Chapter 169: The Man I Needed.
Aurora’s POV
After I walked out of the café, leaving Leonardo behind, I stopped just outside and took a deep breath.
I couldn’t believe what I had just heard.
Lena… pregnant with his child?
The words spun in my head like a storm I couldn’t quiet. I shook it off at least tried to and told myself to focus on something else. Anything else.
I decided to go back to the pack hospital. Annie was still recovering, and right now, being near someone who didn’t bring me pain sounded like the safest thing I could do.
When I got there, I found her sitting up in bed, happily devouring her meal.
“Oh my goddess, Aurora!” she said between bites.
“I didn’t know this was what you’ve been enjoying in the pack! This food is amazing!”
A small smile tugged at the corner of my lips. “I’m glad you’re enjoying it,” I said, sitting beside her.
She looked up at me mid-chew, eyes narrowing slightly. Annie had always been good at reading me.
“Judging by the look on your face…” she said slowly, “I’m guessing your annoying ex must’ve said something that messed you up, hmm?”
I tried to laugh it off, but it came out more like a weak breath. I didn’t say anything.
“Spill,” she ordered, not missing a beat as she scooped more food into her mouth.
I let out a sigh, leaned back in the chair, and stared at the wall for a moment before finally whispering,
“Lena’s pregnant.”
Annie froze mid-chew, her spoon halfway to her mouth.
“Wait, what?”
“Yeah,” I said, quieter this time. “She’s carrying Leonardo’s child.”
Her spoon clattered into the bowl, and her eyes widened.
“You’ve got to be kidding me…”
I shook my head, swallowing the lump in my throat.
“I wish I was.”
For a moment, she just stared at me, stunned into silence which for Annie, was a miracle in itself.
Then, slowly, she leaned back on the pillows and muttered,
“That absolute idiot…”
A faint laugh slipped from my lips, bitter and broken.
“Yeah. That about sums it up.”
She gave me a long look, and then her tone softened.
“Aurora… are you okay?”
I hesitated, staring at my hands. “I don’t know. I feel like I should be.
Like I should’ve seen it coming. He lied to me so many times already… What’s one more truth I didn’t want to hear?”
Annie reached for my hand, her grip warm and grounding.
“You’re allowed to hurt, Rora.
Don’t make yourself numb just because you think you’re supposed to be strong.”
I blinked back the sting in my eyes.
“I really thought he loved me, Annie. Even when I hated him, deep down, I kept hoping… and now?
Now I feel stupid for still caring.”
“You’re not stupid,” she said firmly.
“You’re human. And he, he doesn’t deserve the kind of love you gave him. Period.”
I didn’t respond right away. The silence between us was comfortable, unlike the one in the café.
With Annie, I didn’t need to explain everything. She just… got it.
“He asked if I could forgive him,” I said quietly.
“And?”
“I couldn’t even answer. My heart wouldn’t let me lie. And I knew if I opened my mouth, I’d start crying and never stop.”
Annie squeezed my hand again. “Good. He doesn’t deserve your tears anymore. You’ve given him enough.”
I nodded, even if it still hurt.
“He said Lena only told him two days ago. That it happened before… before everything.”
“Still doesn’t change what it is now,” Annie said.
“And it doesn’t erase what he did to you. Pregnant or not, he made his choice.”
A tear slipped down my cheek, and I quickly wiped it away.
“I didn’t want this to be the ending, Annie. I really didn’t.”
“I know,” she whispered, her voice gentle but firm.
She turned slightly to face me, her eyes full of that fierce, protective warmth only Annie could give.
“But Aurora… I’m glad you have someone who truly loves you. Alessandro, he’s not just standing by your side, he’s fighting for you every single day.
He’s shown you in every way that you’re the only woman he wants. No lies. No secrets. Just love.”
I swallowed hard, her words sinking deep.
“So do yourself a favor,” she said, nudging my arm softly.
“Get Leonardo out of your head. Stop looking back at the man who broke you, and start looking at the one who’s been holding you together.”
She smiled, a sad but hopeful kind of smile.
“Alessandro would never do what that idiot did to you. And you know it.”
Annie set her plate aside, suddenly serious, her eyes narrowing.
“I mean, seriously, what kind of lowlife does that?” she snapped.
“Cheating on you? Lying? And now a baby with that snake Lena?
Ugh, it’s giving 'trash fire with a title.'”
I let out a small laugh despite myself.
“Honestly, Aurora, you gave him your heart, your trust, and that man stomped on it like it meant nothing.
And now he has the nerve to look regretful? Please.”
She rolled her eyes dramatically.
“Leonardo can keep his regret and raise his mistake. That’s all he’s got left.”
I smiled, the weight on my chest lifting just a little.
“And you,” she said, nudging me with her elbow, “you are a goddess, Aurora.
You’ve survived more than most. You’ve been kidnapped, betrayed, emotionally wrecked, hell, anyone else would have curled into a ball and never gotten up again.
But you? You keep going.”
Her voice softened then, but her conviction didn’t fade.
“You deserve peace. Real love. A future that doesn’t come with pain every damn step.
And Alessandro… he’s offering that. Openly. No games.”
I nodded slowly, her words sinking into the cracked parts of me.
“Leonardo had his chance,” Annie added, her tone sharp again.
“He blew it. So don’t you dare cry for him anymore. Save your tears for something that matters. Save them for joy.”
I blinked fast, because damn it, she was about to make me cry anyway.
Annie reached out, held my hand. “He’s your past. But he’s not your ending.
Okay?”
I took a deep breath and squeezed her hand.
“Okay.”
Just then, a soft tap came from the door.
Annie and I looked over, and when it swung open... there he was.
Alessandro.
Tall, peaceful, just so him. His being made the room seem still, and when our eyes met, I felt a shift again.
But this wasn't about hurt or mix-up.
It was clear.
It hit me like a gentle wave calming all the mess, the sad, the why. It all went quiet with one look.
Deep love. Strong. Sure. And now, Annie's words didn’t just sound nice. They rang true like the thing I had been missing.
He wasn’t the man I had wanted.
He was the man I needed.
“So sorry,” he said gently, eyes darting between us, “am I interrupting anything?”
Annie shook her head, a small smirk tugging at her lips. “No, not at all. We were just talking.”
Alessandro stepped into the room slowly, his gaze settling on me again.
“Oh… um…” he began, a little hesitant, which was rare for him, “may I borrow your friend for a bit? I want to tell her something.”
Annie gave me a knowing look, then waved a hand.
“Take her. But bring her back in one piece. And smiling.”
He chuckled softly, and I found myself already rising from the chair, my heart unexpectedly calm.
Log in with Google Account
Chapters
Favorite
Settings
