Chapter 17
Julian sat in the driver’s seat, starting the car with fluid movements. “Sit tight. I’ll take you–it’ll be safer.”
d shown surprising improvement]
Aurora clutched the corner of her walking cane. These past few days, her eyesight had
rely limited, and medical tests confirmed her optic nerve
The fog before her eyes had thinned considerably. Daily activities were no longer severely damage was healing–which meant she would soon be leaving
The car quickly headed toward the marina. Aurora stepped out midway to buy a houquet of bellflowers.]
She loved bellflowers
In her childhood, she and her mother had relied on each other in their small countryside home, where hellflowers were the most abundant blooms
Later, Grayson had imported several race varieties from abroad, filling their entire garden for her
New, all of that belonged to the past..
“Mr. Vaughn, I’d like to go alone, just to look from a distance.
Aurora, fully disguised with hat and mask, exited the car
Julian silently accoptoed her decision, only cautioning: “The car will wait here. If anything happens, hold down your phone’s power button–I’m set as your emergency contact“]
She gripped her walking cane, her silhouette gradually fading from Julian’s view
But she didn’t notice that at an adjacent docking point, a familiar yacht was slowly approaching shore.
Aurora stood still gazing at the azure sea from afar. She placed the hellflowers by the railing
“Mom, happy birthday! This is your first birthday since we’ve been apart. Without a grave, this is the only way I can see you“]
Though her tears had long since dried up, her eyes still reddened: “By the way, Eve sought justice for you in my own way. Whatever the outcome, at least I’ll have no regrets.”
She smiled fairly: “They say all the world’s oceans are connected somehow. So by next year, I’ll be accompanying you from another shore.”
After these final words, she took one last look at the sea before turning away.
But that single glance sent an icy chill through her.||
Through her lowered hat brim, she saw someone disembarking from the yacht..]
Grayson Hart!
Sloe instinctively turned quickly. In that moment, Graysour’s footsteps faltered as he stepped off the yacht. A powerful sensation of wrongness made him catch a glimpse of a retreating figure as he looked up
From the grateful low ponytail to the distinctive waist to lip ratio..]
He paused, las entire body tingling as if electrified, then chased after her like a madman.[]
“Hory! Hory, is that you?!“||
Aurora’s walking cane clattered to the ground. Ignoring her still recovering vision, she practically ran to the Maybach’s passenger seat.[]
“Drive! Please, drive now! Her voice trembled without her realizing it
Julian wasted no time. The sleek car accelerated smoothly, quickly leaving the marina behind.[]
Only when they’d reached a safe distance did he gradually pull over.
“What happened?” Julian frowned at her alarmingly pale face. “Are you feeling unwell?”
Her distress was obvious–slightly trembling shoulders betrayed her anxiety, fear, or some kind of stress–induced panic
“Miss Quinn, don’t be afraid. You’re safe now.”
He reassured her, reaching to fasten her seathelt when she suddenly grabbed his wrist
Her palm was ice cold as she spoke with desperate clarity: “Mr. Vaughn, I need to leave this place immediately
Meanwhile, back at the marina, Grayson desperately chased the stumbling figure, but he was a step too slow. He only vaguely saw the silhouette slip into a luxury car that quickly disappeared.]
Grayson stood in the sea breeze with bloodshot eyes, his frantic gaze scanning the surroundings.
The resemblance was uncanny that figure looked exactly like Aurora.]]
He couldn’t distinguish whether it had been a hallucination until, after anxiously searching the area, he finally spotted the white bellflowers.
Grayson’s eyes instantly reddened. He picked up the bouquet, clutching it rightly to his chest
In his open palm lay a ruby diamond ring.]
It was his and Aurora’s wedding ring. Since its discovery on the yacht deck three days ago, he hadn’t slept, searching the sea for three straight days.]
He had lost count of how many times he had desperately drifted on the water, trying to recover Aurora’s body.]]
No wonder…]
No matter how hard he searched, he couldn’t find her. His Rory wasn’t dead
He certainly hadn’t been mistaken–she was here, she had returned…]
Grayson quickly called his assistant: “Check all surveillance cameras around the marina. Don’t miss a single detail. I want results tonight.”
