Aurora had just finished getting herself fixed up when she descended the stairs. The house looked the same as it had three years ago, hardly changed at all. The housekeeper, a shrewd woman, had already prepared breakfast. “Miss Montgomery, your breakfast is ready. Mr. Barnet had it specially prepared for you.”
However, Aurora had no desire to linger. She declined with a smile, “Thank you, but I’m not hungry. I have other matters to attend to and must be going.”
Upon hearing her intention to leave, the maids who had been dusting, sweeping, cleaning windows, and arranging flowers, suddenly gathered at the door with the speed of the wind, blocking her path. The housekeeper, with a benign smile, said, “Miss Montgomery, Mr. Barnet has instructed us to prevent a recurrence of the events from three years ago. For now, you cannot leave.”
Aurora looked at the group below. The situation was indeed as she had anticipated. Julian had no intention of letting her go. “This is unlawful detention. I can call the police,” she said, pulling out her phone.
The housekeeper, still smiling, took a white box from the side. “Miss Montgomery, this is a signal jammer. With a press of this button, there will be no signal throughout the villa.”
“You are being utterly unreasonable. What if I insist on leaving today?” Aurora asked, her expression turning frosty as she moved downstairs.
“If you wish to leave, that’s possible, but you have to sign an agreement,” the housekeeper replied, clapping her hands. A maid quickly handed over a leather pouch. Aurora, suspicious, opened the leather pouch and carefully read the agreement. She had barely finished when she tore it up in a fit of rage. “The bastard, what does he take me for? Why should I stay by his side?” She felt that tearing it was not enough and even stomped on the pieces several times, as if she were crushing Julian’s face under her heels.
The agreement was essentially a demand for her to stay and be his woman, with the terms negotiable at her discretion. To Aurora, it felt no different from being kept. Did he want to be a sugar daddy? The woman was to sleep with the man monthly, and the man would pay her.
Did he see her as just another woman who threw herself at him, thinking she wanted this arrangement?
The housekeeper, experienced as she was, hadn’t anticipated such a strong reaction from Aurora. Her expression remained steady, her smile unchanging. “Miss Montgomery, that was just a copy. If you find tearing them up amusing, I can make a hundred more.”
Aurora gradually calmed down. Julian was clearly trying to control her, and this housekeeper was no ordinary person.
“What if I refuse to sign?” Aurora asked, sitting down on the sofa.
“Then, unfortunately, Miss Montgomery, you must stay here. But rest assured. Although you cannot leave the villa, we will purchase for you anything you wish.”
As Aurora sat, struggling to contain her anger, the housekeeper motioned for the maids to leave. “Miss Montgomery, I know you feel furious and think Mr. Barnet is despicable. Let me explain on behalf of Mr. Barnet. You were the first girl he ever brought home. Since you deceived him and fled Clothville three years ago, he has never stopped looking for you.”
“In these three years, he hasn’t been with another woman. Although he doesn’t say it, I know he has been waiting for you.”
“The clothes you are wearing were prepared by him starting three years ago. Every quarter, the luxury brands send their latest unreleased collections to the villa. He did all this because he believed you would come back here. He can’t tolerate deceit from others, yet he tolerated it from you. Clearly, you hold a significant place in his heart.”