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Aurelia POV

Aurelia, you’re making great progress.

Dr. Lena signed the words slowly, carefully, making sure I caught every movement of her hands. I’ve replayed them in my mind ever since. In a good way. Actually.

I’ve been deaf for five years now. Since the accident. And maybe it’s strange to say, maybe it makes me sound ungrateful or broken or both, but sometimes I think it was a blessing in disguise.

Because I have the life I always dreamed of now.

And maybe that means the accident wasn’t so bad after all.

My driver, Steven, pulls into the mansion driveway with ease as the evening sun begins to dip. Before I get down, I text Seth.

When are you coming home? I’ll be making dinner tonight. Your favourite.

I add a love emoji, a small smile creeping onto my face.

Today wasn’t anything special. Or maybe it was. I was finally making progress with my hearing. Dr. Lena said I could start using advanced hearing aids.

I’m happy because maybe now it won’t feel so bad anymore. Maybe Seth will finally stop carrying the guilt he’s held onto since the accident.

I still remember that day. The way he sat beside me, crying, his shoulders shaking. It broke my heart, even though I could no longer hear him.

I know it wasn’t his fault. I’ve always known that. But he never stopped blaming himself.

If only she hadn’t been in his life.

Regina. His first love.

She caused it. Always making Seth beg her, always threatening to leave. And that day was no different. Seth had been pleading with her so desperately that he didn’t see the car coming at full speed.

And I stepped in.

Saving him.

My world tilted again that day. Even though I moved on instinct, even though I did it out of love for the one man I never thought would truly be mine, I was still shattered. It had only been two years since my parents died. Two years since I became an orphan.

But Seth… Seth was always there. From the moment I was adopted into his family by his grandfather, he never made me feel like an obligation or an outsider.

When he sat beside me in that hospital room, guilt thick in his eyes as he made promises he didn’t know how to keep, something inside me broke all over again.

Seth, his parents, and Grandfather walked with me through every step of my recovery. Seth even learned sign language for me. That alone changed everything. It brought us closer in ways I never expected.

Two years later, Grandfather told Seth to marry me. To the outside world, it would sound forbidden. An adoptive brother marrying his adopted sister. But deep down, I was happy. Happy that my secret love for him finally had a place to exist.

I saw the resistance in him. I always did. But we got married anyway. And now, three years into our secret marriage, my life with Seth has been nothing short of blissful.

To the outside world, I’m just his adopted sister. The one he cherishes enough to give company shares and a respectable position at Ashford Media, regardless of my disability.

But within the Ashford family, they know the truth. I am his wife. And that position was never going anywhere.

As I near the entrance, I see Greta, the head housemaid. One of the few outsiders who knows the truth about me and Seth.

"Good evening, Miss Aurelia", she mouths.

I smile at her and quickly type on my phone.

"I’ll be making dinner tonight. You can go home early."

The automated voice relays my message. Greta nods politely before stepping aside.

I head upstairs to freshen up quickly, then come back down to prepare dinner. Seth’s favourite. Lamb steak and mashed potatoes.

I can’t wait to tell him about my hearing progress and see that handsome smile of his, the one that still makes my heart flutter like it did the first day I saw him.

I check my phone again to see if he’s responded to my message. Still nothing.

I try to push away the feeling of unease settling in my chest. Seth always replies immediately. Maybe something came up. He did say there would be a private shareholders’ meeting.

I start cooking, moving on instinct, savouring the smells as they build. Garlic and butter fill the air. I used to hate garlic. Seth liked it. Somehow, I learned to like it too.

Hours later, dinner is ready. I set the table, spreading a burgundy tablecloth to match the mood I imagined for tonight. I adjust the candles, set the plates with practiced care.

I glance at the clock on the wall.

Seven o’clock. Sharp.

I grab my phone again. Still no response.

Worry settles deeper. This isn’t like him.

I video call him. The first time, it just rings.

I try again. This time, he picks up.

And where he is…

It doesn’t look like his office.

Hi, I sign.

He smiles and signs back. "How are you?"

"I’m good, I reply. When are you coming home? It’s getting late."

As I sign, I notice movement behind him.

For a moment, I freeze.

It's a woman.

And he isn’t at the company.

"Who is that, Seth? I sign. You’re not at the office?"

I see a flicker of panic cross his face before he signs back.

"Aurelia, I’ll be home soon.

Bye."

The call ends. Just like that.

Who was that woman?

A name forms in my mind.

But I don’t want to believe it. It can’t be.

Is she really back?

No.