Unfinished Business

The night outside Alpha Grey's mansion was cool, but inside Aurora, a quiet storm brewed.

Her conversation with Lucas had rattled him—she could hear it in his voice. And that was exactly what she had wanted.

Not to hurt him, but to make him understand, to see what he had lost.

As she watched the moonlight filter through the window, casting silvery shadows across the room, her thoughts drifted back to the life she had with Lucas.

The good moments felt distant now, overshadowed by the bitterness and betrayal that had defined the end.

She had tried, truly tried, to hold on, to find a way to make it work. But there was no saving something that was never really whole to begin with.

Her phone buzzed on the table beside her, pulling her out of her thoughts.

Aurora glanced at it, expecting it to be another follow-up from the auction. Instead, it was a text from Hades.

Hades: How did it go? Did you talk to him?

Aurora stared at the message for a moment before replying.

Aurora: Yes. It's done.

The response was immediate.

Hades: Are you okay?

She hesitated, her fingers hovering over the keyboard.

Was she okay?

In many ways, she felt lighter than she had in years. But there was also a lingering ache, a reminder of what could have been—if only things had been different.

She finally typed a response.

Aurora: I will be.

Setting the phone down again, Aurora closed her eyes, taking in the silence of the room.

It was a quiet she had longed for during her marriage—a space to breathe, to think, to be herself without the weight of expectations or manipulation.

As she sat there, lost in thought, the door opened softly, and Ava returned, holding a tray with a glass of water and a small snack. She set it on the table beside Aurora and sat down across from her, her expression gentle.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Ava asked, her voice cautious but supportive.

Aurora shook her head slowly. "There's not much to talk about. Lucas will never understand me the way I needed him to."

Ava nodded but didn't press further, her presence a quiet comfort in the room.

They had been through a lot together, and Ava had seen Aurora at her lowest—when the Grey family disowned her, when she had been a disgrace to the pack. But this, tonight, felt like a turning point.

"Do you think he'll come after you again?" Ava asked after a moment, her tone careful.

Aurora opened her eyes and sighed. "Probably. Lucas doesn't know how to let go. But it doesn't matter anymore. He doesn't have any power over me. Not now, not ever again."

Ava smiled, a small but encouraging gesture. "Good. You deserve better than him, Aurora."

Aurora smiled back, though it was faint, her thoughts still far away. "I know," she said softly, almost to herself. "And for the first time in a long time, I believe it."

Ava leaned back in her chair, crossing her arms as she studied Aurora's face. "So, what's next?" she asked, her voice tinged with curiosity.

Aurora let out a slow breath, running her fingers through her hair. "Honestly? I don't know," she admitted. "It's like... now that I've cut that last tie with Lucas, I'm standing at the edge of something, and I'm not sure what it is."

Ava tilted her head. "Freedom?" she offered.

Aurora smiled at the word, though it felt unfamiliar on her tongue. "Maybe."

They sat in companionable silence for a few minutes, the weight of everything that had just happened settling in.

Aurora's heart still beat fast from the confrontation with Lucas, and her emotions felt raw, but there was something else there—something steadier, like the beginnings of peace.

Her phone buzzed again, breaking the quiet moment.

Aurora picked it up, expecting another message from Hades. But instead, it was a different name on the screen—one she hadn't expected to see tonight.

Julia.

Her stomach twisted as she stared at the name.

She hadn't had a one-on-one conversation with Julia in years, not since the woman had made it clear that she had her sights set on Lucas. Aurora had never confronted her about it—at the time, it felt like a betrayal she could walk away from without a fight.

Lucas is my husband, he belongs to me, she had told herself.

But now, seeing her name flash across the screen made her heart race.

Ava noticed her hesitation. "Who is it?" she asked gently.

Aurora held up the phone, showing the screen.

Ava's brow furrowed in recognition.

"You don't have to answer that," Ava said softly.

Aurora knew she was right. She could ignore the message, let Julia stew in whatever she had to say. But something inside her stirred. It wasn't curiosity—it was something sharper, something that felt like unfinished business.

Aurora tapped on the message, her heart racing as she opened it.

Julia: I heard you finally spoke to Lucas. Good for you. But just so you know, this isn't over.

Aurora blinked at the words, a flare of irritation rising in her chest.

She had expected something venomous from Julia, but this was more of a warning—a threat, even.

Ava, reading the expression on Aurora's face, leaned forward. "What did she say?"

Aurora read the message aloud, her voice steady despite the tension simmering beneath her skin.

Ava's eyes narrowed. "She sounds desperate."

Aurora let out a short laugh. "Desperate or delusional, take your pick."

"Do you think she's going to try something?" Ava asked.

Aurora set the phone down on the table with more force than she intended, her fingers drumming against the surface as she tried to tamp down the rising frustration. "Let her try. I'm done playing her games. If she wants to come after me, she'll find out that I'm not the same person she tried to walk over months ago."

Ava smiled, a hint of pride in her eyes. "That's the Aurora I know."

For the first time that evening, Aurora felt a surge of determination.

She had spent too long letting other people dictate her life, letting their decisions and betrayals define her path.

Julia's message wasn't going to scare her—it was going to motivate her.

She picked up her phone and typed a reply, her fingers steady as she crafted the perfect response.

Aurora: It's over when I say it's over, Julia. Not you.

She hit send, her heart lighter as she watched the message disappear into the digital void.

There was no more room for fear or second-guessing. Not from Julia, not from Lucas, and not from anyone else who tried to hold her back.

"Let's see what she does with that," Aurora muttered, a small smile tugging at the corner of her lips.

Ava chuckled softly. "You're ready for this. Whatever they throw at you, you'll handle it."

Aurora met her assistant's gaze, feeling the strength of her own resolve settle into place.

"I am," she said, her voice firm. "And I'm not backing down."

As the night deepened outside Alpha Grey's mansion, Aurora felt the quiet storm within her begin to calm.

There were battles ahead, that much was clear. But this time, she wasn't afraid. She was ready.