Trapped by Seven Mafia Wolves novel Chapter 88

**TITLE: Stars Refuse To Blink by Asa River Knox**
**CONTENT: Burning In Hell**

**Aurora’s POV**

As dawn broke the next day, after bidding farewell to Liam and Mia, I found myself standing before the roster that was affixed to the gym wall. The brightness of the morning light struggled to penetrate the heavy veil of exhaustion that clung to my eyelids, and I blinked furiously, attempting to dispel the weariness that threatened to consume me.

I made it.

I made JV 2. The realization washed over me like a wave, leaving me breathless. My lips parted in disbelief, a silent gasp escaping as I scanned the list once more, my fingers trembling with a mix of excitement and apprehension. There it was—my name, bold and undeniable. Aurora Russo. For once, I felt seen, not merely a shadow drifting through the hallways of high school.

A small, shaky smile crept onto my lips, a fragile bloom in the midst of my tumultuous thoughts.

But then, the moment shattered like glass.

The sound of footsteps echoed ominously through the hallway—heavy, deliberate, filled with a simmering rage that sent a chill racing down my spine.

“What the fuck are you smiling at, you bitch?” Savina’s voice sliced through the air, sharp and unforgiving. I turned to face her, just as her hand slammed against the list on the wall, the sound reverberating in my ears like a death knell. Behind her stood not just her two shadowy companions who had tried out, but her entire entourage, each one radiating an aura of menace, as if they were ready to ignite chaos at her command.

“You really think you deserve a spot on the team?” she spat, venom dripping from every word. “You thought you could stand where I stand?” My mouth opened, but the words faltered, fear constricting my throat.

“I didn’t… I didn’t try to—”

Before I could finish, her hand struck my face with the force of a whip, and the world tilted dangerously. Pain exploded across my skin, a fiery brand that marked my humiliation.

They seized me, pulling me away from the bustling hallway, dragging me behind the gym, far from prying eyes and the faintest chance of rescue. The air grew thick with silence, a forgotten corner where the light seemed to dim. One of them gripped my arms with a vice-like hold, while another rummaged through her bag, pulling out a curling iron, its cord snaking like a serpent, plugged into a portable battery.

“No. No!”

“Please—” I begged, twisting and thrashing, desperation coursing through me. “Please don’t—don’t—”

Savina’s smile was a cruel curve, sharp as a knife. “Scream if you want, bitch. No one’s coming for you.”

The heat radiated from the curling iron, a harbinger of the torment to come.

Then it touched my skin.

I screamed.

**Chapter 20**

The sound tore through me like a blade slicing flesh. My body convulsed, spasms wracking me as the burn seared into my very being, molten agony coursing through my veins. Again. Again. They pressed it against my side, my back, my legs, each contact igniting a new wave of torment.

I fought, thrashing wildly, but their grips only tightened, unyielding. For a moment, I felt myself slip away, the edges of my consciousness blurring.

When I blinked back to reality, I was sprawled on the ground, blood trickling from my lip where I had bitten down, my limbs feeling like jelly, as if they belonged to someone else. My mind was desperate to escape, to float away from this hellish reality.

But it was far from over. Someone kicked me, the impact jolting me back to the present.

“You’re nothing,” one of them hissed, her voice dripping with contempt. “A little stray mutt pretending to be one of us.”

The next strike hit my ribs, and my mind snapped back into focus.

I’m not here. I’m not at school. I’m—I’m back in that house. That room. That night. My mother’s boyfriend had me pinned, his hands twisting my wrists until they broke, my cries echoing in the empty space. My mother stood there, a silent witness, her gaze distant and unfocused, a drink in her hand.

Her eyes were wide and dilated, a mix of fear and indifference.

“Shouldn’t have made him mad,” she screamed at me, her voice laced with venom. “You’re always starting shit, you stupid brat.”

Another kick landed, and I screamed, the sound tearing from my throat like a wounded animal.

I’m back here. Back now.

The torment ended only when they had drained their fill of cruelty, leaving me broken enough to sate whatever darkness lurked beneath their polished exteriors. They abandoned me behind the gym, a discarded remnant of a human being—trash, a quivering, sobbing heap on the dirt.

My vision was a blur, smeared with tears, blood, and the overwhelming weight of pain.

I gasped, trembling, pleading silently for it to stop. My phone was somewhere nearby; I had to find it.

I crawled forward, dragging my battered body with every ounce of remaining strength. There it was—just beyond a shattered water bottle, my bag lay spilled open, its contents strewn across the ground.

I reached out, my fingers slipping on the rough surface. I tried again, and this time, I grasped it.

Tears blurred the screen as I unlocked it, my thumb trembling as I pressed it against the glass.

I didn’t know how I was still alive, how I was still breathing.

Every inch of my body felt ablaze. The memories of the curling iron, the echoes of her screams, my own cries—they all melded into a cacophony of agony. My skin was blistered, torn, and my arms shook as I crawled through the chaos of scattered papers and ripped fabric.

I was cold. Shaking. Bleeding.

I couldn’t stop crying.

VERIFYCAPTCHA_LABELVerify