Chapter b203 /b

Aurora’s P.O.V

I let go of Caleb’s embrace, my face a mask of eerie calm. Every detail he revealed sank into me, one after another, like stones dropping into a bottomless well. Inside, my mind was in turmoil, spiraling between shock, pain, and a strange, unexpected sense of relief. I said nothing at first, letting him finishb, /beven when it felt like his words were wing at old wounds I thought I’d buried. Caroline’s panic… it had brought everything to the surface. It had given me the truth I didn’t know I needed, even though it burned to hear it.

Caleb’s breathing was even, his gaze searching mine, I drew in a steady breath. “When the sun rises tomorrow,” I said quietly, my voice measured. “I’ll apologize to Caroline.b” /b

His brows furrowed immediately. “Apologize? Aurora, what do you meanb?/bb” /b

“I mean exactly what I said, Caleb. I’ll apologize. For what happened. For what she went through even when I had no clue about it. Because… I don’t want this to go on any longer. I don’t have the strength for it anymore.” My voice cracked, just slightly, but I forced it steady again.

“And maybe she doesn’t either.b” /b

“But that’s-”

“She doesn’t need to know,” I interrupted, my tone firm now. “Not about my father. Not about why my mother betrayed him. She doesn’t need that part of the truth, Caleb. It wouldn’t change anything. It wouldn’t fix anything.” I felt his eyes on me, heavy and searching, but I refused to meet them. “It’s better this way. For all of us. Maybe some mysteries are meant to be left unsolved.”

He leaned forward, his voice dropping as he pressed, “Aurora, are you really sure about this? Are you really sure you want to end this all? What if-”

“Yes, I do,” I cut him off again, sharper this time. My hands clenched intò fists in myp, nails biting

into my palms.

“When the sun rises tomorrow, I’ll apologize to her, and then… this is over. It has to be. I don’t want to carry this anymore. I can’t.”

There was a long silence. Caleb stared at me, his expression unreadable, and for a moment I wondered if he’d try to argue. Part of me almost hoped he would. But instead, he sighed and leaned back, his voice low. “You’ve thought this through, haven’t you?”

I nodded, finally meeting his eyes. “Yes.”

Even if my heart was screaming otherwise.

bChapter /bb203 /b

I felt like the weight of the world had been pressing against bmy /bchest for so long bthat /bbI /bbforgot /bwhat it meant to breathe freely. Clinging to the past–every scar, every betrayal, bevery /bbfleeting /bmoment of happiness–had only brought more chaos to my doorstep. And worse, it kept hurting bthe /bbpeople /bf cared about. I couldn’t let it happen anymore.

The realization hit me like a p, harsh but necessary. All I wanted now was peace. Just peace. bNot /brevenge, not answers, not the twistedfort of revisiting old wounds. I wanted to leave it ball /bbehind, to carve out a future where my life wasn’t dictated by shadows of the past.

“You’re different today,” Caleb’s voice cut through my thoughts as we walked back from the terrace. He wasn’t smiling, but there was a lightness in his expression that hadn’t been there in weeks.

“It’s good to see that… whatever this was, it hasn’t broken you. If anything, you seem… stronger.”

I didn’t know how to respond to that. I wanted tough, to tell him that “strong” was thest thing bI /bfelt, but there was no point.

“I’ve just decided,” I said, my voice steady even though my insides were a mess, “that holding on to the past isn’t worth it. It keeps pulling me down, dragging everyone around me into the same pit. I can’t do it anymore. I won’t.”

He nodded, his gaze searching mine as if he was trying to make sure I really meant it. “You deserve peace, Aurora. More than anyone I know.” Then, after a pause, he added. “Can I escort you back to your room? I mean, just to be sure you’re okay.”

bChapter /bbComments /b

B4

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