Megan held Aurora’s hand gently and comforted her in a soft voice. “Alright now, Aurora, you have to give your mom some time to adjust. If this had happened to me, I wouldn’t be able to accept it overnight either.”

Aurora couldn’t help but feel a mix of amusement and helplessness as she listened. “Alright, don’t worry. Of course, I know what you mean.” She looked up and met the eyes of Leonard and Lucas, who both wore slightly cautious expressions, and she silently shook her head. “Do you really think I’m that fragile?” She spread her hands and shrugged.

“No matter what happens, I’ll still live my life well. That’s what really matters.”

Lucas’ lips curved slightly. He reached out and gently ruffled her hair. “That’s the Aurora I know—someone who wouldn’t be crushed by hardship, who had her own thoughts and goals, and always held onto them no matter what.”

Aurora lifted her face, looking up at him with a serious expression. She felt the warmth on her head and her heart swelled with joy. This was the boy she remembered. How wonderful—it turned out he’d always been by her side. There would be plenty of time ahead for them to take things slowly.

Leonard watched the two interact, his eyes tinted with a trace of envy. But he was well aware of his place, and barging in at a time like this would make him no different from a meddling third wheel. And he still had enough dignity to avoid that. With that thought, Leonard quietly closed his eyes and, deep down, made the decision to let go. From now on, he would stay by Aurora’s side, quietly protecting her. As for anything more, he would no longer entertain such thoughts. The two of them truly lived a happy life. There was no room for a third person to step in. If that were really the case, then he’d be crossing the line.

Megan followed up proudly, chiming in, “Of course! In my heart, Aurora is basically a goddess. Lucas, you’re just a regular mortal—if you managed to win over my best friend, that’s pure luck on your part!”

Between her cousin and her best friend, Megan had chosen sides without hesitation. A cousin? Please, there was nothing more important than her best friend.

Normally, she wouldn’t even dare raise her voice around Lucas. The only reason she was bold enough to joke like this today was because her best friend was present. But the moment the words left her mouth, Megan started to regret them. She snuck a glance at her cousin’s expression, worried she might have gone too far. To her surprise, he was smiling.

Smiling?

Megan sat up straight in shock, staring at him again to be sure. And no, she hadn’t seen it wrong. The next second, Lucas actually replied with, “Yes, marrying Aurora is the greatest blessing of my life.”

That one line made Aurora’s ears flush with a soft red. Of course, she felt embarrassed because so many people were watching. She hadn’t expected Lucas to say something so straightforward.

Just as she was about to respond, a sharp ringtone suddenly cut through the moment. Everyone turned toward the black phone on the table, still plugged in and charging. It was clearly Lucas’.

Lucas furrowed his brows slightly as he glanced over and saw a familiar number flashing on the screen. He picked up the phone and looked at Aurora. “Aurora, I’m going to step out and take this.”

Aurora nodded in understanding, her expression calm and unreadable.