Chapter 4: Banished from Blackwood Manor

Morning sunlight streamed through the curtains of Aurora's childhood bedroom, but it did little to brighten her mood. She had barely slept. Every time she closed her eyes, she saw Damian's cold expression as he ordered her to sign the divorce papers.

A soft knock sounded on the door.

"Aurora?" her mother called gently. "Breakfast is ready."

"I'll be down in a minute."

She looked at herself in the mirror. Her eyes were swollen from crying, and the wedding ring still rested on her finger. Slowly, she slipped it off and placed it on the bedside table.

"It's over," she whispered.

Downstairs, the smell of freshly baked bread filled the small dining room. Her parents waited quietly, exchanging worried glances.

Her father finally spoke.

"You don't have to tell us everything, but we deserve to know one thing."

Aurora lowered her eyes.

"Did he hurt you?"

She shook her head.

"No... not physically."

Her mother reached across the table and held her hand.

"Sometimes words hurt even more."

Aurora's composure crumbled.

"He said our marriage was a mistake."

Silence filled the room.

Her father clenched his fists beneath the table.

"I trusted him."

"So did I," Aurora replied, her voice barely audible.

She hesitated before revealing the truth.

"I'm pregnant."

The room fell silent.

Her mother's eyes filled with tears.

Her father stood so suddenly that his chair scraped across the floor.

"Does Damian know?"

Aurora slowly shook her head.

"I wanted to surprise him."

Her father looked away, struggling to contain his anger.

"He threw away his wife..."

He paused.

"...and his own child."

---

Meanwhile, Damian sat alone in his office at Blackwood Holdings.

The security footage replayed in his mind.

Vanessa had hidden Aurora's envelope.

Why?

He picked up the medical report once again.

Pregnancy Confirmed: Six Weeks.

His hands tightened around the paper.

Had Aurora really planned to tell him that night?

A knock interrupted his thoughts.

"Come in."

His assistant, Ethan Cole, entered carrying a folder.

"You wanted a background review of the evidence against Mrs. Blackwood."

Damian nodded.

"Tell me."

Ethan hesitated.

"Some of the bank transfers were verified."

"And the messages?"

"They're... unusual."

Damian looked up.

"What do you mean?"

"The screenshots you received were never extracted directly from Mrs. Blackwood's phone."

Damian's expression hardened.

"Explain."

"They were forwarded anonymously."

A heavy silence settled over the room.

Anonymous.

Someone had wanted him to believe Aurora was guilty.

"Find out who sent them."

"Immediately."

"Yes, sir."

As Ethan turned to leave, Damian added,

"And don't tell Vanessa."

Ethan blinked in surprise.

"Understood."

---

Across town, Vanessa paced nervously inside her luxury apartment.

She had called Damian twelve times.

Not once had he answered.

She knew exactly why.

The envelope.

She had underestimated Aurora.

Picking up her phone, she dialed another number.

"Is everything destroyed?" she asked coldly.

A man's voice answered.

"Almost."

"Almost isn't good enough."

"There can't be any evidence left."

"I understand."

She ended the call and stared out the window.

For the first time in years...

She was afraid.

---

That afternoon, Aurora visited the hospital for a follow-up appointment.

The doctor smiled warmly.

"The baby is healthy."

Aurora managed a faint smile.

"That's wonderful."

The doctor noticed her sadness.

"Will the baby's father be joining you next time?"

Aurora looked away.

"No."

"I'll be raising this child alone."

The doctor didn't ask another question.

Instead, she handed Aurora the ultrasound image.

"Keep this safe."

Aurora stared at the tiny heartbeat displayed on the screen.

A tear rolled down her cheek.

"I promise," she whispered to the baby, "I'll give you a life filled with love."

---

As evening fell, Damian returned to Blackwood Manor.

The mansion felt strangely empty.

He walked upstairs and stopped outside Aurora's former room.

The door was slightly open.

Inside, everything was exactly as she had left it.

Except for one thing.

A small velvet jewelry box sat on the dressing table.

Curious, Damian opened it.

Inside lay Aurora's wedding ring.

Beneath it was a handwritten note.

"A marriage without trust has no future. I hope one day you discover the truth... but by then, I won't be waiting."

Damian stared at the note for a long time.

For the first time since the divorce...

His confidence began to crack.

Somewhere deep inside, a frightening thought took root.

What if Aurora had been telling the truth all along?

End of Chapter 4

Cliffhanger: Ethan traces the anonymous messages to a private number linked to someone inside Blackwood Holdings, bringing Damian one step closer to uncovering the conspiracy that destroyed his marriage.