Chapter b202 /b

Caleb’s POV

Aurora didn’t react how I thought she would. She didn’t scream, she didn’t break down. She just nat there, her hands sped together in herp, staring at the floor for a long moment. Then, finally, she looked up at me with a faint, almost knowing smile. It wasn’t the kind of smile that reached her eyes–it was more like she’d just connected thest piece of a puzzle.

“I see,” she said softly, like she was talking to herself more than me.

“You’re… okay?” I asked, frowning. “Aurora, I thought you’d be–I don’t knowi–/iangry? Or upset? I mean, this changes everything, doesn’t it?”

She shook her head slightly, still calm, too calm. “Not really. I think… I’ve always felt like something was off, you know? Like I didn’t quite belong in that family. Maybe this just confirms it. I don’t know who my real father is, but maybe… maybe I don’t need to. Maybe it doesn’t matter as much as I thought it would.”

Herposure threw me offpletely. “Aurora, this imatters/i. You’re allowed to feel something about this. You’re allowed to be upset, or-b” /b

“Why would I waste time being upset about something I can’t change?” she interrupted, her voice steady. “You can’t pick your parents, Caleb. And honestly, I don’t think I want to dig too deep into this right now. It’s not worth the energy.”

I stared at her, baffled. “How are you this calm about it?”

She shrugged, her lips pressing into a thin line. “Maybe I just don’t have it in me to fall apart over this. At least not today.” Her eyes softened as she looked at me. “But thank you for telling me the truth. I know it wasn’t easy.”

I nodded, still uncertain. “If you ever want to talk about it, I’m here. You know that, right?”

“I know,” she said quietly, offering me another smallb, /bsad smile. “I know.”

I didn’t wait for her to say anything. Instead, I pulled her into my arms once again, holding her tightly to my chest. Giving her all thefort I could offer.

I didn’t yet know what was going on through her mind, with the mating bond not yetplete, but I could understand that this wasn’t as small a matter as she made it seem. That’s why, I was ready anything, no matter what she would need form me.

“Now I understand,” Aurora/said, her voice trembling as she stared at the floor, her fingers gripping the edge of her dressb. /b

b1/3 /b

bChapter /b202

1 finally get it, Caleb. The reason my father–well, the man I thought was my father always hated me. She let out a shaky breath, her eyes glistening but refusing to let the tears fall. “It wasn’t me, it bwas /bnever me. It was my mother. She ruined everything.”

I held her tighter, let her say what she wanted without interruption. She needed this release. She needed to get this off her chest or it would eat her alive.

Aurora shook her head, her jaw tightening as if she didn’t want to say the words aloud. But then, with a small, bitterugh, she nced up at me, her face a mix of anger and sadness.

“She lied. She lied about everything. My entire life was built on her lies, Caleb. And now it all makes sense. That my… my supposed father…he didn’t just hate me he hated what I represented. Her betrayal.”

I didn’t know what to say to that. What could I say? Instead, I nodded, waiting for her to continue, hoping that the silence would give her the space to pour it all out. And it worked.

“Do they know?” she asked suddenly, her gaze snapping to mine with an intensity that made me sit up straighter. “Have they found out who my real father is? Is he… is he the witch?

I hesitated. I didn’t want to disappoint her, but I also couldn’t lie. “No, Aurora. They haven’t. Not yet.” I paused, watching the flicker of hope in her eyes dim. “And honestly, only your mother could say for sure who your real father is.”

Her face fell, and for a moment, she just sat there, staring past me, lost in her thoughts. Then, bas /bif ba /b

decision had been made, she straightened her back and set her jaw.

“Then…let’s forget about all of this,” she said firmly, her voice steadier now. “I want to move

forward, Caleb, and I don’t want the shadows of the past interfering with my future.”

I blinked, caught off guard. “Are you sure about this?”

“Yes,” she said, her eyes meeting mine with a determination that I hadn’t seen before. “Even though she’s gone, Caleb, I can feel it, she wants me to move forward as well. I don’t know why, but I just know… something tells me that we don’t need to concern ourselves with this anymore. I’m tired, Caleb. It’s time we just…let it all go and move on.”

I sighed, rubbing the back of my neck. “Aurora, I don’t know if-”

“Please,” she interrupted, her voice softer now but no less resolute. “I need to do this. For me. For

us.”

There was no arguing with her, not when she looked at me like that. So I nodded, even though bof /bme couldn’t shake the feeling that this wasn’t going to be as simple as we thought.

rt

“Alright,” I said finally. “We’ll forget about all of this. We move forward, no looking back.”

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bChapter /b202

bThe /brelief on her bface /bwas instant, though it didn’t erase the sadness that lingered bin /bher eyes, the gave me a small, grateful smile and whispered. Thank you, Caleb. I mean it.

I just hoped, for both our sakes, that from now on, Aurora could finally let go of all her worries, all her hardship…and we could move on.

But at that time, we were unaware of the storm brewing in the horizon…about the traitor right

under our noses.

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