** I am his girlfriend**

### **Nora's POV**

I seethed with unfiltered rage, my fists clenching so tight that my nails dug into my palm. The dragons had used me, discarded me like trash, and I was supposed to take it? No. Not this time.

I had been patient. I had played along. But now, it was time to act.

My lips curled into a saccharine smile as I stared at the woman before me-the so-called "Miss Emma." She looked as nervous as a Christmas chicken about to be stuffed and roasted.

"I told you, Miss Emma, I'm his girlfriend," I said, tilting my head.

Her body stiffened, and her eyes widened, jaw dropping in pure shock.

"But... Erick doesn't have a girlfriend," she stammered, her voice laced with disbelief. "And if he did, I would be the first to know!"

I inwardly smirked. The famous multimillionaire sister of Erickson-finally, my golden ticket. Her brothers were filled with evil and hostility, but her? She was warm, tender, and sweet.

"I'll tell you everything you need to know, Emma. What more do you want from me?" I frowned slightly, smoothing down the hem of my dress. "I came to New York to surprise him."

Emma crossed her arms, staring at me, but I only smiled.

"If you don't believe me, you can always call him," I added, running my fingers through my hair. I watched as her expression shifted, her thoughts clearly spiraling.

Thank goodness I had asked the right questions, gathered the right information. I knew exactly how to make this work.

Her interest visibly piqued when I mentioned that I was engaged to him.

"And what if you're lying?" she challenged.

"You can always find out the truth, Emma," I said sweetly. Then, I leaned in slightly, my voice dropping to a whisper. "After all, I've fucked your brother for a long time."

Her face morphed into a mixture of shock and discomfort, and I barely held back my victorious grin.

"The maid will take you to the guest room," she said stiffly. "You can stay until you find a place."

I extended my hand for a handshake, faking the gratitude dripping from my tone.

"I'm grateful you didn't discard me, Emma. I can see you're really a sweet, charming girl," I said.

She nodded, taking it as a compliment, and turned on her heels toward the room.

As she walked away, I took a moment to gape at the extravagant mansion around me. Everything was polished to perfection, dripping in wealth and power.

"Feel at home, Nora. Tell the maids whatever you need," she called over her shoulder. Then, she paused and added, "Make sure my brother's girlfriend has everything she wants."

I watched as she disappeared upstairs, and a slow, sinister smile crept onto my lips.

**Of course, little pretty naïve Emma.**

**I won't just feel at home. I will dominate your brother's life... and yours.**

---

### **Author's POV**

"Do you believe her?" Ash asked over the phone.

Emma frowned, staring at her reflection in the mirror.

"I don't think so, Ash. My heart doesn't accept her," she admitted. "But just because I don't like her doesn't mean I should throw her out. I don't want her wandering the streets."

"So, do you intend to call Erick?"

Emma sighed deeply. "I want to, but... I think I'd be acting rashly. She said it's a surprise."

"I understand," Ash said, her voice holding hesitation. "But she isn't our real problem, Emma. My sister is. Have you called your brother?"

"I've been trying," Emma admitted. "But you know he told me not to. I'll try again tonight."

Ashley let out a frustrated breath, slamming her phone onto the bed before dissolving into quiet sobs. Not because Emma hadn't called, but because the guilt was eating her alive.

She flopped onto the bed, her mind racing with regret, when a soft knock came from the door. She ignored it until a voice pleaded from the other side. With a heavy sigh, she got up and opened it.

"Are you still crying and blaming yourself, Ashley?"

Alex stood there, her arms open in comfort.

"Will I ever stop?" Ashley whispered as fresh tears welled in her eyes.

"You have to believe me, Ash. We will find her," Alex said, pulling her into a warm embrace.

"It's not that I don't believe you, Alex... I just feel like everything that happened is my fault," Ashley choked out. "If I hadn't invited Ara to Emma's birthday party, she wouldn't have been kidnapped. She wouldn't have ended up pregnant."

"Ash," Alex whispered, stroking her hair gently. "The deed is done. Accept the mistake and move forward. I promise you-we will find Ara. Together."

Tears pricked Alex's eyes as she spoke, but she tightened her lips, refusing to let them fall.

Ashley clung to her, fear making her grip tighter.

"But what if we don't? What if she's already-"

"There are no 'what ifs,' Ash," Alex interrupted firmly. "I believe she's alive. And you have to trust that, too."

---

### **Dragons – 7:30 PM**

The night was pitch black when Dragons returned from his workout, his face twisted in barely contained rage.

His fury wasn't just from the workout. No, it was from **her**.

Araya.

His grip tightened around his phone as he switched it on, tossing it onto the nightstand without a second glance. He had ignored her presence, unsure of what he felt for her anymore.

Frustration clawed at his insides. He swiftly changed into a towel and stepped into the bathroom, letting the cold water soothe his heated skin.

But even then, the thoughts of her refused to fade.

Since that night-the night he had leaned on her lap and poured out his heart-he hadn't been able to rest. The moment he woke up, tangled in her warmth, he had panicked. He had hidden it well, acting as if nothing had happened. But the guilt sat in his chest like a weight.

**What the hell was wrong with him?**

Needing air, he changed into casual shorts and a white t-shirt before heading outside.

The villa was eerily calm, the night air crisp and cool. He shoved his hands into his pockets, making his way toward the garden bench.

The sight was beautiful. Peaceful. But his mind was anything but peaceful.

**Why the fuck am I thinking about her this much?**

He seldom thought about women at all-never in the way he thought about Araya.

And that... that pissed him off.

---

### **Araya's POV**

I tenderly stroked my growing baby bump, my fingers trembling as I traced the barely noticeable curve. My heart clenched with pain. I never imagined I would carry a child born out of torment. A child whose father was the monster who had ruined me. But the baby had no fault in this. It was innocent. A part of me. The only piece of me that was still mine.

Tears welled up in my eyes as I hugged myself, trying to ignore the suffocating walls of the room that had been my prison. The memories clung to me like shadows I could never escape-the nights of pain, the stolen choices, the cruel smirk on his lips every time he reminded me I belonged to him.

But now, he had come to take the last thing I had left-my home.

The door slammed open.

I flinched.

Luciano walked in, his presence as suffocating as ever, but something was different. He was smiling. A slow, deliberate smirk that made my stomach twist.

"Hi," he greeted, his voice deceptively casual.

I took a step back, instinctively putting distance between us. But I knew better than to think I could ever escape him.

"I have a proposition for you, Araya."

My breath caught in my throat. I already knew whatever he was about to say would destroy me further.

"I'm not interested," I spat, my voice laced with venom.

His smirk only widened as he stepped closer, as if he enjoyed my resistance.

"What if I told you it concerns your freedom?"

I froze. My heart stuttered in my chest.

Freedom?

For a moment, I dared to hope. But then I saw the glint in his eyes-mockery, amusement. He was toying with me.

"What do you want from me?" My voice was barely above a whisper.

He sighed, shaking his head like he was dealing with a stubborn child. "I want you and your sister to leave New York forever. If you do that, I'll let you go."

I couldn't breathe. My body turned to ice as I processed his words.

"You want Ashley and me to leave New York? To disappear forever?" My voice cracked with disbelief.

His expression turned cold, the amusement vanishing. "Yes, Araya Kathryn Elizabeth Stewart."

I flinched at the way he spat my name like a curse.

Bainbridge was my home. The place where I had grown up with my parents and sister. It held every memory of my childhood, every moment of love before my life became a nightmare.

"I won't do it," I whispered, shaking my head violently.

Luciano chuckled darkly. "I thought you'd say that." He stepped even closer, his voice dropping to a lethal whisper. "So I've decided to trade you for your sister."

I gasped.

"What do you say, Araya?" His voice was taunting, merciless. "Would you like Ashley to go through the same fate as you?"

Rage burned in my veins, and before I knew it, my trembling hand pointed at him.

"Don't you dare touch my sister, Luciano."

His lips curled into a cruel smirk. "And who's going to stop me?" He leaned in, his breath hot against my skin. "I have a policy of picking the perfect one between two sisters. And I must say, Ashley seems like the better choice. Sweet. Naïve. Obedient."

"No..." I whispered, horror consuming me.

"Thirty seconds, Araya," he murmured. "Decide."

I shook my head, tears streaming down my face.

"Twenty."

A sob wracked my body.

"Ten."

My legs gave out beneath me, but before I hit the ground, I forced the words out.

"Okay! I'll go!" My voice cracked with defeat.

Luciano tilted his head, watching me crumble. "Say it properly."

I clenched my fists so tightly my nails dug into my skin. My lips trembled as I spoke the words that shattered my soul.

"I will leave Bainbridge and never return... just let Ashley go."

A flicker of something-something I didn't recognize-flashed in his eyes. But it was gone as quickly as it came.

His smirk returned, colder than ever.

"Smart choice, Araya," he said smoothly. "I'm sure your sister will understand."

I hated him. I had never loved him. And I never would.

Just when I thought he couldn't break me any further, he did.

---

### **Inside the Plane**

I leaned my head against the airplane window, staring blankly at the dark sky outside. My heart felt like it had been ripped from my chest.

Ashley was sleeping beside me, unaware of the choice I had made for her. I reached out and stroked her hair, trying to soothe the overwhelming grief clawing at my throat.

Everything had happened too fast.

I wasn't allowed to pack anything.

I wasn't allowed to say goodbye.

Emma. Alexa. Ash. Would they hate me for leaving? Would they ever understand?

Tears welled up again as I thought about Bainbridge-my home.

Gone.

Everything I had ever known... gone forever.

Luciano had won.

And I had lost everything.