Marry Ex's Billionaire Uncle After Divorce (Aurora and Jasper) novel Chapter 162

(Author’s POV)

Clam

After dinner, Dr. North politely declined Professor Walsh’s invitation to stay longer, said his goodbyes, and left. Phineas followed shortly after, walking Eleanor to her car. That left Aurora alone with the professor, which was, she realized, exactly how it had worked out. She had spent the tail end of dinner calculating whether to leave first or wait – and then the decision had made itself.

Professor Walsh closed the front door and turned back toward the sitting room. “Come on. I’ll make coffee.”

Aurora followed him into the study instead, where he poured two cups from the carafe on his desk and handed one to her without asking if she wanted it.

“The money from Jasper,” he said, settling into his chair. “How is that going?”

“He transferred part of it already,” Aurora said. “The rest is tied up in equity he’s converting. If he drags his feet, Gavin goes to the court for enforcement. He knows that.”

“Good.” Professor Walsh nodded, but his expression didn’t fully settle. He turned the coffee cup in his hands. “And you’re all right? Not just financially.”

“I’m fine.”

He looked at her the way he always did when he thought she was understating something. “Aurora. I’m going to say something, and I want you to hear it without getting defensive.”

She waited.

–

“Eleanor has been – enthusiastic about this afternoon. About you and Phineas spending time together.” He paused. “She’s my sister, and I love her. But I know what she’s doing.”

Aurora kept her face still.

“Phineas is my nephew,” he continued. “Which is exactly why I’m telling you this. He’s sharp, he’s capable, and he’s good at making things look simpler than they are. But there are – complications. His health

situation, for one. The one he refuses to address properly.” He set the cup down. “You’ve been through one difficult marriage. You deserve something straightforward. Someone who can actually give you what you

need.”

“Professor.” Aurora put her cup down. “We talked about work this afternoon. Research directions, mostly. That’s all.”

He studied her for a moment.

“I’m not interested in Phineas Everett,” she said. “You don’t need to worry about that.”

He didn’t look entirely convinced. But he let out a slow breath and didn’t push it further. “All right,” he said.

6 Chapter 1, Aby kabel

“I just wanted to say it.”

They finished their coffee, and the conversation moved on to other things. But Aurora carried the weight of his words home with her, and didn’t sleep as well as she’d hoped.

The next morning was a Saturday. Aurora woke without an alarm, made herself a full pot of coffee, and sat by the window with a research report she’d been meaning to get through all week. The apartment was quiet. Sunlight came through the glass at a low angle. It was the kind of morning that felt almost normal, and she let herself have it.

Her phone buzzed against the windowsill.

A text from Leo. Three words and a period.

*Help. Back gate. Now.*

She called him immediately. It rang twice, then cut off. She called again. Nothing.

Aurora set the report down. She picked up her keys and her jacket in the same motion and was out the door before she’d finished thinking through why.

In Martha Higgins’s apartment across the city, the morning looked nothing like that.

Martha stood at the window of the living room, arms crossed, watching the street below. Behind her, the bedroom door was locked. She had taken Leo’s phone the moment he tried to send that message – she’d been fast enough to catch only the first few words before she grabbed it – and she’d turned the key in the lock before he could get past her.

He’d shouted at her through the door for a while. She’d stopped listening.

She turned away from the window and pressed her fingers to her temple.

Three days ago, Neil Dawson had shown up at her door. She hadn’t seen him in years, and the years hadn’t softened him. He had stood in her hallway with that flat, calculating look she remembered too well, and he

had told her what he wanted. He’d used Leo’s name when he said it. Not as a threat exactly – more as a

fact. A piece of information she might want to consider.

Martha had told herself she’d had no choice.

She told herself that again now, standing in her own living room. Aurora had money. Aurora had married

into the Everett name, and whatever came of that, she was going to be fine. She always landed on her

feet. That was Aurora’s particular talent – surviving things that should have broken her and then acting as

though none of it had happened.

If something went wrong today, Martha told herself, that was Aurora’s problem to solve.

She believed it. She had to.

Aurora reached the school in under fifteen minutes. She went straight to the back gate and stood there,

scanning the street in both directions. No Leo. A few parked cars. A delivery truck idling at the corner.

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Her phone buzzed. An iMessage from a number she didn’t recognize.

*He’s in the alley beside the back gate. Go in, he’s waiting.*

She stared at the message. The unease in her chest sharpened into something colder.

But she thought of Leo’s text. *Help.* Just that one word, and then nothing.

She walked into the alley.

It was narrow, and the light didn’t reach the far end. She moved quickly, eyes ahead, hand still on her phone.

She made it to the end of the alley before she registered the movement behind her.

A hand closed over her face. Something wet and sharp–smelling pressed against her nose and mouth. She grabbed at the arm, got two fingers around it, tried to pull-

The world went sideways. Her legs stopped working.

She went down.

Martha had followed at a distance. She stood at the mouth of the alley and watched Neil load Aurora into the side door of a van parked along the curb. Aurora’s head lolled against his shoulder. She didn’t make a sound.

Martha took one step forward, then stopped.

Neil slid the door shut and walked around to the driver’s seat. Martha moved toward the passenger side,

reached for the handle –

Locked.

She tried it again. Locked from the inside.

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