Aurora's Gambit: Defying Destiny

Chapter 28

Visitors

Aurora's POV

I returned to the de Fidellis mansion.

The estate loomed in the distance, just as grand and imposing as I remembered. Dito sa mansyon na to nanirahan si Kinara sa loob ng maraming mga taon. This was where she had been raised, broken, and reforged into the person she was up until I took over this body.

Automatic na bumukas ang mga gate nang dumating ang sasakyang sinasakyan ko. I bet my people had already updated the security system to recognize me as its new master. Everything was the same, yet everything felt different.

Bumaba na ako sa sasakyan at pagtapak ko sa labas ay marahang tumunog ang takong ng suot suot kong heels sa semento. As I walked towards the entrance of the mansion, a sudden weight settled in my chest. I stopped midway, my gaze lifting towards the night sky. The stars shimmered above, distant and eternal, as if indifferent to the battles fought beneath them.

"Here we are, Kinara. I finally took back what was rightfully yours," bulong ko, halos hindi marinig ang sariling tinig.

A lump formed in my throat as I exhaled slowly. Something about this felt wrong. I had done everything she never could—I had avenged her, stripped her enemies of their power, and reclaimed what they stole. But why was I the one standing here instead of her? Bakit ako ang inilagay ng tadhana sa posisyong ito? The original Kinara should have seen the downfall of her fake family with her own eyes.

"Nasaan ka ba talaga, Kinara?" bulong ko ulit. "Why am I here instead of you? This is supposed to be your life."

For a brief moment, I let myself feel the weight of it all. The cool night air kissed my skin as the stars shimmered in the vast sky. It was overwhelming—this victory, this reclamation of something stolen. Hindi ako emosyonal na pagkatao. As an agent, I was trained to handle my emotions, because emotions can put my life into danger and can compromise the missions that were given to me. I wasn't one to get sentimental, but tonight, just for a second, I allowed myself to feel.

Then, with a deep breath, I straightened my posture and stepped forward. Whatever the reason for my transmigration, I would find out soon. Everything would unfold in time, and when it did, I would be ready.

I stepped inside, my heels clicking against the marble floors.

Nandoon pa rin ang mga portrait ni Phoebe, tila isang aninong hindi mawala-wala. Lumingon ako sa head butler.  "Take them down. Every single one. I want them burned by morning."

Agad namang nagsikilos ang mga maid na nakasunod sa amin. 

Si Philip, na sumunod sa akin papasok, ay ipinagkrus ang mga braso. "Are you sure you want to live here again?"

I exhaled slowly, staring at the grand staircase where Kinara had once bled, cried, and endured. "I'm not here to relive the past. I'm here to rewrite it," makahulugang sagot ko sa kanya. Wala namang problema sa akin ang pagtira rito. It is convenient, actually. Mas lalo akong makakakilos dito sa mga pinaplano ko dahil malapit dito yung secret base ng mga magulang ni Kinara. I should use that place well. 

I moved through the mansion, taking in every corner, every piece of furniture, every shadow that had once tormented this body. The grand chandeliers still gleamed, their crystals reflecting the dim golden light. The long hallways stretched endlessly, their walls lined with paintings of Phoebe and her husband and son. What an eyesore.

"Remove these paintings. They do not deserve a spot in this house," utos ko sa mga katulong an sumusunod sa amin na agad naman nilang sinunod. Bukas na lang ako maghahanap ng mga painting na ipapalit diyan.