Chapter 293. The Rescuer

Aurora’s POV

They didn’t look back as Ashton gently pulled the door open for them. Maggie’s arm was around Avery, whose eyes were still swollen from crying. The soft shuffle of their footsteps echoed in the room like thunder in a cathedral—too loud for a moment that should’ve been hushed. No one said anything as the trio walked out, leaving behind the heavy silence and Caleb and Caroline.

My eyes met Caroline’s after the door clicked shut, and her expression was carved in something that looked like guilt, but it wasn’t heavy enough. She stood near the foot of the bed, arms wrapped tightly around herself as if trying to make herself smaller, less visible.

“Where was I found?” I asked, my voice barely above a whisper, but it shattered through the room like glass breaking.

Caleb, who’d been sitting on the edge of the bed, slowly came closer to me once again. His eyes met mine, filled with something I couldn’t name—shame, maybe, or disbelief that he had le