Chapter 672: Test
Aurora burst into laughter. Her sister-in-law really was incredibly straightforward. Still smiling, Aurora shook her head. "No."
She leaned slightly forward. "None of that bullshit."
Jules blinked. Aurora’s expression gradually turned confident. "Instead..."
She smiled. "...I’m going to find another kidney for my brother."
Jules froze. Aurora continued calmly, "That little girl doesn’t have time. But my brother does."
Her voice carried absolute confidence. "Within the next three years, I’ll find him a perfectly compatible kidney."
She smiled faintly. "And I’ll personally make sure that my brother survives, recovers completely, and once again has two healthy, functioning kidneys."
Jules stared at Aurora in complete disbelief.
For several long seconds, she couldn’t utter a single word.
Almost absentmindedly, she tightened her grip around the strap of her handbag resting on her lap.
A tiny glimmer of hope slowly appeared in her eyes.
Her voice trembled ever so slightly. "Really?"
She searched Aurora’s expression carefully. "Are you telling me the truth?"
Aurora chuckled softly.
There wasn’t the slightest hesitation in her eyes. "Sister-in-law..."
She smiled with quiet confidence. "Have I ever made a promise that I couldn’t keep?"
Hearing those words, Jules felt a portion of the heavy weight on her chest slowly lift away.
However, it wasn’t enough. Looking straight at Aurora, she spoke in a low voice. "Still, he has special feelings for Adeline."
Before she could continue, Aurora calmly interrupted her. "You’re right."
She nodded once. "He does have special feelings toward Adeline."
The moment those words entered Jules’ ears, her entire body stiffened. Her pupils contracted violently, and her breathing became uneven.
For a brief second, it felt as though her heart had stopped beating. But before panic could completely consume her, Aurora continued speaking.
"He has special feelings because he once broke Adeline’s heart so badly that she almost lost everything."
Jules frowned deeply. Confusion completely replaced the fear in her eyes. She stared at Aurora as though she had just spoken an entirely foreign language.
"What are you talking about?"
She shook her head. "As far as I know, Lucas has never been in a relationship with Adeline."
Aurora let out a helpless chuckle. "Well"
She gently stirred the coffee inside her cup, watching the tiny ripples spread across the dark surface. "Things are a little complicated."
She slowly looked back at Jules. "But here’s what I can tell you."
Her voice became unusually calm. "There once existed a timeline where Lucas deceived Adeline."
Jules’ brows knitted together. Aurora continued, "He manipulated her, gaslighted her, and caused her to suffer countless humiliations and painful experiences."
She let out a quiet sigh. "Now he’s trying to make amends."
She smiled faintly. "But not in a romantic way. He never loved Adeline. Not romantically."
Another pause followed. "Not even platonically."
She shrugged casually. "At most, he once acknowledged that she was beautiful."
Looking directly into Jules’ eyes, Aurora added, "But in this lifetime... he definitely doesn’t love her, nor does he even think about her that way anymore."
Jules remained completely silent. For a brief moment, she honestly wondered whether Aurora had come down with some strange fever.
Without thinking, she leaned forward and reached out, gently placing the back of her hand against Aurora’s forehead.
Aurora burst into laughter. "You probably don’t believe me, Sister-in-law."
She smiled mischievously. "But this world contains far more mysterious things than you can imagine."
Jules slowly withdrew her hand. Aurora continued, "If you don’t believe me, then pretend to be Adeline for a day."
Jules blinked.
Aurora couldn’t help but smile. "Copy her hairstyle."
She raised another finger. "Wear clothes similar to hers."
Another finger. "Even imitate the way she speaks if you can."
She rested her chin against her hand. "Then watch Lucas’s reaction."
Her smile widened. "If he was ever attracted to Adeline, shouldn’t he naturally become much closer to you?"
Jules stared at her for several seconds before finally shaking her head. A helpless laugh escaped her lips. "That’s an absolutely shitty idea."
Aurora laughed even harder. "Maybe."
She shrugged. "But try it anyway."
Her eyes sparkled with amusement. "Then come back and tell me the results."
Jules sighed before rubbing her temples. "Aurora"
She looked at the younger woman with complicated eyes.
"Sometimes I honestly wonder if there’s an immature soul living inside your body."
Halfway through the sentence She suddenly froze. A soul living inside someone else’s body?
Her heartbeat skipped. An unbelievable thought flashed across her mind.
’Could it be?’
She had heard countless strange stories over the years. Stories about people being reborn. Stories that no ordinary person would ever believe.
If Aurora had truly been reborn, then that strange timeline she was talking about exists!
Jules slowly lifted her head. This time, she looked at Aurora with unmistakable horror in her eyes.
Aurora noticed the strange expression immediately. She chuckled helplessly. "You’re looking at me as though I’m some kind of monster."
She dramatically covered her chest. "Please don’t look at me like that, Sister-in-law."
She laughed. "You’ll make me afraid of myself too."
Jules awkwardly looked away. After taking a slow breath, she muttered, "Maybe I’m just overthinking everything."
She slowly stood up from her chair. "I should get going."
Just as she turned around...
"Wait a minute."
Aurora suddenly called out. She reached beneath the table and picked up a beautifully wrapped white box before placing it in Jules’ hands.
Jules lowered her eyes toward it. Slowly opening the lid, she froze. Inside rested a beautifully decorated strawberry cake.
The scent alone made her mouth water. A genuine smile unconsciously appeared on her face.
Without waiting another second, she picked up the small fork inside the box and took a bite.
The rich cream instantly melted on her tongue. Aurora quietly watched her before asking, "Do you know why I brought you this strawberry cake?"
Jules blinked while chewing. She honestly shook her head. "No."
She smiled sheepishly. "Actually"
She lowered her gaze toward the cake. "I was planning to ask Lucas to buy one for me today."
She paused before scratching her cheek awkwardly. "But then we argued."
Her voice gradually faded. Instead of finishing the sentence, she simply took another bite.
Aurora smiled warmly. "My big brother already knew you were craving strawberry cake."
She folded her hands together. "He asked me to bring it to you because he knew you probably wouldn’t accept it if he came himself."
Jules paused. The fork in her hand stopped moving. After a few seconds, she casually continued eating as though nothing had happened. "So what?"
She deliberately snorted. "It’s his duty to give me the things I crave."
She gently rubbed her stomach. A soft smile unknowingly appeared on her face. "After all this child isn’t mine alone, right?"
Aurora couldn’t help laughing. "Of course you’re right. But even so... don’t you think it’s a little harsh to sentence my brother before giving him a chance to explain himself?"
Jules sighed deeply before looking at Aurora. A helpless smile slowly appeared on her lips. "You’re truly your brother’s biggest supporter."
Aurora immediately shook her head. "Not exactly."
She smiled gently. "I simply don’t want either of you to regret something because of a misunderstanding. But, I’d really appreciate it if you could try what I suggested earlier."
Jules remained silent for several moments before finally nodding. "Okay."
She smiled faintly. "I’ll give it a try."
After finishing the cake, she carefully packed the remaining slices back into the box before standing up.
As she reached the door, she suddenly paused. Without turning around, she softly whispered, "Thank you Aurora."
Her voice carried genuine gratitude. "I understand your concern."
She smiled to herself. "I’ll try."
Aurora watched Jules leave the café. Only after the door quietly closed did she finally let out a long sigh of relief.
Leaning back against her chair, she gently pinched the bridge of her nose. ’At least she’s willing to listen now.’
Without wasting another second, Aurora took out her phone and immediately began arranging her mother’s surgery.
She knew she couldn’t afford to waste any more time. The longer the chip remained inside Mary’s brain, the more influence it would have over her emotions and thoughts.
Still... a troubling question lingered in Aurora’s mind.
’When exactly was Mother implanted with that chip?’
Her brows slowly furrowed. Another terrifying possibility surfaced.
’Could there be chips inside the rest of my family as well?’
She had personally conducted thorough examinations on every member of her family before.
At that time, she hadn’t found anything suspicious. So... how had she missed this one?
Aurora slowly clenched her fists.
For the first time in a long while, genuine uneasiness crept into her heart.
Meanwhile, after returning to her apartment, Jules quietly sat alone on the sofa for nearly an hour.
The strawberry cake remained untouched on the coffee table beside her.
After thinking everything through carefully, she finally made a decision.
’Few test. I’ll give Lucas one final chance to prove Aurora is right.’
That night, when Lucas returned to his apartment after work, his phone suddenly rang.
The caller ID displayed Jules’ name.