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!

Her heart panged, "Son of a bitch!" She cursed loudly. She knew right away that Victor was responsible for this. Freezing her account? The money she worked for? She and Damian had a joint account, that's where she always put the extra money Damian gave her. "For future purposes." She always said. But the monies on her personal account were hers alone.

"How could they?!" She picked up her phone and looked for her lawyer's number. As she was about to dial it, the realization that she was pregnant hit her. She sat down and let out a sigh. "This is gonna take some getting used to." She murmured, "I'm sorry, my babies," She rubbed her stomach, "Mommy scared you, didn't she?"

Putting her phone down, she sighed. Knowing now that she's pregnant, facing Victor and Damian again would be hard for her because might just end up blurting out that she's carrying Damian's child out of anger. She picked up her phone again, dialing Maywell's number this time. She knew what to do.

Maywell answered, "Aurora!" She happily called, "Have you arrived?"

Aurora smiled, at least one person is glad to hear hear her voice, "Dr Caldwell, hi. Yes, I arrived about 2 hours ago. Sorry I didn't call right away, I was doing some unpacking."

"It's okay, as long as you got there safely." Maywell said, Aurora could tell that she was smiling. She cleared her throat, "Are you free right now?"

"Of course. Is everything okay?"

"About the car..."

"Oh yes!" Maywell said enthusiastically, "I took care of it yesterday."

Aurora's eyes lit up, "You found a buyer already?"

"Yes, I was going to wire you the money later today-"

"Wait! Don't do that yet!" She quickly said and turned to her laptop, "The Blackwoods froze my account. Can you believe that?"

"Seriously?!" The surprise in Maywell's voice could be felt by Aurora. She sighed, "Yes. So give me a moment to set up a new account with a different bank. Then I'll let you know when to wire it, okay?"

"Hah...okay. This is a jerk move on the Blackwood's part. Have they no sense of decency and shame?"

Aurora shrugged, "At least, this way I won't feel like I owe anything to them."

"But that's your money, Aurora!" Maywell said in frustration, "How can you feel like you owe them when it's your own money you're spending?"

"Well, Victor doesn't feel that way. I got my former job due to my status as Damian's wife anyways, so of course he would think that I owe them. Well, he's succeeded."

Maywell let out a sigh on the other side of the phone, "I'm sorry this is happening to you, Aurora."

"It's okay, Dr Caldwell. I'll call you later when I'm done." Aurora disconnected the call and leaned back on the chair rest. "I see you're letting your father do what he wants, Damian. Does it make you happy?"

It was a good good thing Aurora had an ace up her sleeve. Before she left the city, she took her car to Maywell and asked her to look for a buyer willing to pay a good price for it. Her car was pretty expensive and in perfect condition so she was expecting a good amount of money coming in soon.

The reason she sold the car wasn't really for monetary purposes. Rather, she wanted to erase every trace of her whereabouts so the Blackwoods wouldn't be able to find her. She was planning to buy another car when she got here but Victor pulled this nonsense on her. "Perhaps this is a blessing in disguise." She muttered. Thanks to her account being frozen, they won't be able to monitor her if they wanted to.

Blackwood enterprises had a partnership with the bank so all her history of transactions were not impossible for Victor or Damian to acquire, this would've given away her location and any city she was in. She smiled, "I guess everything does have its advantage."

__

It took her almost an hour to set up a savings account, the paperwork was no joke but that itself assured her that her money would be safe. She then left Maywell a text containing the details of her new account, telling her to send the money.

She looked out the window, the sun had gone down and she was still yet to eat. She frowned and rubbed her stomach, "Sorry, babies. I'm not really used to being pregnant. I'll do better from now on, I promise."

She reached for the top drawer of her desk and brought out a wellness and nutritional manual for pregnant women, Maywell had given it to her as a little parting gift. Aurora glanced through it for a while and knew immediately what she wanted to eat.

Her phone buzzed. She picked it up and saw that the money had arrived, a flicker of hope flashed in her eyes. But she knew it wasn't over yet, while she's got enough money to last her for quite a while, she knew she had to get a job while she still can so she can prepare without fear for the arrival of her children.

She reached for her pocket and pulled out the card the handsome stranger gave her earlier, "Looks like I'll be reaching out to you sooner than later, Jaxon Reid. But first," She stood up, courage and cravings surging within her, "I need to get that whole bucket of fried chicken!"

She picked up her phone and opened the map app.

__

Dubai.

At a 5 star restaurant. A live band was in the middle of the room, playing some smooth jazz. Couples seated at different tables, enjoy the music and chatting happily.

However, a certain set of newlyweds sat and ate in silence, the air was heavy. Selene was still offended by what he said that morning and hadn't spoken to him since. Damian was the one who took her out to dinner, he occasionally spoke to her, asking her how the food was and if she'd like some wine. But she always responded with a soft grunt. He sighed and looked at his watch.

Just then, a waiter walked up to them, holding an expensive designer box. He stopped in front of Selene, "These arrived for you, ma'am." He placed it on her side and calmly walked off.

Selene looked at him and asked, "Seriously? You're gonna apologize with this after saying something so insensitive this morning?"

Damian gave her a calm smile. She scoffed and proceeded to open the boy. Her eyes flew wide and she let out a soft gasp, "Honey!" She called happily as she lifted the red-soled sparkling designer heels she's been trying to get for weeks. A set of matching jewelry came along with it, "How did you know?"

"I pay attention to you, Selene. Believe it or not." Damian coolly said, his plan worked. He watched the joy on Selene's face as she talked about what dress would go perfectly with the pair of heels and kept nodding and smiling while she yapped on. "How exhausting..." he said in his head, "You're the daughter of a billionaire, how can something as valueless as this make you happy? I pretty much treated you like trash this morning, and you forgive me this easily? I guess money can't buy class. If it were Aurora, I know what she'd do. No. I would never treat Aurora like that in the first place..."