CHAPTER 003-Aurora

"I'm pregnant, Diego," I said as he moved to walk out of the room.

He stood still, turning slowly to look at my crumpled figure on the floor.

"You're what?" He asked, walking back to me.

"I said I'm pregnant Diego," I added, watching the reaction on his face.

"That was a joke right?"He asked again, crouching to my level. My insides clenched with pain as I stared at Diego, not willing to believe that the look on his face was pure loathe.

"It is not a joke, I was coming from the hospital to tell you that I was pregnant when I met you and Lillian...." I whimpered as he grabbed my arms, his fingers hard enough that I could feel my bones crushing

"Abort it."

I stared at him, my breath catching in my throat.

"What?" I whispered, my voice barely audible over the ringing in my ears.

His grip tightened, his fingers digging into my arms like vices. "I said, abort it."

A cold shudder ran through me. I searched his face for something—anything—that would tell me he didn’t mean it. That this was some cruel test. That the man I had once loved wasn’t capable of such heartlessness.

But all I saw was indifference.

"Diego, this is our child," I said, my voice trembling. "How can you even—"

"Do not say that," he snapped, shaking me slightly. "It’s not our child. It’s a mistake. A problem that needs to be taken care of before it ruins everything."

Ruins everything?

My stomach turned, bile rising in my throat.

"You mean before it ruins things with Lillian," I said, my voice cracking.

His jaw clenched, but he didn’t deny it. My heart shattered into a million pieces.

"I won’t do it," I whispered, shaking my head. "I won’t kill my baby."

His eyes darkened. A muscle ticked in his jaw, and for a moment, I thought he might hit me. But then he exhaled sharply, releasing his grip on my arms so suddenly that I nearly fell back.

"If you don't do it, I promise I'll do it for you," He said, walking close.

I scrambled back, pressing myself against the cold floor as Diego loomed over me, his shadow swallowing the dim light in the room.

"You wouldn't," I whispered, though the trembling in my voice betrayed the fear clawing at my chest.

His lips curled into a smirk, one that held no warmth. "You really think so, Aurora?" he murmured, crouching again, his face inches from mine.

I could feel his breath, hot and suffocating, as his fingers trailed up my arm—not with tenderness, but with a quiet, deliberate cruelty.

"You don’t get it, do you?" he said, his voice almost amused. "I don’t want a child with you. I don’t need one."

My hands instinctively flew to my stomach, a protective reflex I hadn’t even realized I had.

Something in his gaze flickered—annoyance, maybe even anger—before his hand lashed out, gripping my wrist so tightly I gasped.

"You think that’s going to stop me?" he hissed. "You think this—" he jabbed a finger toward my stomach "—gives you some kind of power over me?"

Tears welled in my eyes, blurring his face, and I held my shoulder up to wipe the tears off my face.

"I don’t need power over you, Diego," I said, forcing my voice to stay steady. "I just want to keep the baby and I will...

His eyes darkened further, and before I could react, the back of his hand struck my cheek with a sharp crack.

Pain exploded across my face, my head snapping to the side as a choked sob escaped my lips.

"Stupid girl," he muttered, standing to his full height. "You think you get to make demands? I own every single breath you take Aurora, and if I say that thing doesn’t get to live, then it doesn’t get to live."

I clutched my stinging cheek, blinking past the dizziness as his words sliced through me like a jagged glass of his betrayal.

"Did your mistress make you do this? Lillia must have told you that she wanted to carry your first child, is it not, so that she'll get to take over your properties, is it not?" I retorted.

He turned back towards me, staring down at me with a mocking glare.

"Turns out you were not that stupid after all," He said, holding his hands out as they reached for my neck.

Diego's fingers wrapped around my throat, cold and merciless. My body seized with panic as his grip tightened, his thumbs pressing into the delicate hollow beneath my jaw.

I gasped, clawing at his hands, my nails digging into his skin, but he didn’t flinch. His face remained eerily calm as if he were simply adjusting his cufflinks instead of choking the life out of me.

A strangled cry tried to escape my lips, but it was smothered by the crushing force of his hands. My lungs burned, desperate for air, and my vision was already slurred with black spots.

"Stupid girl," he murmured, his voice smooth, almost soothing. "Did you really think you had a choice?"

I kicked frantically, my heels scraping against the cold floor, my body thrashing in a desperate bid for survival. But he was stronger—so much stronger. His grip was unwavering, tightening with each passing second.

My chest heaved, my heartbeat hammering in my ears like a war drum. My fingers grew weaker as they scratched feebly at his wrists, my strength fading along with the last bits of oxygen in my lungs.

Tears streamed down my cheeks, hot and useless. A horrifying realization settled in my mind.

He wasn’t going to stop.

He was going to kill me.

The black spots in my vision spread, swallowing the dim light of the room. My limbs grew heavy, my body slumping against his hold. A deep, primal fear clawed at my insides as my consciousness flickered in and out like a dying candle.

Then, just as the darkness threatened to take me, he released me.

I collapsed to the floor like a ragdoll, my body limp and lifeless. My chest convulsed as I sucked in a desperate, ragged breath, coughing violently as air flooded my lungs.

My throat burned, raw, and bruised, every inhale a fresh wave of agony. My body trembled, weak and useless, as I lay sprawled on the floor like discarded trash.

Above me, Diego exhaled sharply, shaking out his hands as if ridding himself of an inconvenience.

"Pathetic," he muttered.

He nudged my side with his foot, watching with cold detachment as I flinched at the slightest touch.

"Let this be a lesson, Aurora," he continued, crouching so that his face was level with mine. His voice was calm, almost gentle, but his eyes held nothing but cruelty.

"You will do as I say. Or next time, I won’t let go."

With that, he stood and turned away, leaving me crumpled on the floor.