Mark had vanished through the window like a ghost in the night, but the echo of his words lingered in the room. Aurora sat still for a while, hands trembling as they rested on her bump, her breathing ragged from the storm of emotions whirling inside her. The tears wouldn't stop.
"I wasn't going to talk to you…"
That line hit her like a punch to the chest. She didn't even know when she let out a sob.
Kim didn't need a second invitation. She wrapped her arms around her daughter protectively. "I'm here," she whispered, gently stroking her hair. "You're safe. You're not alone."
"But why does it still feel like he has me wrapped around his finger?" Aurora's voice cracked. "Why do I want to scream at him and kiss him all at the same time?" Kim looked down at her daughter so strong, yet so broken. "Because you still love him. And as much as you try to hate him, your heart hasn't moved on."
Silence filled the room until Kim finally asked, "Did you know he got help from Ross?" Aurora's brows furrowed. "Ross? Dad's security commander?" Kim nodded. "Apparently, Mark bribed him or threatened him I'm not sure. All I know is that he got Ross to unlock the south side access gate. That's how he got in unnoticed."
Aurora's eyes widened. "That means… he's been planning this." Kim nodded. "He came for you, Aurora. You may hate his methods, but you can't ignore the desperation in his eyes. I think he's at his limit."
Aurora bit her lower lip, replaying everything. The kiss. His trembling hands. The look of a man unraveling. For a moment, she'd almost melted until reality slapped her back.
"I just don't know what to believe anymore," she whispered. "Everyone wants me to be strong, but my strength is running out."
Kim sighed and pulled the blanket over them. "Then let me be your strength for now. You don't have to figure everything out tonight. Just rest, my love. I'm here."
They lay in silence for a while, mother and daughter curled up, the night stretching its heavy arms around them. Outside, thunder rolled faintly in the distance, as if the skies themselves mourned the wreckage left behind by love.
Meanwhile…
Ross stood by his post at the Riverson perimeter, sweat dotting his forehead. He hated bending rules, especially ones that involved William's daughter. But Mark had called in a debt one Ross owed from a past life before the mansion, before the riches.
"He said he wouldn't hurt her," Ross muttered to himself. "He just wanted a moment." A moment that had turned into chaos. The next morning, Kim refused to leave Aurora's side. She sent instructions for breakfast to be delivered upstairs and had the entire wing locked down. William hadn't returned from his business trip, and that gave her time—time to clean up the mess before it got out of hand.
As the sun rose over the estate, Aurora opened her eyes slowly, her head resting against her mother's shoulder. She didn't say anything. She didn't need to. Kim just smiled softly. "We'll get through this. I promise."