The next morning, Lucas lay in bed, his head throbbing as the familiar ache pounded against his skull.
He squeezed his eyes shut, trying to block out the pain, but it was relentless.
It wasn't just the physical discomfort—it was the mental turmoil swirling inside him, an unshakable storm that wouldn't let up.
Aurora. She was still all he could think about.
He reached for his phone on the nightstand, his fingers moving swiftly as he dialled Amos's number.
His heart pounded in sync with the urgency that had been building for hours.
Every passing hour without answers gnawed at him, fueling his desperation to unravel the mystery surrounding Aurora's disappearance in the city and the secrets buried in her past.
As the phone rang, he prayed for some kind of breakthrough—any lead that could finally shed light on where she was and why her history seemed so shrouded in darkness.
The phone rang and rang, but Amos didn't pick up.
With each passing second, Lucas's frustration grew, his anger bubbling beneath the surface.
Damn it.
He paced the room like a caged animal, his breath coming in shallow gasps.
Where was she?
What was Amos doing?
He clenched his fists, his nails biting into his palms as the seconds ticked by. The silence on the other end of the line was maddening.
"That bastard!" Lucas roared, hurling his phone against the wall.
It shattered with a crack, pieces of plastic scattering across the floor.
His chest heaved as his anger surged, but as quickly as the rage flared, his strength drained away. His legs wobbled beneath him, and he slumped down onto the bed, his body trembling.
He buried his face in his hands, trying to calm his racing heart, but it was no use. The pounding headache only intensified, forcing him to sit still, struggling to regain control.
At the door, Mrs. Hayden had been watching quietly, the door left slightly ajar.
She stepped inside, her voice soft but full of concern. "Sir, I think you need rest."
Lucas lifted his head, his gaze flashing with anger.
For a moment, his eyes narrowed, sharp with frustration, but he caught himself, letting out a long, slow breath.
She was just trying to help.
Softening his gaze, he took her hand gently, his voice low but urgent. "Mrs. Hayden, you're the one who can answer me. Do you know where Aurora is? Do you know anything about her past—something that might explain all of this? Why did she suddenly change, leave the city, and why is she with that... richer man?"
Mrs. Hayden's expression was full of sympathy.
She patted Lucas's hand gently before shaking her head. "I'm sorry, sir, but Madam Aurora hasn't spoken to me since she left the mansion. And as for her past... she kept most of that to herself. She never really shared much with anyone."
Lucas felt a flicker of disappointment, but then Mrs. Hayden continued, her voice thoughtful. "However, I think I might understand why her attitude towards you changed so suddenly."
Lucas looked up, his brow furrowed. "What do you mean?"
"Aurora is a kind, rare woman," Mrs. Hayden said, her voice soft but firm. "She wouldn't have done anything without a reason. If her attitude towards you became negative, then... well, I think it's because something you did pushed her to that point."
Lucas stiffened, his mind reeling. "But I didn't—"
He stopped himself, his words hanging in the air.
His thoughts raced back to their marriage, to every argument, every cold glance exchanged in the final minutes before the divorce.
Could he have done something?
Something that drove her away?
"She's the one who wanted the divorce," Lucas muttered, more to himself than to Mrs. Hayden.
His jaw tightened as he recalled the moment he confronted Aurora about her actions toward Julia. "After I found out what she did to Julia, she left by her own decision."
He ran a hand through his hair, the headache pulsing behind his eyes. "I treated her well. I gave her everything—money, comfort. I even told her she didn't need to work, to stay home and rest."
He paused, his hands clenched into fists at his sides, frustration thickening his voice.
"I did everything right," he muttered, as though trying to convince himself more than anyone else.
Mrs. Hayden, ever composed, stood silently in the corner, her sharp eyes watching Lucas struggle with the weight of his thoughts.
She had seen this before—men unravelling under the pressure of their own expectations. Yet, she remained quiet, waiting for the right moment to speak.
After a long, tense silence, she broke the stillness with a measured, almost gentle voice. "May I go now, sir?"
Lucas let out a sigh, his body sagging as though the energy to fight had drained from him.
With a tired nod, he waved her off. "Yes, you can go."
Mrs. Hayden left without another word, the soft click of the door echoing behind her.
Alone again, Lucas rubbed his temples, but just as he tried to shake off the suffocating thoughts, a sharp, piercing pain shot through his head, more intense than before.
He winced, gripping the edge of the bed as the ache worsened. He closed his eyes, trying to relax, but his mind wouldn't stop spinning.
Eventually, he gathered enough strength to sit up.
His gaze fell on the broken phone, lying in pieces on the floor.
With a groan, he reached for his spare, dialling Amos's number once more.
This time, the call connected, and Lucas wasted no time.
"Finally," he growled, pressing the phone hard against his ear, his patience nearly gone. "What have you found out?"
Amos hesitated on the other end, his voice wavering slightly. "I... I haven't found anything yet, sir."
Lucas's temper flared instantly, the anger rising like a wave ready to crash, but before he could unleash it, a sharp, searing pain pulsed through his head, stopping him mid-breath.
His hand flew to his temple as he winced, his frustration now battling with the pain.
He pinched the bridge of his nose, forcing himself to take slow, steady breaths.
"Nothing?" he asked, his voice low and controlled, though each word felt like it was dragged out of him.
"No, sir," Amos replied, his own frustration clear but tinged with guilt. "I've been digging through everything—contacts, records, people close to her—but it's all come up empty."
Lucas's heart sank.
The frustration, the helplessness—it all felt too heavy.
"Okay," he said quietly, ending the call without another word.
As the silence returned to the room, his heart began to race, pounding hard against his chest.
He had to find her. He had to understand why.
But as each moment passed, the answers seemed further and further out of reach.