Chapter 8

Aurora arrived early, and the art exhibition hadn't started yet. She wandered through the hall, realizing Taylor and the others hadn't shown up. Instead, she bumped into Danica. "You again?" Aurora had her response ready. "I'm here to deliver flowers to you on behalf of Mr. Quinn, Mr. Croft, and Mr. Simpson. Congratulations on your art exhibition, Ms. Sauter." Then, she handed Danica three bouquets. Danica accepted them but had no chance to respond as a staff member approached and said, "Ms. Sauter, we're ready to hang the paintings. Could you come to the art studio to review them?" Danica nodded and turned to leave, only to pause, toss the flowers back at Aurora, and command haughtily, "You, come with me." Aurora didn't protest. She looked down and quietly followed Danica. In the art studio, Danica dismissed the staff before turning to Aurora. "It must've been tough keeping them entertained, hasn't it?" Aurora's expression faltered, and she hastily bowed her head. "I don't understand what you mean. The three of them think only of you." Danica sneered. "Drop the act. You're one perfectly obedient stand-in, aren't you? Do you think I haven't done my own research?" Aurora kept her head down, though sweat began to bead on her palms. She wasn't afraid of what Danica might do to her, but if Taylor, Stellan, and Flynn found out she'd been exposed… Given their devotion to Danica, Aurora was certain she'd be removed from their lives. As Aurora considered her options, an abrupt alarm blared outside. Chaos erupted, followed by the pounding of countless footsteps. "Run!" "There's a fire!" Alarmed, both Aurora and Danica rushed toward the door, only to find it stuck. Meanwhile, thick smoke began pouring in as flames crept closer, feeding off the canvases and paper scattered around the studio. "Ah!" Danica shrieked as her haughty composure shattered. She pounded on the door and yelled shakily, "Help! Somebody, open the door!" However, her screams fell on deaf ears as people were busy escaping. Soon, everyone had evacuated the building, and no one had noticed that someone was trapped in the art studio. "What do we do… What do we do…" While Danica's panic grew, Aurora stayed composed. She grabbed a wooden easel and swung it against the door, but her strength wasn't enough. It barely made a dent. The fire spread quickly, and smoke filled the studio. The two of them started coughing and gasping for air, clinging to consciousness as they slumped helplessly onto the floor. Just then, they heard frantic banging on the other side of the door, followed by three familiar voices shouting in unison. "Dani!" The voices spurred Danica back to life. She shoved Aurora aside and called out, "I'm here!" Outside, Taylor, Stellan, and Flynn struck the door with anything they could find before finally breaking through. When they rushed inside, they all paused at the sight of Aurora. At that moment, a flaming easel began to fall, angling toward both women. The three of them dashed forward in perfect sync, straight toward Danica. "Dani!" they cried as they protectively shielded her in their arms. At the same time, the burning easel came crashing down on Aurora. … When Aurora woke up at the hospital, she felt a searing pain all over her body, and her throat was dry and raw. She tried to sit up, only to realize that she was wrapped in bandages from head to toe. A nurse came to change Aurora's dressings. She immediately wanted, "Stay still, you're covered in injuries. You're lucky to be alive after getting hit by that burning easel. It'll take months to heal fully." Aurora closed her eyes as the memory of the accident replayed in her mind. Taylor, Stellan, and Flynn had been there, yet not one of them had helped her. They had all chosen Danica. Now, even knowing that Danica had only suffered a few scrapes while Aurora lay here barely able to move, not a single one of them had come to check on her either. Instead, they hovered around Danica, busy comforting her like she'd been the one gravely injured. Aurora wasn't surprised, nor did she care. However, for a moment, she thought she was hallucinating from the unbearable pain. Louis was standing right next to her, and he sounded distressed. "Rory, does it hurt?" Suddenly, Aurora felt her chest tighten with aggrievance. "It hurts, Louis… it hurts so much…" she answered the empty ward. A tear slid down her cheek as she thought bitterly, "You're gone, and now there's no one left to protect me." … On the third day of Aurora's hospitalization, Danica was discharged. After nearly losing their lives rescuing her, Taylor, Stellan, and Flynn hadn't left her side. They were terrified to let her out of their sight, and visiting Aurora was the furthest thing from their minds. Soon, Danica's birthday arrived, and they decided to throw her an extravagant celebration as a way to honor her survival. They rented out three floors of Grandeur Hotel and invited half of Duskvale's elite to attend. The banquet hall was abuzz with voices when the lights suddenly went out, leaving a single spotlight focused on Danica. Amidst cheers and applause, Taylor, Stellan, and Flynn appeared, each holding a cake. Danica would have to decide whose cake to cut. Their dramatic rescue of Danica had already made the rounds in their social circles, and now their friends were eager for her to make a choice. For too long, she'd kept them all in suspense, and the crowd couldn't help but tease her. "Choose a cake, Danica, and maybe a boyfriend, too!" "Come on, Dani. They practically risked their lives for you, If that's not love, what is? Anyway, it's great for you to stay. You don't have to go abroad again." "Whether it is Mr. Quinn, Mr. Croft, or Mr. Simpson, any one of them would cherish you. You've made them wait long enough, Danica. It's time to pick!" Wearing a sparkling crown, Danica stood in the center of the hall surrounded by admirers. She had kept all three men on the hook as she enjoyed the way they competed for her affection. But she knew she couldn't keep this up much longer. Some things, she realized, couldn't wait for long. With a proud lift of her chin, she said, "I can stay. But what are you going to do about that stand-in?"