She was an orphan.
She had grown up in the same city where the woman’s daughter had gone missing.
The woman’s hands trembled.
Chapter 12
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Her voice shook as she asked–when they landed, would Aurora be willing to take a DNA test?
Next to her, the man–her husband–said nothing, but his eyes were filled with something raw, something fragile.
Aurora nodded.
As soon as they disembarked, a car was waiting. Straight to the fastest testing center.
The wait was agonizing.
And then-
The results.
She was their daughter.
The moment the paper was handed to them, the woman broke down. The man held her and sobbed, unrestrained.
Aurora stood there, staring at the words, trying to grasp what they meant.
She was not unwanted.
She had never been abandoned.
Her parents had spent twenty–six years searching for her.
When they asked for her opinion, they decided to keep her name. Just one addition–Campbell.
Aurora Campbell.
From now on, that was who she was.
The moment her biological mother learned the truth, she never let go of her hand. Her eyes never left her, filled with a love so
deep it was almost unbearable.
Her father, usually a composed man, had reddened eyes. He kept stealing glances at her, as if afraid she might vanish again.
When they arrived at the estate, her mother led her to a door, almost like presenting a long–lost treasure.
“Aurora,” she said, voice trembling, “your father and I have been waiting for you to come home. This room–we kept it for
twenty–six years. Now, it finally has its owner.”
She choked on her words.
Her father, steadier, placed a hand on her shoulder.
“Go on,” he said. “See if you like the room we’ve prepared for you.”
Aurora felt warmth flood her chest, something unfamiliar yet comforting.
She pushed open the heavy wooden door.
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Inside, an antique–style bed stood in the center. By the window, overlooking a vast garden, light poured in, soft and golden.
The floor was carpeted, plush beneath her feet.
In the middle of the room, a pile of boxes.
She hesitated.
“What’s in these?” she asked.
Her father picked one up and handed it to her.
“Open it,” he said.
She did.
Inside, a diamond bracelet.
Something clicked in her mind. Heart pounding, she reached for another box.
And another.
Tiny gold bangles. A princess dress. A tiara. Necklaces, charms.
One by one, she unwrapped them all.
Twenty–six gifts.
One for each year she had been gone.
Her vision blurred.
Even when she wasn’t there, they had prepared a birthday present for her. Every single year.
She had spent her life thinking no one loved her. That the world was cold. That kindness was conditional.
That was why, when Grayson had appeared–like sunlight breaking through heavy clouds–she had fallen so easily, so helplessly.
But now she knew.
Even when she hadn’t known it, love had always been there. Waiting. Searching. Hoping.
She threw herself into her parents‘ arms.
“Dad, Mom, I’m home.”
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