Chapter 45: Chapter Forty-Five

Aurora’s POV

The music was still playing, people were dancing, and laughter filled the hall, but my eyes weren’t on any of it. They were fixed on her. Clarissa. My sister.

I could barely breathe when I saw her standing among the guests, like she belonged here, like she wasn’t a ghost from a life I thought I had buried. My stomach churned, and I knew I had to act fast before Conan or anyone else noticed how shaken I was.

I forced a smile for the people nearby, then leaned toward Jennifer.

“I need to use the restroom,” I whispered.

Before she could ask questions, I slipped away, my steps quicker than they should’ve been.

I caught Clarissa’s arm in the middle of the crowd.

“Come with me,” I said through clenched teeth.

She didn’t resist, just followed with a sad expression that only made my chest tighter.

Inside the restroom, the chatter and music faded, leaving only the sound of water dripping from one of the sinks. I spun around to face her.

“What are you doing here?” I demanded.

Clarissa smirked and leaned against the counter, her arms crossed casually. “Relax, I came to support my sister. Isn’t that what family does?”

My jaw clenched. “Don’t play games with me, Clarissa. You don’t just show up at my wedding uninvited.”

Her eyes scanned me from head to toe, then she laughed softly. “I still can’t believe it. Aurora, the bartender who used to count tips to buy dinner, now the wife of a billionaire. If someone had told me this back then, I would’ve laughed in their face.”

Her words sliced through me. For a second, I froze. Memories of those nights behind the bar, scraping every coin just to make rent, came rushing back. It wasn’t that I was ashamed, but hearing it from her mouth… it felt like she was holding my past over me.

She must’ve noticed my silence because her tone shifted. “Relax. I didn’t mean it like that. I’m not here to ruin anything. My mouth is sealed, I won’t say a word.”

“And I'm supposed to believe that?” I laughed to myself. “Because you are the most trustworthy person in the world. Do you think I'm stupid?”

“Aurora, I swear I've changed. I know we can't go back to the way we were but i would like to try”

I must be a fool because I almost believed her words.

I studied her, unsure whether to believe her. “Why now, Clarissa? Why show up today of all days?”

“Because I didn’t want to miss it. You’re my sister, Aurora. Despite everything, that still means something to me. I just… I want us to talk. To meet up, just you and me, without all of this.” She gestured vaguely around the restroom.

Her voice cracked slightly, and for a moment, I saw the girl she used to be, the one who would sneak into my room at night because she was scared of thunderstorms.

I exhaled slowly. “I’ll think about it.”

Her eyes lit up as though I’d handed her a lifeline. “That’s all I’m asking.”

We walked out together, but the second the door opened, I froze again. Conan was standing there, leaning against the wall like he’d been waiting. His expression was unreadable, but his presence alone startled me.

“Who was that?” he asked, his eyes on Clarissa’s back as she walked away.

My pulse spiked. “Just a random guest,” I said quickly. “She was feeling unwell. I was just helping her.”

For a moment, I thought he didn’t believe me, but then he slid his hand into mine and gave it a light squeeze. “You shouldn’t disappear like that,” he said quietly. “Especially today.”

Guilt gnawed at me, but I just nodded. “I know. Sorry.”

He didn’t push further, but the way his eyes lingered on me like he could see through my lies..

We walked back into the hall together, hand in hand, blending back into the celebration.

Everyone was still drinking, laughing, dancing. To them, nothing had changed. But inside me, everything had.

I couldn’t shake the fear that history might repeat itself.

Every boyfriend I’d ever had, every man who’d been in my life… they had all noticed Clarissa. Because she was obviously the prettiest sister..

What if Conan—no, I pushed the thought away before it could poison me further.

The rest of the night blurred into endless congratulations, small talk, and fake smiles. My cheeks hurt from pretending.

It was almost time to leave when Lucas came to my side, recking of alcohol.

“There you are!” he said, pointing at me, his words slurring loudly. “Aurora!

“Jesus, Lucas.” I said, waving the air as though that would remove the pungent smell. “Just how much have you had to drink?

He leaned closer to me. “You should’ve told me,” he said slowly, his voice cracking. “Back then, at uni… you should’ve told me the truth.”

My stomach dropped. “Oh no,” I muttered under my breath.

He stumbled forward, nearly tripping over his own feet until one of Conan’s caught him by the arm. Lucas shook free.

“Hey, what's up with you?” Conan asked him, but he didn’t reply, his beady eyes remained focused on me.

People around us turned their heads, the chatter dimming as attention shifted.

I could picture how this was going to end. He was going to say something extremely stupid and Conan might end up punching him.

If there’s one thing I know about Lucas, he says stupid shit when he’s drunk.

“Lucas, stop,” I said quietly, trying to defuse the situation.

He staggered closer, his eyes glassy but full of something I hadn’t seen before—hurt. “Was the baby the reason you disappeared? Huh? Was that why you left without a word?”

I looked around to see if anyone else had heard that, but everyone who could cause trouble was out of sight.

“Lucas—”

“You should’ve told me what happened!” he blurted out, his voice raw.

I felt everyone's eyes on me, but all I could think was please don’t say more.

“Enough,” Conan’s voice cut through the tension like a blade. He stepped in front of me, shielding me from Lucas. His hand pressed lightly against my back as if to remind me he was there.

Lucas’s mouth opened again, but before he could say anything else, his knees buckled. His body went limp, and he collapsed on the floor.

For a moment, there was silence, then chaos erupted.

“Get him out of here!” Conan barked, and two men rushed to lift Lucas off the ground.

Jennifer gave me a wide-eyed look but said nothing.

I stood frozen, my heart pounding, my thoughts racing. Why has everything been going to shit of late?

First it was Clarissa, now Lucas too, I didn't need anyone else causing problems in my life.

And the worst part was, I knew this wasn’t over. Not even close.