Chapter 769

She truly did care about her.

In that moment, Aurora felt a wave of confusion wash over her. What was really going on? Had everything she believed about Grace been a lie? Or could concern like this really be faked? Aurora pressed her lips together, unsure of what to think. Watching the anxious look on Grace’s face, the way she paced back and forth, everything pointed to one thing: Grace did care. She wasn’t as indifferent as she’d seemed all these years.

Aurora also noticed that if Arnold hadn’t been holding her back, Grace probably would’ve jumped down herself to help clear the rubble. Seeing all of this, Aurora’s eyes began to well up. She had been trapped beneath the debris and hadn’t seen any of it. If she had, she never would’ve doubted her mother’s love. All these years, she wouldn’t have misunderstood her. But some things, once experienced, couldn’t be erased. They weren’t so easily undone. There was nothing she could do but treat it as part of her growing pains. After all, she would never forget any of this. Even if her future self came to understand everything, it wouldn’t change how her younger self had once felt about her mother. These were things that only time could heal. So even her future self couldn’t rewrite what the younger version of her had gone through. These were the lessons Aurora needed to learn. And after all she had been through, she had finally begun to let go.

She let out a long sigh and looked over at the boy who had been trapped alongside her. But to her surprise, Aurora realized she couldn’t see the boy’s face at all. It was as if time itself was toying with her. After sending her back, now it played this cruel joke. Why couldn’t she see his face clearly? Then what was the point of everything she had just gone through?

+25 BONUS

Was it all just to relive the pain she’d experienced as a child? These moments were already etched deeply into her memory. What meaning did repeating them hold now? Aurora refused to give in, but no matter how close she moved toward the boy, it felt like a mist hung over his face. She couldn’t make out even the faintest detail of his features. Not a single line was clear. It left her feeling defeated. She had believed that after everything she endured, it would all lead to this moment of clarity. But now that she was standing right in front of it, she still couldn’t see the truth. How was she supposed to feel about that? She took a deep breath, a heavy sense of disappointment settling over her. Why did the world have to treat her this way? She hadn’t done anything wrong–she only wanted to know who had saved her life. Was that really too much to ask?

Before she could sink deeper into her thoughts, a sudden shout rang out from nearby. “She’s out! She’s out!”

Aurora turned instinctively but didn’t get a clear look before she heard John exclaim, “My god, Aurora! Are you alright? You have no idea how worried I was. The whole time you were down there, I was on edge every single second!” John spoke through tears and sniffles, looking utterly distraught.