Chapter 3

Aurora sniffed and glanced at the ICU but stiffened when she found Liam standing there. Her heart quickened seeing him. She wanted nothing else than to run into his arms, she wanted to be held by him but then she recalled his words.

His love was a lie! And now, it didn't matter because he wanted her only for her father's wealth and now her father was in a dead or alive situation. She looked away from him, she had no strength left to face him right now. He was not on her priority list, her father was. Aurora wiped her tears, she told herself that these tears were not for him, they were for her father which was true. She was crying for her father's well being, not over a lying deceiving gold-digger.

Thomas was right, her father needed her to be strong. She stood up and walked towards Thomas, not caring about her wobbling legs anymore. Sometimes, people just grow up in a moment. This was the moment for Aurora, till now, her father protected her from everything and she never behaved like a mature but today seeing her father like that, she became mature in just a moment.

Liam fisted his hands, he would have Ethan. He was not worried about it but before that, he needed to make her agree to the marriage. It was the right moment, No one was going to stop him this time.

Not his father and certainly not Ethan Kings. Aurora ignored Liam completely and touched Thomas' hand. "What did the doctor say, Uncle? They have found the donor right?"

Thomas' shoulders slumped. He sighed and looked down. "No, there is no donor, Aurora," he looked back in her eyes. "But I am trying. I won't let anything happen to Ethan," he said, his cell phone rang. It was one of the spies. He needed to hear it, but not in front of Aurora.

He looked at Liam and nodded, Liam at once understood that the call was business. He smiled, getting into his perfect gentleman role once again. "Don't worry about Aurora, I am with her," he told Thomas who walked away from there as soon as possible.

Aurora gave him a look of disgust and tried to move away from him. She didn't even want his shadow to touch her. But Liam held her hand softly, Aurora and smiled for the sake of guards who were watching him with hawk eyes.

Killing them was not a big deal for Liam but he didn't want to spill blood at this moment. "Leave me!" She gritted.

"If you want to save your father, you will come with me in that room and we will talk."

"I don't want to talk to you, get out of here your presence is not required here, Liam," She said, trying to snatch her hand away but he didn't allow it and pulled her even closer to him.

Before Aurora could push him away, he said something which stopped all her movement. "I have a donor for your father, Aurora. I can save your Dad."

She stiffened and raised her eyes at him. He had a soft look on his face but his eyes were speaking a completely different language. "Do you want to save your father, little one?"

She nodded. Liam smirked. "I thought so, come to the room with me, little one so that we can talk about it."

Aurora walked beside him to the visitor's room, there was no one in the room. Liam left her hand making Aurora cripple over her foot. She was shocked, Liam Knight was no gentleman and she was a fool to believe otherwise. She was tired of people taking advantage of her naivety. First, Gaberial tried to mould her according to his wishes and now Liam.

"You said you can save my father, tell me what you want because I know you want something in return. Name your price, what is it you want, my father's business, have it. I am his heir. I will name it to you but save him," she said, trying to look unaffected by his coldness but failing miserably. The stupid tears keep swelling her eyes with their presence making her look vulnerable she wanted to look proud.

Liam didn't speak for a moment and only stared at her, he only chuckled when she finished her talk. "You are right, I do want something in return to save your father but it's not his business, na! I want something more valuable, I want his most precious jewel, Little one." He took a step further and leaned into her face.

She met his gaze with her tearful eyes and gasped loudly in shock when he started what he wanted in return to save her dying father. "I want you to beg me to marry you, Aurora Kings. I want you to get on your knees, join your hands and beg me to marry you. Then only I will save your precious father!"

She stepped away from him as if he had burned her hand. Her eyes widened with a horrific expression.

Has she fallen in love with this man? This cruel cold-hearted monster was trading her father's life with her hand in marriage.

She shook her head. "You can't be this cruel! If I don't agree, will you let my father die? Just like that, don't you have any conscience?" She whispered.

He chuckled. "No, I don't. Why would I have it, have you heard my side when I asked you to give me a chance? Did you, you gave your judgement and called me names. I am just proving you right, Little one. You called me a cold-hearted monster so the monster is here to welcome you in his world."

Her body felt lifeless, she couldn't stand on her feet, her legs turned to jelly, she fell on her knees. Her father could die, her father was on a deathbed.

Could anything be more important than his life? No, for Aurora, nothing was more important than that, she was ready to give up her own life for her father and here he was just asking for her hand in marriage. Aurora was ready to agree to do anything to save her Dad.

She didn't have time, only four more hours. She swallowed the painful lump in her throat and joined her hands. Tears were rolling down her cheek but the monster did not even take pity on her.

She raised her eyes and settled her gaze on him. His face was void of any expression, like a blank canvas but his eyes were not. They were speaking a language, Aurora couldn't read. There was something dark in his gaze, but Aurora didn't want to know his thoughts. Today, at this moment, Liam Knight had lost all her respect.

He wanted to marry her, she would gladly say, I Do'' to him. He could be a cold-hearted bastard but she couldn't. "Beg, Aurora, Beg!"

She left the breath she was holding, her lower lip wobbled as she was trying to stop herself from crying out loud like a child. No one has ever degraded her as this man did, not only once but on many occasions. At this moment, he was the same Liam she faced when she came to know about his Villa on the island. Today he held the same brutality as that day.

I was the fool to believe otherwise.

"I am begging, Liam. Please marry me," she whispered, trying to hold her tears back.

Liam fisted his hand and smirked. "I am not convinced yet, Aurora. Beg me more convincingly. Come on!"

He was breaking her from inside with every word. He was destroying her self-respect, he was crushing her confidence under the power of his shoes, viciously.

Don't degrade yourself in my eyes till this level, Liam. Don't hurt me like this.

She swallowed her emotions once again. "Please save my father, Liam. I am begging you, please, save him," she said looking at the floor to hide her tears.

He leaned down and grabbed her jaw, making her look into his eyes. "Say it looking into my eyes, make me believe that you really mean it, Aurora. This is your last chance to save your father, if you can't convince me this time I will not help your dying father."

She shook in his hold violently. The tears she was trying to hold fell down her eyes, the sob she was keeping to herself left her throat and she fell on his shoes. "No! Please no, please save my father, Liam. I will do everything you asked me to do, please marry me. Please. Marry me, Liam, please. I am begging you, marry me and save my father." She cried every word with great difficulty. Her voice turned hoarse, her face was a mess. His shoes were wet with tears, she fell lower than her knees, Pleading, Crying her heart out to save her beloved father.

Liam closed his eyes and got down to her level. "I will marry you, Little one," he whispered, wiping her tears with his thumb softly.

His touch was not less than acid to her skin. It burned her, not only her body but her soul. "Why did you force me to do all this little one, why did you make me the monster I never wanted to be in front of you," he whispered and pulled her in his arms. She went into them like a lifeless corpse.

"Come one, wipe your tears till I make some phone calls for the lawyer and the donor both."

Aurora frowned. "Lawyer?"

He chuckled. "Oh, Little one, you didn't think that I would allow the surgery before we marry each other, right?"

She thought he could no longer hurt her but he was proving her wrong with every word from his mouth. "Come on, I have already applied for a special license. I believe in the give and take relationship, Aurora. The moment you will say, ``I Do, '' exactly at that moment your father will have a new heart."

Aurora didn't care about anything anymore. All she wanted was her father to be safe. "I am ready to marry now, but help my father, Liam." She sobbed.

Liam nodded and stood up. He knew she would be ready, now there was only one person who was standing in his way, Thomas. "Clean your face and come out, Aurora. We have to share the happy news with your Uncle."

Liam stepped out and called Ralph. "Is everything alright?" He asked, accepting the call for the first ring.

Liam chuckled. "It is, now listens to me, Ralph, go to Johnson and kill him. I want his heart for Ethan's surgery."

Ralph agreed and ended the call.

Liam glanced at Thomas who has a worrisome expression on his face. He went to him. "I asked Ralph to search for the heart in Vancouver. You might hear good news soon."

Thomas nodded. "How is, Aurora?"

"She is fine. We want to share it but I think I should talk to you here in private."

Thomas frowned, not understanding what he was trying to say. "About what?"

"I have decided to marry Aurora, now."

Thomas jerked. "Now? Impossible! Ethan is hanging between life and death and you want to have a marriage ceremony? Have you lost your mind?"

Liam was prepared for this. "Try to understand Thomas, Churchill is at war, as you already mentioned, Ethan is hanging between life and death. Do you think Aurora is safe here? I want to take her back to Vancouver But as my wife. It will give the message to our enemies that Vancouver and Churchill are one joint team in this war. This will cool down a little if not completely. It's best for business."

Thomas shrieked his eyes. He agreed with whatever Liam was saying but there was something about the situation which did not feel right to him. He could sniff something fishy. Moreover, would Aurora agree to it? He didn't think so!

"Aurora?" He asked, Thomas was ready to take the risk, for Aurora's safety. "I have already talked to her, she agreed. She wants to fulfil her father's wish if the situation takes an uneventful turn…"

Thomas grabbed the chair tightly. He understood what was at stake but he won't give his niece to Liam so easily. Not when bis friend had entrusted Aurora to him.

"I want to talk to Aurora first," he said in a voice which made it clear to Liam that Ethan might not be in a condition to protect his daughter but Aurora still had a father figure who was no less of a monster than Ethan Knight!