Chapter 58- FEAR

'You haven't said anything since we got home" Aurora told Leonardo who was calmly packing some of their belongings into brown boxes. He stopped and looked at her, his face unreadable.

'What do you want me to say?" He asked Aurora, his attention still on packing away some of their belongings. Even without him saying anything, Aurora knew that he was pretty much upset that she had met Rhea behind his back.

'It is because of Rhea, right?" She asked. Leonardo dropped the cardboard box onto the floor, turned his attention towards her and crossed his hands over his chest.

'You can read me so well" he told her, choosing to smile but knowing quite well that he could not fool his wife.

'I didn't go and meet her, she cornered me at the supermarket and I was forced to go on lunch with her. I did not think much of it really, I mean we are moving away" Aurora explained, still, no emotion plastered on Leonardo's face.

'Okay" he answered, went back to what he was doing earlier, leaving Aurora to ponder what was wrong with Leonardo.

'Just okay?"

'Yes, just okay"

'Aren't you going to scold me out for going against your orders or something like that?" she asked him, hoping to see him react but still nothing.

'Like I said, you are my wife and not some kind of slave and plus I knew you did not want to be there and luckily I came right on time"

'How did you know?"

'We might only be married for five months sweetheart but I believe me when I tell you that I can sense when you are in distress" Leonardo stopped what he was doing, leaned in and kissed Aurora on the lips.

All Aurora could do at that moment was to smile, because deep down she was fighting an even greater battle, Leonardo was reading her well, better than most people could and in turn it could prove troublesome in the future.

'Come, let's hurry up"

'Sure" she answered plainly. Nearly an hour of them packing had gone by, Leonardo on the other hand had moved onto the living room to pack whatever was left whilst Aurora stayed in the living room. The doorbell rang, distracting Aurora and leaving her to wonder who it was.

'Coming!" she yelled out. Dropping all that she was doing to unlock the door and only to find that there was a white envelope placed on the foot of the door. Aurora looked around and there was no one there, she quickly reached for the envelope and took it back inside.

To Avena Romano, it read and she opened it read the contents of the note as she was eager to find out whom it was that had sent her a letter.

Greetings Mrs. Avena Russo, or shall I say Aurora.

I know that this must come as a surprise to you that I know who you are but anyways I know. I will send you further info on what you need to do, if you do not adhere to my wishes then your husband and I would have a lot of things to discuss.

Yours truly
Mr. Anonymous

Aurora's blood ran cold as she finished reading the letter, a thousand thoughts flew through her mind of who this person could be and how they had come to know of her secret. She looked around and surely, Leonardo was nowhere to be seen and that brought her some peace.

The thought of Leonardo seeing the letter sent a thousand swords piercing through Aurora's heart, thinking of what he would do if he found out about her secret. Here she was, rebuilding her life with Leonardo and moving into a new home and just like that she was about to see those dreams disappear into thin air.

'You cannot allow them ruin your happiness" she told herself under her breath. She could feel her skin go cold from fear and her heart pounding, vigorously against her chest.

'Honey who is that?" Leonardo yelled from within their room, Aurora quickly hid the paper behind her back, just in case Leonardo showed up to the living room.

'Nothing! It was just one of those kids playing with the doorbell, that's all!" she responded and just like that, the lie rolled off her tongue.

'Well it's a great thing that we are moving" Leonardo responded.

'Yes it is, hopefully" Aurora responded beneath her breath. With the utmost speed. Aurora took the paper from behind herself and tore it into little pieces and threw it in the trash can, by doing so she hoped that it was the last
of her problems.

She quickly ran to the bathroom sink and splashed her face with water, she needed to wake up from the terrible nightmare that she was now living in.

'I will protect my marriage at any cost" she promised herself.

**

The conversation with his mother was not a pleasant one and Leonardo hoped that his mother would have taken heed to his warning. Picking up the telephone and dialing her number was by far the hardest thing that Leonardo had done in a long time.

He had grown close to his mother all his life and for her to show a different side to her was painful for Leonardo and her threats did not sit well with him. He was determined to protect his family at any cost and even if that meant from his family as well.


**flashback**

'Hate me now or hate me later but you are standing in a place of position because of us, we made sure that you are where you are today" his mother had raised her voice at him, another thing that he was not used to. Growing up his mother had always been the calmest person to have known but the woman speaking to him was poisonous and she wanted her way or the high way.

'What have you and father done for me, besides give me heartache?" he angrily asked his mother, trying to keep his composure.

'I made sure that you studied teaching!"

'And in return you arranged a marriage for me to Avena, I believe that favor has been returned"

'What about the other favor?" his mother calmed down as she asked him.

'What favor?" Leonardo asked his mother, wondering just what she was up to this time.

'Oh please my boy, don't tell me that you have forgotten so soon. The favor that your father and I did for you, the one that made sure that you are a free man" Leonardo shut his eyes as he remembered that faithful day, a day which he had tried hard to forget all his life.

'I was just a young boy"

'It does not matter, you know what you did that day and if it were not for your father and I, you would have been in prison for the rest of your life and you know that" His mother threatened him. Leonardo was well aware of the implication of the crime he had committed all those years ago, his crime had been the reason that he had dedicated his life to being a teacher with the hopes of atoning for his past sins.

'Why are you so quiet, Cat got your tongue?" his mother teased him, in the moment where he was most angry.

'What do you want?" he angrily asked his mother, knowing deep down just what she wanted from him.

'Now that's my son. You know what I what, I want your wife to sign the papers that will give us access to some of her family properties" His mother demanded and Leonardo shut his eyes, disappointed that he was alive to see this side of his mother.

'But she's your daughter in-law" Leonardo tried reasoning with his mother but to no vail, she was bent on what she wanted and she refused to budge.

'I wanted assets not a daughter in-law and I honestly thought that she would be just as cunning as her mother but she is not…well she is adopted after all"

'Do not speak about my wife like that"

'Or else what? Leonardo I want those documents signed under any cost and you will help me get it signed"

'What makes you think that I can make her sign it?'

'I saw the way she looks at you, that girl is smitten by you and she will do just about anything you say to her. I'll call you another time, bye" his mother had ended their call but the one thing that lingered in Leonardo mind was
that his mother was aware just how much Aurora was in love with him.


Even though his mother's threats had shaken him up, he was sure of one thing and that was that his wife truly loved him as much as she said she did. So much that everyone around them could see her love for him too.

**flashback ends**

'Avena!" Leonardo called out to her, slamming his hand onto the bathroom door for what felt like the hundredth time. Aurora had woken up with great haste after a night of tossing and turning and finally, she had run into the bath room and shut the door behind her.

Her head bent over the toilet as she viciously threw up for what felt like the hundredth time. The nauseating feeling that she felt made her stomach worse and the bitter taste in her mouth could not be compared to any terrible food that she had ever tasted before.

Even as she heard Leonardo slamming his hands against the bathroom door, she could not gather the strength to stand up and allow him in. Her legs were weak and her head dizzy.

'I am okay" she managed to tell him in between taking breaths.

'Open the door, right now" Leonardo ordered and even when he stood outside, Aurora could hear the urgency in his voice and her heart ached for him.

'I can't, my legs feel weak" she answered him, knowing that her answer might just make matters worse.

'Okay just step away from the door"

'Why?"

'Because I am about to break it open"

'Please don't" she pleaded with him but it was too late, as Leonardo slammed his body against the door as the door came flying open. Without wasting any time, Leonardo was on the floor with her looking for any signs of injuries.

'Are you okay my love?' He frantically asked her.

'I am better now that you are here, my love" although weak, Aurora gathered the strength to answer him.

'We have to get you to the hospital"

'No please, I hate hospitals" she answered. All her life Aurora feared hospitals. Growing up she would always visit the hospital with her sick to mother to get medications and always they would refuse to treat her mother because there was never any funds on her end. And now that Leonardo had mentioned the hospital, it made
Aurora more nervous.

The Italian's Runaway Bride
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