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"What if she gets us killed?" someone snapped in Italian. The room went silent. Then Andrei said, low and lethal, "She's the reason people already died." I froze in the hallway, fingers clenched. I thought they hated me because I was weak. Because I was quiet. Because I didn't belong. Turns out, they hated me because I did. "She's not like us," one of them scoffed. "No," Andrei replied, voice dark. "She's exactly like us." They didn't know I was listening. They didn't see my knees shake. I was raised by violence. By hunger. By learning how to survive without love. While my bl00dline ruled territories I never knew existed. At dinner, Jace sneered, "Sit down, orphan." I almost corrected him. Almost told him— I wasn't abandoned. I was hidden. And when the truth comes out, this family will never look at me the same way again. Chapter 1 Aurora's POV The belt hits my back again. I bite back my tears as they threaten to spill. I don't cry. Not anymore. I've learned that crying makes it worse. So I bite the inside of my cheek, focus on the cracks in the kitchen floor, and wait for it to be over. "You worthless little br//@t," M0m spits. "Always late. Always slow. Is it that hard to put some f-///cking breakfast on the table!" "We come down expecting breakfast to be ready," says her boyfriend. I can't remember which one. Finally when they think they've done enough, they leave, tripping over themselves. I sigh. I pull my hoodie over my head. It's old, frayed, two sizes too big. But it hides the bruises. And that's all I care about. By the time I step outside, the sun is already up. It's warm, but I still shiver. Not from the cold. From everything else. School is just as much of a h311 as home is. If you can call that prison a home. The moment I step into the hallway, I hear her voice. "Well, well. Look who decided to show her face." Tiffany. Pretty. Perfect. Cruel. Her glossy lips curve into a smirk as she eyes me from head to toe. I lower my head. Keep walking.
