Chapter 90

If news reached Thomas's ears, it would take only a few days for him to share it with the entire United States. Aurora called Klaus, who wasn't even in America at that moment, wanting to tell him before someone else did, but it was too late. He already knew, thanks to Thomas, of course. Klaus still made her swear over the phone that she wouldn't plan anything related to the ceremony until he and Frederick returned from their honeymoon.

Tristan planned to tell his father when they visited him on Sunday. Mr. Callahan wasn't very connected to gossip, so it was quite likely that he didn't know the news yet. And even if he did find out, he wouldn't be the type of person to care about such things.

Despite the immense joy, Aurora's heart ached every time she imagined her sister helping her with the wedding details. She imagined that Adelaide would cry all the time, from the first dress fitting to the end of the party.

Aurora continued with her treatment and medications. She still woke up in the middle of the night due to nightmares. They occurred less frequently, but the agony was still the same. Now, when she was sleeping in the mansion, after a nightmare, it was Tristan who wiped away her tears, kissing every corner of her face while whispering that he loved her until she fell asleep again.

It wasn't an easy process, but it had a beginning, middle, and end. Each step was progressively harder than the previous one. She knew that there was still a very important step left, and that terrified her.

But on that day, she was ready to take that step.

Her breathing quickened when Magnus entered the room, handcuffed and wearing an orange jumpsuit. His bangs were longer, almost covering one of his eyes, but she could still see his surprise and a vague, sickening happiness at seeing her on the other side of the glass.

He sat in front of her with a sly smile. She remained serious, her jaw tense and teeth clenched.

"I knew this day would come," he said in a hoarse voice. "Did you come to ask why I did what I did?" He waited for a response, but Aurora remained silent. "No? Oh, wait, let me guess. Hm... you came to tell me the extent of the damage I caused to your life, hoping it would make you feel better?"

"On the contrary," Aurora finally replied.

"Did you come to gloat? About what, exactly?" Magnus taunted.

She didn't let it faze her. "Is it true that you destroyed me, that you ruined my family?" She swallowed hard, nervous, glancing away from him for a few seconds.

"Do you think I don't know what that's like?" Magnus continued. "But I do know... I know exactly what it's like to lose everything. That emptiness inside you that's never filled," he placed a finger on the glass, pointing to his own heart, "I've felt that for a long time, still do, all because of that damned Callahan."

Ironically, it was the same Callahan who had filled the void inside her.

"You don't understand anything," Aurora said firmly.

"Aurora," she felt disgusted hearing her name coming out of his mouth, "you don't realize, but we're the same. We've lost what mattered most in our lives."

"Never say that again," she warned, fighting the urge to fly at the glass. "You became chaos and lost control. I admit that I lost control for a while too, but I won't let it destroy the rest of me. I'm starting over, picking up the pieces, with Tristan."

Magnus lowered his head and shook it from side to side, his hands covering his ears. Tristan's name was his greatest torment, his greatest agony. When he stopped flinching, he began to laugh too loudly, in a psychotic way that made Aurora stand up immediately.

Two guards dragged Magnus back to his cell. Aurora was guided by a security guard to the hallway outside the room, where Tristan was waiting for her nervously. She ran into his arms, relieved to be away from Magnus and to have had the last conversation with him. She wouldn't let him dominate her dreams again, where he seemed invincible and terrifying. Now, the last image of Magnus, the fallen businessman, was that of a dirty man, just like the jumpsuit he was wearing, unarmed, handcuffed, weak, and lost in the darkness.

[...]

Hours later on the same day, the couple bought four flower arrangements before entering the cemetery. Aurora left one arrangement on the graves of her two deceased friends and, lastly, on her sister's grave.

Tristan intertwined his hand with hers and led her down the dirt path to stop at a grave with the name of a woman, near a solitary tree. He crouched down for a moment to place the flowers there.

"Who is she?" Aurora asked.

"My mother."

She looked at him, her face shaken and her dark eyes reading the name on the tombstone several times.

"Is it strange to miss someone you never knew?" Tristan inquired.

"No, it's not." She turned to him. "Tristan, she was your mother, you miss a motherly figure. That's not uncommon."

The wind made her hair fly into her face. Tristan brushed some strands away, then held her face with both hands and kissed her forehead.

"You're the strongest woman I've ever met," he revealed, and they hugged.

[...]

After a long day at the agency, Aurora parked the car in the mansion's garage and walked down with her heels in one hand and her purse in the other. She went to the living room, dropped her things on the floor, and lay down on the couch with her phone, calling Tristan.

"Did you talk to the real estate agent?" she asked.

"I did. We'll see the house on Monday morning." Tristan replied.

She smiled, forgetting her sore feet. The two of them had decided to buy a house, not a mansion like Tristan's; they were looking for something smaller and cozier.

"How many rooms does it have again?" Aurora inquired.

"Fifteen."

"Fifteen?!"

"Compared to the mansion, it's reasonable," he replied. She stopped counting the number of rooms in the mansion when it exceeded fifteen. "The real estate agent said it has a garden and a pool. Are they included in our new bet, or not?"

"It would be an interesting experience," she admitted, eliciting a laugh from him. "Are we still having dinner at your father's house on Sunday?"

"Of course, we need to tell him about the wedding. And forget Griffin; he's already found out everything."

"I bet the hot doctor won't be able to resist and will tell your father before we do."

"I asked him not to."

"And do you think he'll succeed?"

"Of course not." He laughed.

"When are you coming home?"

"In about two hours or so."

"Okay. I'll wait in the bedroom."

"In the bedroom?" he asked, suddenly very interested. "Then I'll be there by one."

They ended the call. Aurora stretched, thinking about taking a relaxing bath. She left her phone on the coffee table and turned around, freezing.

Genevieve was there.

Pointing a gun at her.