Chapter 352

Lucas shook his head and said quietly, “No, I just think you’ve endured far too much on your own.”

Hearing that, Aurora froze in place, unsure how to respond. She thought Lucas would struggle to accept all of this, but now it was clear she had misunderstood; he wasn’t angry, he was worried about her. Aurora had never intended to be upset with him over this.

After all, Lucas had no way of knowing what Wendy was really like. In his mind, Wendy was probably still that innocent little girl who used to trail behind him, treating him like an older brother every day.

Aurora lifted her hand and gently patted Lucas’ back, speaking softly, “This isn’t your fault. It has nothing to do with you.”

She had never been good at comforting others, and seeing Lucas like this stirred something complicated in her, mostly a deep ache in her chest. But truly, Aurora didn’t blame him for what had happened with Wendy. If she had, she wouldn’t be standing here trying to comfort him, wouldn’t even be speaking to him now.

Lucas already felt guilty enough. The fact that Aurora, the one who had been hurt, was now the one trying to comfort him only deepened his shame.

“I’m sorry,” he said.

Aurora blinked, almost in disbelief. In her memory, Lucas had always been proud, always in control, as if nothing in the world could ever truly stake him. This was the first time she had seen him so vulnerable–the first time he had lowered his head and admitted he was wrong.

Looking at the two of them now, Aurora couldn’t help but feel something was a little absurd. She had come seeking comfort from him, yet somehow, she was the one holding him, soothing him as he broke down. Seeing it all, she wasn’t even sure what she should say anymore. But now, after truly opening her heart to Lucas, Aurora realized he was a lot more vulnerable than he let on.

“I’ll have her leave tomorrow,” Lucas said suddenly, catching Aurora off guard.

“You’ve made up your mind? But I already agreed to let her stay,” she said, a little surprised.

Lucas shook his head, unconcerned. “It’s fine. I’ll get in touch with her brother and have him take Wendy back.”

Aurora still hesitated. Given her current position, if she insisted, it might make her seem a little petty. But honestly, she had just agreed to let Wendy stay–it didn’t feel right to change her mind so abruptly.

“Maybe we should give it a couple of days? She’s being pretty well-behaved right now, and she promised she’d stay out of my sight. Let’s see how she acts over the next few days. If it really doesn’t work out, you can send her back then. That way, you’ll have an excuse, and her brother won’t make things difficult for you.”

Everything Aurora said was clearly for Lucas’ sake, and of course he heard it. Hearing her words, he pulled her into a fierce embrace, holding her so tightly it was as if he was afraid of losing her.

“How did I ever get so lucky to meet someone like you?”

Aurora’s ears flushed pink at the words, but she didn’t push him away–she welcomed it with a quiet, happy heart.