Aurora's body ached all over, a pleasant reminder of the previous night she spent with her husband, Lucas Rossi.

He had been absent for six months and had returned unexpectedly.

For the first time in three years, he kissed her and made love to her in the right state of mind.

Previously, he would only get involved with her when he was drunk, but this time was different. He didn't push her away or try to resist the mate bond. Aurora's ears turned bright red as she heard his footsteps approaching, a mix of anticipation and unease coursing through her.

He had only a towel draped around his waist, his perfect figure on full display—toned muscles, a strong jawline, everything that made her heart race. As he walked towards her, she briefly assumed he might kiss her or act like an affectionate husband.

Instead, he dropped a bank card on the table, his voice firm and cold. "There's twenty million on the card. Do what you want with it."

Aurora's brows furrowed as she took the card, wondering why he had given her such a large amount. It was a fortune to her, even if it wasn't to him.

Just as she parted her lips to ask, Lucas cut her off. "Consider it a gift." With that, he turned and walked out, his demeanour as icy as the growing distance between them.

Aurora placed the card back on the table with a quiet clink, her shoulders sagging as she sank onto the bed. The sheets, once warm with shared heat, were now cool and empty beneath her. She stared at the ceiling, trying to make sense of the morning until her phone buzzed, shattering the silence.

Reaching for her phone, she saw a message from her friend, Sophia. The words on the screen deepened the furrow between her brows: "Are you aware of her arrival?"

Aurora blinked, confusion settling over her like a fog. Her arrival? She started typing a response, but before she could finish, her phone erupted with notifications, flooding the screen with flashing headlines.

"Julia Mayhem Makes Shocking Return to Samturm City!"

"Lucas Rossi Spotted Escorting Julia Mayhem Off Flight, Netizens Go Wild!"

Aurora's breath hitched as she scrolled through the updates, each headline tightening the knot in her chest.

Julia Mayhem. The name echoed in her mind, stirring bitter memories of the woman who had once held Lucas's heart. And now, less than an hour after leaving her side, Lucas had gone to welcome his ex-girlfriend back into the city.

A cold realization settled over Aurora as she lowered the phone, the ache in her chest more unbearable than the emptiness beside her in the bed.

Of course, she thought, biting back the sting of tears. There had never been room for her in Lucas's heart.

She was nothing more than a placeholder, a substitute to be discarded now that Julia was back.

The realization gnawed at her, every memory of the past three years turning sour. All the hope she had nurtured, the quiet yearning for Lucas to one day look at her with love, crumbled into dust.

She could already picture it: Julia reclaiming her place in Lucas's life, and Aurora, cast aside without a second thought.

The echoes of footsteps snapped her out of her thoughts.

Lucas. He was back, probably after escorting his precious Julia off the plane.

"Aurora!" His voice was sharp, seething with anger.

She didn't flinch. Sitting before the mirror, Aurora calmly applied a fresh coat of lipstick, each stroke a silent act of defiance. She had already changed into her clothes, shedding the previous night's memories like a layer of filth.

Lucas's footsteps quickened, his voice growing harsher, laced with venom. "I knew you were shameless and desperate, but this… you've gone too far."

Without turning to face him, Aurora spoke, her voice cutting through the tension. "Let's get a divorce."

The words hung in the air, cold and final. She had no interest in hearing his accusations or his predictable defence of Julia. All that mattered was leaving this nightmare of a marriage behind.

Lucas's eyes narrowed, his voice dropping to a cold tone. "Is that the best excuse you can come up with now that your true colours have been revealed?"

Aurora remained silent, focused on perfecting her lips, her calm demeanour a stark contrast to the fury radiating from him.

She knew exactly why he was here, seething over some imagined betrayal, but she refused to engage. Whatever lies he believed didn't matter anymore.

Lucas's fists clenched, his knuckles turning white as her indifference only fueled his anger, pushing him to the edge.

Suddenly, he gripped the back of Aurora's chair, wrenching it around to force her to face him. He needed to see the truth—or the guilt—in her eyes, anything to confirm his suspicions.

The abrupt movement made her heart race, but what unsettled her more was the look in his eyes—deep blue eyes that had once held warmth, now frozen with fury. The chill in his gaze cut through her, starkly reminding her of how far he had drifted from the man she once hoped he could be.

Aurora's brow furrowed in confusion. She was the one who should be angry, yet here he was, towering over her with evident rage.

As Lucas leaned in, she felt the heat of his breath, and the sneer on his lips made her stomach twist.

"You are pathetic," he spat, his voice dripping with disdain. "You tricked my grandmother into thinking you were some meek, innocent woman. And that fake miscarriage? Haven't you had enough of your games?"

His accusation hit her like a punch to the gut. Her chest tightened as his words twisted the knife into an old wound she thought had begun to heal.

The loss of their child had nearly broken her, and now, hearing him dismiss it as a lie was almost too much to bear.

Her hands trembled as she tried to steady herself. "What are you talking about? It wasn't fake, Lucas. I lost the baby… our baby." Her voice quivered, and the anger she had kept at bay threatened to break free.

Tears began to sting her eyes, not from sorrow this time, but from raw fury.

Lucas pulled away, his expression hardening. He seemed almost bored, as if her pain was merely an inconvenience.

With a sharp exhale, he dismissed her anguish. "You're right. This marriage has been nothing but a chain around my neck. Let's get a divorce. Amos will draft the papers. Sign them, and I'll finally be free of the heartless monster you are."

Without waiting for a response, Lucas left the room, the door clicking shut behind him.

Aurora sat frozen for a moment, the stillness pressing down on her. A shiver coursed through her as if the cold from outside had seeped into her bones.

She curled into herself, hugging her knees tightly as the tears she had fought so hard to hold back finally broke free. Her sobs were muffled but shook her entire body.

She had never imagined he would agree so easily to the divorce. In her heart, she had hoped—perhaps foolishly—that he might beg for forgiveness or promise never to see Julia again. Instead, he had shattered her already fragile hopes, twisting the knife deeper with every word.

Through tear-blurred eyes, she glanced at the photograph on the dresser—their wedding picture, the one she had fought to save. The edges were singed, a painful reminder of the day Lucas had tried to burn it along with the others. She had rushed to stop the flames, desperate to preserve that single memory, clinging to the belief that it meant something. How naive she had been.

She had been nothing more than an Omega who got pregnant after a careless one-night encounter with Lucas. His grandmother, Nana Rossi, had discovered her secret and, out of kindness, taken her in. The old woman had treated Aurora like family, offering a warmth she hadn't known in months. It was because of the child growing inside her that Lucas had agreed to marry her at all.

The wedding had been a mere formality, a facade to shield the Rossi family's reputation.

Lucas hadn't looked at her with love or even mild affection. His gaze was always distant, his heart clearly still broken over Julia, who had left him without a word. Their marriage felt like a cold, empty shell, reminding her of how little she mattered to him.

After the wedding, Lucas was an iceberg, and his warmth sealed off completely. He kept her at arm's length, resisting the mate bond with a determination that stung more than any harsh word.

Then, she lost the baby—their baby, her only connection to him, the sole reason she had stayed. The loss gutted her, leaving a hollow ache in her chest. In that moment, she lost not just her child but the last shred of hope she had for their future.

Now, all that remained was the ache, the emptiness, and the cold realization that she had never truly belonged here.

Lucas pressed his back against the door, the muted sound of Aurora's sobs filtering through the wood.

Each muffled cry gnawed at him, but the anger boiling inside drowned out any sympathy. His fists clenched tightly at his sides as bitterness took hold.

He cursed himself for agreeing to the marriage, realizing how foolish he had been, blinded by obligation and duty.

With the truth now laid bare, he saw Aurora for what she truly was—a scheming witch who had wormed her way into his life, driving a wedge between him and his true love, Julia.

His mind replayed the lies he now believed she had spun. The pregnancy, the miscarriage—both seemed like nothing more than fabrications designed to trap him, to bind him to her and drain off his wealth.

The realization made his stomach turn, and he ground his teeth in frustration.

Suddenly, his phone buzzed, cutting through his thoughts. Snatching it from his pocket, he glanced at the screen.

Julia. The sight of her name made his heart race, and he answered without hesitation.

"Lucas," Julia's voice came through softly, tinged with concern. "I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to upset you earlier."

"Don't apologize, Julia," he replied, his tone softer now. "You did the right thing. If it weren't for you, I'd still be blind to Aurora's deception, unaware of the web she's spun around me."

Julia's barely audible sigh of relief was comforting to Lucas, and he hung up the call with a strange sense of calm settling over him.

On the other end, Julia allowed a sly smile to curve her lips. Her return to Sumturm City had gone precisely as planned. Every piece had fallen perfectly into place, and with Lucas now under her influence, her scheme was nearly complete.