Silence. Neither of us moved. The ocean crashed against the cliffs. Thunder rolled somewhere in the distance. Aurora folded her arms. I noticed she'd abandoned her heels. One sat upside down near the kitchen. The other near the fireplace.
"You threw your shoes,” I noticed calmly.
"I was aiming for your security cameras,” she spat out.
I looked around. "Missed them. You throw like a child."
"Oh, I’m sorry,” she hissed. “I didn’t get a perfect Papa like your spoiled ass.”
She sounded genuinely annoyed by that. My mouth twitched. Aurora pointed toward the door.
"Leave,” she said again. “We have nothing to talk about.”
"I don’t think I will,” I said. “I think we have plenty to discuss.”
I walked toward the kitchen. Opened the refrigerator. Pulled out a bottle of water. Aurora stared. "This is kidnapping."
"Thank you for the clarification, Aurora,” I said.
"You don't get to act casual,” she said fiercely.
I opened the bottle. Took a drink. "That's an interesting rule."
"You murdered someone today." Her shoulders hitched. “You act like it’s just another day.”
I froze. The room changed. The air felt heavier. The storm outside felt closer. Aurora's eyes glistened. Not with fear. Not with anger. Pain. Raw pain. The kind that couldn't be hidden.
"You murdered Sergio in cold blood,” she added. “He was… Leo’s best friend. He wasn’t a bad person.”
I stared at her. She stared back. Waiting. Demanding. Wanting me to defend it. Justify it. Explain it. I couldn't. Because there wasn't a defense. There wasn't an explanation. Only the truth.
"I’m aware,” I said. “But if I didn’t, I would never have you. I did it for you. For us."
The words fell heavily between us. Aurora looked away first. Something in her face cracked.
"There is no us,” she insisted. “I hate you.”
There it was again. The phrase she'd repeated all day. I should've been used to it by now. Instead it landed differently every single time. Because some stupid part of me kept hoping she'd stop saying it.
I laughed softly. Despite everything. Despite the grief. The war. The disaster. Despite the fact that she looked seconds away from throwing something at my head. Aurora scowled.
"What's funny?" she demanded.
"You."
Her jaw dropped. "Excuse me?"
"You've been threatening me for twelve straight hours,” I reminded her.
"You kidnapped me,” she reminded me. "You tied me to a motorcycle. You shot my fiancé."
Silence. The smile disappeared. Aurora's breathing hitched. I understood. Not because she loved Sergio. She hadn't. We both knew that. But because she was grieving the life she'd expected.
The future she'd planned. The illusion of control. And I'd taken all of it. My gaze softened.
“I’m sorry for what happened today,” I said, gentler this time. “I’m sorry it hurts right now.”
“No, you’re not,” she muttered. The fight left her voice. Just for a second. Long enough for honesty to slip through. "My family probably thinks I'm dead."
