Aurora held her breath as she stared into János's eyes, searching for the truth he seemed so reluctant to share. Her mind raced with possibilities, each more unsettling than the last. The man she had loved for so long was hiding something, something that could jeopardise the fragile happiness they had just found.
She sat up, pulling the blanket around her shoulders, needing that small barrier between them to think clearly.
"János," she said, her voice steady despite the storm within her, "if you love me, if you truly want us to move forward, you must tell me the truth. No more half-answers. I can't live with shadows between us."
János's jaw tightened, his hands clenching into fists at his sides.
"It's not that simple, Aurora. If I tell you everything, it might put you in danger. I came back because I couldn't stay away from you any longer, but… there are people—people I crossed—who could use this against me. Against us."
Aurora's pulse quickened, but her resolve only strengthened.
"You don't get to make that decision for me," she said firmly. "You came back into my life, János. You kissed me, held me, and promised me a future. If there's a risk, I deserve to know. You owe me that."
János's gaze dropped to the floor, the weight of her words sinking in. After a long silence, he spoke, his voice heavy with regret.
"Before I left… before everything fell apart, I got involved with a group of people who promised to help me build a better life for us. But their price was higher than I realised. I made promises—dangerous ones. And when I couldn't keep them, I had to disappear."
Aurora felt her stomach twist.
"Who are these people, János? What do they want from you now?"
He looked up at her, his eyes filled with anguish.
"They want what I couldn't give them then—loyalty, compliance. And now that I'm back, they've found me. I thought I could outsmart them, keep them at bay, but I underestimated how far they'd go. They're watching me, Aurora. Watching us."
Aurora's blood ran cold, but her voice remained steady.
"What do they want you to do? What does this mean for us?"
János reached for her hand, his touch trembling.
"It means we have to be careful. I don't want to lose you again, Aurora. But I can't let them hurt you, either. If it comes to that, I'll do whatever it takes to keep you safe."
Aurora pulled her hand away, standing and pacing the room.
"You can't protect me by keeping me in the dark, János. That's not how this works. We need to face this together, or it'll destroy us."
János stood as well, his face etched with desperation.
"I know. And I swear, I'll tell you everything. But for now, we need time—time to figure out our next move, time to prepare for what's coming."
Aurora stopped and turned to him, her heart heavy with conflicting emotions.
"Then promise me this: no more lies, no more secrets. If we're going to fight this, we fight it together. Otherwise, I don't know if we can survive this."
János stepped closer, his hands gently cupping her face.
"I promise, Aurora. No more lies. No more secrets."
As he kissed her again, Aurora felt both hope and trepidation. The love between them was strong, but the shadows of János's past loomed large. Whatever lay ahead, they would have to face it together—or risk losing everything.