She was sweet, well-mannered, and effortlessly charming. There wasn’t a single adult who didn’t adore her. Back then, even as a child, Aurora saw it clearly. No matter what Tessa did, Aurora would stand quietly to the side, feeling like some unwanted shadow and a child born out of place.

But growing up, things changed. She found her own circle, built her own world, and that bitterness gradually faded. Megan knew all of this because Aurora had confided in her. Since they were little, they had always been each other’s closest person. No matter what happened, they’d always meet in their secret spot, a quiet hideaway that held so many of their shared memories. It had been their refuge and sanctuary.

Leonard glanced at Megan, noticing how lost in thought she looked again. He couldn’t help but wonder, “Why did Miss Quinn always seem a little spaced out?” It was as if her mind constantly wandered elsewhere. But there was something endearing about that unfocused expression. To him, it looked soft and even sweet. He couldn’t quite explain it, but there was something simple and genuine about her, like she was easy to be around and effortlessly kind.

Still, Leonard found himself silently scolding his own thoughts. Every time he felt a smile creep onto his face when he looked at her, a wave of guilt would crash down. How could he? He still had feelings for Aurora, didn’t he? How could he possibly be drawn to someone else right now? What kind of person did that make him? Was he really that shallow? The guilt was immediate and sharp. He didn’t even know how Aurora was doing right now. Was she in pain? Was she aware of anything? No, he couldn’t let this go on. It was just too wrong. Leonard exhaled a slow and heavy breath, steeling himself.

He needed to start keeping his distance from Megan. The way things stood now just didn’t sit right. Besides, hadn’t he come here for Aurora in the first place? That was the whole point. And he couldn’t lose sight of it.

Once Megan and Leonard’s figures had completely vanished from the hospital, Tessa and Julian finally dared to step out from the shadows. By the time they emerged, they’d already taken off their disguises. The weather was hot enough as it was – being wrapped up that tightly had been suffocating. They weren’t fools; of course it had been unbearable.

Julian patted his chest, still a little shaken. “Why did you suddenly stop back there? Do you realize how close we were to being caught?” If they had been discovered, the entire plan would’ve gone up in smoke. There’d be no moving forward after that.

Tessa felt a flicker of fear too just thinking about it. But luckily, Megan hadn’t been sharp enough to pick up on anything. They’d managed to bluff their way through.

“It’s fine. Nothing really happened, right?”

Tessa rolled her eyes. “What’s the point of blaming me now? What exactly do you expect to gain from it?”

Julian fell silent at her words. She was right. Pointing fingers wasn’t going to help anything. It wouldn’t change what had happened, and it certainly wouldn’t fix what was ahead. Besides, none of this had been ideal for either of them.

“Alright. Tonight, you keep watch for me. I’ll go in and administer the injection.”

Julian hesitated at first. But then he thought about it–these were desperate times, and they had to take risks. If he kept playing it safe, the company would crash for sure. And when that happened, what would be left of his family? They’d lose everything. Julian gave himself a silent pep talk. As long as Tessa covered him properly, nothing would go wrong.