The next morning.
Aurora was ripped from sleep by the shrill ringing of her phone. She groaned, blindly reaching for the device on the nightstand, her limbs heavy with exhaustion.
Who the hell was calling her this early?
Her blurry vision barely made out the name on the screen before she answered.
Dr. Maywell.
"Hello?" Aurora's voice was hoarse from disuse.
"Aurora, good morning."
There was something off about the way Maywell spoke. Calm, but almost too careful. Aurora's grogginess faded instantly.
She pushed herself up, heart thudding. "Dr. Maywell? Is something wrong?"
A pause.
Then, Maywell sighed. "I think you should come in. There's something we need to discuss."
Aurora stiffened. "What is it? Is it my test results?"
"Aurora, just come to the clinic. I'll explain everything when you get here."
Her chest tightened. "You're scaring me."
"It's nothing to be scared of, but it is important. Please. Come as soon as you can."
Aurora clutched the phone tighter. There was no point in arguing.
She exhaled slowly. "I'll be there soon."
"Good. I'll be waiting."
The call ended, and Aurora sat there, staring at the screen.
Something was definitely wrong. She climbed off the bed and hopped into the bathroom for a quick shower. Whatever it was Maywell found out, she hoped it wouldn't be as serious as she made it sound.
__
At the clinic. Aurora barely had time to knock on the office's door when it opened. Maywell appeared, "Hi." She said. Aurora went in, the weight of Maywell's seriousness started to dawn on her, "Is everything okay, Dr Caldwell?" Her voice contained a tiny bit of worry mixed with curiosity.
Maywell closed the door and went to sit behind her desk. "Aurora." She called, "How have you been feeling lately?"
Aurora blinked, she didn't understand the question, "Emotionally?"
"Physically."
"Well, I have-"
"Tell me, have you been feeling nauseated, any unusual fatigue?"
Aurora shrugged. "I mean, I've been tired, but that's just...everything, you know? The divorce, the stress."
Maywell hummed, making a note. "What about food aversions? Sensitivity to smells?"
Aurora sighed, rubbing her temples. "I don't know, Dr Caldwell. Maybe? I haven't really been paying attention."
Maywell pursed her lips. "And your last cycle?"
Aurora's brows furrowed. "It's been a little irregular, but it's always been like that when I'm stressed. Why are you asking all this?"
Maywell set her pen down and folded her hands together. She took a deep breath before finally saying,
"Aurora... you're pregnant."
For a moment, Aurora's world went dark.
She stared at Maywell, the words echoing in her ears.
Pregnant?
Her throat was dry, her heartbeat thundering in her chest. She shook her head slightly. "No. That's not..." She let out a weak laugh. "That's not possible."
Maywell's expression remained steady. "I ran the tests twice. You're about four weeks along."
Aurora sprang up from her seat, "But that's not possible, Dr Caldwell. You know that. I can't... I can't have children."
Maywell stood up as well, walking towards her, "Aurora. Perhaps one of those ways we tried during the past six years worked out?"
Aurora lowered her head as she rubbed her nape. Pregnant? Pregnant? Now? Where has the pregnancy been all this time? For the past six years she felt unworthy of Damian's love. Victor blacklisted her for this reason, not acknowledging her presence whenever he visited, always shutting down her opinion whenever she spoke up.
"Someone who's having trouble giving me a grandchild shouldn't have any opinion." He always said. Sometimes he would tell her outright, "Give me a grandchild before opening your mouth."
Maywell watched her for a while, "Aurora? Are you okay?" She asked.
"I'm pregnant." She whispered, "I'm pregnant with Damian's child."
"Children." Maywell corrected, "You're pregnant with twins." Aurora's eyes flew wide, "Twins?"
Maywell nodded with a smile, "That's right. You have two lives depending on you now. You're not alone, Aurora."
"I'm not alone." She repeated, a smile tugging at her lips. But those smiles faded when she thought about Damian. "But Damian should know, shouldn't he?" Then her mind went to Victor, "No. Damian cannot know." She immediately decided, "He's already married to Selene. I saw it on the news. Victor won't be happy if I try to involve myself in their lives. Hell, he might even kill me. He's that ruthless."
Maywell's eyes widened a bit. "Then what are you gonna do?"
Aurora looked at her, determination now burning in her eyes, "I have to leave the city. As long as I'm here, I'll never be able to move on in peace. My kids deserve a fresh start."
"I see. I respect your decision, Aurora. Infact..." Maywell walked back to her desk and opened up her laptop, "I might be able to help you out. Your children would be in danger if Victor Blackwood ever finds out about them, yes?"
Aurora nodded, "He won't allow anything to interfere with Damian's marriage because Selene comes from a billionaire family."
"Then I'll erase every trace of your medical records. That way, they can't find you even if they try to."
"Dr Caldwell. Doesn't that go against the rules?" Aurora asked in concern.
"Yes. But if it's to protect a close friend, then I'm willing to bend the rules a little. I'll also draw up a nutritional draft so you can eat healthy and take care of your babies."
Aurora smiled, "Dr Caldwell... Are you really going to go that far for me?"
"Oh, I'm not done." Maywell said with a calm smile. "You mentioned leaving the city? Well, I have a place you can stay in another city. Far away from all this. It's quiet, I think you could need some of that."
Aurora sighed, "I can't thank you enough, Dr Caldwell." She reached out to Maywell for a hug and she accepted it gladly. Aurora never felt so thankful. Amidst all the chaos and betrayal, she was glad to still have a friend who looks out for her.
__
She went back to the hotel to pack up her stuff, she had a clear vision of what she wants to do now. But first, she needed to leave the city for there was no place for her here anymore.
She checked out of the hotel minutes later and left.
__
Moments after Aurora walked out of the hotel, a sleek black car pulled up in front of the entrance. The back door opened, and Damian Blackwood stepped out.
His sharp gaze swept across the building as he walked into the reception area. The receptionist straightened nervously as he approached.
"Aurora Sinclair," He said in his usual deep, commanding tone. "What room is she in?"
The receptionist hesitated before replying, "I'm sorry, Mr. Blackwood, but Ms. Sinclair checked out about fifteen minutes ago."
Damian's jaw tensed. He stood there for a moment, silent.
His driver, standing a few steps behind him, spoke cautiously. "Do you want us to look for her, sir?"
Damian exhaled slowly, rubbing his fingers against his temple. He knew Aurora well enough, if she didn't want to be found, she wouldn't be.
After a long pause, he shook his head. "No."
He turned on his heel and walked back toward the car. As he slid into the back seat, he muttered, "I have to meet Selene at the airport."
At the airport.
Damian stepped out of the car, adjusting the cuffs of his tailored suit as he scanned the bustling airport entrance. Among the crowd, his eyes landed on Selene Davenport, now Blackwood, standing with her designer luggage, dressed impeccably in a white summer dress. She looked every bit the perfect billionaire's wife, elegant, poised, and entirely self-assured.
The moment she saw him, her lips curled into a knowing smile. "Finally," She said dramatically, closing the distance between them. Without hesitation, she looped her arms around his neck and pulled him into a long, lingering kiss.
When she finally pulled away, her cunning blue eyes studied his face. "And here I thought our honeymoon would be canceled." She pouted slightly, though her voice carried suspicion. "What took you so long? What urgent business were you handling?"
Damian's expression remained unreadable. "It's nothing," He said smoothly. "Let's go."
She tilted her head, watching him closely as if she could read between the lines. But before she could push further, he took her hand, intertwining their fingers, and led her toward the airport entrance.
Selene smirked, satisfied for now. "Good," She murmured as they stepped inside. "Because I'd hate for you to be distracted when we have a whole island to ourselves."
Damian didn't respond. Instead, he kept walking, his grip on her hand firm but his mind elsewhere. No matter how hard he tried to push it away, the image of Aurora's tear-streaked face lingered in his thoughts...
