Is this a dream?
Aurora wondered if she had fallen asleep outside on the terrace.
Because how did the man who haunted her in her dreams for the past month suddenly came true to life before her eyes?
Blinking hard, the man did not turn into a whisp of smoke—poof—he remained standing before her with a menacing gaze in his deep steel-grey eyes.
"How did you find me?"
Her voice a gentle whisper in the cold, harsh winter.
She had been curious before.
But that was before she found out who he was.
Caesar Alexandrovich Dragunov.
A name that held so much power. Danger. And fear. His name was not unknown to anyone in the right circle. Even Aurora who once lived in poverty heard of him through Dominik, who was wealthy enough not to fear or care about anyone else.
Yet, her husband's expression changes every time Caesar's name gets mentioned. Along with his fear, Aurora remembered him cursing the man.
"That devil."
Aurora thought he was cursing him, putting Caesar's name synonymous with the Devil. But she was thinking wrong.
In truth, he was really the devil. A man who never needed to sin because he's sin himself.
And she walked right into his arms and committed a sin she now regrets.
Why can't it be anyone else? Why does it have to be you?
These questions have plagued her mind after learning who he was. It was her fault that when she entered the club and accepted his offer to sleep with him. She should've known better.
No, it wasn't her fault.
Why did he have to ask her that night? Any night, and she would refuse him. But her emotions got the better of her, clouding her mind along with all her reason. She willingly accepted and went with him.
And after having sex with him, she sneaked out when she was certain he had fallen asleep. That was how that night ended.
IF only she hadn't seen him on the news, she'd be none the wiser. She would never know who was the man she slept with.
And what was worse than finding out who he was?
He had been looking for her—the woman he had slept with.
Aurora dared not think of the consequences of her actions.
Now, he stood before her.
"Dominik didn't make it hard for me."
He stepped forward, his head turned as he let his eyes wander inside the room. A hint of amusement appeared in his eyes as it finally settled on the huge wedding photo across the room.
A picture of Aurora and Dominik.
At a glance, it looked like the two of them were full of affection. Tears even appeared in her eyes as the tips of her lips curled into a smile.
However, it was anything but.
The tears? It gathered in her eyes as Dominik's hand wrapped around her arm like an iron.
The smile? A forced one that came after a threat spilled from his mouth.
Dominik, on the other hand, looked satisfied. He grinned as he took the picture with her, knowing fully well he had her life in his hands.
"Sir, what should we do with her?"
Roman's voice came from behind, washing away the amusement in Caesar's eyes as he turned around.
A woman in her early twenties. Still too young. But pretty.
Dominik sure found a good woman. Too bad, she's wasted on a man like him. Caesar mused as he took another step.
Only inches apart, Caesar crouched down with his knee touching the ground as he met her gaze on an eye-level contact.
"Where is Dominik?"
"Why are you—"
"Ah!"
A groan escaped her lips. The hands holding her down reached her hair, tugging painfully that her scalp tingled in pain.
"Answer me."
"I… I don't know."
Tears gathered in her eyes. She knew they were rough men, but she underestimated the strength in their hands.
"I really don't know," she repeated with her brows creased.
"Do you know why I'm here?"
Caesar indifferent tone as he asked her a question caught her off guard. His face filled her eyes as he leaned forward.
Trembling and in pain, she shook her head. Her hair untangled from its tie as her hair was grabbed, spilling over her shoulders and waist like a waterfall.
His silver eyes followed the gentle movement, lingering on her small and slender neck.
"I've come to take something from you."
His words were like thunder to her ears.
Her trembling lips opened and closed. Her eyes went to stare back at him.
"You see… Dominik is such a slimy bastard. He took something from me and disappeared." His tone turned harsh as his eyes also gained some intensity as they met her own. "I don't like losses. So, I have to take something of value from him."
"What…? Then, why…?"
If Dominik took something from him, why did Caesar have to come for her? It didn't make sense. She knew nothing about his whereabouts. It didn't matter how much they questioned her. Dominik never revealed anything to her.
A warm hand suddenly encased itself around her neck. The sudden constriction felt like a snake had crawled and wrapped itself around her.
"Ngh…!"
A groan of pain left her pale lips as her eyes widened.
It wasn't the first time a hand grabbed her neck. But this time, she felt the hands of the man before her could easily snap her neck without even putting some strength.
Her vision swam, distorted, and she panicked. Her hand came up to grab the wrist of this man, her nails digging into him as she desperately struggled against him.
"If you died, would your husband come to your funeral?"
His question suddenly brought a smile to her lips. Tears finally dripped down her face.
A moment of silence filled the room. The sound of wind howled crazily outside, slapping against the windows.