Chapter 2

As soon as she entered, all eyes in the private room instinctively turned to her. As if to confirm his earlier words, Flynn set down his empty glass and coldly called her over. He ordered, "Pour me a drink." Aurora picked up the bottle. Then, she heard Flynn say, "Do it while kneeling on the floor." Flynn was publicly humiliating Aurora by asking her to kneel and pour him a drink in front of so many people. Aurora was silent for just one second before she knelt down as instructed and poured the drink. When she was done, she handed the glass to Flynn. While handing him the drink, she couldn't help but glance at the red beauty mark beneath his eye. Flynn had an uninhibited look, especially with the mark under his eye which added a hint of devilish handsomeness to his features. However, he disliked people staring at the mark on his face. When he noticed Aurora's gaze, he scowled. Aurora sensed his displeasure and lowered her head immediately. Next, Stellan casually motioned for her to come over. He was also very handsome, but his looks were completely different from Flynn's. He was good-looking in a classic and refined sense. His eyes, which were a striking shade of green, could make anyone fall into a daze with a single glance. Nevertheless, he was a frivolous person who cared for no one except Danica. Stellan held a lit cigar between his fingers as he stared down at Aurora. He lightly flicked the ashes off his cigar, and Aurora immediately understood what he meant. She stared into Stellan's eyes, opened her palms, and held them out to him. He unceremoniously pressed the cigar into her palm to extinguish it. The searing pain spread through her hand, causing Aurora to bite her lip. Her face turned pale as she held back a cry. A burn mark formed on her palm in no time. Stellan laughed callously and remarked, "Dani had a scar on her hand. You resemble her more this way." The onlookers found the way he treated Aurora hard to stomach. But still, Aurora didn't utter a single word of complaint. Finally, Taylor said nothing. But Aurora instinctively walked to his side and waited for his instructions. He was the most composed of the three, with unbelievably handsome features that made him stand out in any crowd. Yet, he was always aloof as if he looked down on everything in the world. Aurora stared at his face, lost in thought, and accidentally knocked over a bottle of wine. Glass shards scattered everywhere, and a few drops of wine splashed onto Taylor's expensive shoes. Taylor didn't get angry. He casually said, "Clean it up." Aurora knew him well enough. Even though the floor was covered in glass, she knelt down without hesitation. Despite the sharp pain piercing her knees, she pulled out a handkerchief and carefully wiped his shoes clean. When she stood up, her white dress was stained with blood. "It's clean now." Everyone couldn't help but feel impressed by Aurora's tenacity after witnessing the harsh treatment that was inflicted upon her. "No wonder you've managed to stick around." "Today was an eye-opener for me." "She has gone beyond a substitute—she's practically an obedient dog. If it were me, I wouldn't want to let her go either." Aurora remained silent. She ignored sarcastic comments directed at her and continued to focus solely on serving Taylor, Stellan, and Flynn. By the time the gathering ended, it was already late at night. Aurora, exhausted and barely holding on, was pushed into a car by Taylor and taken home. The next day was Monday, so it was Taylor's turn to have Aurora. Soon, they arrived at Taylor's villa. The household staff, who were already familiar with Aurora, weren't surprised to see her injuries. They skillfully bandaged her up without making any comments. After taking a shower, Aurora put on the clothes Danica used to wear as usual. She then walked into the familiar art studio. Over the years, Taylor would have Aurora mimic Danica as closely as possible whenever he brought her to his villa. He would make her wear clothes that Danica liked, put on makeup in her style, and pretend to be her. Aurora was asked to sit in front of the easel and draw. Taylor would watch her from the side. Sometimes, he just sat there and watched her for an entire day. Occasionally, he would lean in to kiss her neck, but he always called her by Danica's name. Whenever he became passionate, Aurora would gaze at his face longingly. She would even reach out to touch him. Once, Taylor grabbed her hand. When their eyes met, he saw the deep affection in hers. He paused for a moment and sneered, "Do you love me?" Aurora didn't deny it. She gazed at him affectionately and said, "Of course, with a face like yours… How could I not?" Taylor scoffed and threw her aside. He didn't care about Aurora's feelings. After all, she was just a stand-in, so her feelings were cheap and unnecessary to him. This time, Aurora sat down in the art studio as usual. However, when she picked up the paintbrush, she accidentally pressed too hard and snapped the brush that once belonged to Danica into half. Taylor walked in just in time to see this. His expression darkened instantly. Aurora quickly stood up and apologized, "I'm sorry, I—" Before she could finish, Taylor held her by the neck and choked her. His eyes were full of rage as he yelled, "Have I been too good to you that you've forgotten your place? How dare you break her things?" "I'm sorry… I… I didn't mean to…" Aurora struggled to squeeze out those words. Taylor tightened his grip, making it even more difficult for her to breathe. His anger didn't fade in the slightest. He squeezed her neck with such force that it seemed he might really kill her over a broken brush. Just when Aurora thought she might actually die, Taylor finally released her. With a loud thud, she was thrown to the ground mercilessly. Taylor turned his back on her and walked out, slamming the door behind him. "Lock her in the art studio for two days and don't give her any food!" he barked at the maids.