Into the Lion's Den

That night, Heath's promise of protection, his "Don't be afraid, I'm here," unleashed a torrent of tears she'd held back for so long. It was as if every injustice she'd ever faced was being washed away.

After descending the stairs, she hailed a cab. Kieran, who had just pulled up, called Heath: "Boss, I saw Miss Aurora leave the building. She seemed upset."

"Follow her, make sure she gets home safely, then come back," Heath instructed.

Kieran trailed the cab to the Pendleton estate, watched Aurora enter her home, and then drove back to the city.

Meanwhile, Heath sat up in his room, staring at the opened email on his laptop, lost in thought.

He had never been drunk, not really. He had wanted Aurora to take him home, to linger in her presence a bit longer. But when she mentioned the Whitmore family, he felt a shift in her, a familiar surge of emotion he could sense from h