CHAPTER 6

CLARK’S POV

Aurora?

That name hit me differently than I expected.

Aurora? Does that mean she is the one?

No. It couldn’t be. There were plenty of girls with that name.

“Oh… here she comes! Our princess Aurora!” my mom said excitedly.

The moment she spoke, I turned my head.

And there she was.

The devil herself.

Geez.

Why did it have to be her?

I watched as she stood there, clearly uncomfortable, her eyes widening the moment she saw me too.

Of course she was surprised. No one in England really knew me as a prince. They only heard about me.

But I was more shocked than she was.

She was the one my mom brought into the house.

The same Aurora.

“Come, sit next to Clark, honey,” my mom said.

Slowly, she walked over and sat beside me, stiff and uneasy.

I could feel it. She did not want to be here.

Good.

Let her stay uncomfortable.

I studied her face for a moment.

She looked tense, guarded, like she was preparing for war.

She should be. I had plans for her after dinner.

“Clark, meet Aurora. Aurora, meet my son Clark,” my mom introduced.

Aurora turned to me and gave a fake smile.

I returned it.

“So Aurora, how was your sleep? I noticed your eyes are a bit puffy,” my mom said kindly.

Aurora quickly brushed her hair back, though it barely changed anything.

She still looked… different.

Not ugly.

Actually the opposite.

“Uhm… I slept quite well, ma’am. Thank you for your concern,” she replied, staring mostly at her plate.

“My pleasure, dear. Please eat. It was specially prepared for you.”

“Thank you, ma’am,” she said softly before finally eating.

“Mom, I think I am already liking her,” I said, reaching out and lightly touching her hair.

She immediately shifted away.

Uncomfortable. Nervous.

Interesting.

“I knew you would like her,” my mom said with a smile. “She is such a pretty and well-mannered girl.”

“She really is pretty,” I added, watching her closely. “Very pretty.”

I placed my hand briefly on her lap.

She stiffened instantly.

The reaction amused me more than it should have.

My mom cleared her throat lightly.

I removed my hand but kept watching Aurora struggle with her fork.

She looked like she wanted to disappear.

“Is the food not good?” my mom asked.

“No, ma’am. I just don’t usually eat in the dining room. I prefer my room,” Aurora said, glancing at me from the corner of her eye.

“Oh, but you cannot eat alone here. It is against our home rules,” my mom said.

Then she looked at me.

“Clark, you should accompany her after dinner.”

Perfect.

“I will,” I said immediately. “Right, Mom?”

My mom nodded.

Aurora’s eyes widened slightly.

No escape.

“Any problem with that, Aurora darling?” my mom asked.

She quickly shook her head.

“No… no, ma’am. I am fine.”

She forced a smile.

Good girl.

I stood up. “I will take the plates. Just lead the way.”

Her expression turned even more annoyed.

I enjoyed it.

We walked upstairs to her room.

I kept my eyes on her the entire time, noticing every movement.

The way she walked.

The way she tried to ignore me.

Everything about her irritated me… yet I couldn’t stop looking.

We entered her room and she sat down hard on the bed.

I placed the plates on the table and sat on the couch, crossing my legs.

“Aurora,” I said lazily. “You really need to control that attitude of yours before it gets you in trouble.”

She shot me a sharp look.

“Clark, what do you want from me?”

I smirked.

“What do I want? I should be the one asking you that. This is my mom’s house. So tell me, what are you doing here?”

She frowned. “I was bought.”

“Right,” I said. “So you ran straight to my mother, huh? Smart move.”

She narrowed her eyes.

“I came here with no bad intentions.”

“Sure you didn’t,” I replied.

Her patience snapped.

She slapped me.

Hard.

The sound filled the room.

I froze.

Then slowly turned my head back to her.

Did she really just do that again?

My grip tightened instantly as I grabbed her hair and pulled her up.

“Clark… please… let go!” she cried out. “You’re hurting me!”

“Shut up,” I snapped, pulling her closer. “Who do you think you are? You think you can keep doing this and nothing will happen?”

Her eyes shook with fear.

Good.

She was finally scared.

I leaned closer to her ear.

“I will make you strip in front of me,” I whispered coldly, then added louder, “you little brat.”

Her body went still.

I kissed her neck lightly, testing her reaction.

Her eyes shut for a second.

I noticed.

That made me scoff.

“So what is this?” I said quietly. “You act strong, but your body reacts differently.”

I shoved her away roughly.

She fell onto the floor.

I looked at her one last time before walking out, leaving the door open behind me.

Let her think about it.

Let her fear it.

Let her remember me.

*

*

AURORA’S POV

He was gone.

But the room still felt heavy.

My waist ached from the fall as I slowly stood up.

What kind of person was he?

Why was he like this?

Why did he enjoy tormenting me?

Moments later, one of the young maids entered.

“Good evening, Ma’am. The Queen asked me to take the plates for washing.”

I nodded silently and moved aside.

She left quickly.

I locked the door behind her and sat on the bed.

My hands trembled slightly.

Clark’s words kept replaying in my mind.

His grip.

His tone.

The way he looked at me like I was nothing.

I hated him.

But I was also afraid of him.

That was the part I refused to accept.

I buried my face in my hands.

Everything was becoming too much.

And I still didn’t understand why I was here.

Or what my place in this house really was.

I eventually fell asleep without realizing it.

**

The next morning came faster than I wanted.

I got ready for school, still feeling exhausted.

Clark and I left the mansion together.

Same car.

Same silence.

Same tension.

The drive was unbearable.

His hand brushed mine once or twice, intentionally or not, I couldn’t tell.

Either way, I hated it.

We arrived at school and stepped out of the car.

Immediately, all eyes turned toward us.

Whispers followed.

I wanted to disappear.

Before I could even move, someone rushed forward.

Harper.

And then—

Slap.

My head turned from the impact.

The entire school went silent.

“What the hell?” I whispered under my breath.

Harper’s eyes were blazing.

“So this is what you’ve been doing?” she snapped. “So even in the Queen’s house you still run around with men? My mom sold you and you think that gives you freedom?”

She raised her hand again.

Something inside me snapped.

I struck her three times before she could speak again.