Tiana's voice comes in, softer now. "Aurora. You know you can talk to us, right? Even with Chloe going full emergency broadcast over there — we're here. Whatever it is."
Chloe, to her credit, visibly pulls herself back. Takes a breath and nods.
That's what breaks me open.
"Everything is so messed up," I say quietly. The words come out smaller than I intended. "I keep thinking I'm going to wake up. Like, at some point, the universe is going to correct itself, and this is going to stop being real." I exhale. "I’m engaged to my nightmare."
Both of them go still.
"Who? Who is it?" Tiana's voice is careful. "Who are you engaged to?"
I take a breath. "Leo."
Chloe's face goes white. "Leo. As in—Leo from Kingston? The bastard who—"
"Yeah. That Leo. And his real name is Leo Santego."
"The one who assaulted you?" Her voice rises. "The one you had arrested?"
"My father doesn't know about that." I say it carefully, the way you handle something sharp. "And I don't — I don't know if it would change anything if he did. That's the part that scares me most. That he might know and still—" I stop.
"Aurora." Tiana's voice is very careful. "You cannot marry him."
"I know that."
"Then—"
"I know that, Tiana. I know it like I know how to breathe. It doesn't change what's happening." I press my palm flat against my knee, feel the sting of it, and focus. "There's more. There's — I need to tell you the rest of it, and I need you not to say anything until I'm done because I can only get through it once."
Both of them go quiet.
"Remember the guy from the club? My bucket list guy. Silver hair."
Chloe's eyes go wide already. She remembers.
"His name is Axel Santego." I watch that land. Watch Chloe's mouth open. Hold up a hand before she can speak. "Leo's father. I’m pregnant, and the baby I'm carrying is his. And right now all three of us are living under the same roof while my father plans a wedding."
Silence.
Then Chloe makes a sound that is not quite a word. More like all the words happening at once and none of them making it out.
"I know," I say.
"AURORA—"
"I know."
"This is—" Tiana shakes her head. "This is insane. Aurora, this is actually insane."
"I know."
"Does Axel know?" Chloe asks. "That the baby's his?"
"Yes. He figured it out at the engagement party."
"And he's just—what? Letting you marry his son?"
"He arranged it." The admission hurts. "Before he knew it was me. He went to my father and proposed the marriage arrangement. For Leo."
