She was constantly worried that someone would outshine her, anxious about the company’s future, and even more concerned about how the board viewed her. With everything piling up, Aurora could barely breathe under the weight of it all.

Lucas took a deep breath, unsure how to put his thoughts into words. It wasn’t that Aurora had done anything wrong; she just never allowed herself a break. She pushed herself too hard, too fast. And now, her body was starting to show signs of strain because of it.

Still…

Lucas narrowed his eyes slightly. Something felt off. Most of the current projects were already running smoothly. There wasn’t anything new that urgently needed to be handled. Even if she wanted to expand further, that wouldn’t come until at least one of the two ongoing projects wrapped up. So, what was going on?

He stared at Aurora lying on the bed, deep in thought. Could it really just be exhaustion? But that didn’t add up. Lucas had seen her deal with far more pressure before – never with this kind of expression. Could it be something to do with the current collaboration? Just as the thought crossed his mind, Aurora shifted in her sleep, and his phone lit up with a call from Desmond.

He glanced at the name and quietly stepped out of the room to take the call, careful not to wake her.

“Mr. Carter, I’ve found something.”

“Go on.”

Lucas sounded slightly impatient, distracted even. His wife was resting just a few feet away; his time was far too valuable to waste when it could be spent with her.

“It looks like Miss Walton and the overseas client are having trouble reaching an agreement,” Desmond continued. “Honestly, I don’t think she’s to blame here. From what I found, John raised the price last minute.”

Hearing the full story, Lucas finally understood what had been going on.

“Alright, I understand.” Lucas’ eyes darkened. “Look into this John York. I want to know exactly what’s going on.”

Desmond immediately grasped the implication behind those words. “Mr. Carter, you think there’s something off about him, don’t you?”

Lucas gave a low, “Mmm.”

“Just dig into it. Don’t overlook a single detail.”

“Understood. You can count on me. I’ll report back the moment there’s any movement.”

Lucas said nothing more and ended the call. He knew there was no point in discussing it further right now. What mattered would come from Desmond’s investigation. Only then would he get the answers he needed.

He looked over at Aurora, still fast asleep, her features serene. He quietly made a vow to himself—he would protect her. No one was going to hurt her.

“Rora, I know how strong you are… but sometimes, I wish you’d lean on me a little, too.”

Letting out a deep breath, he went to wash up. It was only when he finally held Aurora in his arms that the tension in his chest eased, just enough for sleep to take him. They fell asleep wrapped around each other, holding on tightly.

The next morning, Aurora walked into the office like nothing had happened. When she woke up and saw Lucas beside her, there wasn’t the slightest flicker of surprise on her face.