Aurora froze as the bandages came away, revealing deep, angry wounds on Julia's arm.
Blood had seeped into the dressings, and the sight of the raw, ugly injuries sent a wave of shock through her.
She stared at them in disbelief, her mind scrambling to make sense of it.
How could this be?
Lucas's face twisted in fury.
"I told you!" he shouted, stepping closer, his anger evident. "Look at what you've done! How dare you accuse her of lying!"
Aurora, still in shock, looked back at Julia. Her eyes searched Julia's face, but something was off. The pain in Julia's expression seemed exaggerated, almost rehearsed, and Aurora's heart sank with a new realization.
Did she… did she hurt herself on purpose?
Julia's eyes flicked up, meeting Aurora's gaze for a fraction of a second before she quickly turned away, tears streaming down her face.
Her voice trembled as she spoke, "I didn't want this… I just wanted things to go back to how they were."
Aurora's stomach churned.
It all made sense now—Julia had done this to herself. She would go to any length, even self-harm, just to keep Lucas by her side and drive Aurora away.
"I'm sorry, Lucas," Julia whimpered. "Please don't be angry. I didn't mean for it to get this far…"
Lucas, still fuming, pulled Julia closer, cradling her against him. "I won't let anyone hurt you again, Julia," he vowed, his eyes narrowing at Aurora.
Aurora straightened her back, her heart racing, but her face calm, defiant. "Julia is a liar. She hurt herself to manipulate you. Can't you see it?"
Lucas's eyes blazed with fury as he held Julia tighter. "You think I'm blind? You almost killed her, Aurora!" His voice cut through the air like a knife, each word striking deep. "How could you? I thought you could be better than the heartless monster you are."
Aurora's confidence wavered for a moment, the sharpness of his words piercing her like a dagger.
Her heart ached, but anger quickly rose to the surface, fueling her confidence. "I didn't do this. She's playing you, Lucas. Open your eyes."
Lucas scoffed, his gaze cold and unrelenting. "Playing me?" His voice dripped with contempt. "You've always hated her, always been jealous. That's who you are, Aurora. And I was a fool to ever believe you'd be anything different."
His words struck like a blow, each one sharper than the last. Aurora felt her chest tighten, the sting cutting deeper than she expected. But she kept her chin up, refusing to show him how much it hurt.
"You really think that?" she asked, her voice trembling but defiant. "You think I'm the monster who hasn't changed?"
Lucas's eyes narrowed, hard and unforgiving. "You haven't changed. You never will."
The finality of his words hit her like a wall, and for a brief second, Aurora couldn't breathe.
Every fibre of her wanted to scream, to make him see the truth, but she could see now how deep Julia's claws had sunk into him.
She swallowed the pain, forcing her voice to remain calm.
"I don't need this," she said, turning on her heel, ready to leave the ward.
Before she could take another step, Lucas's hand shot out, grabbing her arm with a firm grip.
The familiar sparks shot up her skin from their mate bond, igniting a shockwave through her body.
His grip was tight and possessive, and it made her pause.
"Not so fast," he growled, his voice low and dangerous.
He yanked her back, his eyes blazing with anger. "You think you can just walk away after what you did? You're not leaving until you apologize. Apologize to Julia. Now."
Aurora's gaze darted to Julia, and she saw it—a faint, almost invisible smirk playing at the corners of Julia's lips.
It was a look of cold satisfaction that Lucas hadn't noticed, but it was unmistakable.
Julia's deceit was clear now, and Aurora could see how she had manipulated the situation to keep Lucas under her control.
Despite the burning fury inside her, Aurora knew she had little choice.
Lucas's grip on her arm was firm, the sparks from their bond flaring between them with every heartbeat.
She could see the determination in his eyes; he wasn't going to let her go until she complied.
Taking a deep breath, she forced herself to meet Lucas's eyes, her voice calm but edged with frustration.
"I'm sorry," she said, her words coming out confidently. "but I won't be coerced into apologizing for something I didn't do."
Lucas's face hardened, and Julia's expression turned sour.
She had expected Aurora to apologize, especially with Lucas holding her, but Aurora didn't.
The way Lucas held Aurora—firm but gentle—only fueled Julia's resentment.
The apology seemed meaningless since Lucas still held Aurora with what looked like lingering affection.
"Lucas," Julia interrupted, her tone polite but laced with false concern, "if you don't let Aurora go and get the doctor, I might end up needing more than just a bandage."
Lucas's eyes flicked back to Julia, concern slowly overriding the anger that had been burning moments before.
His grip on Aurora's arm loosened, his attention shifting fully to Julia.
"Amos," Lucas barked, his voice clipped, "call the doctor. Now."
He then looked back at Aurora, his face a mask of frustration and sadness. "You've done enough. I need to make sure Julia's injuries are properly attended to."
Aurora rubbed her aching arm, watching as the anger Lucas had directed at her dissolved into worry for Julia.
Her heart sank deeper as she caught sight of the smug satisfaction on Julia's face and the way Lucas's focus had shifted so abruptly.
Memories began to flood her mind—ones she had tried to bury.
She recalled when they were married and how fragile she had been the day she caught a fever.
It came on suddenly, leaving her weak and barely able to stand. She had slipped in the bathroom, her body too frail to catch herself.
If it hadn't been for Mrs. Hayden, the housekeeper, who rushed in at the sound of her fall and immediately called the doctor, Aurora might not have made it.
Mrs. Hayden had been the one to help her, to care for her when she was too sick to move.
But when Mrs. Hayden called Lucas, hoping he would rush to his wife's side, he had dismissed her with barely a word.
"I'm busy," he had said coldly, too preoccupied with something else—work, perhaps, or worse.
At that moment, it had been as though Aurora didn't exist to him, as though her pain was invisible.
Now, watching the concern in his eyes for Julia—the way he barked orders and seemed so deeply invested in her well-being—Aurora couldn't help but compare the two moments.
When she needed him most, he wasn't there. But for Julia, his world stopped.
The ache in her chest became unbearable, and she clenched her fists.
Lucas had never truly cared for her, never loved her. He had humiliated her for his ex-girlfriend's schemes.
Now, every lingering feeling she had for him felt unnecessary, and she knew she was done.
Without another glance, she stepped out of the ward and walked out of the hospital.