At that moment, both of them had forgotten their identity, simply drinking beer by the seaside. They hadn’t eaten much, but they drank plenty, quickly accumulating six empty bottles on their table. Aurora, barely able to walk, leaned on him for support. “Aurora, you’re drunk. Let’s go back so you can rest,” Julian observed, noting her flushed cheeks.
“I’m not drunk,” she retorted, unevenly tapping towards the sea in her high heels. Perhaps finding the heels cumbersome, she impulsively took them off and frolicked barefoot on the sand.
Julian watched her cheerful figure, his hand to his forehead in a long sigh. Was this joyful girl the same calm and collected woman he had known?
Stepping on the soft sand, Aurora felt great, although the alcohol had rushed to her head, making her dizzy. The sea breeze blew against her face as Julian draped his suit jacket over her shoulders.
“Let’s stay a bit longer, then head back to the hotel,” he whispered in her ear.
“Back to the hotel? What are you planning to do?” She turned to look at him, seeing double. “Why do you have two heads?”
How drunk was she?
Julian intended to take her away right then, but seeing her smiling, he suddenly felt inclined to indulge whatever she wanted.
“You’re drunk. Be good. Let’s go back to the hotel,” he coaxed softly.
“Back to the hotel…” Aurora giggled mischievously, “Do you have ulterior motives?”
Julian felt a bit helpless. Everyone acted differently when drunk, and Aurora was unexpectedly playful.
“I just don’t want you to catch a cold.”
“Catch a cold? I never get colds. I’ve slept on the streets in America without ever getting sick. I’m very healthy!” she boasted, patting her chest.
“Slept on the streets?” Julian frowned, his eyes suddenly darkening.
He had always sensed she had been through a lot during those three years but didn’t know why she ended up homeless. She never spoke the truth when sober. Perhaps now, in her inebriated state, was his chance.
“Yes, I slept on the streets,” Aurora nodded obediently.
“You are the Montgomery family’s heiress. With the Montgomery family’s support, how did you end up on the streets?” Julian pressed further.
“The Montgomery family?” Aurora scoffed coldly, her disdain for her family evident even in her drunken state.
“What happened?”
“Three years ago, after that incident, I knew the Montgomery family would never truly accept me. The only way out was to leave.”
“It was tough, but I went to America. I never expected that woman to be so ruthless, wanting me to fend for myself there.”
“At that time, I spent all my savings on my business, determined to reclaim what was rightfully mine! Alone in a strange place, without money, I didn’t eat properly for a month. Even so, she didn’t leave me alone.”
Julian knew that Genevieve had plotted to take Aurora’s shares back then but had no idea she was so cruel.
“What did she do?” His voice carried a hint of seduction, enticing Aurora to reveal the past.
“That rainy night, I went to sleep early, but she arranged for a thug to break into my house, intending to…”
“What did they intend to do?” Julian’s heart clenched as he imagined those scenes.
“They intended to assault me, then kill me! What did I do wrong? How could she do this to me?” Aurora’s voice trembled as she recalled those moments.
Fear radiated from her face, revealing a rare vulnerability as tears fell like pearls. Julian once thought Aurora wanted to escape this place back then because she was upset. Little did he know the extent of her suffering. “Did he…” he asked, his voice unnatural with the question.
He was mentally prepared now, ready to assure her of her purity and heal her wounds, even if she had been violated. “No, I injured him, grabbed my things, and fled. It was a stormy night, and I ran alone in the rain…” Aurora slowly crouched down, hugging her legs as if she were back in that moment.
Her gaze lost focus. “I was so scared, unsure of what to do, afraid more would come after me.” Julian held her quietly, his interest in her past now overshadowed by the tragic reality.
It was nothing short of reopening her old wounds, making Julian heartbroken.
“I’m sorry I didn’t protect you from back then.” If he had known what would happen when she went to America, he would have stopped her at all costs.
“The Montgomery family! Susan! Those who hurt me, I won’t let any of them go. I will make them suffer as I did!” Aurora’s fingers clenched the sand. She didn’t finish, but Julian knew her torment was far greater than she expressed.
“Aurora, it’s all in the past now. I will protect you from any harm.” She stared at him, seeming to recognize something familiar. “You are a bad man. You wanted to hurt me too,” she said, pushing him away.
He remembered the past events. He had intended for their meeting to be pleasant, not knowing she would be drugged by someone else. He didn’t want her to be sad, yet he was utterly captivated by her then, wanting her completely.
Unbeknownst to him, it only added to her trauma, creating another wound in her heart. “I’m sorry,” he said, pulling her into his arms, genuinely remorseful.
For years, Aurora had endured the pain, hiding in her bed, biting her blanket to stifle her tears. She never complained of hardship or shed a tear outwardly. She dared not get drunk at social events, always making herself vomit in the restroom if she drank too much to stay alert.
Perhaps because of Julian’s unique identity, she didn’t feel as distant from him. Today, feeling happy, she let herself drink to excess, something even she didn’t anticipate when drunk. Julian held her tightly.
After a while, she didn’t move, and he heard her faint breathing, realizing she had fallen asleep. “She’s quiet when asleep,” Julian remarked, covering her with his jacket before carrying her away.
“These three years must have been profoundly difficult for her,” he thought, regretting not being there when she needed him most. “Aurora, from now on, I’ll protect you well. You want revenge, and I’ll join you, making them experience all the pain you went through!”