Chapter 2

Aurora didn’t linger in Westbridge for long.

She only stayed in the city for Joseph, but now that she had graduated and he had someone else, there was no reason for her to remain.

That night, she booked a flight home to Ravenshore.

When she stepped off the plane, Megan Quinn was already waiting for her.

"This time, are you staying for good?"

"I am."

For years, Aurora spent most of her time chasing after Joseph, rarely returning to Ravenshore.

Her time with Megan had been scarce.

But now that the bet was lost, she had no reason to leave again.

Megan heard about what happened with Joseph and couldn’t help but sigh.

Still, she only smiled and looped her arm through Aurora’s.

"Forget the bad luck. Tonight, we celebrate."

Aurora returned her smile and didn’t refuse.

Megan took her to the most exclusive club in Ravenshore, ordered the finest drinks, and threw her a single-life party.

One drink in, and the frustration Aurora had been carrying for years finally started to fade.

"Honestly, breaking up with Joseph was the best thing that could’ve happened," Megan teased.

"Back then, you turned yourself into this sweet, quiet little thing just to please him. No drinking, no racing—you practically lived in the library. I was in shock."

Aurora was nothing like the kind of girl Joseph preferred.

The Waltons were one of the most powerful families in Ravenshore, and the Aurora of the past loved fast cars, wild nights, horseback riding, mountain climbing, and skydiving.

She was bold, vibrant, and fearless.

Love was never something she took too seriously.

Yet for Joseph, she gave it all up.

She reinvented herself, playing the part of the soft and obedient girl he wanted.

"I must’ve lost my mind," Aurora said lazily, swirling her drink as she looked back on it all with detached amusement.

She had always been stunning.

Back then, she had tried to play the part, but it never quite fit—her beauty always felt out of place.

Now, though, she wore it effortlessly.

Even the man pouring drinks beside them turned red just watching her.

Megan chuckled. "Aurora, now that you and Joseph are over, are you really going back to the Waltons to take over the family business?"

"A bet’s a bet."

Aurora took a slow sip of her drink, her tone indifferent.

Grace was a formidable woman.

After her father’s passing, internal struggles within the Walton Corporation were ruthless, and Grace held everything together on her own.

Her older sister, Tessa Walton, had always been frail.

On the other hand, Aurora craved freedom.

Grace never forced Aurora into anything and even gave her the choice—leading to that bet in the first place.

She lost, and she wasn’t the type to go back on a bet.

However, Megan remained unconvinced.

"You know the Walton family rules. Before taking over, you have to get married first. Has your mom picked someone for you?"

"No."

Aurora understood her mother well.

She was strong-willed but never overbearing when it came to her daughter’s choice of a partner.

The reason she opposed Joseph back then had more to do with the rivalry between their families than anything else.

"Aurora, even if you lost the bet, your mom wouldn’t force you into anything.

“Besides, there are plenty of men out there. If you’re really stuck, I can introduce you to my cousin."

Megan’s cousin, Lucas Carter, was infamous for being cold and untouchable—a man of few words, with a face that could turn heads wherever he went.

When Aurora was younger, she thought he was the most breathtaking man she had ever seen.

At that naive age, she once harbored a quiet, fleeting crush—something brief and unspoken, soon fading into nothing.

Over the years, they became little more than distant memories, passing strangers in separate worlds.

Aurora brushed off Megan’s words as a joke.

The chill of the liquor lingered on her tongue, and only now did she realize the faint bitterness beneath the burn.

By the time the night wound down, both of them were unsteady on their feet.

Megan’s expression turned strange. "My cousin just texted—he’s coming to pick us up."

Even as she said it, confusion flickered in her eyes.

She was never particularly close with her cousin.

If anything, she found him intimidating.

They weren’t the type to check in on each other, yet tonight, out of nowhere, he messaged her.

Not only asking if she was with Aurora but also offering to pick them up.

She chalked it up to a rare moment of concern and didn’t overthink it.

A few minutes later, a sleek, understated Maybach pulled up to the entrance.

The window rolled down, revealing a face so striking it seemed almost unreal.

His features were sharp, flawlessly refined, his skin like porcelain—cool and elegant.

Beneath the silver glow of the moon, he looked almost otherworldly.

The kind of beauty that could make someone forget to breathe.

He was absolutely and dangerously stunning.

"Get in."

His voice was deep, smooth—an intoxicating sound on its own.

Lucas’ gaze swept over Megan briefly before settling on Aurora.

The moment their eyes met, her heart skipped a beat.