Chapter 159
Chapter 159:
She pulled her wrist free from the Matriarch’s grip.
“The patient is stable,” she announced to Shaw. “Monitor the pressure. Remove the needles in an hour p>
She grabbed her case. She didn’t look at Edward. She didn’t look at Atticus. She pushed past them, heading for the door.
“Wait!” Edward shouted.
Aurora didn’t wait. She fled the room, her heart pounding against her ribs like a trapped bird.
Edward stared at the empty doorway, hope warring with logic in his devastated eyes.
Aurora reached the elevator bank. She pressed the button repeatedly, the plastic clicking frantically under her thumb.
Come on. Come on.
The doors slid open. She stepped in.
A hand shot out, catching the closing doors.
Harper stepped in. She looked shaken.
“You ran,” Harper said.
Aurora didn’t look at her. She stared at the floor numbers.
“Job’s done. Send the check to the usual account p>
Harper reached out and pressed the emergency stop button. The elevator jolted to a halt between the third and fourth floors. The lights flickered.
“I saw Edward’s face,” Harper said softly. “And I saw the Matriarch’s reaction. It wasn’t just gratitude, Aurora. It was recognition p>
Aurora spun on her, her eyes blazing. “You’re crossing a line, Harper p>
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“Edward hasn’t slept in nineteen years,” Harper said softly. “He walks the halls at night looking for ghosts. If it’s you… if you are her… end his hell, Aurora p>
Aurora slumped against the wall. The adrenaline was fading, leaving her exhausted.
“I am Aurora Vance. Granddaughter of Arthur Vance. I built myself from nothing. Not a princess p>
“And yet, you have the eyes. The exact shade of green that runs in the Kensington line,” Harper countered. “And you covered your arm p>
She reached out and restarted the elevator.
“I won’t tell them,” Harper promised. “But Vivian… Vivian saw it too. She will try to kill you now. You know that, right p>
Aurora laughed bitterly. “Let her try. I’ve dealt with worse than a socialite in Prada p>
Back in the ICU, Dr. Shaw was apologizing to Edward.
“It was a miracle,” Shaw admitted. “I’ve never seen anything like it. The pathways… they just opened up p>
Edward wasn’t listening. He was on his phone, calling his private investigator.
“Get me a DNA sample,” he ordered, his voice shaking. “Anything she touched. A cup. A hair. Anything p>
Vivian overheard this from the hallway. Her eyes darted to the trash bin near the scrub sink.
She saw the blue nitrile gloves Aurora had discarded. She waited until Edward turned his back. She walked over, retrieved the gloves, and shoved them into her purse.