?<strong>Chapter 943:</strong>


    Lucas mulled it over. “Maybe a little. But at the end of the day, I see you both as family. Other than family, no one would love another person unconditionally.”


    Molly didn’t respond. She fell behind his longer strides, her feet stepping on his shadow. But as he moved, his shadow shifted, always just out of reach.


    Dunn had just finished a drug experiment for a senior ssmate and was leaving theb. Pulling off his goggles, he checked his phone. Among a flood of unread messages, one from an unknown number stood out.


    “Dunn Finch, right? I’m Aurora Watson’s sister. She told me she doesn’t like you, so back off and quit trying to y the hero.”


    The harsh fluorescent lights above flickered as they shut off one by one, the corridor growing dim and hollow.


    Dunn took one nce, and the message burned itself into his memory. He slipped his phone back into his pocket, retrieved a pack of cigarettes from a drawer, and went outside.


    He walked past Lynda, who opened her mouth to call out to him, but he was already gone before she could get a word out.


    As he exhaled, his phone buzzed again—a message from Aurora, sharing her exam results.


    The news deserved celebration, but Dunn hesitated. He wanted to reply, but every word he considered felt insufficient.


    Her earlier im—that she didn’t like him—rang in his mind. He could easily believe she’d said it to shield their connection from her family’s scrutiny.


    But Dunn demanded more. He wanted not just love, but certainty—pure, unwavering, and undivided.


    When Aurora filled out her university applications, Joelle and Adrian were still abroad.


    With herptop in hand, Aurora met Dunn at the public library. Dunn came fully prepared. After reviewing Aurora’s grades, he hadid out several university options for her.


    He didn’t know Aurora’s specific interests, so he analyzed the career prospects of each major and even created a detailed PowerPoint presentation.


    Aurora listened attentively, feeling it would be disrespectful not to, given how much effort Dunn had put into helping her.


    In truth, consulting him about her applications was unnecessary. Her goal had always been clear—Pharmaceutical Engineering at Dugruayae University.


    She wanted to follow in Dunn’s footsteps.


    Halfway through his exnation, Dunn noticed Aurora resting her chin on her hand, her eyes fixed nkly on the screen.


    He tapped her forehead lightly with the end of his pen. “Pay attention.”


    Aurora rubbed her forehead with a sheepish smile. “Sorry, go on.”


    Dunn, having nearly finished his presentation, closed hisptop with a decisive click. “With your grades, top universities should be contacting you to offer you a ce.”


    Aurora felt a pang of guilt at his words.


    The president of Dugruayae University had already visited her before her college entrance exams. She was only here as an excuse to see Dunn.


    “Maybe they don’t have my address. We don’t exactly hand it out freely,” she said with a weakugh.


    The lie felt clumsy, and she was sure Dunn saw through it, but he chose not to call her out.


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