Aurora didn't know what was happening to her lately. Her thoughts were constantly clouded with images of Mark his smile, his touch, his voice. Could it be that she was falling in love with him?
"No, Aurora, get that off your mind," she whispered to herself. "Silly girl."
She took a deep breath and walked gracefully down the grand staircase. Mark stood in the living room, dressed in a perfectly tailored blue Armani suit, completely engrossed in something on his phone.He hadn't noticed her arrival.
She found herself staring at him too long, too deeply. There was something about the way his presence pulled at her. His hair fell just right, and the soft morning light framed his jawline perfectly. She quickly cleared her throat to break the trance. "Ahem."
His head snapped up. For a moment, neither of them said anything. His eyes locked on hers with an intensity that made her knees wobble.Whatever she wanted to say died in her throat.
There was something magnetic even intimate in the way he looked at her. She liked it. Maybe even too much. They stared for several seconds until Mark finally broke the silence with a soft smile.
"You look beautiful," he said, his voice low and sincere.
Aurora blinked, caught off guard. "Uhmm… thank you," she replied shyly. "And you look… handsome. Uh… very handsome."
That made his heart warm. He couldn't help the smile spreading across his face. "Thank you." "Shall we?" he asked, extending his arm toward her. But just before Aurora could reach out, Mark's expression changed sharply. "Wait… is that blood?"
She frowned, confused. "Where? I don't see any blood." Mark stepped closer, his brow furrowed. "Your nose… you're bleeding."
Instinctively, Aurora touched just under her nose. Her fingers came away red. She gasped softly as panic hit her chest.
Her vision blurred with tears. "I'm dying…" she whispered faintly and collapsed into his arms.
"Aurora!" Mark caught her just before she hit the floor. Without wasting a second, he lifted her into his arms and rushed upstairs, his heart pounding erratically.
He placed her gently on the bed, his hands shaking as he reached for his phone. He called the family doctor. Then Maxwell. Then Angel. Mark paced the room like a madman, running his hands through his hair, glancing at her every second. Her pale skin, her lifeless form it made him feel utterly powerless.
Finally, the doctor barged in, panting heavily.
"What the hell took you so long?!" Mark yelled. "You better bring her back to me. I swear if anything happens to her, you'll pay for it."
The doctor didn't respond. He immediately went to Aurora's side and began his examination.
Mark watched every movement, fists clenched, heart racing. Minutes turned into what felt like hours. Still, the doctor said nothing. Then, the door burst open again.
Angel, Maxwell, and Tiwa stormed into the room."What happened to her?" Angel cried, rushing to the bedside. Mark turned to them, his voice unsteady. "We were just about to leave for the venue when she started bleeding and collapsed."
"She's been unconscious for more than an hour," he added angrily, pointing to the doctor. "And that scumbag hasn't said a single thing."
Maxwell turned to Mark, his face tight. "You need to fly her back to New York. Immediately for her treatment."
Mark's brows furrowed. "Fly her back? For what? What treatment are you talking about? Why the hell am I not aware of any of this?"
Maxwell's voice cracked slightly. "Aurora has blood cancer, Mark."
"What?" Mark froze.
"She's had it since she was twelve. Jake did everything he could to save her. He poured his soul into making sure she lived," Maxwell said, his voice rising. "But now… he's gone. And it's your responsibility to protect her."
Mark's entire body went cold. His ears rang. Blood cancer? Since she was twelve? Why hadn't she told him? How did he not see it?
Angel fell to her knees beside the bed, tears streaming down her face. "Angel please calm down"
"How do you expect me to calm down, Max?! She's dying can't you see?!" "I know, my love. I know," Maxwell whispered, kneeling beside her and pulling her into his arms. "Just breathe. We need to stay strong for her."
Mark walked slowly to the bed, falling to his knees beside Aurora. He took her hand gently in his, kissing it as his eyes welled with tears.
How didn't I know? How didn't I see this?
He looked up at the doctor. "We're flying her out tonight. Get everything ready. I'm not losing her… not now."
And with a silent promise echoing in his heart, he held her hand .