Last time, she’d gotten lucky and managed to avoid trouble, but what about this time?

After all these years, Aurora knew her mother well enough. Grace had always been the type who valued money above all else. Since her father passed away early, her mother’s care for her children had always been selective, given only when convenient, and she’d always favored Tessa. There really wasn’t any other way to describe her. Even Megan had mentioned it recently—that Grace seemed different lately.

She didn’t even dare visit Aurora’s home anymore; whenever they needed to talk, Aurora was the one who went to see her instead.

Hearing her reasoning, Lucas didn’t push further. He knew Aurora well enough to understand her decisions came from careful thought, and he respected that.

“Alright, but promise me one thing—if anything happens, you tell me right away. I’m always behind you, Aurora. I want to be your support, not someone you have to hide things from.”

His words, steady and sincere, made her heart soften.

“I know,” she replied quietly. “Don’t worry. If something happens, you’ll be the first to know.”

“When are you planning to go?”

Aurora hesitated for a moment, then said, “Probably tomorrow. I’d rather get it over with before the show airs. Otherwise, I’ll never be able to focus.”

Lucas nodded. “That’s reasonable. Do you want me to drive you there?”

“There’s no need,” she said with a small smile. “You’ve got work, and I don’t want to distract you with my family drama.”

Lucas frowned immediately, clearly displeased by that answer.

“You’ve never been a distraction to me,” Lucas said, his tone firm and sincere. “In my eyes, you’ve always been my treasure, never my burden.”

There wasn’t a trace of exaggeration or pretense in his expression. He knew Aurora well enough to understand that she hated troubling him, which was exactly why he kept repeating it—to remind her she didn’t have to hold back.

They were husband and wife. There shouldn’t be hesitation or secrets between them, only honesty and trust. That was the only way a marriage could last.

“I know,” Aurora said softly after a pause. “I shouldn’t have said it like that.”

She looked at him with a touch of guilt, her voice gentle. “I was overthinking things. You’re right, we’re supposed to be partners, not two people worrying about getting in each other’s way.”

She took a breath and continued, “I just didn’t want to interrupt your work. You have your own responsibilities, and I didn’t want to be one more thing to worry about.”

Lucas reached out and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

“You never interrupt anything. I just want you to stop carrying so much on your own, alright?” His voice softened, a hint of pleading in it.

Seeing the earnest look in his eyes, Aurora finally realized how much her words had hurt him.

She nodded solemnly. “I won’t say things like that again. But still, I’ll go on my own tomorrow. If my mother sees you with me, she’ll just start another round of unnecessary talk.”