Chapter 7 In The Lion's Den

• Aurora’s heart pounded in her chest as she heard the heavy footsteps echoing down the corridor. Every second felt like an eternity as she waited, paralyzed by fear. She knew she couldn’t avoid meeting with the devil, as she was already in the lion’s den. Her eyes darted around the room in an attempt to seize something to shield herself from the approaching doom, but her brain fought this, and she remained motionless in the middle of the room, lost in her thoughts as she waited for the devil to come in. Aurora was startled back to reality as she heard a knock reverberating around the room. She walked shakily to the door and twisted the door knob. A tall, stern-looking man’s face came into view.
• “Miss Aurora, Mr. Russo demands your presence,” he said, his tone leaving no room for argument.
• Aurora’s leg felt like jelly as she tried to lift her leg and follow him. She followed the man down the long, dimly lit corridor, each step filling her with more dread. She desperately wants to flee, run away, and never return, not to her father and possibly out of the country. The stories she had heard about Lorenzo Russo, the ruthless mafia leader, the man who controlled the city with an iron fist, flashed through her mind, making her heart race even faster.
• Just as she thought the walk was too long, the man stopped in front of a large, ornate door. The man knocked once, and a cold voice from inside said, “Enter.”
• Aurora almost pissed herself at the sound of that voice; however, she took two short breaths to steady her emotions.
• The man opened the door and gestured for Aurora to step inside. She took another deep breath and walked in, her eyes instantly locking on Lorenzo. He stood behind a massive desk; his icy blue eyes were fixed on her. His presence was overwhelming, and his demeanour was cold and terrifying.
• “Sit,” he commanded.
• Aurora obeyed, her legs shaking as she sat down. Lorenzo remained silent for a moment, his gaze piercing through her. Aurora wasn’t brave enough to make eye contact with the mafia lord, so she lowered her head. The silence stretched between them, suffocating her, and she struggled to keep her composure.
• “Do you know why you’re here?” He finally asked, his voice as cold as his eyes.
• Aurora shook her head, unable to find her voice. She has a rough idea of why she might be here, but she refuses to believe that her father would truly do that to her.
• Lorenzo leaned forward, his expression unreadable. “You are here because you were sold to me. You are now my property.”
• Her heart stopped. “Sold?” She whispered, her voice trembling. “What do you mean sold?”
• She doesn’t want to accept the reality of her father’s betrayal, and she desperately wants this whole thing to be a joke.
• Lorenzo’s gaze hardened. “Your father owed a substantial debt to my organisation. In exchange for his life and business, he offered you. You belong to me now, Aurora.”
• “No, this can’t be true. Please, there must be some mistake.” Tears welled in her eyes, and she shook her head in disbelief.
• “There is no mistake,” Lorenzo said, his voice devoid of sympathy. “You are mine, and you will do as I command. Disobedience will not be tolerated.”
• Aurora’s world shattered around her. She felt like she was drowning in a sea of anguish, unable to breathe. She doesn’t know which hurts more, her father’s betrayal or her new life.
• “I don’t want to be her,” she sobbed. “I don’t want to be a part of this; please let me go.”
• Lorenzo’s expression remained cold and unfeeling. “What you want has no meaning here. You have no choice in the matter. Your life is no longer your own.”
• “Please,” she begged, her voice breaking. She sobbed openly, her fear and helplessness overwhelming her. “I just want to go home.”
• “Home? You have no home. This is your life now. Accept or suffer the consequences.”
• Lorenzo declared with narrowed eyes.
• She could see the cold determination in his eyes and the ruthless resolve that defined him. She realised then that there was no escape, no way out of this nightmare. She had stepped into the lion’s den, and there was no leaving.
• “Stand up,” Lorenzo ordered.
• Aurora struggled to her feet, her legs barely supporting her. Lorenzo walked slowly around the desk without taking his eyes off her and stood in front of her, his presence even more intimidating up close. Aurora stood transfixed as she watched him approach her like a predator ready to devour its prey.
• “From now on, you will obey my every command. You will not speak unless spoken to, and you will not leave this house without my permission. Do you understand?”
• She nodded, tears still streaming down her face.
• “Use your words!” Lorenzo thundered.
• The sudden outburst made Aurora tremble. “Yes,” she answered, her voice trembling. “I understand.”
• Lorenzo’s gaze bore into her as if assessing her sincerity. “Good, because your life depends on it.”
• As he turned to leave, Aurora felt a crushing sense of pain and didn’t know when her lungs gave out as she let out a deafening sob. She stood rooted to the spot; her body shook as she wept loudly. She had never felt so alone or so utterly powerless. The weight of her new reality constricted her chest, suffocating her with its intensity.
• Taken by surprise, Lorenzo turned sharply, and he was met with the body of Aurora clutching her chest as she stood transfixed. He slowly made his way over to where Aurora stood and held his hand up non threateningly, but Aurora flinched and backed into the corner as he moved closer. It was all overwhelming.
• “Boss, she doesn’t look good; she is becoming pale and...” Lawrence didn’t get to finish his statement before the body of Aurora slumped on the floor with a heavy thud.
• “She has fainted, boss!”
• “I can see that; get the fucking doctor right here now!” Lorenzo commanded.
• Lorenzo pulled her listless body from the floor and cradled her in his arms as he walked swiftly out of the office and headed straight to her room. Lawrence gawked at his retreating figure, shocked that an emotion other than that of coldness would break out from Lorenzo. He quickly dashed out as well and got in contact with Dr. Fisher.
• As Lorenzo placed Aurora on the bed, he sat on the vacant seat inside the room with her and waited for the doctor’s arrival. His eyes scan her body. He saw the swollen cheek and bruises that mar her skin. His blood boiled at the scars that decorated her body. He wanted nothing more than to draw the blood of whoever dared to raise their hands on her. He was surprised with himself as to why he would react this way to a girl she had just met, but he felt a strong urge to protect her.
• His eyes wandered over her body; her slender waist was bare to him, and he gulped as he stared at her. He raked his eyes all over her body, loving every bit of how she was moulded; her tall, slim frame and figure-eight shape looked so alluring, and the way her waist-length black hair cascaded down the pillow made her look so surreal, yet he couldn’t shake off the malnourishment he saw. A knock jolted him out of the reverie without looking at the door; his cold voice rang out, “Come in.”
• “Dr. Fisher is here, boss; shall I send him in?” Lawrence reported.
• Without stealing his glance from Aurora, Lorenzo nodded.
• Dr. Fisher walked in with his medical kits and stood beside Lorenzo. He bowed slightly to show respect and said, “Good day, Mr. Russo,” and waited for his order.
• Lorenzo pointed at Aurora, and only then could he approach the frail-looking woman on the bed. He was surprised to see a woman lying on the bed with Lorenzo in the room with her. His thought was that perhaps Lorenzo had called him to treat one of his men. Never in his wildest thoughts would he have assumed he was here for a girl.
• He brought out his medical supplies and quickly assessed Aurora. “Might I ask what happened to her?” he asked fidgety.
• “Your medical expertise is now useless? I needed her treated!” Lorenzo thundered. Lawrence looked at the man and felt sorry for the confused doctor, but he also wanted him to treat Aurora quickly. How would he do that when he had no clue what happened to her?
• “She heard some shocking news and passed out,” Lorenzo announced, putting Dr. Fisher out of his misery.
• He ran a thorough examination on Aurora and checked her blood pressure, heart rate, and pulse. “Everything seems fine, and there is no need to be alarmed. She just needs to rest; however, when she wakes up, she might feel distressed, and I will leave some drugs for her to take.”
• “Are you sure that is all?” Lorenzo asked. He could see the wheels turning in the mind of Dr. Fisher and knew there was more that he was letting out.
• “I will need to examine her further, though; she looks malnourished and fractured.”
• Lorenzo tightened his hand as it gripped the arm of the chair he sat on.
• “Fractured?”
• “I felt some dislocation at her ribs, and her swollen cheek might require further examination.”
• Dr. Fisher as he began to pack all the equipment he had brought in the bid to avoid looking at the cold Lorenzo.
• “What the fuck happened to her?” Lorenzo muttered under his breath. “I need to know what she has been through; these bruises need answers.” He said under his breath.
• Dr. Fisher and Lawrence couldn’t hear a thing but they sense the drop in temperature in the room which is caused by the cold aura emanating from Lorenzo.
• “Do what you must; get her thoroughly checked and well. You have until the end of today to give me a full report on her well-being.” He announced this as he rose from his seat. “Lawrence, come with me.” he said as his legs carried him away from the room in a fluid manner.
• He walked out of the room with Lawrence hot on his tail, leaving Dr. Fisher alone with Aurora who stood unsure of what and how to go about his deadline. He didn’t stand for long as he drove straight into action.
• “You have just twenty minutes to get me reasons as to why she is in that state. I need answers.” He declared.