Chapter 139: A Proposal of Power.

Aurora’s POV
“Hmmm… who are you texting?” Annie asked, a suspicious smirk tugging at the corners of her lips as she leaned closer.
I tried to play it cool, but I could already feel the heat rising to my cheeks.
“Alessandro,” I said casually.
“I just told him my class ended early and that I’m heading home.”
Annie grabbed my phone from my hand before I could even finish talking.
“Annie!” I protested, reaching for it.
But she was already reading the message, eyes wide with mock drama.

“‘Miss you’!?” she gasped.
“Oh my god, you two are so a couple now!”
I groaned, trying to take it back.
“Give me that!”
“Nope,” she said, holding it out of reach like a victory trophy.
“You better spill. Since when are you and Mr. sexy Alpha texting sweet nothings?”
I shook my head, laughing despite myself.

“We’ve been texting each other before, Annie. It’s not a big deal.”
Annie raised a perfectly arched eyebrow.

“Really?” she said, her voice filled with mock disbelief.

“So you’ve been sending ‘I miss you’ to him before too?”
I opened my mouth, then closed it again.
She smirked, arms crossed like she’d won a courtroom case.

“Yeah. That’s what I thought.”
“It just… slipped out,” I said defensively, cheeks warming again.

“I didn’t even mean to say it like that. It just felt… right.”
Annie’s teasing expression softened slightly.

“You really like him, don’t you?”
I snatched the phone back finally, clutching it protectively.
“Yes, I do,” I admitted. 
“It just feels….right with him, Annie.”
Annie squealed, grabbing my arm.
“Girl, this is serious!
I’ve never seen you smile at your phone like that before.”
My smile faded just slightly, a flicker of worry replacing the warmth.
“Yeah… but it’s complicated.”
“Everything’s complicated when hot Alphas are involved,” Annie said, rolling her eyes.
“But you like him. He clearly likes you. So… don’t let the drama mess it up.”
I nodded slowly, slipping the phone into my pocket as we started walking toward the exit.
“I just hope the drama doesn’t find me first.”
Just when we left the lecture hall, someone unexpected was standing at the entrance door.
“Leonardo?”
He smiled a little, almost nervously, and then slid his hand into his pocket.

“Hey.”
I stopped in my tracks, confused and more than a little uneasy.

“What… are you doing here?” I asked, clearly not expecting him to show up.
Annie immediately stepped closer to me, her eyes furrowing slightly in quiet warning.
Leonardo glanced at her, then back at me.

“I just wanted to talk,” he said. “Just you and me. For a minute.”
I shifted uncomfortably, glancing around as a few students brushed past us on their way out.

“Okay… sure,” I agreed cautiously, curiosity and nerves mixing in my chest.
But just as I was about to take a step toward him, Annie grabbed my hand.
Her grip was firm, and when I turned to her, her expression was anything but casual.
“You don’t have to,” she said quietly, but firmly.
“You don’t owe him anything, Aurora.”
I gave her a small, appreciative look. “I know. I just… want to hear what he has to say.”
Annie didn’t look convinced, but she slowly let go.
“I’ll be right here. Don’t let him mess with your head again.”
I nodded, then turned to Leonardo.
He motioned toward a cafe near the lecture hall.

I followed him, every step feeling heavier than the last.

When we arrived at the cafe, Leonardo held the door open for me. As I walked in, I heard the gentle clinking of cups and quiet conversations around us.

The place wasn’t crowded just a few students scattered at tables, buried in their laptops or conversations. Still, I felt oddly exposed.
He chose a small table near the window, and I sat down across from him, arms folded.
Neither of us spoke right away.
Finally, he cleared his throat and looked up at me, his expression unusually serious.
“I know this is probably the last thing you expected,” he began, voice low.
“And I’m not here to start a fight or guilt you into anything.”
I stayed silent, waiting.
He sighed, running a hand through his hair.
“I just wanted to see you.
To talk.
Not as the guy who messed everything up, not as Alessandro’s brother… just me.”
I leaned back slightly, unsure where this was going.
“Okay. So talk.”
Leonardo nodded slowly, eyes meeting mine.
“I know I let you down. Over and over.
I thought I was doing the right thing putting duty first, keeping my father’s approval, protecting the image I thought I had to live up to.
But in doing that… I destroyed the only thing that felt real in my life.”
My stomach twisted, memories flashing behind my eyes.
“I never stopped thinking about you,” he continued.
“Even when I pretended I didn’t care.
Even when I watched you drift further away.” He paused.
“I hated Alessandro for a long time because he saw you when I didn’t. He chose you when I couldn’t.”
“Leonardo…” I started, my voice softer than I intended.
“You’re not a bad person. But you can’t rewrite the past just because it hurts now.”
He looked down, nodding.
“I know,” he said.
“But if there’s even a part of you that ever wondered if we could fix it—”
I shook my head gently. “There isn’t.”
His eyes lifted back to mine, and I didn’t flinch.
“I’m with Alessandro.
And it’s not just some rebound or escape. He’s been there for me.
He sees me… and he doesn’t make me feel like a secret.”
In an instant, his face changed, and anger filled his eyes.
“I hate seeing you with him, Aurora,” he said, voice low but intense.
“You’re my mate, not his.”
I tensed up, but spoke calmly.
“I was your mate, Leonardo. But not anymore.
We ended things.”
He slowly leaned back, his face cold and hard to read.
“I never ended things with you, Aurora. You did,” he said quietly.
“But don’t worry… everything will soon be in place.”
His words made me frown and sent a cold feeling down my back.
“What do you mean?” I asked, trying to keep the unease out of my tone.
He leaned forward again, eyes locking with mine.
“I want to ask you something, Aurora. If I become the Alpha of the pack… will you come back to me?”
My breath caught.
I wasn’t sure what stunned me more his confidence or the sheer audacity of the question.
“You think a title would change how I feel?”
I asked, furrowing my eyes.
“That power would suddenly make everything you did… okay?”
“I think it would fix everything,” he said, almost too calmly.
“You loved me once. That wasn’t a lie. You turned away because I couldn’t choose you over duty.
But if I am the duty, the Alpha, the leader… there’s nothing left to hold us back.”
I stared at him, disbelief swirling in my chest.
“You still don’t get it,” I whispered.
“It was never just about duty.
It was about you not fighting for me. About how easily you let me go.
How easily you hurt me.”
Leonardo's face showed a glimmer of emotion, but only for a moment, before he hid behind his cold exterior again.
“You’ll see,” he said quietly.
“Everything will fall into place soon.
And when it does… I’ll be waiting.”
Before I could respond, a familiar voice broke through the tension like a thunderclap.
“Waiting for what exactly?”
I turned and saw Alessandro standing at our table, eyes burning with restrained fury.
Leonardo didn't react at all.
Ensnared by My Stepbrothers' Realm
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