One week later.

The morning sun rays peeped through the closed curtains. Aurora's phone went off, someone was calling. She rolled towards the nightstand where the phone was and sat up, no one had called her in the past 3 weeks except her lawyer. Even her lawyer stopped calling 2 days after the divorce was finalized. She was all alone now, or was she? Her eyes lit up a little when she saw the name of the person calling. Doctor Maywell Caldwell. She picked up, "Hello?" She regretted speaking without clearing her voice first, her voice was raspy and she sounded really stressed. And knowing Dr Caldwell, she'd definitely make it a big deal out of it. "What the? Have you been smoking? You sound really croaky." Aurora was right, she cleared her throat, it may have taken the cracking effect away but it didn't take away how stressed she sounded, "It's just my morning voice, Dr Caldwell."

There was a long pause then, Maywell spoke, "I read about the divorce."

Aurora's breath hitched, "Sounds like you been busy." She managed to joke but Maywell wasn't having it. "Why didn't you tell me about it?"

Aurora chuckled, "And then what? You'd offer me support? Please, Dr Caldwell. That won't change anything. And besides, I'm fine. I went through it and I'm fine." She sounded like she was trying to convince herself more than Maywell.

There was silence on the other side of the line for a while. Then she finally spoke, "Come in today for some check ups. I need to be sure that you're alright."

"Do I have to?"

"Yes. I'll see you in thirty minutes to an hour." Maywell did not wait for her response before ending the call.

Aurora sighed. She stood up after placing her phone back on the nightstand and stretched a bit. She went towards the windows and spread the curtains, the sharp sunlight almost blinded her. How long did she sleep for? Her eyes then travelled to the wall clock, almost 10am. She closed back the curtains, the light was too much for her at the moment.

With another sigh, she made her way to the bathroom.

__

She walked along the hallway, slowly but steadily. It's the first time she left the hotel since the divorce and it almost felt like she was new in town. She even almost forgot the road to the hospital Maywell worked at. She stopped at the door at the end of the hallway. On the door, "Examination room" was boldly written on it.

Before she could knock, a familiar voice echoed behind her. "Wow. You look like you could pass out any moment from now."

Aurora turned around and there she was, Doctor Maywell Caldwell standing in front of her. Aurora took off the face mask she was wearing- associates of the Blackwood family are pretty well known, so she wanted to avoid any unnecessary drama. She smiled sheepishly, "Hello, Dr Caldwell."

Maywell sighed, and walked past her. She opened the door to the examination room and gestured for her to come in. The moment the door closed behind her, Aurora found herself in Maywell's arms. "You poor thing...you went through so much in so little time."

Aurora swore to not cry, but right now, she couldn't hold it in anymore. The tears kepi falling from her face.

__

Doctor Maywell Caldwell. Aurora's personal doctor and closest friend, probably Aurora's only friend. She's been with her since she got married to Damian.Together, the two have worked tirelessly trying to boost Aurora's fertility. They tried various ways, including naturally and scientifically. And during this process, they have built a really strong friendship in the past six years. Aurora always discussed everything with her, from her professional life to her marriage life and Maywell has always supported and encouraged her. And was always there for her during emotionally hard times, like her current situation.

She continued to let Aurora cry for a few more minutes and then gave her some water. After Aurora calmed down, she laughed, "I wasn't planning on letting anyone see me like this."

"Well," Maywell took the glass of from her and put it down, "I've seen you."

"Yeah. I guess I can only show my vulnerable side around you." Aurora grabbed a tissue from the box and wiped her tears, she wasn't wearing any make up so she didn't worry about ruining her looks. "Shall we get started then?"

__

Aurora sat on the examination table, silent, as Dr. Caldwell moved around her, taking her vitals, checking her pulse, and frowning the entire time. "Are you disappointed?" She asked Maywell with a small smile.

Maywell scoffed, scribbling something on her clipboard. "This isn't a joke. You haven't been eating properly, your blood pressure is all over the place, and I can tell you're barely sleeping." She put her hands on her hips and gave Aurora a pointed look.

Aurora shrugged, "It is what it is."

"No it's not." Maywell snapped, "You should take better care of yourself. I know it's not easy but come on... you should know better than to leave yourself like this."

"I get you, okay? I'm not going to let this separation bring me down. I'll pick myself up and I'll do better. For now, just let me breathe."

Maywell leaned closer, "You to eat to breathe. When's the last time you had a proper meal?"

Aurora pondered for a while, "Well, the hotel meals are pretty decent."

Maywell rubbed her forehead, gosh this woman won't be the death of her. She put down the clipboard and looked Aurora straight in the eye, "I am going to order some food...and you are going to eat them in front of me. No leftovers."

Aurora swallowed, "Okay, Doctor." Maywell gave a small smile and brought out her phone. As she went outside to make the call. Aurora checked herself in the mirror one more time. She really did look sick and wanted to change that. No more letting the past bother her. She leaned back and waited for that food, her appetite was slowly making its way back.

__

Aurora went back to the hotel. What was at first going to be just a check up ended up being a refreshing visit to a close friend. She spent 4 hours at Maywell's office, which would've been longer if she (Maywell) wasn't so busy. She had a great time and hoped it continued.

She threw her things on the bed and headed to the bathroom for a nice shower.

__

Later that evening, Aurora went for a short walk. There was a nice playground directly opposite the hotel building, that's where Aurora went. The sun was setting, it reminded her of the evening she stumbled upon the engagement party of Damian and Selene. A scoff left her lips, to think that they'd been planning that for a while and she never even suspected a thing. Damian was a loving husband until that moment she found out, and the fact that he wasn't even man enough to go against his father's wishes baffled her. Damian was a straightforward and dominant person...unless Victor is involved.

She shook her head, no more thinking about them. "They can all go to hell." She said and stood up to go back to the hotel. No more thinking about them...

The next morning.

Aurora was ripped from sleep by the shrill ringing of her phone. She groaned, blindly reaching for the device on the nightstand, her limbs heavy with exhaustion.

Who the hell was calling her this early?

Her blurry vision barely made out the name on the screen before she answered.

Dr. Maywell.

"Hello?" Aurora's voice was hoarse from disuse.

"Aurora, good morning."

There was something off about the way Maywell spoke. Calm, but almost too careful. Aurora's grogginess faded instantly.

She pushed herself up, heart thudding. "Dr. Maywell? Is something wrong?"

A pause.

Then, Maywell sighed. "I think you should come in. There's something we need to discuss."

Aurora stiffened. "What is it? Is it my test results?"

"Aurora, just come to the clinic. I'll explain everything when you get here."

Her chest tightened. "You're scaring me."

"It's nothing to be scared of, but it is important. Please. Come as soon as you can."

Aurora clutched the phone tighter. There was no point in arguing.

She exhaled slowly. "I'll be there soon."

"Good. I'll be waiting."

The call ended, and Aurora sat there, staring at the screen.

Something was definitely wrong. She climbed off the bed and hopped into the bathroom for a quick shower. Whatever it was Maywell found out, she hoped it wouldn't be as serious as she made it sound.

__

At the clinic. Aurora barely had time to knock on the office's door when it opened. Maywell appeared, "Hi." She said. Aurora went in, the weight of Maywell's seriousness started to dawn on her, "Is everything okay, Dr Caldwell?" Her voice contained a tiny bit of worry mixed with curiosity.

Maywell closed the door and went to sit behind her desk. "Aurora." She called, "How have you been feeling lately?"

Aurora blinked, she didn't understand the question, "Emotionally?"

"Physically."

"Well, I have-"

"Tell me, have you been feeling nauseated, any unusual fatigue?"

Aurora shrugged. "I mean, I've been tired, but that's just...everything, you know? The divorce, the stress."

Maywell hummed, making a note. "What about food aversions? Sensitivity to smells?"

Aurora sighed, rubbing her temples. "I don't know, Dr Caldwell. Maybe? I haven't really been paying attention."

Maywell pursed her lips. "And your last cycle?"

Aurora's brows furrowed. "It's been a little irregular, but it's always been like that when I'm stressed. Why are you asking all this?"

Maywell set her pen down and folded her hands together. She took a deep breath before finally saying,

"Aurora... you're pregnant."

For a moment, Aurora's world went dark.

She stared at Maywell, the words echoing in her ears.

Pregnant?

Her throat was dry, her heartbeat thundering in her chest. She shook her head slightly. "No. That's not..." She let out a weak laugh. "That's not possible."

Maywell's expression remained steady. "I ran the tests twice. You're about four weeks along."

Aurora sprang up from her seat, "But that's not possible, Dr Caldwell. You know that. I can't... I can't have children."

Maywell stood up as well, walking towards her, "Aurora. Perhaps one of those ways we tried during the past six years worked out?"

Aurora lowered her head as she rubbed her nape. Pregnant? Pregnant? Now? Where has the pregnancy been all this time? For the past six years she felt unworthy of Damian's love. Victor blacklisted her for this reason, not acknowledging her presence whenever he visited, always shutting down her opinion whenever she spoke up.

"Someone who's having trouble giving me a grandchild shouldn't have any opinion." He always said. Sometimes he would tell her outright, "Give me a grandchild before opening your mouth."

Maywell watched her for a while, "Aurora? Are you okay?" She asked.

"I'm pregnant." She whispered, "I'm pregnant with Damian's child."

"Children." Maywell corrected, "You're pregnant with twins." Aurora's eyes flew wide, "Twins?"

Maywell nodded with a smile, "That's right. You have two lives depending on you now. You're not alone, Aurora."

"I'm not alone." She repeated, a smile tugging at her lips. But those smiles faded when she thought about Damian. "But Damian should know, shouldn't he?" Then her mind went to Victor, "No. Damian cannot know." She immediately decided, "He's already married to Selene. I saw it on the news. Victor won't be happy if I try to involve myself in their lives. Hell, he might even kill me. He's that ruthless."

Maywell's eyes widened a bit. "Then what are you gonna do?"

Aurora looked at her, determination now burning in her eyes, "I have to leave the city. As long as I'm here, I'll never be able to move on in peace. My kids deserve a fresh start."

"I see. I respect your decision, Aurora. Infact..." Maywell walked back to her desk and opened up her laptop, "I might be able to help you out. Your children would be in danger if Victor Blackwood ever finds out about them, yes?"

Aurora nodded, "He won't allow anything to interfere with Damian's marriage because Selene comes from a billionaire family."

"Then I'll erase every trace of your medical records. That way, they can't find you even if they try to."

"Dr Caldwell. Doesn't that go against the rules?" Aurora asked in concern.

"Yes. But if it's to protect a close friend, then I'm willing to bend the rules a little. I'll also draw up a nutritional draft so you can eat healthy and take care of your babies."

Aurora smiled, "Dr Caldwell... Are you really going to go that far for me?"

"Oh, I'm not done." Maywell said with a calm smile. "You mentioned leaving the city? Well, I have a place you can stay in another city. Far away from all this. It's quiet, I think you could need some of that."

Aurora sighed, "I can't thank you enough, Dr Caldwell." She reached out to Maywell for a hug and she accepted it gladly. Aurora never felt so thankful. Amidst all the chaos and betrayal, she was glad to still have a friend who looks out for her.

__

She went back to the hotel to pack up her stuff, she had a clear vision of what she wants to do now. But first, she needed to leave the city for there was no place for her here anymore.

She checked out of the hotel minutes later and left.

__

Moments after Aurora walked out of the hotel, a sleek black car pulled up in front of the entrance. The back door opened, and Damian Blackwood stepped out.

His sharp gaze swept across the building as he walked into the reception area. The receptionist straightened nervously as he approached.

"Aurora Sinclair," He said in his usual deep, commanding tone. "What room is she in?"

The receptionist hesitated before replying, "I'm sorry, Mr. Blackwood, but Ms. Sinclair checked out about fifteen minutes ago."

Damian's jaw tensed. He stood there for a moment, silent.

His driver, standing a few steps behind him, spoke cautiously. "Do you want us to look for her, sir?"

Damian exhaled slowly, rubbing his fingers against his temple. He knew Aurora well enough, if she didn't want to be found, she wouldn't be.

After a long pause, he shook his head. "No."

He turned on his heel and walked back toward the car. As he slid into the back seat, he muttered, "I have to meet Selene at the airport."

At the airport.

Damian stepped out of the car, adjusting the cuffs of his tailored suit as he scanned the bustling airport entrance. Among the crowd, his eyes landed on Selene Davenport, now Blackwood, standing with her designer luggage, dressed impeccably in a white summer dress. She looked every bit the perfect billionaire's wife, elegant, poised, and entirely self-assured.

The moment she saw him, her lips curled into a knowing smile. "Finally," She said dramatically, closing the distance between them. Without hesitation, she looped her arms around his neck and pulled him into a long, lingering kiss.

When she finally pulled away, her cunning blue eyes studied his face. "And here I thought our honeymoon would be canceled." She pouted slightly, though her voice carried suspicion. "What took you so long? What urgent business were you handling?"

Damian's expression remained unreadable. "It's nothing," He said smoothly. "Let's go."

She tilted her head, watching him closely as if she could read between the lines. But before she could push further, he took her hand, intertwining their fingers, and led her toward the airport entrance.

Selene smirked, satisfied for now. "Good," She murmured as they stepped inside. "Because I'd hate for you to be distracted when we have a whole island to ourselves."

Damian didn't respond. Instead, he kept walking, his grip on her hand firm but his mind elsewhere. No matter how hard he tried to push it away, the image of Aurora's tear-streaked face lingered in his thoughts...

The city skyline came into view as the car Aurora was in crossed the bridge leading into her new home. Unlike the really busy city she had left behind, this place had a quieter charm.

The buildings were tall but not overwhelming, their glass windows reflecting the warm sunset. People walked along the sidewalks at a slower and calmer pace, couples holding hands, children laughing, and street vendors calling out their evening specials.

The streets were lined with trees, their leaves gently being blown by the breeze. The further they drove, the more Aurora realized this place was different. Less suffocating, less haunted by memories.

Eventually, the car pulled into a peaceful residential neighborhood. Here, the city noise faded into the background, replaced by the occasional chirping of birds.

The house Maywell had arranged for her was nestled on a quiet street, surrounded by beautiful blossoming trees. It was a cozy townhouse with a small front garden, its white exterior giving it a warm, welcoming feel.

Aurora stepped out of the car, gripping the handle of her luggages. The air was cool, crisp, filled with the scent of fresh flowers. She glanced up at the house, feeling a mix of emotions swirl inside her, relief, uncertainty, and a quiet determination.

This was her new beginning. No more Damian. No more Blackwoods. Just her and the life growing inside her.

Just as she was about to go inside, someone called to her.

"Excuse me, miss?"

She turned around and saw someone walking towards her. It was a tall fellow whose slightly wavy short hair bounced as he took steady strides towards her.

Aurora put her guard up. After what happened with Damian, she'll be damned to ever trust anyone so easily again. Did Victor send someone after her? Did he already figure out that she was pregnant? Was this person here to...get the job done? She took a couple of steps back, getting ready to scream if this person ever tried anything with her.

The stranger stopped in front of her and flashed the friendliest smile Aurora has ever seen before speaking, "Sorry to bother you, do you have a moment please?"

Aurora let go of the breath she'd been holding and took a proper look at this stranger. He had a dark shade of brown hair and eyes, he had soft facial features, which made him appear really charming and approachable. A calm smile which made his dimples appear and a mole on his left cheek that added to his already great looks. She had to admit inwardly that this person was quite good-looking, but she wasn't smitten or attracted to him. She cleared her throat, "Yes? What is it?"

The stranger's eyes brightened, "Sorry for disturbing you when you just got off. You look like someone who just moved in."

Aurora frowned, stress from the trip starting to wear her down, she wasn't in the mood for this."And you look like someone I'm about to stop talking to if you don't get to the point."

The man chuckled. "Fair enough. Jaxon Reid." He extended a hand, but when Aurora didn't immediately take it, he smoothly lowered it back to his side. "I'm a business consultant. I help people looking to start fresh in a new city. New businesses, new ventures, help boost existing businesses, that sort of thing."

Aurora's frown didn't budge. "And you just happen to be here?"

"Call it good timing," Jaxon said with an easy grin. "This neighborhood is small. New faces stand out." He glanced at her luggages. "And something tells me you're looking for more than just a place to stay."

She scoffed and looked away, "What are you, a fortune teller?"

He laughed, "What great humor you have there, miss." He reached into his pocket, pulled out a card and handed it to her. "I hope you reach out, uhmm..."

"Aurora Black- Sinclair! Aurora Sinclair." She bit her lips, inwardly giving herself a face palm. To think that she almost called herself a Blackwood just now, how annoying.

Jaxon's curiosity lasted a second, then he was back to business mode again, "Miss Sinclair. Contact me if you have any questions." He flashed one last smile before walking past her.

Aurora sighed, she looked at the card for a moment and put it in her back pocket, business will have to wait. For now, a lot of unpacking and settling in needed to be done.

After she went in to the house, Jaxon, who had just finished talking to another person, took a look at the spot where he talked to Aurora and smiled a little, "What an interesting lass." He murmured to himself and continued his walk in search of his next audience.

__

Somewhere in Dubai.

On a private beach, Selene stood knee-deep in the water that matched her eyes, her designer swimsuit hugging her curves as she posed for yet another picture. The camera shutter clicked, capturing her flawless beauty, but when she glanced back at the shaded lounge area, her smile faltered.

Damian sat comfortably under a white canopy, dressed in casual yet refined linen clothing, his dark hair was being blown gently by the ocean breeze. But instead of enjoying the moment with her, his sharp gray eyes were fixed on his phone screen, his deep voice firm as he spoke to someone on the other end. "No, I don't care about the delay. Push the meeting forward, and tell them I expect a finalized report by tomorrow."

Selene rolled her eyes, definitely not the honeymoon she was expecting. She got out of the water and strode towards him. The first thing she did was snatch his phone and end the call. After which, she groaned, "I don't like this. Can't you just enjoy the moment with me? You've been working since we arrived! We're on our honeymoon, not a business trip."

Damian sighed, "The sooner I finish that work, the better. Don't you think? You're dragging this out by taking my phone." He leaned closer to her and took back his phone. "And besides, it's not like it's my first honeymoon." He muttered with an unreadable flicker in his eyes.

Selene's face fell, her brows twisted in anger, "I cannot believe you just said that. Not your first honeymoon?"

Damian shrugged, "Yeah, I was previously married, remember? It's not that special when you do it a second time."

At this point, Selene's face was twisted in rage, "Well it's my first honeymoon, you jerk. Ugh!" She stormed off and headed for the villa.

Damian sat back down, finally some peace and quiet. He knew all it would take to get on her good side again would be some flowers and jewelry so he didn't bother going after her. As he continued his work, his mind involuntarily drifted off to Aurora and his hands froze, "I wonder where you are right now..." He thought aloud.

__

Aurora finally finished unpacking, then went around the house, writing down the things she needed to get; Groceries, toiletries and others. When she was done, she got on her laptop to place an order but something went wrong. When she included her card details she found out that it had been restricted!