chapter 7

Aurora felt her heart plummet into an abyss, a stinging heat flooding her eyes. Clutching her phone, she collapsed onto the floor.

Grandma is all alone. What should I do?

She couldn't lose her grandma without even seeing her one last time!

Grandma was the person who had loved her most in this world!

Aurora scrambled to her feet and rushed toward the door, but the bodyguards moved hastily to block her.

"Ms. Larson, you can't leave!"

"Let go of me! I need to see my grandma! Let go!"

Chaos erupted at the villa's entrance. Just then, the sound of a car pulling up echoed from outside.

Through her tear-blurred vision, Aurora saw Sophie's familiar figure.

She could no longer hold back and broke into desperate sobs.

"Granny Jensen, please, take me to my grandma! She's dying!"

...

The Jansen family's car, escorting Aurora to see her grandmother, was speeding at full throttle.

However, by the time they reached Greenview Nursing Home, 40 minutes had passed.

Aurora rushed into the hospital room, only to see a nurse draping a white cloth over her grandmother's face.

She stopped in her tracks, unable to believe it, and forced a hollow laugh. "What are you doing? You can't cover her up like that; Grandma won't be able to breathe if she's sleeping."

She walked over slowly and pulled the sheet away.

Her grandmother's face was revealed. She still looked kind and loving, but her once-warm hand had become cold, and her body had stiffened.

As a doctor, Aurora was very familiar with the physiological signs of life.

She knew without a doubt that her grandmother had passed away.

But she couldn't accept it, and she didn't want to believe it ...

Aurora took her grandmother's hand and pressed it to her own cheek, as if that would somehow warm her.

She whispered, "Grandma, I'm here! Why won't you open your eyes and look at me?"

But the only answer she received was the silence in the room. That gentle voice would never speak to her again.

The young nurse, seeing Aurora's sorrow, couldn't bear it and gently spoke up. "Your grandmother passed away 30 minutes ago. I know you rushed here as fast as you could, but this might have just been fate.

"Before she passed away, she said one thing.

"She said, 'I hope my Aurora will always be happy'."

After the nurse finished speaking, she left the room, giving Aurora the space she needed.

A few moments later, heart-wrenching sobs echoed through the room.

Sophie handled all the funeral arrangements for Aurora, including the cremation.

By the time Zane heard about her grandmother's passing, everything was already over.

He rushed to the funeral site, arriving just in time to see Aurora stepping out in a black dress.

With no makeup on, she stood there, breathtaking in a fragile, ethereal way—so delicate that it seemed she might shatter at any moment.

An inexplicable panic surged within Zane. He quickly approached her, his voice filled with urgency.

"Aurora, are you okay? I wasn't ignoring your calls on purpose. I didn't know ... Ivy woke up, and I was with Isabelle—"

Aurora cut him off with indifference, "It's fine. It's all over now."

The words "It's all over now" sent a wave of unease through Zane.

Gripping her wrist, he forced a smile. "Aurora, I was wrong. I shouldn't let you face this alone.

"Haven't you always wanted to go to Lutharia for a hot air balloon ride? Your birthday is in a few days. Let me take you there and make it up to you, okay?

"For now, let's go home with me, all right?"

Without waiting for her response, he pulled her into the car.

After they got home, Zane still felt uneasy and secretly arranged for bodyguards to keep watch, afraid that Aurora would secretly leave him.

But Aurora showed no signs of resistance. She agreed to the trip and spent the next few days packing her luggage.

Three days later, they set off for the airport together.

Seeing two suitcases in front of him, Zane raised an eyebrow. "Why are you bringing so much stuff?"

Aurora's expression remained calm as she replied, "I want to stay a little longer at Lutharia."

Zane didn't question it and simply chuckled. "All right, as long as you're happy."

On the way to the airport, his phone rang non-stop, but he ignored every call.

Aurora took note of it but didn't say anything.

When it was finally time to check in, Zane glanced at his phone, and his expression changed drastically.

"Aurora, something happened with Ivy. You go ahead to Lutharia first! Once I've dealt with this, I'll come find you!"

With that, he turned and left.

His footsteps were urgent, without a trace of hesitation.

Aurora watched as his figure disappeared into the crowd.

She reached into her bag and pulled out a plane ticket bound for Havenbrook.

Her lips curled slightly.

"Goodbye and good riddance, Zane."

Just as she was about to board, a WhatsApp message from Isabelle popped up on her screen.

"You must be furious. He still chose me in the end."

Aurora scoffed.

Furious? Not really.

Everyone had fallen for a few jerks in their youth, and she was no exception.

Without hesitation, she blocked and deleted Isabelle, powered off her phone, and waited for takeoff.