Before Aurora walked out the door with Nathaniel, Vincent grabbed her arms and said, "Be careful."

"I know," Aurora kissed him on the cheek to calm his nerves. She knew he would be in this room physically but he would be listening to what was happening between her and Nathaniel as much as he could. "I’ll be back soon." 𝕗𝐫𝚎𝗲𝘄𝐞𝕓𝐧𝕠𝘃𝕖𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝚖

Aurora left the room with Nathaniel walking before her. She placed some distance between the two of them in case he might try to do something stupid.

"Like my mother, I had evil for you like having Samuel sleep with you so that his offspring would be strong. There is so much our family could achieve on the business side with a bunch of children able to grant wishes beyond our wildest dreams."

Aurora glared at the back of his head. "Why are you telling me this?"

"I should at least be honest about the things I’ve done. My mother wasn’t the only bad person in our family. From the many tales I’ve heard, my grandfather was the worst and he was the one who initially had you trapped here first. My mother just followed in his footsteps to complete his dreams. I never wanted my children close to you because of how you would inevitably end up but I’m glad Regina didn’t turn out like my mother."

"And what about Samuel? Do you not see how much he has changed thanks to you allowing Minnie to use him? He changed after desperately trying to get approval and Minnie’s. Am I supposed to just feel sorry for you all of a sudden? You knew the type of person your mother was and have more than two decades to protect your children from her and this depressing house. Had I not left, you would have gone along with her plans quietly, wouldn’t you?" Aurora asked.

When Aurora knew nothing, she viewed him as such a wonderful father. Treating her as equally as Regina and standing up against Rachel. He was always quiet and tried to avoid drama. Now that her memories were back, the past she shared with Nathaniel wasn’t enough to make her not hate him. His earlier confession back up why she wasn’t going to play nice with him. All those years Nathaniel had been kind to her, he was merely acting as Minnie ordered him.

"Yes," Nathaniel truthfully admitted.

"Out of all your relatives, the only ones I am angry with are Esmeralda, your father, and Regina."

"My father? Why? He was always there with my mother. He went along with whatever she wanted. Why is he forgiven but I am not?" Nathaniel genuinely wanted to know.

"Regina and I found a message from him. When I read it, I could tell how guilty he felt and how much he wanted me to leave. Plus, he’s dead. I can’t be angry with the dead," Aurora shrugged. "Would you like my anger towards you to go away?"

"No. Not if I will have to die. This revenge of yours, when will it end? Will you leave my family alone after you’re done with my mother? I never once planned to go looking for you. Our family businesses are more than enough. Please leave us after this and leave Regina alone. I want her to live a normal life and not be caught up with witches or werewolves."

No matter how much Aurora disliked Nathaniel, his saving grace was how much he cared for Regina. She wasn’t on good terms with Samuel but Nathaniel should treat him the same way.

Aurora remembered Vincent stating that Regina and Samuel were going to kill one another. She hoped that was something that could be changed. With the way she left everyone with Vincent, Aurora didn’t see how there could be an ending that either one of them died but the night was young and anything could happen.

Aurora followed Nathaniel out of the house towards the garden where a trap door was covered by bushes.

’I used to be here for countless hours and never once noticed this,’ Aurora thought. The door was right near where she used to hide from the maids Rachel had watching her.

Nathaniel opened the trap door and showed Aurora the stairs leading down to where Minnie was kept.

"Go on," Aurora urged him to walk ahead. If there was something bad down there Nathaniel would have to be the first to get attacked.

Aurora quietly followed Nathaniel and entered a large open space full of many cells. "Why didn’t Esmeralda ever tell me about this?" She asked herself out loud.

"Only two types of people know where these cells are. The one who puts others in the cells and the person who will end up in a cell. I’ve been placed here once before my sibling died. Mother picked me up and left them behind. I still wonder if that was a blessing or not. She’s here," Nathaniel stopped in front of a cell much different from all the others.

Minnie was old and did not share the same gifts as Regina to be able to escape easily but Nathaniel was not going to take any chances.

"Who did you come with, Nathaniel? Are you bringing others to show the state you have placed your mother in?" Minnie questioned while she leaned up against a wall with her eyes closed.

"It is me?" Aurora sounded her voice.

Minnie’s eyes flew open. She found it hard to believe that Aurora was back. If she could somehow get out of this cell everything could go back to normal. "How have you returned? Where did you find her?"

"I came back on my own. Do not sound so excited, Minnie. Nothing will go the way you want it to today. I am thrilled by the sight of you trapped inside of here and even more thrilled that is your own son who did this. Tell me, how does it feel to be at the bottom like this? I wish to know before I put an end to your time in this world and destroy the one things you loved most," Aurora said.