Chapter 139
Aurora’s POV
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Aurora had been in the guest house doing yoga when she saw Marcus’s car tear out of the garage like he was being chased. The tires actually screeched against the pavement, something she’d only seen in movies.
Something was wrong.
Aurora grabbed her phone and keys and ran to her own car. She had no real plan, just an instinct that wherever Marcus was going in such a panic, she needed to be there too.
She followed at a distance, careful not to be too obvious. Marcus drove like a maniac, running red lights and weaving through traffic. Aurora had to work to keep up without getting pulled over herself.
When he pulled into Manhattan Presbyterian Hospital, Aurora’s curiosity turned into something sharper. Hospital. Emergency. Marcus looking absolutely devastated.
This was an opportunity.
Aurora parked and walked into the hospital lobby, watching from a distance as Marcus practically sprinted to the elevators. She waited until he was gone, then approached the reception desk with her best concerned expression.
“Excuse me, I’m looking for a patient. Elara Thorne? I’m family.”
The receptionist barely looked up. “Third floor, maternity ward. Room 3247.”
Maternity ward.
Aurora felt a thrill run through her. So Elara was here for something pregnancy-related. That was interesting. Very interesting.
She took the stairs instead of the elevator, not wanting to risk running into Marcus. When she reached the third floor, she peeked around the corner and saw Mimi pacing outside a room at the end of the hall.
Perfect. That had to be Elara’s room.
Aurora hung back, pretending to look at her phone while actually watching and listening. She couldn’t hear specific words but she could see Mimi’s agitated body language, the way she kept checking her own phone and glancing at the room door.
After a few minutes, Marcus appeared and there was a brief tense conversation between him and Mimi before he went into the room.
Aurora moved closer, staying out of direct sight but positioning herself near enough to hear if anyone spoke loudly. She pulled out her phone and pretended to be on a call, the universal signal for “don’t bother me.”
A doctor walked past her into Elara’s room. Aurora edged closer to the door, which had been left slightly ajar.
16:57 Mon, May 11
twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome.” the doctor’s voice floated out. “Baby B isn’t getting adequate blood
flow
Twins. Elara was pregnant with twins.
Aurora’s mind started racing. She pulled out her phone for real this time and quickly searched for information. How far along would Elara have to be to be showing symptoms of twin-to-twin transfusion? The articles she found said it typically presented in the second trimester, around twenty weeks.
Twenty weeks. Five months.
Aurora did the math in her head. Marcus and Elara had gotten married… when? Late December, early January? She couldn’t remember exactly but it had been recent. Very recent.
Which meant if Elara was five months pregnant now, she would have already been pregnant when they got married.
Aurora felt a smile spreading across her face. This was it. This was the proof that the marriage was a sham. Marcus had married Elara because she was pregnant, not because of some grand love story. It was a shotgun wedding dressed up as a romantic whirlwind.
And if people knew that… if the board knew that… if investors knew that Marcus had violated the spirit of his grandfather’s will by entering into a marriage solely because of an unplanned pregnancy…
The implications were enormous.
Aurora heard footsteps and quickly moved away from the door, walking down the hallway like she’d been heading somewhere else the whole time. She ducked into a waiting room and sat down, her mind spinning with possibilities.
She needed proof. Something concrete that showed Elara was pregnant before the wedding. Something she could use when the time was right.
Aurora waited in the waiting room for almost an hour, scrolling through her phone and occasionally peeking out to see if anyone was coming or going from Elara’s room.
Finally, she saw Mimi leave. The woman looked exhausted, her shoulders slumped as she headed toward the elevators.
This was Aurora’s chance.
She waited a few more minutes to make sure Mimi was really gone, then stood up and walked toward room 3247. She could hear voices inside. Marcus and Elara talking quietly.
Aurora took a deep breath and knocked softly on the door. A nurse walking by stopped and looked at her
“Can I help you?” the nurse asked.
“I’m here to see Elara Thorne. I’m family.”
“Oh, I didn’t realize she had more family arriving. Let me just check with her first.”
:))
16:57 Mon, May 11 M…
Chapter 139
ร
The nurse knocked and poked her head into the room. Aurora couldn’t hear what was said but she saw the nurse gesture toward her in the hallway.
This was risky. Marcus could refuse to let her in. Could tell the nurse to send her away. But Aurora was betting on his inherent politeness, his inability to be rude even to people who probably deserved it.
A moment later the nurse came back out. “You can go in, but please keep it brief. Mrs. Thorne needs her rest
Aurora walked into the room wearing her most concerned expression. Marcus was sitting on the edge of Elara’s hospital bed, his hand clasped in hers. Both of them looked up when Aurora entered.
“What are you doing here?” Elara asked, her voice weak but with an edge of steel underneath.
“I saw Marcus leave in such a rush and I was worried. I followed to make sure everything was okay.” Aurora looked at Elara with what she hoped was genuine concern. “Are you alright? What happened?”
“That’s none of your business,” Elara said.
“Aurora, you need to leave,” Marcus added, standing up. “This isn’t a good time.”
“Of course, I understand. I just wanted to make sure…” Aurora let her voice trail off as she glanced around the room. Hospital monitors, IV drips, the fetal heart monitor attached to Elara’s stomach showing two distinct heartbeats.
Two heartbeats. Twins. Undeniable proof.
“I’m so sorry you’re going through this,” Aurora said, taking a step closer. “Is there anything I can do to help? Anything at all?”
“You can leave,” Elara said flatly.
“Right. Of course.” Aurora moved toward the door, then paused like she’d just thought of something. “Oh, I should probably know your room number in case anyone asks. You know, so I can direct visitors or
“No one else is coming,” Marcus said. “Thank you for your concern but we really need privacy right now”
Aurora nodded and stepped out of the room. But not before her eyes caught the hospital bracelet on Elara’s wrist. She could see the name clearly printed on it: ELARA THORNE. And the room number 3247
Aurora walked down the hallway, around the corner, and into the empty waiting room she’d been in before Her heart was pounding with excitement.
She pulled out her phone and opened the camera. Then she walked back down the hallway, moving quickly but casually. Room 3247’s door was closed now but the room number plaque was right there on the wall beside it.
Aurora positioned herself like she was taking a selfie, angling the phone so the room number was clearly visible in the background. She snapped the photo, checked to make sure it was clear, then took another one for good measure.
Perfect.
16:57 Mon, May 11 M…
Chapter 139
2
She had the room number, the hospital name, the maternity ward location. And she had the timeline that didn’t add up. All she needed now was to figure out exactly when Marcus and Elara had gotten married. confirm that it was after Elara would have already been pregnant, and she’d have everything she needed
Aurora looked down at the photo on her phone. Room 3247.
This was the perfect leverage.
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16:58 Mon, May 11 M….
