. Even in this messy scene, he carried a natural sense of power and distance.
• His presence was so strong that it made the air feel tight. The guys who had been laughing and talking suddenly stopped, too scared to say anything.
• The man bent down to look at me, his dark eyes hard to read.
• I didn’t know who he was, but my fading instincts grabbed onto him like the last thing I had. I reached out my bloody hand and held onto his pant leg, using whatever strength I had left to beg. “Please… take me to the hospital… save my baby…”
• His eyes moved to my bloody hand, then to the deep red stain under me. His expression grew darker.
• He stayed quiet for a moment. That short pause made my heart tighten in fear.
• But the next moment, a warm, expensive suit jacket was thrown over me, covering my mess.
• I felt my body lift as he picked me up in his arms.
• “Take her to the nearest private hospital,” he said, his voice low and calm, as he carried me toward the exit. He gave the order to the black-clad bodyguards who had shown up behind us without me noticing.
• “Yes, sir.”
• From start to finish, he didn’t look once at Kevin and his crew, but they moved out of the way when he walked past, their faces full of shock and fear.
• His hold was steady, and even through the jacket, I could smell his clean scent, a clear contrast to the mix of booze and cheap cologne in the bar.
• I curled up in his arms, completely drained, and my mind slipped into darkness.