Three years after my death, my husband, Caspian Blackwood, visited my mausoleum.

His face darkened at the sight of a bouquet of white roses beside my tombstone.

"What are these?"

The cemetery keeper explained, "Local legend says they mean the deceased's soul has found a new guide in the afterlife and is finally at peace."

"Take them away," Caspian commanded coldly.

"I'm sorry, sir?"

"The white roses. Get rid of them all."

In the days that followed, Caspian purchased the entire historic cemetery and turned it into a private memorial park.

He bought out every flower shop within a ten-mile radius, forbidding the sale of a single white rose.

"I won't let you find guidance from anyone else, Aurora, not even in death," he swore at my tombstone. "If you dare, I will hunt you down when I die. Not even death can keep us apart. Wait for me."

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1

It was our fifth anniversary. I was cruising down California's Highway 1 in my Porsche 911 when Caspian called.

His voice was as gentle as ever. "Slow down, Aurora. I've prepared a surprise for you at the cliffside restaurant."

His voice was a familiar comfort, the same gentle tone he always used with me. I smiled, a warmth blooming in my chest. "I know."

I hung up, ready to enjoy the sea breeze, but a deafening roar erupted from behind me. A glance in the rearview mirror showed a black, unplated SUV hurtling straight toward me.

Before I could process it, my world spun into a screeching scrape of metal, followed by a sickening crash. Excruciating pain ripped through me, a brutal force threatening to tear me in two.

Voices swirled around me, muffled and distant.

"Aurora? Aurora…" Someone was saying my name, their voice low and panicked. I fought to open my eyes, but I was sinking into a heavy darkness, unable to move a single inch.

A conversation drifted to my ears. "The emergency room is ready, Mr. Blackwood."

"Hurry."

Caspian's voice. Cold. Detached. My heart jolted, and a sliver of consciousness returned. An emergency room? Why?

I tried to call his name, but my thoughts were a leaden, jumbled mess.

"Do we have to do this, Mr. Blackwood? Your wife…" The man hesitated, his voice thick with unease.

"Stick to the plan. Just make sure the marrow is viable. No more questions."

I couldn't breathe, a crushing weight pressing down on my chest. What was he talking about? Viable bone marrow?

The air was thick with the sharp scent of disinfectant.

I was lying on a hospital bed, the harsh light searing through my closed eyelids.

A woman's voice slithered into the room. It was Scarlett Dubois.

"Are you sure her bone marrow is a match? My doctor said this is my last chance."

Caspian pulled Scarlett into his arms and kissed her forehead. "I've confirmed it. A perfect match. You'll finally have the healthy body you deserve."

Scarlett nodded. When she spoke again, her voice was soft but tinged with a petty resentment. "What about her? I heard she's an outdoor sports enthusiast. I don't want to see her gliding down some snowy mountain, looking like she owns the world."

My heart skipped. She was jealous of my hobbies?

Caspian’s kisses stopped. "Do we have to do this? The doctor said the surgery is very risky."

Scarlett stiffened, pushing him away as her voice cracked. "So, you've fallen for her, Caspian. I thought I was your one and only. If you don't ruin her, I won't go through with the transplant! Just let me die, and you can spend the rest of your life with your precious Aurora!"

Caspian sighed softly. "Don't be difficult, Scarlett. You need this. I won't let anything happen to you." He paused, then his tone softened. "Alright, baby. You'll get what you want."

The words struck me like a physical blow, and my heart plummeted.

Scarlett spoke again. "What if Aurora finds out? Will it affect the family trust? Alistair insisted on her as your wife, after all."

Caspian soothed her, his low voice laced with smugness. "It's fine. She's so head over heels for me, she'll never find out. She believes every word I say."

"Besides, I've already sent the driver to South America. If she asks, I'll just say the crash damaged her spine. That the doctors had to extract some bone marrow to relieve the pressure. She'll buy it. She'll never know it went to you."

The betrayal twisted in my gut like a blade. The crash… it was all his design. For Scarlett, he was going to steal my bone marrow and shatter my future.

Darkness swallowed me, their voices fading with it. Just before everything went silent, I heard Caspian whisper, "It will go smoothly, Scarlett."

My blood turned to ice.

I slowly opened my eyes, squinting against the harsh light. The air was still thick with disinfectant. Pain radiated from deep within my body, a searing agony concentrated in my back.

It felt like I'd been torn apart.

"You're awake!" Caspian's voice trembled, a strange mix of shock and relief. He gripped my hand, his own fingers shaking.

His eyes were bloodshot, his face etched with guilt and worry. "I thought you…" He broke off, pressing his forehead against my hand as his shoulders trembled.

I could feel his tears on my skin—warm, yet they only made my heart grow colder.

"Aurora, I'm so sorry. During the crash, a piece of wreckage was pressing on your spine, and the doctors… they had to perform an extremely risky bone marrow extraction to save your life. I… I didn't know what else to do…"

He spoke with difficulty, as if each word was a shard of glass. Then, he whispered a promise. "But I'll be with you, even if we can't ski in the Alps anymore. We can… we can do yoga together."

"I promise, you'll always be my queen."

He sounded so sincere, anyone would have believed him. But for me, it felt like my heart was being crushed under the weight of his lies. Every feigned word of concern was just another thread in his web of lies.

"Is something wrong, Aurora?" The agony on my face sent him into a panic. He shot to his feet. "I'll get the doctor. Wait for me. I'll be right back."

He rushed out, leaving his secondary cell phone behind on the nightstand. Silence consumed the room, broken only by the soft hum of medical equipment.

Then, the phone vibrated, shattering the quiet.

I slowly reached for it.

A text from Scarlett lit up the screen: "Caspian, where are you? Text me back."

"Don't forget to talk to Aurora about adopting Julian. It's not like she can have children anymore, anyway."