Chapter 2 Five Redheads

• Something was wrapping around her. Strange, but… “…soft.”
• Aura's eyes opened slowly, blinking against the light. Her body didn’t move, but her mind started to register the details around her.
• She was lying on a bed. A real bed.
• Not the hard wooden slab her wicked stepmother, Penelope, forced her to sleep on. No, this one was huge, soft, warm. It held her like she was something precious. She almost smiled.
• “A-ah.” Aura tried to speak, but her voice was too weak. That tiny sound was all she could manage.
• Her whole body ached. Every part of her screamed when she moved, so she didn’t. Instead, she just let her eyes roam.
• It looked like a hospital room, but not the regular kind. This one was fancy.
• Silver bed railings, the strong scent of disinfectant, and the steady beep of machines told her what she needed to know.
• “I… remember now,” she whispered.
• The pain started to fade a little as she turned her head slowly. The sunlight touched her face.
• “I got hit.”
• The memory rushed back. The car, the crash, the chaos, then everything went dark. It had been awful… yet she felt relieved. That accident might have been the one thing that saved her from Penelope. Maybe, just maybe, the woman would never find her now.
• And even if she did, Aura wasn’t going back. Not now. Not ever. She’d rather die.
• “Wait a second!”
• She suddenly sat up, heart racing. Her eyes widened. Someone brought her here.
• Someone saved her. But who?
• “I can’t even remember her face…”
• She shut her eyes tightly, trying to pull the memory back. Her hands reached for her hair out of habit, but stopped when they felt the bandage.
• Ah. A head injury. That explained the fog in her mind.
• Strangely, her head didn’t hurt anymore. In fact, most of her pain was gone.
• She looked around the room again, beautiful art on the walls, shiny floors… and then her eyes landed on the glass door. It was clear enough to see through, and someone was standing outside.
• “I see a doctor…” she whispered, watching him speak to someone. But who?
• “Maybe it’s my angel,” she smiled softly, thinking of the person who saved her.
• Yes, she called whoever it was her angel. Not out of sarcasm, but real gratitude. Getting hit by that car and being brought to here, away from her hell, was the best thing that could have happened to her.
• Then she heard it. The doorknob turned. Her heart jumped.
• What if her angel was angry? What if they blamed her for the accident? What if they didn’t want to see her?
• The door opened.
• Aura froze, her breath caught. Standing there… was a redhead.
• Her eyes widened.
• In Italy, red hair was rare. But this woman… this red-haired stranger left her speechless.
• They stared at each other. The woman looked stunned. Her hand trembled on the doorknob. Her lips parted but no words came.
• “Impossible…” she whispered.
• Aura blinked in confusion. The woman looked like she’d seen a ghost.
• “Munda, what are you doing? Go in already!” a sharp voice snapped from behind her.
• Another woman appeared. And again, Aura's jaw dropped.
• “T-two?” she gasped.
• There were two of them. Two redheads. Almost identical.
• One wore a stylish outfit, hair tousled and short. The other was taller, in casual clothes and sneakers soaked from outside.
• Same honey-brown eyes. Same stunned expression.
• Did her angel have a twin?
• “Uhh, Belle, you didn’t bring me here to watch Munda and Maria stare at a hospital bed, did you?” a third voice groaned, lazy and unimpressed.
• And then… another one joined them.
• Aura gasped again.
• A third redhead stood there, wrapped in a huge blanket like she’d just rolled out of bed. Her messy strawberry hair peeked out, and she looked just as shocked.
• “Please tell me this is a joke,” the first one—Munda—finally spoke, trying to regain her composure. She stepped aside.
• A fourth woman walked in.
• Black pants, crisp white shirt, hair in a neat ponytail. Confidence. Elegant. Red hair.
• “Belle!” the others called. But Belle wasn’t listening. Her eyes were locked on Aura like she was trying to read her soul.
• Aura could barely process what was happening.
• Four women. All redheads. All staring at her like she was something lost and found.
• And then—
• Thud.
• Another sound behind them. They all turned.
• A fifth woman appeared.
• This one was dressed like a fashion icon—short skirt, tight blouse, high-heeled boots. Her freckles dotted pale skin like stars.
• Five. Aura’s angel had four sisters?
• “Luxia…” Munda whispered.
• The fifth woman stepped in, trembling, eyes filled with something deep and emotional.
• Then she dropped to her knees by the bed.
• “Miss!” Aura gasped as her cheeks were gently cupped.
• Luxia’s eyes overflowed with tears. They weren’t just sad. They were full of longing.
• “What’s your name?” she whispered.
• “Aura. My name’s Aura Bianchi.”
• The sisters stiffened. Their mouths fell open.
• “Aura… Just like Rosaura…” Luxia cried.
• The others were crying now too.
• Aura looked at each of them. Her heart thudded loudly.
• “What’s really going on?”