Chapter 5

AURORA BRUCE POV:

A low rumble started in the distance, a barely perceptible tremor that vibrated through the marble floor. It grew steadily, transforming into a deep, guttural roar that made the very windows of Dixon Tower hum. The lights in the lobby flickered, momentarily dimming. Kassandra, still frozen in place, looked around in a panic, her eyes wide with a fear she couldn' t hide.

Then, the roar intensified, becoming deafening. It was the unmistakable sound of military-grade helicopters approaching, their rotors beating the air into submission. Outside, the sky, already dark, was suddenly plunged into an even deeper gloom as immense shadows swept across the building.

A fleet of black SUVs, indistinguishable from government vehicles, screeched to a halt outside the main entrance, their tires spitting gravel. The doors burst open, and a phalanx of heavily armed men, dressed in dark tactical gear, swarmed out. They moved with the precision of a trained unit, securing the perimeter, their faces grim and unyielding.

From the lead SUV, a figure emerged. Tall, impeccably dressed in a custom-tailored suit that belied his raw power, he moved with a controlled ferocity. His silver hair was slicked back, his jaw set, and his eyes, as cold and sharp as shards of ice, swept over the scene. Harrison Tyler. My grandfather. The King.

His men, who were already securing the lobby, parted for him. He walked with an air of absolute authority, his presence instantly dominating the space. Kassandra, who had been trying to regain some semblance of composure, now looked like a trapped animal. Her haughty demeanor vanished, replaced by stark terror.

Then, from the same lead SUV, another figure stepped out. Josh Palmer. He was impeccably dressed, his smile still plastered on his face, though it looked strained. He was flanked by his own security, but they seemed insignificant next to my grandfather' s imposing force. He scanned the lobby, his eyes searching, then landed on Kassandra. His face lit up with a practiced charm.

"Kassandra, my love!" he exclaimed, striding towards her, seemingly oblivious to the menacing figures surrounding them, or perhaps desperate to project an image of normalcy. "I'm so sorry, the press conference ran long. But we're here now, finally! Ready to celebrate our engagement!" He enveloped her in a theatrical embrace, kissing her cheek for the cameras that were now flashing from the lobby entrance.

"Ladies and gentlemen," Josh announced, his voice booming with practiced enthusiasm, "I'd like to officially introduce my beautiful fiancée, Kassandra Dixon! She's the future of this state, and the woman who will stand by my side as we build a brighter tomorrow!" He squeezed her hand, then turned, his gaze sweeping over the astonished faces in the lobby. "And to celebrate this momentous occasion, I'm pleased to announce that everyone here tonight will receive a generous bonus, a token of my appreciation for your support!"

A ripple of excited murmurs went through the crowd. Some of the network executives and publicists clapped politely, while Kassandra's entourage cheered with gusto. They were all sycophants, easily bought.

I slowly pushed myself up from the cold marble floor, the torn emerald fabric clinging to my skin, my cheek still stinging from Kassandra's nails. My gaze fell on the scattered, trampled pages of my mother' s journal. With trembling fingers, I began to gather the tattered remnants, each fragment a testament to the brutal humiliation I had endured.

Kassandra, seeing me on the floor, her eyes widened with a renewed vindictiveness. "Oh, look, Josh," she giggled, pointing a perfectly manicured finger at me. "It's your little strategist, Aurora. Still here, after all this time. She just can't seem to take a hint, can she? So clingy."

Josh' s eyes, which had been fixed on Kassandra, suddenly snapped to me. The practiced smile evaporated from his face, replaced by a look of utter shock. His arm, which had been wrapped around Kassandra, dropped to his side. The triumphant posture he had adopted moments earlier dissolved, leaving him looking suddenly small, vulnerable.

"Aurora?" he whispered, his voice barely audible amidst the rising hum of the helicopters outside. He looked from my disheveled appearance, my torn dress, my bleeding cheek, to the grim faces of my grandfather's men, then back to my grandfather, who stood like a silent, implacable judge.

Kassandra, sensing the shift, tried to reassert control. "Don't pay any attention to her, darling. She's just... upset. She has a problem accepting reality. A pity, really. Such a waste of potential."

I stood tall, the tattered fragments of my mother's journal clutched in my hand. My eyes met Josh's, and the warmth, the love, the belief that had sustained me for seven years, was utterly gone, replaced by a cold, unwavering fury.

"Hello, Josh," I said, my voice calm, steady, devoid of any emotion. "I believe I was on my way to our engagement party. Or so I thought."

He flinched, visibly. "Aurora, I... I can explain. It's not what it looks like. This... this is for the campaign. A necessary alliance." He took a hesitant step towards me, then stopped, his eyes darting to my grandfather, who had not moved, but whose presence radiated a silent, terrifying power.

Kassandra, emboldened by Josh's apparent weakness, stepped forward. "A necessary alliance, indeed. One that doesn't involve a secret, clingy ex-girlfriend who thinks she's more than she is." She sneered at me. "Honestly, Aurora, you're pathetic. Josh is going to be a senator. I' m going to be his wife. What do you have? A torn dress and a delusion?"

Josh finally seemed to notice the blood on my cheek. His eyes widened, a flicker of genuine alarm crossing his face. "Aurora, your face! What happened?"

"What happened, Josh," I replied, my gaze cold as ice, "is that you chose. And your choice has consequences." I held up the tattered remnants of my mother's journal. "These are the consequences of your 'necessary alliance.' Your fiancée, the future First Lady, decided to destroy something that meant more to me than my own life. She decided to destroy my mother's memory."

Josh's face drained of color. He stared at the torn pages, then at Kassandra, who suddenly looked very small and very afraid.

"Aurora, I... I'm sure Kassandra didn't mean..." he stammered, trying to find words, trying to negotiate his way out of this impossible situation.

But I cut him off, my voice sharp and final. "No, Josh. She meant exactly what she did. And you, by your silence, by your betrayal, by your utter contempt for me, condoned it. You chose her. You chose this. Therefore, you chose me." My eyes widened slightly, a chilling glint in their depths. "And now, you will face me."

Just then, the main doors of Dixon Tower burst open again, this time with a resounding crash. A figure stormed in, flanked by two more heavily armed men. He was tall, broad-shouldered, with a hawkish gaze that instantly locked onto me, then onto Josh. My father. Harrison's son, my mother's husband. He had heard the news.

His eyes, usually warm and filled with laughter, were now blazing with a cold, righteous fury. He saw my torn dress, my bleeding cheek, the fragments of the journal in my hand. His face hardened, transforming into a mask of pure, unadulterated rage.

He strode towards us, his every step radiating controlled violence. He stopped a few feet from Josh, his towering presence dwarfing the congressman. His voice, usually a calm baritone, was now a low, dangerous rumble.

"Which one of you," he asked, his voice chillingly quiet, "hurt my daughter?"

Josh paled further, looking like he was about to faint. My father' s gaze, colder than any winter, then swept over Kassandra, who visibly cringed.

"And just so we're clear," my father continued, his voice rising, filling the silent lobby with its menace, "what do you think happens to someone who dares to lay a hand on a Tyler?"

Josh, trembling, dropped to his knees.