She had known Lucas first. She was the one who’d been there all along. Aurora was just someone who came later. And if it really came down to who had known him longer, it wasn’t even a contest.

Turning, Wendy looked up, only to meet Aurora’s eyes—calm, cool with a faint, unreadable smile. In that instant, all her bluster vanished. She couldn’t help but think of that confrontation at the mall earlier, especially the moment Aurora twisted Rachel’s finger without blinking–that fierce, unflinching energy. Just thinking about it made her shiver. She wasn’t a match for Aurora at all.

“Fine, let’s just eat,” Wendy muttered reluctantly. She had no choice. She was on someone else’s turf, and she couldn’t risk saying too much in front of Lucas. If she pushed it, he might catch on and that wouldn’t end well for either of them. Lucas didn’t bother with her tantrum, treating it like the sulking of a spoiled child. He pulled out a chair for Aurora, glancing at her with genuine warmth. “You must be hungry. Come on, sit down and eat.” This time, Aurora didn’t refuse. Wendy was seated directly across from her, and Aurora could clearly see how her expression shifted like a palette of swirling colors. She found it oddly amusing. Lucas, however, didn’t notice. All he saw was that Aurora had chosen to sit down and have dinner with him. That alone made him feel like the reconciliation he’d been working toward was finally showing results. Dinner passed with quiet ease between Lucas and Aurora–both smiling, both deep in their own thoughts. Wendy, on the other hand, tasted nothing. Every bite felt like chewing sand. Every time she looked up, Aurora’s gaze was still locked on her–steady, unyielding, not once looking away. But it wasn’t something she could call out. So, she had no choice but to keep her head down, finish her food in silence, and retreat to her room without a word.

Truthfully, Wendy had wanted to slam her utensils down and storm off from the very beginning. But Lucas had cooked this meal–she couldn’t bear to leave it untouched. Caught in that contradiction, she chose to swallow her frustration along with her dinner. Aurora watched her with mild amusement.

Chapter 182

That bitter expression–so restrained, so forced–wasn’t something she got to see every day. She lowered her gaze, then turned to glance at Lucas, who was peeling shrimp for her with practiced ease. What surprised her was that Wendy hadn’t told Lucas about what happened at the mall. She had expected to walk into an interrogation tonight, fully prepared for it. But instead, this was what she came home to. Lucas caught her gaze and casually placed the peeled shrimp into her bowl. His voice was gentle. “You’re not eating? Why are you staring at me?” “It’s nothing. Let’s eat,” Aurora said as she met his eyes, then quietly picked up the shrimp and took a bite. Lucas smiled, clearly pleased. To him, this moment meant something–maybe their relationship was finally starting to thaw. Maybe things could return to how they once were. For Aurora, it was more complicated. She was still thinking about the way he’d handled Wendy earlier. At least on the surface, he stood on her side. Maybe it wasn’t fair to write him off completely just yet. She decided to observe a little longer. After Wendy left the table, things between her and Lucas became noticeably more relaxed. He kept offering her food, and the atmosphere grew warmer with each passing moment. By the end of it, dinner had been unexpectedly pleasant.

The next morning Aurora was getting ready to head to work when she bumped into Wendy, who was still at the table eating breakfast. Aurora raised a brow but said nothing as she passed. But Wendy couldn’t stand being ignored. She deliberately moved closer, inserting herself into Aurora’s path.

Chapter 183