The fluorescent lights of the New York-Presbyterian emergency room buzzed with a relentless, sterile hum.
Aurora sat on a hard plastic chair in the waiting area. Both of her hands were wrapped tightly around the grip of her white cane, her chin resting on her knuckles.
A doctor in blue scrubs walked out of the double doors and stopped in front of her.
"Mrs. Sweeney?" he asked gently.
Aurora lifted her head, staring blankly at his chest. "Yes. How is my husband?"
"He's stable," the doctor said, checking his tablet. "His fever spiked dangerously high due to extreme physical exhaustion combined with a severe stress response. We've administered antipyretics and IV fluids. He's sleeping now."
Aurora let out a long, shaky breath. The tight knot in her chest finally loosened. She nodded, thanking the doctor, and prepared to stand up to handle the admission paperwork.
Then, she heard it.
The sharp, aggressive click-clack of designer heels hitting the linoleum floor. It was accompanied by the heavy, suffocating scent of Chanel No. 5.
Aurora froze. She slowly sank back into the plastic chair. She lowered her chin, letting her eyes lose all focus, staring emptily at the floor tiles.
Eleanor Morrow, her adoptive mother, marched down the hallway. She wore a tailored Chanel suit, her face set in a mask of aristocratic disgust.
Right behind her walked Hilary, glowing with a smug, victorious smile, and Jaren, who was carrying a luxury gift bag from a high-end maternity boutique.
Eleanor stopped right in front of Aurora. She let out a loud, theatrical sigh.
"Aurora, darling," Eleanor said, her voice dripping with fake pity.
Aurora tilted her head up, acting as if she was trying to locate the source of the sound. "Mother?"
Hilary stepped forward, wrapping both of her arms possessively around Jaren's bicep. "Hi, Rory," Hilary chirped, her voice sickeningly sweet.
Jaren cleared his throat. He looked down at Aurora with a mixture of pity and annoyance. "Is that homeless trash you married finally dying?" he asked.
Aurora's fingers tightened around her cane. "He just has a fever, Jaren. Thank you for your concern."
Eleanor scoffed loudly. She unclasped her Birkin bag, pulled out a thick stack of legal documents, and tossed them carelessly onto the empty plastic chair next to Aurora. The papers slapped against the plastic with a sharp smack.
"Let's stop wasting time," Eleanor commanded. "This is a voluntary share transfer agreement. Sign it."
Aurora kept her face perfectly blank. "Transferring my shares in the Russo Group? Why would I do that?"
"Because you are blind, Aurora," Eleanor said, her tone turning vicious. "You are a liability. The board cannot have a disabled woman holding ten percent of the company. It's bad for the optics of our upcoming funding round. You need to surrender them for the good of the family."
A cold, bitter laugh bubbled up in Aurora's throat, but she swallowed it down. She forced her lower lip to tremble. "After everything I've done for the company, you're just throwing me away?"
Hilary giggled. She let go of Jaren and stepped closer to Aurora. She placed her hand flat against her own stomach, a gesture she knew Aurora couldn't supposedly see, but one she performed for her own twisted satisfaction.
Hilary leaned down, her lips brushing close to Aurora's ear. "I'm pregnant, Rory," she whispered maliciously. "Jaren and I are having a baby. The Sweeney family needs a clean, perfect heir. Not a blind aunt who reminds everyone of a tragedy. You need to disappear."
Aurora's breath hitched. Her eyes darted to Hilary's flat stomach for a fraction of a second before snapping back to empty space. Her stomach churned violently.
Jaren stepped closer. He reached out, his hand moving toward Aurora's face, trying to stroke her hair like he used to when she was his obedient fiancé.
"We'll make sure you have an allowance, Aurora," Jaren said softly. "Just sign the papers."
The smell of his cologne hit her nose. The memory of him in bed with Hilary flashed in her mind.
Aurora's body reacted before her mind could stop it. She violently shoved her chair back. The metal legs screeched against the linoleum. She stood up, taking a massive step backward to put distance between them.
Jaren's hand froze in mid-air. His face darkened instantly, his fake sympathy vanishing.
"Don't touch me," Aurora said, her voice dropping an octave, turning cold and hard.
Eleanor lost her temper. "Don't be an ungrateful brat! We took you in! You will sign those papers, or I swear to God, the Russo family will freeze every asset you have left!"
Aurora lifted her chin. The terrified, blind girl vanished. A chilling, arrogant smile curved her lips.
"Every asset that belongs to me," Aurora said, enunciating every word, "stays with me. I will not give you a single cent."
Hilary's face flushed bright red with fury. "You blind bitch!"
Hilary raised her hand high in the air, her palm aimed directly at Aurora's cheek, ready to slap the defiance out of her.
Aurora saw the movement perfectly. Her fingers locked around the heavy grip of her carbon-fiber cane.
