Chapter 190 The Devil in Disguise

Chapter 190 The Devil in Disguise
Was I in?

Of course. 

I was burning with enough disdain for that woman now that my memories had returned. After realizing that she had been pretending all along, planning to stab everyone in the back, I couldn't wait for her to be exposed. I needed Caligo, as well as everyone to realize the evil, maniacal woman that she was. 

So I agreed without hesitation. And so, the plan to expose Aurora’s true self began. 

…
That afternoon, we all returned to the packhouse. After ensuring that I was bandaged up in a way that seemed convincing enough, all that remained was for me to play my part. When we all alighted from the vehicle in the parking lot, I immediately settled into the role of someone who had just escaped a near-death situation. 

Nyx held me, while Caligo and Cassian walked in front.

“Alpha!” The guards saluted our arrival. They seemed more zealous than usual, for some reason. I did not pay too much attention to that and simply stepped into the house.

Sensing my arrival, the maids began to swarm the hallways. They lined up by the walls, bowing and greeting with warm cheers as I passed. I put on the weakest smile I could muster and listened as Caligo gave various orders. At some point, I began to feel bad for deceiving these people who were happy to see me, but I could only steel my resolve and continue to put on the act.

The real hurdle was waiting ahead. 

Speak of the devil… my eyes narrowed when Aurora emerged from a corner. I glanced at Caligo without making it too obvious, and I immediately noticed how he stiffened. His fists tightened at his sides, and I began to wonder if he was suddenly going to grab the woman by the neck. 

Please… bear with it…

Fortunately, Cassian stepped forward just in time, blocking Caligo's view.

“You're back!” Aurora rushed forward. She hurried to relieve Nyx of the duty of assisting me, and said, “Welcome back, my lady. It's good to see you.”

Oh. So this is how it feels.

I almost lost it too. 

How could she hide her true intentions like that? I was barely able to keep my face from twisting with disdain, yet she held a perfect expression that made it seem like she was actually worried about me. 

It was disgusting. I hated it.

Still, I forced a weak nod and said, “Thank you, Aurora. It's good to be back.”

“Take her to the room. Make sure she's well taken care of.” Caligo ordered without looking at the woman. 

“As you wish, Alpha.” Aurora nodded, taking my hand and patiently leading me to the room. As I departed from Nyx and the others, my heart began to pound like crazy. 

That was bad. 

She was a werewolf, and I ran the risk of her discovering my fear. Once she realized that I was extremely uneasy, her suspicion would grow and the whole plan would come crumbling down. So, I sucked in a deep breath and quickly calmed my nerves. 

You've been alone with her a lot of times, Rose. Don't panic. Don't panic… I repeated the words to myself like a child. 

Thankfully, she did not seem to notice anything. We arrived at the room without issues, and after unlocking the door, I told her that I was tired and needed to sit. She guided me to the sofa, then returned to close the door.

I used that brief moment to allow a shudder to escape my body.

This might be harder than I thought…

I felt like I had been locked in a room with a cold blooded killer. Of course, Aurora hadn't actually killed anyone. But there was no doubt that someone like her was capable of murder.

When she returned to sit next to me, I spoke in a deliberately slow manner, “I heard about Hannah. I'm so sorry…”

Aurora’s expression seemed to crack for the briefest moment, and it seemed like her true colors surfaced. She seemed… genuinely sad.

Forcing a smile, she said, “Hannah was a good girl. It broke my heart when we discovered her lifeless body. I hope the culprit is found as soon as possible, so that I can exact vengeance.” Her voice was slowly growing more sinister as she spoke, sending chills down my spine. 

She shook her head, sighed heavily, then said, “Anyway, I'm sure she's in a better place now. I'm just glad that you're fine. I was so scared. You know, I came to the hospital a few times. They would not let me see you because you were in critical condition. You don't know how worried I have been…”

I placed my hand over hers, squeezing tenderly, even though that action almost made me retch.

“You don't have to worry anymore. I'm fine now, as you can see. A little bit tired and hurting in certain places, but I'm in one piece overall.”

“That's good to hear.” Aurora’s smile slowly faded. “I really cannot believe Ciro did that to you. I never would've imagined.”

“Do you know where he is?” I asked, intending to further gauge her reaction on that topic. Due to my regained memories, I understood that she was quite particular about Ciro. The reason eluded me, and that was exactly what I was trying to figure out.

Aurora nodded faintly.

“In the pack’s dungeon. He's going to be there for a long time, so you don't have to worry about him hurting you. Hm?”

“That's a relief…” I smiled softly. 

I really could not tell what was going on in this woman's head. And the more I realized that, the more horrified I got. She was so good at hiding her true feelings, that I couldn't help but feel like I was sitting next to the devil.

I needed to get this whole thing over with fast, or I wasn't sure I'd be able to maintain my sanity.

I groaned softly, carefully rubbing the spot where Ciro’s claws had stabbed into me, then said, “What I need now is a proper bath. I need to wash off that hospital smell.”

Aurora chuckled. “I'll get to it, my lady. Wait here while I prepare the bath.”

I responded with a terse nod, then watched as she stood up and walked into the bath chamber. When she stepped out of view, the breath I had been holding finally left me. My entire body shook, and I grabbed the edge of the sofa like it was some sort of lifeline.

Let's get this over with…