The monitor's beep was the first thing Aurora registered when consciousness returned. She blinked, disoriented, taking in her surroundings.

The room smelled faintly of antiseptic and, as far as he could tell, he wasn't in his small apartment.

Was she in a hospital? She frowned; her head was still foggy. Her eyes struggled to open fully. Then she heard it: that familiar voice.

“Eli,” the voice said calmly. “Lock everything down. What happened at the gala stays internal: no press, no rumors. I want a full review of everyone involved before morning. Keep Marcus out of sight until the legal team finishes its work. Do this quietly. I don’t want any mistakes.”

Aurora's eyes snapped open. The man sitting in the corner of the room, impeccably dressed even in a hospital setting, was none other than Reuben Blackwood. And she suddenly realized that he was also the man who had saved her.

“AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!” Aurora’s scream rang sharp as reality hit her: Reuben Blackwood was in her room.

Meanwhile, Reuben's attention was drawn to her by the shout. He put down the phone and simply raised an eyebrow, his expression one of silent reprimand, as if to say, "Why do you always shout, Miss Valenmoor?"

“We meet again, Miss Valenmoor,” he said gently.

Aurora's stomach twisted. Her voice caught in her throat before she managed to stammer, "Mr. Blackwood... what are you doing here?"

He tilted his head slightly, with a faint, almost amused smile at the corner of his lips.

“You ran away that morning,” he said simply. He paused deliberately. “And this is how you talk to someone who saved your life?”

Aurora swallowed hard. “I-I didn’t mean it like that. It’s just that… this is a hospital, and you were at the gala, and I don’t remember how I got here and…” Her words tumbled out. “I was confused. Anyone would be…”

“You’ve been unconscious for almost a whole day,” Reuben interjected gently. “It’s already noon.”

Her eyes widened slightly at that. She opened her mouth again, clearly about to ask something else, but he was already one step ahead.

“And if you’re worried about your agent… Miss Joseph,” he continued, “don’t be. I’ve taken care of it. She knows where you are. She knows you’re safe.”

Aurora froze. "Did you... take care of it?"

“Yes.” His voice left no room for doubt. “There were no reporters. There were no leaks. There was no speculation. As far as the public knows, you had a minor health incident and are resting under medical supervision.” He continued, “Everything else that happened with Mr. Myers has been buried.”

Aurora opened her mouth to answer, but before she could, the door burst open. A nurse, visibly alarmed, entered. “We heard a scream! Is the patient alright?”

Aurora's face flushed with embarrassment. She stammered nervously, "I... uh... I just woke up. I-I wasn't feeling well."

Reuben continued, “Tell Dr. Kaplan that the patient is awake. He can come and see her now.”

The nurse nodded quickly and hurried out.

Aurora stared at him. His presence was suffocating. Even seated, he seemed to dominate the room; he was a man accustomed to controlling everything and everyone around him.

She tried to curl up in bed, hugging herself, but it was no use.

Reuben's eyes followed her movements; he was clearly amused. Finally, he leaned in just a little closer: "You have a remarkable talent for getting into trouble, Miss Valenmoor. I must say, it's... consistent."

Aurora's lips parted slightly, but words failed her. She could only swallow hard, wishing the ground would open up beneath her.

Before he could force himself to speak, the door opened.

A man in a white coat entered, carrying a tablet under his arm. He looked up and greeted him respectfully: “Mr. Blackwood.”

Reuben turned his head slightly. “Dr. Kaplan.”

The doctor nodded, then looked back at the chart, flipping pages as he approached the bed.

Aurora seized the opportunity. “Doctor, I… do I have some kind of infection? I’ve been dizzy and nauseous for weeks, and yesterday I felt like I was burning—”

“Have you been eating properly?” the doctor suddenly asked.

Aurora blinked. “Me… what?”

“Regular meals,” he clarified, still focused on the chart. “Nutrients. Vitamins.”

Aurora froze. Her mouth opened and then closed again. She couldn't answer.

The doctor finally looked up, studying her face, then sighed. He turned slightly to Reuben. “Mr. Blackwood, you’re in the industry, so you know how it works. Extreme diets, irregular schedules, pressure to maintain a certain image.” He shook his head slightly. “But as a pregnant woman, your girlfriend needs to be much more careful.”

Aurora's ears barely registered the words. Did she just... say baby?