Chapter 24

Aurora’s POV

His promise hit me like a thunderbolt. *He will marry me.* It felt surreal, like a dream I’d clung to for so many years finally taking shape. My heart swelled, and I couldn’t help the smile that stretched across my face as I squatted down in front of him, clasping his hands as if to keep the moment from slipping away.

“You... you’ll marry me?” My voice trembled, excitement and uncertainty mingling in every word.

Lucas’s gaze softened, yet there was a new hardness there I hadn’t seen before. “Yes, Aurora, I’ll marry you. But only if you’re honest with me. Completely honest.” His words were firm, each syllable slicing through the air, and my heart fluttered at the weight behind them.

A nervous laugh escaped me as I squeezed his hands, my smile wide. “Of course, Lucas! I want nothing more than to be with you,” I whispered, my voice soft, almost pleading. His expression was still, unreadable, and it made me nervous.

“Are you sure?” he as