“Oh? Is that so? Then I’d love to see exactly how you n to make her suffer.”
Lucas‘ voice came from the doorway–calm, cold, and unmistakably serious.
Neither Aurora nor Wendy had noticed him arrive, but judging by the look on his face, he had heard everything.
They both turned toward him, startled.
Wendy was the first to react.
She rushed over to him, flustered and desperate to exin.
“Lukey, it’s not what you think! I was just joking with her, really, it was all a joke!”
Aurora rose to her feet, folding her arms <b>as </b>she looked at Wendy with thinly veiled amusement.
“Oh? Since we’re joking, maybe I should joke back with you. What do you think?”
Wendy’s smile faltered, her face stiff with awkwardness<b>. </b>
“Aurora, what are you saying? I don’t understand what you mean. I really was just teasing you just now. Please don’t take it seriously.”
Then she turned back to Lucas, voice even more frantic. <b>“</b><b>I </b>swear, Lukey, you have to believe me. I wasn’t trying to cause trouble. I didn’t mean anything by it!”
Aurora said nothing<b>, </b>simply watched with a half–smile as Wendy scrambled like a clown on stage, trying to cover her tracks.
But Lucas remained expressionless.
His face was unreadable, his dark eyes fixed sharply on Wendy.
There was no warmth in his gaze<b>, </b>only scrutiny.
He <b>was </b>trying to figure out how much of what she said just now was the truth, and how much was a performance.
Under his stare<b>, </b>Wendy began to unravel.
Her voice shook, and <b>even </b>her words lost their usual confidence.
“Lukey, please say something… You’re scaring me when you look <b>at </b>me like that.”
Aurora stood behind them<b>, </b>quietly amused.
The fearless woman who had just threatened her now looked like a child caught stealing cookies.
What <b>a </b>turnaround.
She crossed her arms<b>, </b>curious <b>to </b><b>see </b>how Lucas would handle it now<b>. </b>
She wasn’t going to interfere–the facts were alreadyid bare<b>. </b>
There was nothing more she needed <b>to </b>add.
Lucas didn’t <b>waste </b>time.
He swiftly shook Wendy’s hand off his arm, the <b>gesture </b>firm and final.
“<b>If </b>you don’t want my wife to have <b>peace </b>in her own home, then there’s no reason for you to stay <b>in </b><b>it </b>either.<b>” </b>
Wendy’s eyes flew wide open, panic written all over her <b>face</b>,
She shook her <b>head </b>in desperation. “No, Lukey, please <b>don’t! </b>I swear I was just joking with her<b>! </b>I’ll apologize! I’ll go to Aurora right <b>now </b><b>and </b><b>say </b>sorry<b>…</b><b>” </b>
She quickly turned to Aurora<b>, </b>rushing over with tears streaking down her cheeks.
“Aurora–no, my dear Aurora<b>, </b>please… <b>Help </b><b>me </b>exin to Lukey. I didn’t <b>mean </b>to hurt you, I swear I didn’t<b>. </b>I was just teasing. Please<b>, </b><b>I’m </b><b>begging </b>you<b>, </b>Aurora<b>!</b>”
<b>Wendy </b>knew that at this point, only <b>Aurora </b>had the power to save her<b>. </b>
Lucas had made up his mind–<b>there </b>was no changing it now.
All it would take was one word from Aurora<b>, </b>and she could stay.
Lucas‘ eyes shifted to Aurora as <b>well</b><b>, </b>waiting to see what she would do.
But what he felt most in that moment wasn’t curiosity—it was heartbreak.
He couldn’t believe it.
<b>After </b><b>all </b><b>this </b><b>time</b><b>, </b>Wendy had been <b>wearing </b>a mask.
<b>+25 </b>Bonus
He had genuinely thought she and Aurora had learned to get along, maybe even be so close that he’d believed their rtionship was warm and sincere.
And now, all that had crumbled.
She wasn’t the innocent, well–meaning girl he’d thought she was.
She had been lying to both of them the entire time.