Chapter 40

"Good evening, Ethan." Liam greeted him, offering his hand.

Ethan eyes Liam with his sharp gaze and accepts his hand. "Good Evening, Liam." He said looking straight into Liam's eyes. Ethan King was impressed and irritated with Liam at the same time.

"Have a seat," he nodded at one of the sofas in front of him. Liam sat on it with one leg crossed over the other. Ralph sitting beside him confidently.

"I hear that you are having trouble with Mexicans again, Ethan." Liam started but Ethan kept analyzing him with his scrutinised gaze.

"They will be dealt with. I am least concerned about them," Ethan replied but he and Liam both knew it was a lie. Mexicans were a pain in the ass for Ethan Knight whether he wanted to accept that in front of Liam or not.

"I heard you saved my daughter on that island Liam? Tell me what happened there exactly?"

Thomas who was sitting on the middle sofa was aware of what his friend cum boss was doing. He was assessing him after all Ethan was about to give Liam the most precious thing of his life,

His daughter. But nobody said that he would do that easily. No, on the contrary, Ethan would make sure that Liam and people around him always remember who Aurora King was.

She was his princess and dare anyone to forget that. He would rip that person with his bare hands if his daughter ever frowned in her life.

Liam wanted a King's daughter then he better treat her like a queen or Ethan king had annihilated enough people that he lost count of it.

Ralph peered at Liam from the corner of his eyes. He could sense fishiness in Ethan's words. Ralph knew that Ethan was an old ally of their father but everyone knew that when it comes to his daughter, Friendship would be the last thing on his mind.

Liam on the other hand raised his face a little and looked into Ethan's eyes.

"Fair enough," he sighed and then started telling him the whole story of what exactly happened on the island. "Your daughter was drunk, I met her on the cruise and we had a little chit chat. She was barely able to walk and fell on the lifeboat. I tried to pull her back but then the lifeboat ended up directly into the sea…"

Ethan was listening to Liam but when he kept playing the game with him Ethan lost his calmness and in less than a nanosecond, his gun was out and pointed at Liam's head.

"Fuck!" Liam heard his brother curse when he saw that another run was pointed at Ralph's head.

"It's against the rules of friendship to point a gun at your friend's sons, Ethan," Liam said calmly and this calmness in his tone irked Ethan to the core.

"Fuck friendship, Liam. It's about my daughter, my blood. You take me as a fool or what? If you want to play these games then play them with me," He pushed the barrel of his gun harshly against Liam's temple.

"Don't ever involve my daughter in these fucked up games of yours," Ethan snapped.

"You think I didn't understand that you kidnapped my daughter to scare me for her. You forgot one thing, young man, I am the oldest player of this game."

Liam had enough. He pulled his own gun out of his coat and put it on the desk in front of him. " Using a gun would have been far easier for me, Ethan. You know it, I know it and everyone else here knows it as well but no, I always showed you respect towards you and your position in Canada. Even if I kidnapped your daughter to scare you, tell me did it work. Did you see the reason? I gather you did because if you have not, you wouldn't have asked for this meeting."

Ethan kept glaring at Liam, his gun still edged at Liam's head while Thomas had his pointed at Ralph.

"You know it too that I am the only one who can keep your daughter safe, Ethan. I am the best option you have. Aurora is naive; she is unaware of the realities of our world and I can keep it that way. You just have to agree to the alliance."

Ethan seethed but lowered his gun. "I won't force my daughter to marry you and neither allow you to do that. Aurora is the most important person in my life. I hope you understand the consequences of hurting her in any manner Liam."

Liam was irritated. If the man was still not able to see the rationale then war was the last option left. Liam Knight had dreams of ruling the Canadian mafia, like a king ruled over its subjects and he wouldn't allow anyone to come in his way. Even if he had to retire Ethan as the Mafia head of Churchill.

"So let's cut the chase shorter than Ethan, What do you want because as far as I know you talked to dad last night and your words indicated something else…" Ralph asked in a pure business-like tone because the look on Liam's face shows how furious he was.

Thomas put his gun back in his pocket and sighed because he knew Ethan wouldn't say the words he called them to say here. Ethan king was a soulless man but when it comes to his daughter he was just like every father who wanted to keep his daughter with himself away from everyone.

"Ethan wants Liam to woo his Aurora."

"I beg your pardon!" Ralph winced sharply.

Ethan turned towards them and looked directly into Liam's eyes. "I know you planned this contest in Vancouver all I am asking you is...," Ethan cleared his throat to ease away the uneasiness in his body. "To make Aurora fall in love with you. She is an innocent and naive girl just like Savannah. She believes in the same dreams my wife used to believe in and I want her to remain that way."

"So you want me to romance with your daughter…" Liam chuckled, amazed hearing Ethan.

"I want you to win her heart. I want you to keep her happy and in the world, she believes in.."

Liam scoffed as he recalled the torture he suffered from her none stop chattering. He still winced at the memory of it. Liam knight was in lust with Aurora King and he claimed her as him but that didn't mean he had the time to charm a naive girl.

"Look, Ethan…"

Ethan raised his hand. "I know what you want Liam, I know you since you were in your diapers boy and you know me since then as well. It's about my daughter's happiness. You do what makes her happy, pretend to be in love with her even if you have to do it your whole life. My seat as mafia head will one day belong to Aurora and your son after my death. Till then you will get not only the free use of my territory but the most important thing you want."

Liam arched his brow. "What is it?"

Ethan smirked. "My Seat in the Mafia jury. You will represent not only Vancouver but Churchill too among the five families. Extended territory Liam, the deal is not bad but remember it all depends on my daughter. I can be your best friend or your worst enemy, choose what you want me to be?"

Liam understood what Ethan was saying well enough. He was ready to give everything to keep his daughter in her Lala land for her whole life and for that he was ready to pay whatever price.

He understood the deal too well. Aurora was the masterpiece in this power game. Everything revolves around her.

The price of Liam's dream was Aurora's happiness. Liam drummed his fingers on his thigh. "Your daughter is in love with that restaurant owner. I already ordered Ralph to kill him but if love is what you want then…"

Ethan shook his head to stop him from speaking any further. "Two things, no one can give orders to kill someone in my territory, Liam. Don't forget I am still the boss of the Churchill mafia. Second, it's me who will handle that restaurant owner, you just focus on winning my daughter's heart. Everything else is upon me to handle."

Ralph glanced at his brother who gave him a short nod accepting the deal Ethan threw at them.

"Alright, but you need to understand one thing, Liam. I might have accepted this deal but once I am married to your daughter," he leaned forward, gazed into his eyes and said; "I won't tolerate a nagging father in law in my marriage. Your daughter will live happily ever after as the princess you want her to be but I won't accept your say in my life or marriage. You want an illusion of love for Aurora, you will get it. She will live like a queen, my queen but that's it. After marriage, my word will be law for her."

Ethan nodded. "I want you to be loyal to my daughter and keep her happy and safe."

"My sex life Is none of your business."

"It is when my daughter is married to you."

Liam raised his eyes. "I have some rare sort of preferences, one which your daughter might not be able to give to me. And I would rather quench my thirst for those kinks with a whore rather than your daughter who wouldn't be able to handle the darkness of my mood."

Ethan fisted his hand and somehow managed to control himself from shooting Liam right between the eyes. "Make sure that Aurora didn't find out about your disgusting ways. Remember the deal can be cancelled anytime, Liam. Don't push my buttons."

Liam only sighed. "I am not pushing your buttons just stating facts. I know what my responsibilities would be as a husband. I can guarantee you one thing. Your daughter will be happy with me."

Ethan nodded. "I accept you as My Son in law, Liam."

Liam smiled, Ralph left the breath he was holding while Thomas opened a champagne bottle to celebrate their unwritten contract.

The contract which sealed Aurora's fate with Liam Knight and if which Aurora was still unaware of.

Meanwhile, Aurora was sitting near the pool on one of the sun chairs with her laptop and working on her design for the final round of her contest. Abruptly, her gaze went to a couple. The man was on his knee with a ring in his hand while the girl had this awesome expression on her face.

The girl nodded in yes and the man picked her in his arms and twirled her around. People around them started clapping and the man put the ring on that girl's finger. Once again they happily hugged each other and kissed.

Aurora smiled seeing them together but when her eyes went to her naked finger she sighed. She didn't understand what she was feeling, this naked finger one day felt like freedom to her and when she saw something like she just saw she felt a heaviness in her heart.

She had no idea where her life was taking her now. What she felt for Gabriel she had never felt for anyone else. She wanted to spend her life with Gabe. She even ignored many things she didn't like in him, the way he treated her just to make her relationship work but when she saw that he didn't even bother to call her once she was hurt.

And then there was that island incident which turned her life upside down. She only knew one thing that she had never hated someone in her life as much as she hated Liam Knight and she never wanted to lay her eyes on him again.

"Aurora…"

She heard Susan calling her. Aurora forced herself to smile. "Yes?"

"Is everything alright? You look a little...sad?"

Aurora sighed and put her head on Susan's shoulder. " I feel lonely, Susie." She glanced at her finger once again and guilt erupted in her heart.

"I feel guilty of taking off my ring without talking to Gabe first."

Susan stiffened and kissed Aurora's head. I won't allow you in that bastard's clutches ever again even if I have to become a vamp in your love story.