Chapter 779

“Why are you thanking me out of nowhere?”

Aurora frowned slightly. The two of them were already so close–why was he suddenly acting like a stranger? It was as if they hadn’t known each other at all. The thought unsettled her.

Lucas, however, just held her tighter, clearly unwilling to let go. Aurora started feeling a little breathless. She gently patted his back and asked softly, “What’s—”

He didn’t answer, but his grip kept tightening.

“Lucas?”

Just as Aurora was about to speak again, she felt something warm on her neck. In that instant, she froze. She had never seen Lucas like this before. In fact, he felt like a stranger. The Lucas she knew was always strong, never shaken. No matter what he faced, he never panicked, let alone end up like this. That single tear scorched her skin and burned into her heart.

Lucas whispered near her ear, voice low and hoarse, “Rora, I missed you so much. Please… don’t leave me again, alright?”

Only now, with her warmth in his arms, did it finally feel real. Before this, there had always been a sense of unreality gnawing at him. That was why he wanted to stay this close, with even a sliver of space between them.

Seeing him like this, Aurora finally understood what he was feeling. It seemed that their time apart had left deeper wounds and lingering effects on him than she imagined. That kind of pain and fear of loss explained why he clung to her so tightly now. And it was in this moment that Aurora truly saw just how much Lucas cherished her, how deeply he loved and protected her.

A wave of regret welled up inside her. Why hadn’t she realized it sooner? If she had, maybe they could’ve avoided so many misunderstandings. They’d had so many chances, but fate had other plans. The thought made Aurora want to laugh–half in disbelief, half in bitterness. What a pity.

She hugged Lucas back with equal strength, holding him tight and steady, offering the reassurance he needed. “Don’t worry. I’ll stay by your side from now on.”

She didn’t ask him to lift his head. They just stood there in silence, wrapped in each other’s arms. Time passed–long enough that Aurora’s arms were starting to go numb, only then did Lucas finally let go.

She looked up at his eyes. Just as she expected, the rims were red. Her own eyes welled up in response. Thank God it was Lucas who had always been by her side. That had never changed. Even if they’d taken a few detours, it didn’t matter. They were still on the same path, heading toward the same destination.

Lucas leaned his forehead gently against hers and rubbed it lightly. “Do you know how long it’s been?”

Aurora blinked. She honestly didn’t. “Has it been that long?”

Lucas gave a pitiful nod. “It’s because it dragged on so long that I had you transferred overseas. It’s been almost a month since you fell unconscious.”

Aurora’s jaw dropped in disbelief. “It’s really been that long?”

Lucas looked even more aggrieved. “You tell me. I don’t even know how I got through it.”