Page 152 of Vendetta Vows

My heart skips. I've been so focused on keeping Aurora safe, on protecting what's mine, that I hadn't truly considered whether she wants this life. Not really. Not beyond the immediate crisis.

Aurora's fingers tighten around mine, her palm warm against my skin. She doesn't answer immediately, and the silence stretches thin between us.

"Yes," she finally whispers, then clears her throat. "Yes, I do."

Hannah blinks in surprise. "Even knowing what he is? What he does?"

Aurora nods, her shoulders straightening. "He's protective, yes, but he's also gentle when it matters. He listens to me—reallylistens—not just to what I say, but what I need." Her voice grows stronger with each word. "He respects my opinions, even when they contradict his own. He cares deeply for his family."

My chest tightens with something that feels dangerously close to pride.

"But more than any of that," Aurora continues, "when I'm with him, I feel... complete. Like I don't have to hide parts of myself anymore." She looks up at me, those hazel eyes reflecting something I never thought I'd see directed at me—acceptance. "For seven years, I've been a ghost. With Ruslan, I'm solid again."

Hannah's expression softens, but skepticism still lurks in her eyes.

"And there's something else," Aurora adds, almost to herself. "Being with him... it means I can protect others." Her voice drops. "I feel like I'm finally able to make a difference for someone else."

The weight of her words settles over me. All this time, I thought I was the one doing the protecting. I never considered that Aurora might see our arrangement as giving her the power to protect others as well.

I watch as Hannah's tension gradually melts away. Her eyes still hold suspicion, but Aurora's earnest confession has clearly caught her off guard. She slumps back in her chair, running a hand through her fiery hair.

"I guess if you're happy..." Hannah sighs, her voice softening. "That's what matters."

Relief washes over Aurora's face, and I feel her lean into me slightly. I hadn't realized how much her friend's approval meant to her until this moment.

"I am," Aurora confirms. "But I'm worried about you now."

Hannah's brow furrows. "Me? Why?"

"Because sooner or later, Kristofer is going to connect Aurora Castellanos to Jamie Fields," Aurora explains, her voice dropping. "And when he does, he'll look into everyone close to me."

Aurora's right. Hannah is a loose end that Kristofer could easily exploit to get to Aurora.

"You should stay here," Aurora says. "At least until we figure things out."

Hannah barks out a laugh. "Yeah, no. Sorry, honey, but I'm not about to move here and commute three hours to work every day." She glances around the mansion with an exaggerated shudder. "No offense."

"None taken," I respond dryly. "But Idowrite your paycheck, so if you're worried about commute…"

"I'm more concerned with explaining to my Hinge matches why they can't come back to my place because, y'know." She gestures broadly at everything. "This."

"I can't believe you can still think about dating right now," Aurora says, shaking her head at Hannah. "With everything that's happening."

"Not all of us took ourselves off the market." Hannah rolls her eyes dramatically. "Some of us still have to keep swiping until we find the right flavor of boy toy. Unless Mr. Pakhan over here has any eligible bachelors he'd be willing to recommend?"

"Somehow, I get the feeling that they wouldn't know what to do with you, Ms. Voight."

Hannah laughs before she turns back to Aurora, and her voice softens slightly.

"I can take care of myself," Hannah insists. "I'll be fine."

Aurora shakes her head. "I'm just worried, that's all."

"What if we arrange protection for you instead?" I interject, seeing a potential compromise. "One of my men could keep watch over your apartment, follow you to work discreetly."

Hannah opens her mouth to protest, but pauses, considering. "Like a bodyguard?"

I nod. "Someone trained, discreet. You'd hardly notice their presence."

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