Tessa began recounting everything that had happened at the hospital to Grace—down to the director’s deferential attitude toward Lucas and the arrogance he carried himself with. All of it, in her mind, was mounting evidence that he had been deceiving Aurora from the very start. She couldn’t say for sure whether Aurora knew any of it. But what struck her was that Lucas had never once mentioned anything about coming from a wealthy family. In fact, she’d never even heard of what his family did. That alone made Tessa suspicious. The more she thought about it, the more excited she became. Could it be that she’d stumbled upon Lucas’ secret? She remembered how smug and overconfident he always seemed.

But now, with something to use against him, she finally had leverage. Something he wouldn’t want exposed. “This hospital is one of the best in Milford, Mom. You really ought to think about what that means,” she said, her voice calm but pointed. “Lucas is hiding something. Why else would the director bend over backward for him unless he had serious power behind him?”

Grace considered it carefully. It made sense. “So what do you think we should do?”

It was the first time in a long while that she’d really listened to her daughter. She had always assumed Tessa was too frail to get involved in matters like this. But now, with her being overseas and close to the situation, Grace was genuinely curious to hear what she had in mind. And deep down, she felt a stirring of hope. She hadn’t stopped worrying about Aurora, but with everything else going on, she’d been overwhelmed. Maybe Tessa had a plan worth hearing.

And beyond that, she didn’t even know how to show the right kind of concern or tenderness toward her anymore. Aurora was an adult now. She had her own beliefs and convictions. Compared to Tessa, Grace had always felt more at ease with Aurora, even though Aurora was actually the younger one. It was just a mother’s instinct, something she couldn’t explain. But after everything, she truly did feel for Aurora now.

Tessa, meanwhile, looked serious as she said, “Mom, since Lucas won’t let me in, don’t you think it’s possible he’s intentionally keeping Aurora locked away? What if he’s using her condition to cover something up? What if he’s actually hurting her? Has that possibility not crossed your mind at all?”

Grace’s heart skipped a beat. She really hadn’t considered that angle before, but now that Tessa had voiced it, a wave of fear rushed through her. Aurora was her daughter. She couldn’t bear the thought of her falling into the hands of someone dangerous, especially someone she hadn’t kept an eye on.

Aurora had always been sharp and independent. Grace rarely intervened in her life. But what if Aurora had let her guard down at the wrong time? What if she really had misjudged this man? It instantly brought back memories of Aurora’s past with Joseph. Aurora had insisted she’d prove everyone wrong within three years. In the end, he’d proven to be nothing more than a fraud—a man who already had someone he loved. To Grace, the whole thing had been a cautionary tale. Young people simply didn’t know how to guard themselves.

And Tessa could already guess what was going through Grace’s mind.