Chapter 25- DEAL

'He didn't believe you, right?" Aurora turned around, only to find that it was her mother in-law standing in her door room frame.

'Oh mother! I honestly did hear you walk in" a surprised Aurora told her mother in-law, who stood there as sadness clouded her face. Aurora's heart ached for signora Carina and even as she placed the last of her earrings onto her bedside table, she could not bear the thought of telling her the truth. 'Sorry mother but he knew
I was lying" Aurora confessed, determined not to tell another lie.

'I thought so, I apologize for putting you in such a compromising position. I do not know what came over me" Her mother in—law covered her mouth with her hands and began whimpering. Aurora walked towards her and wrapped her arms around the older woman, comforting her like she had wished she was comforted as a child.

'It is alright, you are trying your best," Aurora whispered into her mother in-laws ear, hoping that her sweet words would calm the older woman. Without realizing it, Aurora wrapped her arms tighter around signora Carina as though she were absorbing all her heartache within herself.

There was once a time where Aurora had hugged her mother like this, before her illness… before her premature death that was.

She let go of her mother in-law and seeing the smile on the older woman's face, softened Aurora but the emptiness that filled her once the hug had ended had come back. For years, she yearned for a hug like that and it had gone as quickly as it came.

'My son is the luckiest man in the world to have you as a wife" her mother in-law held Aurora by both her shoulders and planted a kiss on her forehead.

'Please don't say that"

'Why would you say that? You are loving, loyal and honest and that is all I have ever wanted for my son," Signora Carina told her. Aurora's heart twitching with pain, knowing deep down that she was an imposter.
You thief! This is not your life; you are living Avena Russo's life! Aurora quickly shut her eyes as the voice in her head convicted her of the crime that she was truly guilty of.

'Are you okay?" her mother in-law asked her, Aurora's eyes opened immediately.

'Yes!" she answered in haste, trying to mask her sudden and mysterious actions.

'I thought something had happened with you" she explained, senora Carina's eyes displayed concern for her daughter in-law who quickly plastered a smile on her face. The last thing Aurora wanted was to scare the older woman, who in just a few days had shown her more love than she had experienced.

'No mother, I just… I just felt a cold gush of wind, that's all" Aurora lied again but seeing the smile on her mother in-law's face had somewhat lessened the guilt that was slowly eating away within her.

'Okay my dear, I have to go downstairs and get dinner ready before Leonardo comes back"

'Wait! Leonardo isn't home?" Aurora asked her the disappointed look on her mother in-laws face told a telling tale.

'No my dear, he went out for a drive. It's okay, he just needs to clear his head a bit" Her mother in-law explained. Aurora nodded her heard in agreement but even as she watched her mother in-law disappear, her heart still ached that she was behind Leonardo's sudden departure.

Rushing towards her bedroom door, Aurora shut the door and locked it. Immediately she walked towards the telephone in her bedroom and dialed the number, two rings later, someone answered.

'Hello"

'Hello, signora Meta" Aurora greeted, the woman who had raised her as though she were her own daughter. There was a brief pause and then, tears began running down her face and soon after the sobs followed.

'My dear, why are you crying? Please tell me what is wrong?" Signora Meta asked her, panicked that something bad might have happened to Aurora.

'I am such a liar signora Meta; I want to tell them the truth!" Aurora exclaimed, gripping onto the telephone as though she were about to break it.

'No my daughter, you will not do such a thing!"

'But signora—"

'No Aurora you will not do such a thing, I forbid you"

'But I am a fraud, what will Avena think of me?"

'She will think nothing! Avena left on her wedding day, leaving you and the rest of us to deal with the fallout of it. How dare you feel bad for carrying the mantle that she left?" Signora Meta questioned Aurora, the authority in her voice rigid as a mental wall.

'But—"

'But nothing Avena, you did what you thought was right at that moment and you need to stop making this family make you feel as though you betrayed Avena. You have bent your back over for these people and all they gave you were lies and unfulfilled promises" Signora Meta stood her ground, so passionate as she fought for the daughter that she had natured and cared for.

Signora Meta had shielded her from the cruel life ahead and now that Aurora was having the life that she had always dreamed for her, she would not allow the Russo family to rip Aurora of her new found happiness.

'Aurora, hear me now, in fact promise me that you will not tell the Romano who you truly are"

'But"

'But nothing, promise me that you will not tell them a single thing. I want you to swear it on my life" Signora Meta asked Aurora, her voice filled with determination to get her way whilst Aurora's lips quivered with fear.

'I promise" she blurted out, not knowing where she gained the confidence to say such words but she did.

'Good, now hold your head up and be the woman you were meant to be" Signora Meta's last resounding words to her brought her confidence, the kind that lifted her soul and gave her strength which Aurora did not know that she had.

'Yes signora Meta, I will do as you say" Aurora responded and ended the call. The room fell still and the only sound that filled her head was the beeping sound of the phone, signaling the phone call had ended.

Aurora dragged her feet on the carpet until she stood in front of her full-length mirror, the woman before her was still her and she was true to herself. She could not quite put her finger on it but she looked different, more like a wife and less like a maid.

She folded her lips into a smile and even her smile astounded her, she looked happier than she had looked before. She further laughed, an infectious laugh that over took her body.

But nothing, promise me that you will not tell them a single thing. I want you to swear it on my life. Signora Meta's words replayed in her head, giving her newfound strength and faith in herself.

'You are Avena Russo" She told her reflection in the mirror, hoping that she would believe herself the more she said it.

'And is anyone disputing that?" Aurora froze, her hands gripping her sides as she realized that Leonardo was the one speaking. Aurora swallowed the lump in her throat, hoping that it would take the nerves away. Turning on her heel and facing him, Aurora flashed an innocent smile at her husband.

'Hi, what do you mean?"

'Oh maybe the fact that you were talking to your reflection or is that what all rich spoilt brats like you do?" Leonardo asked sarcastically as he pointed his index finger at the mirror.

'I was affirming" Aurora answered, once again, lies dropped from her mouth as though it was natural. Her answer, still not enough for Leonardo so much that, he raised his eyebrows in confusion. 'I do a daily affirmation, that's all" She reassured him, playing with her hands.

'Oh" Leonardo responded, walking right past Aurora and walking into the walk in closet. Without seeing him, all she could hear was shuffling inside the closet.

'Do you need anything?" Aurora asked, the shuffling stopped and everything went silent. The door of the walking closet opened and Leonardo walked out wearing a tight fitted white shirt, fitted perfectly like a glove, trailing every part of his chest, arms and torso.

Her mouthwatering as she saw him standing there, seemingly unbothered by the discomfort that he brought her. Gathering the last of her sanity, Aurora pulled her gaze away from Leonardo's body.

'I know how to find my own cloths, thank you very much"

'I—I just thought that you would need help… finding your cloths" Aurora explained but nothing she said altered the unbothered look on his face.

'Like I said, I know where my clothes are" Leonardo reiterated, this time sterner than before. He turned around; ready to walk away but Aurora pulled his arm and stopping him from walking further.

The wave of electrical current running from Leonardo and through to her, sent Aurora pulling her hand away from him in haste.

'Why did you touch me?" Leonardo asked her, his back still facing her as he stood in front of the door, readying himself to exit their room.

'Are you mad at me?" Aurora surprised herself by asking him such a question and the small laughter that escaped from his mouth had not done much to ease her worry.

'If you mean that by lying to me and—"

'I knew you did not believe me"

'Why would I believe someone that puts my mother in danger?" Leonardo turned to face Aurora as he angrily asked her. His eyes and face red with anger.

'I did not do that, I stopped her!" Aurora yelled but quickly stopped herself as she realized what she had just done.

'Oh, so you are admitting that you allowed my mother to drink alcohol?" Leonardo asked, she tried firing back but she stopped herself. There was no use in lying anymore, her lie had been exposed

'She made me promise" Aurora said, there was no other excise and inwardly she hoped that Leonardo would forgive her but seeing the disappointment on his face was gut wrenching.

'Well that promise could ruin my mother's life and you thought it wise to keep it from me. I know that this marriage is not what either of us wanted, but to lie to me this early on in our marriage is what I cannot take"

'But—"

'But nothing Avena, this is my mother's life!" he yelled, his outburst not something that Aurora had expected from Leonardo which further proved how much she had destroyed his trust.

'I am sorry, I did not mean to lie to you but she made me promise"

'That is not the point, her health is deteriorating and you give me this crap about promises! How about the promises you made to me on our wedding day, to be faithful and honest to me?" Leonardo's last words rang inside her ears as she watched disappointment flash over his face.

Without waiting for her to say anything more, he turned away and exited the room.