bChapter /bb208 /b

bAurora’s /bP.O.V

bWhen /bCaroline lifted the lid of the box, bI /bcould feel my palms dampen. I’d spent bdays /bbsecond- /bbguessing /bthisb, /bwondering if she’d like it, if it would be enoughb, /bor if it was too much. bThe /bbmoment /bstretched as she pulled the delicate pearl bracelet from its bed of tissue paper, her fingers btracing /bover the tiny beads.

“Aurora,” she said softly, her eyes wide as she turned to me. “This is beautiful. It’ll go perfectly bwith /bmy dress for the party.” She hesitated, her voice turning into something almost scolding bbut /bbwarm/b. “But you shouldn’t have. This must’ve cost you a lot.”

I shook my head, feeling my cheeks flush under her gaze. “It’s nothing. I had some money from bmy /bpart–time job for a while nowb. /bbI /bjust…b” /bMy words faltered, and I looked down at the bracelet resting in her hand, hoping it said more than I could. “You’re my first real friend, Caroline. You’re the reason I started wanting to live for myself again. I wanted to do something nice for you. Something that showed…b” /bI exhaled, trying to keep my voice steady.

“That showed how much you mean to meb./bb” /b

Caroline looked at me for a moment, her expression softening in a way that made my chest ache. She reached out, taking my hand and giving it a squeeze. “Aurora,” she saidb, /bher tone quieter now.

“You didn’t have to. But… Thank you. It means the world to me.” She smiled then, the kind of smile

that made you feel like everything might actually be okay. It wasn’t just about the bracelet anymore.

It was about the fact that she saw me–the real me–and still stayed.

“Caroline,” I began, my voice steady, though my heart pounded in my expression wary. Then, as if realizing something, her face drained of colo

tremble slightly in mine. I held on tighter.

ooked up at me, her

I felt her hand

“I know,” I said, keeping my eyes on hers. “I know we’re Lunar Sisters. And I know everything you’ve been doing to help uncover the truth.”

Her mouth opened, but no sound came out at first. When she finally managed to speak, her words

came out in a rush, almost a whisper.

“You… you know? Aurora, I–are you mad at meb? /bI wasn’t trying to-b” /b

“Mad at you?” bI /bcut her off gently, shaking my head as ba /bsmall, incredulous smile formed on my lips. “Caroline, how could I ever be mad at you? You’re my bsister/bb, /beven without the Moon Goddesses blessing. I love you. I adore you.” My thumb brushed against her knuckles bas /bbI /bspokeb, /bgrounding us both in that moment.

bChapter /bb208 /b

bYou’ve /bbeen bcarrying /bbthis /bburden for so blong/bb, /bbtrying /bbto /bfind the truth bfor /bbmy /bbsake/bb, /bbBut /bIt’s okay no bYou /bcan bstop/b. I don’t want to look back at the past anymore. I just… I just want to bmove /bforward

Her eyes filled with tears, and before I could say anything else, she pulled me into a hugb, /bbsqueezing /bme so tightly it almost hurt. I didn’t mind.

“I’m so d,b” /bshe murmured against my shoulder. “I was so scared you’d hate me for keeping secretsb, /bfor digging where I shouldn’t have.”

I pulled back just enough to look at her, still holding onto her arms. “Carolineb, /bthere’s nothing you could do that would ever make me hate you. Don’t you know that by now?” I tilted my head, giving her a yful look, and finally, sheughed–a soft, breathy sound that felt like sunlight breaking through clouds.

Wiping at her eyes, she sniffed and smiled. “Okay, okay. I get it. I had been so worried, but not… you’re right, let’s just…forget and move forward.” Then her smile turned mischievous, her eyes sparkling. “But I have something for you too. A gift. Wait here.”

Before I could protest, she darted away, leaving me standing there in a mix bof /bcuriosity and affection. Whatever she had nned, I knew it came from the same ce as everything else she’d done: love. And that was enough for me.

Caroline held up a small box with a grin, her eyes sparkling in that way they always did when she was about to surprise me.

“Close your eyes, Aurora,” she said, her tone light but with an air of suspense.

I obliged, chuckling. “This better not be some sort of prank, Caroline.”

“Trust me,” she replied, the sound of her voice moving closer. A soft touch

carefully ced something there.

y earlobe as she

“Okay, open your eyes.”

When I did, I caught sight of myself in the mirror and gasped. The earrings were delicate, golden butterflies, their wings intricately detailed.

“Caroline, these are beautiful,” I said, turning my head slightly to admire them.

She smiled warmly, stepping behind me to adjust them. “I saw these and thought of you. They just… felt right. Want me to put them/on for you?b” /b

“Sure,” I gave her an eager smile. Caroline returned the smile, and took out the simple pearl tops I

had on, to rece them with the butterflies.

As she worked, her fingers brushed lightly against the skin just behind my right earb. /bbA /bbsudden/bb, /bsharp

b2/3 /b

Chapter b208 /b

jolt ran bthrough /bmeb, /bbso /bbquick /band bunexpected /bbit /bmade me flinch.

b“/bbOw/bb! /bWhat was that?” I asked, turning to look at her.

bCaroline’s /bhand hovered for a moment before she shook her head. “Oh, bnothing/bb, /bbshe /bsaidb, /bbher /bvoice a little btoo /bcasualb, /bbut there was something there that I didn’t really get. “I think bthere’s /ba small bscar /b

bback /bhere. Maybe the hairdresser got you with the curlerget

bHer /bexnation made sense, and I nodded slowly. “Yeah, that sounds about right. I’ve bhad /bba /bfew close calls with those things.” Iughed it off, the moment slipping away, but something babout /bbthe /bbway /bshe lingered caught my attention.

Her expression shifted ever so slightly, her brows knitting together for the briefest of moments before smoothing out again. “There,” she said, stepping back with a smile. “Perfect.”

I returned the smile, admiring her handiwork in the mirror once more. “Thank you, Caroline. bThese /b

are→ I paused, noticing how quiet she had gone, how her usual ease had been reced by something harder to pin down. “Perfect…”

“You’re wee,” she replied quickly, her voice softer now. But even as she spoke, her eyes bavoided /b

mine, darting briefly to the spot behind my ear before she turned away.

I didn’t know what to make of it, so I let it go. For now.

But something in the back of my mind kept on nagging me that there was more to what met the

eyes…and Caroline was keeping something from me once again.

bChapter /bbComments /b

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