Eric and Emily headed to Kimberly’s hospital room. Before they even stepped inside, they saw a heartwarming scene: the spirited and outspoken Emily was seated by Kimberly’s bedside.
“I’ll get you some apples,” Emily chirped. She had been at the hospital for days now, and even someone as picky as Kimberly had grown fond of her.
Perhaps it was because Kimberly, born into a wealthy family, had been surrounded by pretense her entire life. Genuine words were rare in her world.
Emily, however, was a rebel by nature. Unlike the typical socialite, her emotions-joy, anger, sadness, and excitement-were all written plainly on her face. There was no pretense about her.
Sometimes, her words were thoughtless, but Kimberly liked her precisely for that. In her mind, she had already decided Emily would one day be her daughter-in-law.
“Alright,” Kimberly replied softly.
“You’ve already fed my mom ten apples today. If she eats anymore, she’ll probably throw up,” Eric said, rubbing his temples. Emily was the kind of person who couldn’t stop once you praised her, like a puppy chasing after compliments.
Kimberly must have already grown tired of apples. Yet, because she liked Emily, she accepted them without complaint.
Ever since she had been injured, Kimberly’s personality had changed significantly. Once sharp and domineering, she had grown gentler, her entire aura transforming.
“My mom likes it,” Emily snapped, glaring at Eric. “You’re not allowed to speak.” After all, this month, she was technically his ‘master.’ A slave had no right to talk back to their master.
“Emily, don’t mind him,” Kimberly said with a laugh, covering her mouth. “I like apples, especially the ones you bring me.”
Kimberly had once thought this period of her life would be her darkest. She had lost her husband, her family, and had suffered a stabbing.
Now, with Emily around as her source of joy, and even Eric-who rarely spent time with her-coming to the hospital whenever he could, Kimberly felt a sense of peace.
Perhaps life was a trade-off. She had lost much but gained moments like this, watching the two of them bicker like children.
“Alright,” Emily said cheerfully, picking up a knife to peel another apple. Distracted by her conversation with Kimberly, her hand slipped, and the blade nicked her skin.
The sharp knife cut into her finger, and blood quickly seeped out, staining her hand. “Ow!” she yelped.
“You’re hopeless! How do you even manage to cut yourself peeling an apple? I told you to stop already,” Eric scolded. He grabbed her hand instinctively and brought her finger to his lips, sucking the blood from the wound.
Emily froze, feeling the warmth of his tongue brushing against her cut. Her heart raced, as if a spark had ignited a fire deep inside her.
For once, the usually bold and carefree Emily lowered her head, her cheeks turning a deep red.
“Wait here. I’ll go get you a bandage,” Eric said, shooting her a glare.
Emily stuck out her tongue playfully, knowing she’d caused him trouble again. As Eric turned to leave, he noticed Julian and Aurora standing by the door.
Realizing they might have seen everything, Eric felt a wave of embarrassment wash over him. For a brief moment, he considered explaining himself to Aurora but decided against it.
Aurora, however, had already noticed his awkwardness. She couldn’t help but find this side of Eric endearing. Perhaps he’d already fallen for Emily, though he himself might not realize it yet.
“You should go get that bandage before she starts bleeding again,” Aurora said with a gentle smile.
Putting past grudges aside, Aurora didn’t dislike Eric. In fact, she genuinely hoped he would find happiness.
She had Julian-someone she could never part with-so there was no point in holding onto unresolved feelings. It was better for Eric to find someone who suited him.
For a time, she had worried that Eric might be too stubborn, but seeing how well he and Emily got along, she felt reassured. Eric wasn’t a bad person, after all. Everyone deserved a chance at happiness.
But his happiness wouldn’t come from her. If he could find it with Emily, Aurora thought it would be a wonderful thing.
Eric gave up on explaining himself. Looking at Julian by Aurora’s side, he realized there was no point. He wasn’t her person anymore.
With a cold expression, he left the room. Julian and Aurora stepped inside.
“Miss Montgomery, you’re here!” Emily greeted her enthusiastically, her eyes lighting up. “Come in and sit down! I’ll peel you an apple. They’re delicious!”
“No need, Miss Langdon. You’re too kind. I just ate and I’m not hungry,” Aurora replied, noticing Emily’s still-bleeding finger. Her careless demeanor really didn’t fit the image of a typical woman.
“Aunt Kimberly, when we heard about your hospitalization, we came to check on you,” Aurora said, her tone soft but laced with guilt.
Aurora felt responsible for Kimberly’s situation. In her quest to seek revenge against Genevieve, she hadn’t expected Kimberly to get caught in the crossfire. Nor had she anticipated that Kimberly would get hurt.
“Thank you for coming to see me. Have a seat,” Kimberly said warmly. She had no idea about the connections between them and saw Aurora as a fellow victim of Genevieve’s schemes.
Both of their lives had been upended by Genevieve. Yet Kimberly, always kind to younger people, looked at Aurora with a maternal affection.
“You poor girl,” Kimberly sighed. She had heard about Aurora’s struggles and couldn’t help but feel pity for her.
Aurora felt a pang of guilt under Kimberly’s kind gaze. Julian had been right-she was softening.
Ivy’s words had struck a chord: “You’ve experienced what it’s like to grow up without a mother.” Those words had led Aurora to consider stepping in on Genevieve’s behalf, hoping to resolve the matter peacefully.
But now, seeing Kimberly’s gaunt face and pale complexion, Aurora couldn’t bring herself to say anything. Mentioning Genevieve’s name felt like rubbing salt in her wounds-especially since Genevieve had given Kimberly’s husband two children.
Suppressing her inner turmoil, Aurora asked, “Aunt Kimberly, how is your health now?”
“Fortunately, the knife didn’t hit any vital organs. I’ll need to stay in the hospital for a while to recover, but at least I’m out of danger,” Kimberly said. Her once overbearing demeanor was gone, replaced by a gentle elegance that made it impossible to dislike her.
Looking at Kimberly, Aurora was reminded of Victoria’s gentle nature. She couldn’t help but feel remorse.
“I’m sorry, Aunt Kimberly,” Aurora said softly.
Kimberly looked at her in surprise. “Why are you apologizing?”
“Even though Genevieve is the reason you’re here, I played a part in it too. I didn’t mean for this to happen. I just wanted you to take back Genevieve’s apartment. I never thought things would turn out like this,” Aurora confessed.
She laid everything bare. In the past, she might have believed Kimberly had brought this upon herself. After all, people who were arrogant rarely earned sympathy.
But now, looking at Kimberly in her current state, Aurora felt foolish. In her fight against Genevieve, she had dragged an innocent person into the mess.