The CEO's Hidden Love: Midnight Temptations and Deep Desires novel Chapter 1736

When Aurora rushed into the hospital, the hearse from the funeral home pulled up at the same time.

Craig was standing alone outside the ER doors, looking lost and isolated.

He wasn’t crying—he just stood there in silence, staring at nothing, until Aurora’s hurried footsteps finally caught his attention.

“You’re here,” he said quietly.

“Yeah.” Aurora walked over, her lips parting as if to say something, but the words just wouldn’t come.

She knew exactly what Amelie meant to Craig.

Aside from Elijah, his son, his mom was the only family he had left in the world.

For years, Craig had worked himself to the bone—late nights, early mornings, double shifts—just to pay for his mother’s treatments. Fixing her, keeping her alive, had become his whole purpose.

And now, suddenly, it was all over.

No way back.

Aurora looked up at him, hesitating before gently touching his hand. “She’s free now, you know? She’s been stuck in hospitals for years, with no real life of her own. She hated the smell of antiseptics. She told me she felt trapped.”

She tried to sound comforting, but she knew nothing she said could actually make this easier for Craig.

Then suddenly, Craig turned and pulled Aurora into a fierce hug.

Her first instinct was to pull away, but then she felt something cold and wet on her shoulder.

Craig was crying.

“My mom told me, so many times, she didn’t want to keep fighting. She said if she ended up in the ER again, I should just let her go, but... I just couldn’t.”

Craig’s mom had just passed, and there’d be a ton of things to take care of. Craig didn’t have much family in Willow Creek; really, it was just him. Miles needed to help out, but if something happened to Felicity while he was gone, he’d never forgive himself.

Felicity wanted to protest, but then she remembered how hard it had been to get pregnant, and bit back her words.

“Just give Craig my condolences, okay?” she sighed. “Even if he really let Abigail down... he was still there for me once. I can’t help feeling we’re still kind of a family, you know?”

Divorce or not, those old ties lingered.

“You just focus on taking care of yourself,” Miles said gently. “That’s all I need to know you’re safe.”

After making sure Felicity was settled, Miles dialed another number.

“Aunt Karen? Could you stay with Felicity today? I’d really appreciate it.”