After stirring up a storm, she simply left, leaving Hayden feeling an emptiness in his arms. He was filled with excitement upon her return, only to find she had changed a lot.
As Hayden was lost in thought, Aurora hailed a taxi. He knew that once she left, he couldn’t say when they would meet again. “Please take me to…” Aurora began, but before she could reveal her address, Hayden jumped into the cab. Not wanting to disclose her location to avoid his persistent presence, she quickly changed her destination. “To the Grand Belcourt.”
“And for you, sir?” the taxi driver asked, glancing back at Hayden.
“I’m with her,” Hayden said, closing the car door.
The car merged into the bustling city streets, colorful lights flashing past the car windows. Aurora sat sideways, gazing out at the scenery, while Hayden’s eyes remained fixed on her. Her body language unconsciously conveyed her reluctance to engage with him.
Aurora rolled down the window slightly, and a gentle breeze tousled her hair. She seemed mesmerized by the city lights, her expression devoid of seduction, almost reminiscent of her past self.
Hayden reached out, instinctively wanting to tuck a stray hair behind her ear, but she turned towards him as if sensing his intention. His hand froze mid-air as Aurora tucked her hair back herself.
“I was overly dependent on you. Then one day I lost you, and I realized I could manage on my own,” she said with a smile, meeting Hayden’s gaze. His heart ached.
He felt that in these three years, her changes went beyond just studying abroad. It was her demeanor, especially her eyes, that changed the most.
“I’m sorry.” Apart from saying sorry, there was nothing else he could do.
Aurora looked at his familiar face, remembering when she had first gone to America three years earlier. She had been aware then that she could no longer continue as before, or else her stepmother would destroy her.
Since she left with her modest savings, the Montgomery family hadn’t wired money into her bank account. In her second month in America, she called Magnus, who was busy with work. He replied impatiently, “Didn’t Genevieve give you an allowance? I’m very busy. Go talk to her.”
A month had passed without a single caring word from her father. Aurora bit her lip. She hadn’t expected Genevieve to be so cruel! Genevieve had first tried to tarnish her reputation by attempting to take scandalous photos to seize Aurora’s shares. Now, having fled to America, Aurora realized this woman wanted her dead.
However, that was just the beginning. What happened later truly chilled Aurora to the bone. She knew Genevieve did it on purpose. By then, she needed some capital to start a company, but her savings were running low, so she decided to invest all her money in stocks, and that month, she was utterly broke. At her poorest, she just ate one meal a day, which only exacerbated her mild gastritis into a full-blown stomach ailment.
Genevieve discovered that she was still alive and felt that her existence was always a threat. On that rainy night, a black man sneaked into her room with ill intentions, something Aurora could never have imagined happening to her. Her clothes were torn apart, but fortunately, she was alert and knocked the man unconscious with the lamp beside her. Aurora quickly grabbed her bank card, passport, and other important personal effects, threw on a garment, and hurriedly left.
At that moment, alone in the heavy rain, she cried inconsolably, longing to dial that all-too-familiar number. But when she finally resolved to call Hayden, she found her phone was out of battery. The torrential rain had already soaked her through, with thunder flashing across the sky. She had no money and no acquaintances.
Lightning illuminated the sky, and thunder rang in her ears, her face a mixture of rain and tears. That night, she felt as if she might have cried all the tears she had for a lifetime. She thought it better to be dead than to live like this, surely better than dying at Genevieve’s hands.
Aurora closed her eyes. Once, in such dire circumstances, if Hayden had appeared before her, she felt likely she would reconcile with him, forgetting past grievances. The days that followed were spent on her flight. Recalling these events still caused her heart some pain. It was adversity that forged the Aurora of today. She was driven step by step into this state by many people, but thankfully, those pitiful days were over.
Now dressed in bright, fresh clothes, no one could guess that she once lived a life worse than a beggar’s. She slowly opened her eyes, the emotion in her gaze gone, replaced by a cold, calm serenity.
“Sir, ma’am, we’re here.” The driver’s voice came through, and Hayden hurried to pay before Aurora could. Aurora didn’t accept his kindness and handed the taxi driver a hundred-dollar bill. “Keep the change,” she said, nonchalantly opening the door and getting out.
She didn’t want to reveal her address. Choosing Hayden’s hotel had some purpose beyond habit. Thinking of the hardships she endured, she clenched her teeth in hatred. She had done nothing wrong. Why should she bear such pain? She had returned for vengeance, never forgetting her mission.
Aurora was about to check in when Hayden pulled her back. “I’ve always kept your room for you.” That was true. Hayden liked spending nights at the hotel because Aurora had once mentioned she enjoyed watching the sea from here. So, besides Hayden having a special room, Aurora had one too.
The past favoritism now seemed only ironic to her. She followed Hayden into the elevator. That night, the room next to his was hers, a card allowing free entry to both rooms. This was their sweet pact from the past. Hayden turned on the light, and the room brightened.
“Aurora, since you left, everything here has remained untouched. Someone comes to clean every week because I knew you would eventually return.”
Hearing his affectionate words, Aurora wondered, “After being apart for so long, who is he trying to impress by acting so deeply in love?”
“Is that so? But I no longer like this decor.”
His enthusiasm was met with her cold response.