Chapter 13
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Aurora’s POV
My lips twitched as a humorless smile spread across my lips. “I paid the delivery man extra. I told him to not just hand the envelope over, but to make a scene. He was to announce it loudly and dramatically, in a way that would draw attention. And I know Shawn very well, I know how much he hates looking weak in front of people. He would have opened it right there, in front of everyone to assure that everything was fine.”
Logan burst out laughing, shaking his head in disbelief. “You actually set him up in his own party.”
I grinned. “I paid someone to steer the crowd, to make sure they hinted that I must have arranged a special surprise. Shawn would never resist proving them right.”
“That’s my girl,” Father finally spoke, his voice filled with quiet pride. A rare smile was on his lips. “That was a calculated, and precise attack. You hit him where it would hurt him the
most.”
I gave a weak shrug. “Let’s just say I wanted him to have an unforgettable celebration.”
My brothers burst into laughter. My words seemed to be enough to ease some of their anger, for a moment.
But before I could continue speaking, the hospital room door opened.
We all turned.
A tall man stepped inside, adjusting his glasses as he walked in. My chest tightened, and my eyes widening in disbelief.
“…Damien?” The name slipped from my lips.
He turned to me, and a small smile crossed his lips. “Aurora.” His voice was far deeper than I remembered.
I froze, staring in shock. The last time I saw Damien, we had been children.
He was the scrawny, awkward kid, with braces.
He had left for Europe when we were twelve. The boy I remembered had glasses too big for his face and a high pitched voice.
But the man standing before me now was nothing like that boy. He had broad shoulders, sharp and strong jawline. He was still wearing glasses, but instead of making him look awkward, they made him look very smart.
“You’ve got to be kidding me,” Aaron muttered under his breath. “That’s Damien?”
Logan smirked. “I guess puberty was kind.”
I blinked several times, still processing. “You… you’re supposed to be overseas.‘
”
He chuckled softly. “I came back two months ago for business.” His eyes softened as he
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studied me. “And when your father told me that you had finally agreed to the marriage contract between our families. I came to see you.”
Marriage contract? I turned to my father in shock. “Damien? The engagement is to Damien?”
He nodded. “Damien had always meant to be your match. We agreed years ago. You turned it down then, and I respected that. But after everything that’s happened, you told me you had finally reconsidered. That’s why I called him back.”
My chest tightened. I had been desperate when I made that call to Dad days ago. I hadn’t thought he would move so quickly. I had only wanted a way out. Marriage had been the last thing on my mind, especially to Damien.
Damien stood beside my bed with a soft look in his eyes.
“You’ve changed,” I whispered.
“So have you,” he replied softly.
He hesitated for a moment, then he sighed. “Aurora, I’m not here to pressure you. I just wanted you to know I’m here. If you want this arrangement, I’ll stand by you. If you don’t, I’ll still stand by you as a friend.”
I swallowed hard as I stared at him.
My father caught my brothers‘ eyes and gave them a subtle signal. They began leaving the room without a word.
“Rest now, Aurora.” My father said softly, “We’ll deal with Shawn. He’s already been publicly humiliated, but that’s only the beginning. As for Damien, he will remain here for a while. You’ll have time to decide what you want.”
For a while after my father and brothers left, the room was quiet. Damien sat on the chair beside me.
“You look good,” he said finally.
A tired laugh escaped me. “Oh please, don’t lie to me. look like a zombie, you and I know this.”
A small smile tugged on his lips. “Well, I thought about saying that. But it didn’t seem very polite.”
I raised an eyebrow. “You? Polite? That’s new.”
He grinned, and the memory of the scrawny boy with the large glasses flickered through my mind. The grin was exactly the same.
“You still have the same sarcasm,” he said, leaning back. “I guess some things don’t change.”
“And you still have the same glasses,” I shot back.
He smirked, adjusting them. “These are cooler.”
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I shook my head with a real smile on my lips for the first time in what felt like forever.
The heaviness in my chest eased a little.
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Chapter 13
