Once at the hospital, Olivia went to Aurora’s side and told her everything.
Although Aurora already knew most of it from Emily’s updates, she still listened attentively.
At last, Olivia asked the question that had been bothering her.
"The lawyer for Gray Winston said that Dad has kleptomania. Do you think... it’s true?"
Aurora, who had been silently listening, finally t Olivia’s gaze. Her expression was unreadable, but there was a knowing glint in her eyes.
"Do you think it’s true?" she asked instead.
Olivia hesitated.
"I... I don’t know. I an, Dad has always been responsible. He’s never stolen anything—at least not that I’ve seen. But when Hendricks brought it up in court, he looked—"
"Like he was hiding sothing?" Aurora finished for her.
Olivia nodded reluctantly.
"Yeah. And I can’t stop thinking about it. What if there’s sothing in his past that he’s too ashad to tell us?"
Aurora exhaled slowly, drumming her fingers on the hospital bed.
"The real question isn’t whether Dad has the disorder or not. It’s whether he wants us to know about it."
Olivia nodded.
"You’re right. If Dad doesn’t want us to know, then I don’t need to know either."
"Good," Aurora said. Then she paused before continuing,
"Did you know I had a really strange dream today?"
"Oh? What was it?" Olivia asked casually.
"I dread that I suddenly fell into a coma for three years," Aurora said. "But for so reason, I could still hear all of you."
Olivia raised an eyebrow, leaning forward slightly.
"You could hear us? Even though you were in a coma?"
Aurora nodded, her expression thoughtful.
"It was strange. I couldn’t move, couldn’t speak, but I could hear everything—the doctors, the nurses, you, Emily, Theodore... even Dad."
A chill ran down Olivia’s spine. "What did you hear?"
Aurora hesitated before answering.
"Mostly everyday conversations. Updates about life. But there was one thing that stood out."
"What was it?" Olivia asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
Aurora sighed.
"That I couldn’t wake up no matter what, and the doctor said my chances of waking up were very low."
Olivia smiled calmly.
"Don’t worry. Nothing will happen to you. You’re a potato destined to live 100 years."
Aurora rolled her eyes and continued,
"But you know what? I feel like I’ve lived through that scene before. So if I ever fall into a coma, can you do a favor?"
"What is it?" Olivia asked.
Aurora pursed her lips.
"Teach the syllabus for the years I’m in a coma. That way, when I wake up, I won’t fall behind in my studies. Also, don’t eat anything in front of —I’ll be tempted and feel helpless.
Ask everyone to talk to about their day, and if possible, get a ventilator instead of keeping in a hospital.
Oh, and don’t let certain people near , like Uncle Jace and his son Ro..."
Olivia let out a soft chuckle. "You’ve really thought this through, huh?"
Aurora pouted.
"Of course. If I ever end up in a coma, I don’t want to just lie there doing nothing. Imagine waking up and realizing I missed years of school just because no one thought to keep updated."
Olivia smirked, shaking her head.
"Then I’ll wait for you to fall into a coma and eat every delicacy I can in front of you."
Aurora gasped, outraged.
She pointed at Olivia with an angry expression.
Olivia laughed and ruffled Aurora’s hair.
"Hey, don’t overthink it. Nothing will happen to you."
’I will protect you.’
The last four words were sothing Olivia didn’t say aloud.
Why?
She couldn’t.
Olivia knew it was her weakness. She had a sharp tongue and could never say anything nice to Aurora to her face.
It was her toxic trait.
Don’t ask her why. Even she couldn’t explain it.
On the other hand, Aurora thought Olivia was just being dismissive and regretted hinting about her future coma to her.
She should have told Adriana. At least Adriana would have believed her—or at least taken her seriously!
Olivia noticed Aurora’s dazed expression and pulled her cheeks hard.
"Hey, stop overthinking. Didn’t I say? Everything will be fine. I’m going to the washroom for a bit. If you need anything urgently, just call ."
"Okay," Aurora said and lay back on her bed.
’What a waste,’ she thought. ’Olivia won’t even rember what I said. I should just tell my eldest brother or sister. They’d rember.’
Inside the washroom, Olivia leaned against the sink, gripping the edge tightly.
Her heart was pounding so fast it felt like it might burst out of her chest.
Her hands were cold and shaky. She tried taking deep breaths, but they ca out short and uneven.
"Nothing will happen to her," she whispered, staring at her reflection in the mirror. Her eyes were wide, filled with a fear she didn’t want to admit.
"She’ll be fine... She has to be fine."
But the fear wouldn’t leave.
Aurora had been sick for so long.
Olivia had seen her little sister battle every illness like a champ. Yet, what she noticed most was the exhaustion hidden in Aurora’s eyes.
She never cried in front of them. She always tried to act normal, to be strong.
Olivia hated it.
She hated that Aurora had to go through so much pain. She hated that, no matter what she did, she couldn’t stop it.
But she had a plan.
Her kidney.
She would give Aurora her kidney, and then everything would be okay.
The doctors said it was possible. They said the transplant could save her. So Olivia held onto that hope like a lifeline.
"As long as she has my kidney, she will live," Olivia told herself, gripping her chest. "She will live. She has to."
But Aurora’s words kept replaying in her mind.
"I saw that I suddenly fell into a coma for three years..."
What if it wasn’t just a dream?
What if Aurora really—
No. No. No.
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