Chapter 60

"What do you mean he didn't allow it, didn't you tell him why you want to go there?" Susan asked.

Aurora sighed, deeply, "he didn't listen, he was on me before I could even finish speaking Gabe's name. Sometimes, I feel scared. What if I am getting out of one trench just to go into another."

Susan frowned. "No, unlike Gabriel, Liam is protective of you, Aurora. There is a vast difference between the two of them...I just want you to finish with Gabriel as soon as possible. You have no idea what I have done to see this day…"

"Excuse me! What do you mean?" Aurora asked and Susan cursed herself in her mind for the slip of her tongue.

"I just wanted you to break up with him. I always prayed for that to whatever their power is over there. Leave that and tell me what are you going to do now? How will you return his ring?" Susan tried to cover up and Aurora dropped the matter.

"I don't know, I tried calling him again but his phone is switched off and the number his restaurant manager gave me is not working as well," Aurora held Susan's hand. "Susie, I don't know but I feel something is wrong with Gabe."

Susan rolled his eyes. "Oh please, have you forgotten how many times he went like this before? It's just the way he is, so don't worry about him and Try to talk to Liam once again."

"Hm! I will see to it," she mumbled. Susan stood up from the chair, "where are you going now?"

"Aurora, I work in a different department or have you forgotten about it?"

Aurora shrugged her shoulders, "stress I guess, " she said smiling.

"I will see you in the evening, bye," after Susan left Aurora tried calling Gabriel one more time but just like before the phone was switched off.

Susan had to do something or her friends would never move on from that controlling bastard who broke her confidence in herself. And without thinking about the consequences she went to meet Liam.

"I am sorry, miss Kelly, but Mr Knight is busy, you can't meet him today. And tomorrow he is going out, I can fix your meeting with Mr Ralph if you want…" the floor manager told her.

" You don't understand, I want to meet Liam right now. Just call him and say that Susan Kelly wants to meet him."

"I can't do that, Miss Kelly. I am strictly ordered not to disturb him because he is having an important phone call…"

Susan didn't listen anymore, she needed to meet Liam and she would meet him at any cost. So she sprinted towards his cab and pushed it open before the manager could stop her from doing it.

Liam was talking to the Italian Mafia head over the phone when his cabin burst open and he heard a voice from there. He glared at the intruder who dared to enter when he strictly asked for no disturbance at any cost. His eyes went to Aurora's friend, Susan who was looking at him.

"Miss Kelly you can't…" the manager was trying to pull her out but Susan walked further inside. "I want to talk to you, Liam…" she demanded not caring about the manager.

Liam gave a short nod to the manager who apologised and walked out of the cabin.

"I will call you back, Alessio," he said, his gaze pinned on Susan and he ended the call.

The moment he ended the call, Susan spoke up. "I want you to let Aurora leave for two days, it's important…"

"Shh!" He raised a finger to silence her. He stood up and pointed a finger at her. "Only Aurora has the right to barge in my office and speak to me like this, I didn't not give this liberty to everyone Miss Kelly."

Susan frowned. "Liam…"

"This is my office and here I treat all my employees equally, so I suggest you call me Mr Knight just like everyone else and don't ever barge in my office like that again," he said pointedly, in a non-sense voice.

Susan who never felt intimidated by anyone in her life was for the first time intimidated by Liam but her determination to help her friend was more stronger than the intimidation Liam showed.

"Aurora has this urgency to go to Churchill…" she tried again.

"She is under a contract with The Belle, she can't leave Vancouver for two months till her internship is over and neither you nor Miss Smith is allowed to do the same. If she is missing her father, she can ask him to come here but I won't allow her to leave Vancouver for a single second and now I suggest you leave because I have work to do."

Liam was trying hard to not sound rude but it was not possible. The girl was getting on his nerves after every passing second. When he signed the deal with Ethan he thought he had to deal with his overbearing chattering daughter but no with her comes to this girl who likes to interfere in everything that is connected to Aurora's life.

He could tolerate Aurora but he wouldn't tolerate anyone else no matter what relationship they had with her and that includes this girl who was trying to put on a brave show.

Susan pinched her lips in a thin line. She curled her toes in apprehension.

"You don't understand Mr Knight, Aurora needs to leave so that she can…"

"Maybe you don't understand, then let me speak in more clear words. I don't like when someone interferes in my life, Miss Kelly. I am being lenient with your behaviour because of Aurora. If there is something she wants to say to me, she will do it herself. It's between her and me so do not interfere and kindly leave from here…" He said in a dark and firm tone leaving no place for an argument.

Susan fisted her hand and walked out of the room. " The man is a brute, is he good for Aurora?" She asked herself sitting on the bench outside.

Liam pinched the bridge of his nose and kicked the chair hard. "Try to Calm yourself, Liam." He mumbled to himself. He had another important issue at hand. He has to leave for Chicago to meet Alessio and he couldn't leave Aurora unguarded in his absence. So he called Johnathan, the best among all his men. His killing skills are unmatchable and he was perfect to guard Aurora in Liam's absence. A man who wouldn't even glance at Aurora's in any other way except for respect.

"Boss," he greeted Liam.

"You are to guard my would-be wife, John. You will be with her twenty-four seven but she shouldn't know about you guarding her. Keep yourself hidden and if you find anything fishy, shoot to kill."

"Yes, boss."

Liam ended the call with Johnathan and leaned back in his chair and joined his fingers together. "Aurora, you are my biggest gamble. Say yes and get me out of this muddy game, goddamnit!!"

Meanwhile, Kevin checked the design she made once again. "You can show it to Mr Knight, it's good but the last decision will be his."

Aurora nodded and closed her drawing book. "I have to send the samples to the making team, why don't you go and show the design to Mr Knight right now, Miss Kings?"

"Sure, Mr Rawls," saying that she left to meet Liam. The manager was not on his chair when she reached his floor. She went ahead and knocked on the door before opening it. "May I come in, Mr Knight?"

Liam glanced her way, his lips pulled into a smile. "Yes, Mrs Knight, you may," he teased but Aurora didn't smile. She kept her poker face straight, recalling how she denied her wish.

"I came to show you the new design I made," she said in a small voice, opening her drawing book. Liam sensed the change in her voice.

He nodded. "Show me."

Aurora moved towards him and presented him with the next design, the moment she started talking Liam closed the drawing book and pulled her on his lap.

Aurora gasped at the sudden movement. She grabbed his hands to keep balance but when she saw what he did she tried to get up. Liam held her waist to keep her firmly sitting.

"Stop trying in vain, Aurora and tell me why the sad face."

Aurora looked at the door but didn't speak. Liam grabbed her chin, made her look at his eyes and asked again, "why the sad face baby girl?"

"Why do you care, I am just an employee to you after all."

He frowned. "I never said that, I don't make my employees sit on my lap or let them talk to me the way you do, Mrs Knight and you know it. Now, I want you to tell me why the long face?"

She glanced into his eyes. "I want to go to Churchill…"

His eyes became hard. "No!" He replied sharply. "You can't leave Vancouver, Aurora."

"Then we have nothing to talk about," saying that she tried to get off his lap. Liam pulled her back and grabbed her jaw. "Don't test my patience baby girl and don't behave like this. You want something else, take it but I can't allow you to leave Vancouver."

Aurora felt it happening all over again, Gabriel used to be like this too. Trying to tell her what she could do and what not. No, she couldn't allow that to happen to her again. Her throat felt heavy and her eyes filled with angry tears.

"I am tired of being treated like this, Liam. You claim to do anything for me but you can't make a small concession in my contract. And I refuse to live like this," saying that she stood up and walked out of his cabin.

"Fuck!" He cursed, pinching the bridge of his nose.

On the other hand, Alexandrio was lost in Emily's beauty. "You look beautiful."

She forced a smile to her lips," thanks, I wish I could say the same."

Alexandrio chuckled. "No need to tell me I know how I look."

She gave him a disgusted look. "Don't you think you are being too arrogant?"

"Na, I am confident, not arrogant and just to remind you, smile honey, see people are interested in our pictures."

Emily forced herself to smile as the media kept shouting for a happy pose from them.

"See how good we look with each other, " he murmured in her ear seductively. The voice sent shivers to her spine, for a moment she was lost in his effortless charm but then she reminded herself not to fall for him. Men like him are dangerous, she cursed herself for behaving like a lovesick puppy on the cruise. She couldn't believe her harmless flirting could end up with her getting blackmailed.

Damn her for getting attracted to another bastard after four years.

Once they entered the art exhibition she smiled politely at everyone who came to greet Alexandrio and shared a few words to their conversation. He introduced her to everyone as his companion and she was glad because it also shows how he truly felt for her.

There was no lost love or something, no. It was not about dating her or anything, the reason he was forcing this relationship on her was that it hurts his ego that a girl who used to roam around him was now giving him a cold shoulder. Till now, she felt guilty but now her conscience was clear.

He just wanted revenge on her, now he would treat her the same way she treated him. First, he will cajole her to date him and then when she agreed he would ditch her. Although the reason she stopped seeing had nothing to do with ego, on the contrary, she was scared of falling for a man who could hurt her worse than Victor did.

She gulped and looked down to avoid tears getting out of her eyes. Alexandrio smiled at the man who came to meet him. "Mr Kyschove, it's a pleasure meeting you again…"

The colour drained from her face when she heard that voice after four years. The voice of that man who became a nightmare of her life.

Victor Brown.