Lucas left the auction hall in a daze, the weight of Amos's words pressing down on him.
He had been holding onto hope that somehow, despite everything, Aurora would come back to him. But now, with the knowledge of Hades looming over him, that hope felt more like a fool's errand.
The night air was cool as he stepped outside, the distant sounds of the woods filling the void that had settled in his chest.
Julia was at his side, still simmering with irritation, but for once, she stayed silent.
Maybe she sensed his internal struggle or maybe she was just tired of arguing. Either way, her presence was grating.
He walked a few steps away from her, needing space, needing to think. But all he could see in his mind was Aurora—her calm expression, the finality in her voice when she mentioned the divorce papers.
She wasn't bluffing. She wasn't trying to provoke him. She was done, truly done.
"Lucas," Julia's voice broke through his thoughts, sharp and biting as always. "Are we just going to stand here all night, or are you going to pull yourself together?"
Lucas didn't respond immediately. Instead, he glanced at her, the bitterness in her eyes reflecting his own frustration. But there was something else there too—a calculation, a coldness that had always unnerved him.
He had once thought Julia could be an ally, someone who understood the world of power and ambition he lived in. But now, she just felt like a reminder of everything he was trying to escape.
"I need some time," he muttered, his voice rougher than he intended.
Julia's lips curled into a sneer. "Time for what? To keep pining over her? She's gone, Lucas. She's not coming back."
"I said I need some time," Lucas repeated, more forcefully this time.
For a moment, Julia looked like she might argue, but then she let out an exasperated sigh and threw her hands up. "Fine. Go wallow in your misery. But don't expect me to wait around while you sort through your feelings."
She turned on her heel and walked off, her heels clicking against the pavement, leaving Lucas standing alone under the dim streetlights.
He watched her disappear into the night, but the emptiness she left behind didn't bother him. Not now.
What bothered him was the cold reality that Aurora had moved on, and maybe it was time he accepted it.
But even as that thought crossed his mind, another part of him—the part that had never backed down from a fight—rebelled against the idea. He had built his pack, won battles, and risen to the top through sheer determination.
Letting Aurora go without a fight wasn't something he could stomach, not yet.
He pulled out his phone and stared at the screen for a moment, his thumb hovering over her contact.
It had been days since they'd spoken outside of legal matters.
Days since she had shut him out of her life completely. But there was something he needed to say, something he needed to hear from her directly.
His finger hovered for another second before he pressed the call button. The phone rang once, twice, and then—
"Aurora."
Her voice was as calm and collected as it had been at the auction, but there was no warmth, no familiarity.
"Aurora, I—" He stopped, unsure of what he had intended to say. The words felt tangled in his throat.
There was a pause on the other end, and when she spoke again, her tone was distant. "Lucas, if this is about the auction—"
"No," he cut her off, his voice rough. "This isn't about the damn auction. It's about us."
Another pause, longer this time.
"There is no 'us,' Lucas. I thought I made that clear tonight."
Her words hit him like a punch to the gut, but he pressed on, desperate to get through to her. "Is it because of him? Is that why you're doing this? Because of Hades?"
Aurora sighed, the sound soft and tired. "This has nothing to do with Hades. I made my decision long before he came into the picture."
He clenched his jaw, his frustration bubbling to the surface. "Then why? Why now? Why so final?"
"Because I'm tired, Lucas," she said quietly. "Tired of the games, the back and forth, the endless drama. I need to move on with my life, and you need to do the same."
Her words stung, but there was a finality to them that left no room for argument. She was serious. This wasn't just a phase or a whim. She was really done with him.
"I... I can't just walk away," he admitted, his voice softer now, almost pleading.
"You have to," Aurora replied, her tone gentle but firm. "There's nothing left for us to hold onto. It's over."
Lucas closed his eyes, the reality of her words settling over him like a heavy weight. He had always known this moment would come, but he hadn't expected it to hurt this much.
"I'm sorry, Lucas," she added, her voice softening for a brief moment. "But this is how it has to be."
Before he could say anything else, the line went dead, leaving him standing in the middle of the empty street, the cold wind biting at his skin.
For the first time, Lucas truly understood what he had lost.
Aurora wasn't coming back.
And he had no one to blame but himself.
Aurora sighed deeply, sinking into the plush chair by the window after hanging up the phone. She let the weight of the conversation settle over her, her expression unreadable as her thoughts churned.
Her assistant, Ava, who had been organizing files on the other side of the room, glanced over, curiosity flickering in her eyes. "I thought you blocked his contact," she remarked cautiously, knowing better than to pry too much into Aurora's personal life but unable to help herself this time.
Aurora tilted her head, her lips curling slightly. "I did," she replied, her voice calm. "I blocked his number because I wanted nothing to do with him. Nothing at all."
Ava raised an eyebrow. "So… what changed?"
Aurora leaned back, her gaze drifting to the tall trees outside the window. She let the silence linger for a moment, choosing her words carefully. "I unblocked him. Not to talk to him, but just to know…" She paused, her tone growing more deliberate. "I want to see how he's suffering. The way I suffered during our marriage."
Ava's eyes widened slightly as she processed that. "So this is about revenge?"
Aurora shook her head, her expression firm. "No. It's not revenge."
She sat up straighter, her posture reflecting the confidence she had found in herself over the past few days. "It's more than that, Ava. I don't care about making him pay for what he did. I just want him to see me for what I'm worth. I want him to realize what he lost—what he threw away."
Ava nodded slowly, still trying to make sense of Aurora's intentions. "But isn't that just another way of getting back at him? Proving that you're better off without him?"
Aurora's gaze sharpened, her voice steady. "It's not about being better off without him. It's about showing him who I am now. I'm not the woman he could control or dismiss anymore. I'm someone with power, confidence, and worth. He needs to know that."
Ava crossed her arms, watching Aurora with a mixture of admiration and concern. "You're really sure this will get to him? I mean, you're with Hades now. Doesn't that already show him how much you've moved on?"
Aurora's lips curved into a small, knowing smile. "Oh, it does. But this isn't about Hades. It's about me. Lucas always thought he could win by keeping me small by making me doubt myself. Now, he'll see what I'm truly capable of."
She paused, her eyes gleaming with a mixture of determination and something more personal. "And when he realizes that he's the one who lost, not me—well, that's not revenge. That's just the truth."
Ava studied her for a moment, then nodded slowly. "Well, if anyone can make him see the truth, it's you."
Aurora smiled, but there was a steeliness behind it. "I already have."