Everything Is Going According To Plan

~ Aurora ~

I never thought I'd be sitting in a boardroom, dressed in a sleek black suit, giving orders to some of the most powerful men in Sweden.

If someone had told me five years ago that I would be the director of a multimillion-dollar company, I would've laughed in their face.

But here I am—Aurora Rhysanders, not the weak, broken girl I used to be.

Five years ago, I was nothing.

A pawn in a dangerous game.

Married off to Daemon Caelestis-Medallion, a man who barely looked at me, much less cared for me.

I was nineteen, overweight, insecure, and desperate to please my family.

The Andreas family had used me as a bargaining chip, a tool to secure their business alliance with the Caelestis-Medallions.

The day I ran away was the day my old life ended.

I had been drowning—figuratively and literally.

Hit by a truck and thrown into a river, I had been on the brink of death, and it had felt almost peaceful.

Almost.

Until I remembered what I had to live for.

My unborn child.

I wasn't ready to give up.

I wanted revenge.

I wanted justice.

I had begged for another chance, and somehow, the universe granted it.

I woke up in the hospital, and everything was different.

My body was still mine, but I had been given a second chance to rewrite my fate.

It wasn't long before I made my escape.

I left the Caelestis-Medallion estate, and I never looked back.

That's when the Rhysanders came into my life.

A Swedish multimillionaire family, they took me and my kids in as if we were their own.

Tristan, their only son, was the one who found me first.

He saved me—literally and figuratively. With his help, I rebuilt myself from the ground up.

"You've worked hard, Aurora. You deserve everything you've built here," Tristan said, his eyes locked onto mine as we sat together in his office.

I smiled at him, my heart warm with gratitude. "I couldn't have done it without you, Tristan."

His gaze softened, and for a moment, I saw the affection there.

I knew how he felt about me, but I couldn't bring myself to let anyone in—not yet.

"I'll always be here for you," he said, his voice low and full of promise. "Whatever you need, you know that."

Tristan had become more than just my adoptive brother.

He was my protector, my confidant, and maybe, in some ways, my salvation.

But I wasn't ready to explore what was between us. I had too much to do—too many demons to fight.

I had spent five years preparing for this moment.

Five years of raising my triplets—leocardius, lysander, leonardo—while building my empire.

I had lost the weight, transformed my body, and gotten the plastic surgery I needed to erase every trace of the girl I used to be.

No one would recognize me now. I had made sure of that.

"Are you ready for the meeting?" Tristan asked, interrupting my thoughts.

I nodded, standing up from my chair. "More than ready."

We made our way to the boardroom, where we were set to meet with one of our Swedish business partners.

I didn't think much of it at first—it was supposed to be just another meeting.

Another step toward solidifying our company's dominance.

But the moment I stepped into the room, everything changed.

He was there.

Daemon Caelestis-Medallion.

My husband.

The man I had left behind without a trace.

My heart raced, but I kept my composure, my face a mask of calm indifference.

He didn't recognize me at first.

Why would he? I was no longer the fat, insecure girl he had forced himself on all those years ago.

I was different now. Stronger. Beautiful, even.

But then I saw his eyes land on the birthmark just above my collarbone—the one thing that hadn't changed.

His eyes widened in shock, and I knew. He knew.

"Aurora?" His voice was low, filled with disbelief.

I turned to face him fully, my expression unreadable. "Daemon."

For a moment, there was silence.

The tension in the room was palpable.

Tristan's hand brushed against mine under the table, a silent reminder that I wasn't alone. I was never alone anymore.

"You're alive," Daemon said, his voice strained. "You—"

"I'm alive," I confirmed, cutting him off. "And I have your children. Triplets."

His eyes darkened, anger flickering across his face. "Why didn't you tell me?"

I shrugged, my expression cold. "You didn't care then. Why should I have told you?"

His jaw clenched, and I could see the rage building inside him. "You have no right to keep them from me."

"I have every right," I shot back, my voice sharp. "I raised them. I protected them. You weren't there. You never were."

He stood abruptly, his fists clenched at his sides. "They're mine too, Aurora. You can't just run away and hide them from me. I'll take them back if I have to."

At that, Tristan rose to his feet, his gaze hard. "You won't take anything from her."

Daemon's eyes shifted to Tristan, and I saw the recognition dawn in his expression.

He knew who Tristan was—the CEO of the Rhysanders, the man who now stood by my side.

The man who loved me.

"Stay out of this," Daemon growled, stepping toward Tristan.

"I won't let you threaten her," Tristan replied, his voice low and dangerous. "You don't deserve her or your children."

Daemon lunged at him, and before I could react, the two men were locked in a vicious fight. Fists flew, and I could hear the grunts of pain as they exchanged blows.

My heart pounded in my chest, panic rising as I watched them tear into each other.

"Stop it!" I shouted, rushing forward. "Both of you, stop!"

I grabbed Tristan's arm, pulling him away from Daemon.

He looked at me, his eyes filled with fury, but he didn't resist.

Daemon, on the other hand, stood there, panting and glaring at me like I was the villain in this story.

"You're coming back with me," Daemon said, his voice a low growl. "You and the kids. We're going home."

I shook my head, my expression defiant. "I'm not going anywhere with you. My home is here."

He took a step toward me, his eyes blazing with anger. "You think you can just walk away from me? From the Caelestis-Medallions? I'll take the children if I have to."

Tristan stepped in front of me, shielding me from Daemon's wrath. "You'll have to go through me first."

I placed a hand on Tristan's arm, my voice calm but firm. "Tristan, it's okay."

He looked at me, confusion in his eyes. "But—"

"It's okay," I repeated, giving him a small smile. "I'll fly back to NewYork soon, we'll talk then."

Daemon's eyes narrowed, suspicion creeping into his expression. "You will?"

I didn't answer him.

Instead, I turned to Tristan and gently pulled him away from the fight.

"Let's go," I said softly.

Tristan hesitated for a moment but then nodded, following me out of the boardroom.

As we left, I glanced back at Daemon, my lips curling into a secretive smile.

Everything is going according to plan.

He didn't know what was coming.

This was only the beginning.