She would never forget—
The way he had shielded her with his own body from two bullets.
The way he had endured two nights sleeping rough, just to keep her safe after she was kidnapped.
She would never forget—
The way he had shielded her with his own body from two bullets.
The way he had endured two nights sleeping rough, just to keep her safe after she was kidnapped.
She remembered it all.
sleeping on the hard ground...
For a man born into luxury,
those were things he should never have had to endure.
And yet, he had done it all for her.
He had crossed mountains and rivers just to be by her side.
He was so good to her.
He loved her so much.
Aurora brushed away the tears that trickled down her cheeks.
They felt cold, yet they tickled her skin.
"Everett," she whispered,
I hope I can bring back what you need."
She rose to her feet, her heart heavy with sadness, and quietly left the room.
Outside, Tobias and Will were waiting.
When they saw her red-rimmed eyes, they exchanged a glance.
"Don’t worry," Aurora said, looking at Tobias calmly.
"I know what I have to do.
Please, take good care of him. Thank you."
Without another word, she walked toward the VIP elevator.
Just then, her phone rang.
"Where are you? I didn’t see you at the Langston estate anymore!" he said, panicked.
Aurora explained briefly,
telling him to drive to Y City’s Central Hospital to pick her up.
Dominic nearly had a heart attack,
afraid she had been injured.
Aurora reassured him, saying it was just a friend in the hospital.
But when she stepped outside into the icy night,
she found herself surrounded by a few reporters from Country S.
There were already rumors that Everett had been kidnapped.
Aurora’s pale face, illuminated by the dim streetlights,
stole the breath from the reporters.
But she simply shook her head.
No matter how the reporters pressed her,
She just stood there quietly, waiting for Dominic’s car.
When Dominic’s vehicle finally pulled up,
Aurora got in without a word.
The reporters didn’t dare follow,
only able to watch helplessly as the car disappeared into the snowstorm.
If we don’t hurry, we’ll never make it back to the hotel.
Dominic said, stepping on the gas.
"Aurora, why were you coming out of a hospital anyway?" he asked, glancing at her curiously.
Aurora gave a faint smile.
Mr. Langston’s people sent me here to get checked out."
Even though Dominic was someone she could trust,
Aurora didn’t fully trust the bodyguard who was driving the car.
Besides, she didn’t want Dominic to know too much—
it would only make her worry more.
By the time they got back to the hotel,
an hour and a half had passed.
but she clutched her phone tightly, constantly swiping at the screen,
hoping to see another message from that mysterious figure.
Aurora forced herself to sit up and eat a few bites,
but everything tasted like sand in her mouth.
With Everett’s condition so uncertain—
whether he would even survive,
whether he would wake up with lingering damage—
every time Aurora thought about it,
fear clawed at her chest.
He kept getting hurt because of her.
Aurora felt overwhelmed by guilt,
and terrified at the same time.
"Aurora," Dominic said hesitantly, watching her from across the room,
You look like you’ve got the whole world on your shoulders.
Did something happen to Everett?
Is he really getting engaged to Miss Torres?"
Aurora shook her head quickly.
There are some dangerous things happening in his family right now."
"You don’t have to worry so much!" Dominic said brightly.
"Someone like Everett—he’s a natural-born fighter.
No way would he lose to a bunch of petty villains!"
Dominic grinned confidently.
In her mind, Everett was a hero—
strong, fearless, always there when Aurora needed him most.
There was no way someone like him would fall so easily.
Aurora didn’t answer.
She just lowered her head and mechanically ate a few more bites.
she couldn’t afford to let her body collapse before Everett woke up.
The soup was delicious,
and the dishes were all Chinese cuisine, comforting and warm.
"Oh, by the way," Dominic said suddenly,
"the chef who sent the food up—he’s the head chef here!
He heard that you and Everett have been on dates,
so he made this meal specially for you.
He said he hopes you two will have a long and happy love story!"
Dominic chuckled at the memory of the tall, thin chef.
A small warmth bloomed in Aurora’s heart.
If even strangers like the hotel chef had such a good impression of Everett—
then he really wasn’t a bad person at all.
"I’ll have to thank him properly someday,"
Aurora said softly, pressing her lips together.
She hoped that day would come—
with Everett standing beside her.
She forced herself to finish the meal,
stuffing her stomach full.
But her phone remained still.
Later that night, there was finally some movement—
but it was just text messages from Alexander and a few friends.
Aurora replied to them all with just two words:
Then she went back to sitting on the bed, waiting.
When she couldn’t stand the stillness anymore,
she got up and started pacing the room, restless and tense.
Dominic, watching from the couch, assumed she was simply anxious because Everett wasn’t there to accompany her.
"Relax, Aurora," he said with a smile.
"It’s not like Everett’s off with some other woman.
Aurora gave him a bitter smile.
If Everett were that kind of man,
she wouldn’t be half as worried as she was now.
Her phone buzzed sharply,
cutting through the stillness of the room.
The ringtone was bright and crisp,
and it made every nerve in Aurora’s body instantly tense.