He didn’t want to keep living on edge every single day. He didn’t even know when she would wake up. He spent every day consumed by guilt and self-blame. The moment he opened his eyes, the world felt unbearably dark. Every time he saw Aurora’s peaceful sleeping face and those pale lips, he felt completely powerless. What was the point of making all that money if he couldn’t even protect the woman he loved? Lucas clenched his fists, overwhelmed by remorse and heartache.

Over on Grace’s side, her expression turned grim as she stared at the disconnected call. Her fingers slowly tightened around the armrest of the sofa, her thoughts unreadable.

Arnold, worried about Aurora’s condition, stepped forward and asked, “What’s going on with Miss Aurora? Is she alright? Has she woken up?”

His string of questions caught Grace completely off guard. She didn’t even know which one to answer first. She stared at Arnold in silence. Arnold quickly realized he had let his concern get the better of him. He’d rushed things and pushed too hard—enough to test Grace’s patience.

But after so many years in the Walton household, he knew how to read the room. In the end, Grace looked away, saying nothing. She knew Arnold meant no harm; he was just genuinely worried. After all this time together, there was trust between them. She knew exactly what kind of man Arnold was.

“Alright. Aurora hasn’t woken up yet, but her vitals remained stable throughout the trip. That proves…”

Before Grace could finish, Arnold interjected excitedly, “It proves Miss Tessa was lying?”

Hearing the joy in his voice, Grace eyed him with suspicion. “Why do you sound so pleased?”

Arnold’s smile didn’t fade as he answered, “Madam, I’m happy because it means Miss Aurora might recover soon. And when that happens, we won’t have to worry about Walton Corporation anymore, will we?”

Grace paused, realizing he had a point. If Aurora recovered, the pressure on her would ease. She wouldn’t need to overthink everything. With Tessa’s help, the two sisters might become an unbeatable force in Ravenshore—provided they were willing to work together.

“You’re right. I was thinking too narrowly. What matters most now is that Aurora wakes up. That’s the best outcome for everyone.”

Arnold was just as relieved. At least Grace wouldn’t have to walk around looking so weighed down anymore. And as for the company, he’d been afraid Tessa might run it into the ground. If that happened, forget staying on to serve the Walton family, he might never even hear the name Walton Corporation again.

Poor Aurora, still lying unconscious in that hospital bed, caught in the net of everyone’s schemes. She had done nothing wrong. She didn’t even know what had happened. And yet, she was being used so thoroughly. Grace had been genuinely worried about Aurora at first.

Eventually, she calmed down and stopped overthinking. The truth was, what scared her most was the thought that Aurora might never wake up. And if that happened, what would become of the company?