Chapter 64: The Hidden Enemy.

Aurora’s POV
After I got discharged from the infirmary, Gabriel's words replayed in my mind like a haunting melody.
Whatever Alessandro’s reasons were, you need to find out why he did what he did.

It didn’t make sense. Alessandro, who’d always made it his mission to remind me how much he despised me, had risked his life to save mine.
People like him don’t just flip a switch like that. There had to be a reason, a motive.
The thought persisted in my mind until I couldn’t ignore it anymore. So, against my better judgment, I found myself walking down the hall toward Alessandro’s office.
The corridors were bustling with guards no doubt an aftermath of the attack two days ago. I avoided their eyes, feeling out of place amidst their tense energy.
When I finally stood in front of the heavy oak door, I hesitated. I hesitated, My hand suspended, poised to knock, but doubt entered my mind like a cold draft.
What the hell am I doing?
This was Alessandro. The cruel, arrogant, insufferable Alessandro who seemed to thrive on making my life miserable.
The same asshole who wanted nothing more than to tear me and Leonardo apart.
Why am I even here? To thank him? For what?
My thoughts moved in a chaotic storm. My hand trembled slightly as I stood frozen, the hallway around me fading into the background.
But then another thought surfaced, one that made me falter.
He saved your life, Aurora. Not just that. He defended you against Marcus when no one else did. He even stood up to your mother for you.
I bit my lip, unsure of what to do with that realization. It was true he had done all those things.
But why?
What was his angle?
Alessandro didn’t do things out of the goodness of his heart.
He always had an agenda, and I needed to know what it was.
Before I could summon the courage to knock, the door creaked open.
I froze, my breath hitching in my throat.
And there he was.
Alessandro stood in the doorway, the light from his office shining behind him. His sharp eyes met mine, and for a moment, it felt like time stopped.
A strange spark ran through me, and my heart skipped a beat. His gaze was so intense, it felt like he could read my thoughts.
Panic rose inside me, and I quickly looked away, my cheeks growing hot. My movements were awkward, but I could still feel his eyes watching me.
"What are you doing here, Aurora?" His voice was calm, but there was something in it I couldn’t quite figure out.
I swallowed hard and forced myself to turn back to him, pasting on a nervous, awkward smile that didn’t feel right on my face.
"I, uh… I didn’t think you’d open the door," I blurted, my words tumbling out too quickly.
He raised an eyebrow, the corner of his mouth curving into a small smirk. "Clearly," he said, his tone dripping with amusement.
That smirk. It was so annoying, but at the same time, it made my stomach do a little flip I refused to acknowledge.
"Well," I said, trying to sound steady, "I was just… passing by."
His smirk grew as he crossed his arms and leaned against the doorframe. "Passing by? Right in front of my office? How convenient."
I clenched my fists, my awkward smile faltering. “Fine,” I snapped, exhaling sharply.
“I wanted to talk to you.”
His expression changed just a little, his eyes narrowing like he was curious.
"About what?" he asked.
I hesitated, feeling silly all of a sudden. How was I supposed to explain the jumble of thoughts running through my mind?
"About… everything," I said quietly. "Why you saved me. Why you’ve been acting so… different."
For a moment, I thought I saw something soft in his eyes, something almost vulnerable. But it disappeared quickly, replaced by his usual blank look.
He stepped to the side and motioned toward the room. "Come in, Aurora," he said, his voice calm but low. "Let’s talk."
Before I knew it, I was walking into his office, unsure if I was ready for the answers I was looking for.
As I stepped inside, Alessandro followed and shut the door behind him with a soft click. The sound sent a chill through me.
His office was dimly lit, with a desk lamp casting soft shadows across the room.
I looked around and noticed the mess of papers spread out on his desk. There were diagrams, scribbles, and what seemed like reports, all jumbled together.
But what really caught my eye was a picture sitting in the middle of the desk.
It showed a creature that made my stomach twist, a horrible thing with dark, empty eyes. It looked just like the one that had tried to kill me.
“That... creature… looks like—”
“It does, doesn’t it?”
Alessandro cut in smoothly, sitting on the edge of his desk. His dark eyes fixed on me, sharp and curious.
“The one that attacked you? Yeah, I thought so.”
I stepped closer to the desk, my eyes glued to the picture. My chest tightened as the memory of the attack rushed back.
“But what did it want from me?” I asked quietly. “And how did it know my name?”
Alessandro’s eyes snapped up to meet mine, wide with surprise.
“It knew your name?” he repeated, his tone serious.
I nodded slowly, a chill running through me at the memory. “Yeah. It did. It called my name over and over before it started chasing me.
It was so… scary,” I admitted, my voice shaking even though I tried to stay calm.
Alessandro’s brow furrowed, and he leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees.
“Hmmm… that’s strange,” he murmured, almost to himself.
“What does that mean?” I pressed, needing answers.
“What is it?
Why would it know me?”
His gaze flicked back to the photograph, then to me. There was something unreadable in his expression, a mix of curiosity and something darker, concern, maybe?
“I don’t know yet,” he said finally, his voice low and thoughtful.
“But if it knew your name… then this isn’t random.”
I hugged my arms around myself, a deep unease settling over me.
“What do you mean? What isn’t random?”
He didn’t answer immediately. Instead, he leaned back, crossing his arms as if debating how much to tell me.
“It means,” he said at last, his voice edged with a rare seriousness, “That this thing didn’t just show up by chance.
It was looking for you. The question is, why?”
My heart skipped a beat at his words. It was looking for me?
“That… that doesn’t make sense,” I stammered.
“Why would something like that come after me?
I’m just… I’m no one special.”
Alessandro scoffed softly, his lips curving into a lopsided smirk.
“Oh, Aurora, don’t be so modest. You’re plenty special, whether you realize it or not.
Creatures like this don’t just wander around calling out random names. You’re connected to it somehow, whether you know it or not.”
“I’m not connected to it!” I snapped, my voice trembling with fear and frustration.
“I’ve never seen anything like that before in my life. And if I am connected to it, why?
Why me?”
He stood up suddenly, his movements quick and purposeful. The change in his attitude was almost unsettling his usual confidence replaced by something colder, more threatening.
“That’s what I’m trying to figure out,” he said, pacing around his desk. He picked up the photograph, holding it out to me.
“Look at it again. Tell me if anything about it feels familiar. Anything at all.”
I hesitated before taking the photo from him, my fingers trembling as I held it closer.
The creature’s grotesque face stared back at me, its empty, soulless eyes sending a fear down my spine.
“No,” I whispered.
“I don’t recognize it.
But…” I trailed off, a strange unease settling over me.
“But what?” Alessandro pressed, stepping closer.
“I don’t know,” I admitted, shaking my head.
“It’s just… when it called my name, it didn’t feel like a stranger.
It felt… familiar. Like it knew me. Like it’s known me.”
His gaze darkened, and I saw his jaw tighten. He ran a hand through his hair, muttering something under his breath.
“This just keeps getting better,” he said sarcastically, though the edge in his voice betrayed his concern.
“What does that mean?” I asked, growing more frustrated by the second.
“You clearly know more than you’re saying, Alessandro. So why don’t you just tell me what’s going on?”
He turned to face me fully, his dark eyes locking onto mine. For a moment, he seemed to weigh his options, as if deciding whether or not to let me in on whatever he was hiding.
Finally, he sighed, leaning against the desk with his arms crossed.
“I don’t have all the answers yet,” he admitted.
“But I’ll tell you this, creatures like this one don’t act on their own. They’re sent.
Which means someone or something sent it after you. And if it knew your name, then whoever sent it knows exactly who you are.”
A cold dread washed over me.
“But… who would want to send something like that after me?
Why would anyone want to hurt me?”
“That’s what we need to find out,” Alessandro said, his tone firm.
“And until we do, you’re not safe. Not even here.”