Aurora was lying in bed, plotting her next move, when her phone suddenly buzzed with a text message. A slight smile curved her lips at the sight of the number.
“How’s it going?” The message was brief, but she could imagine the expression of the person who sent it.
“Everything’s settled. Don’t wait for me in the next few days. I’ll be staying with the Montgomery family to exorcise the demons.” Aurora quickly typed and sent her reply.
Julian, upon reading her text, couldn’t help but chuckle, but his mood grew colder as he thought she wouldn’t be coming home soon.
“Who am I supposed to sleep with if you’re not here?” he shamelessly asked.
“I’ll send you a bed companion to sleep with from now on,” Aurora joked back, grabbing a rabbit plush toy she played with as a child and sending him a picture.
“So, when you slept with me before, you were just my bed companion?” Julian would certainly raise an eyebrow when he typed these words.
“Mr. Barnet, aren’t you busy?”
“Busy thinking of you,” came the smooth reply, a line only a man in love could deliver so well that Aurora felt her cheeks burning and her heart racing just reading it.
“Miss, lunch is ready. Please come down,” the maid knocked on the door and called out.
“Okay, I’m coming down now.” Aurora pushed open the door and descended the stairs, where the others were already seated.
Genevieve greeted her warmly as she arrived, “Aurora, dear, come quickly. I had the cook make your favorite braised pork ribs.”
Her kindly demeanor could fool anyone into thinking she was Aurora’s own mother, a fact Genevieve wasn’t naive about, especially in front of Magnus.
It was time for the real confrontation. Aurora slowly sat down. “Thank you, Genevieve.”
“Of course, I’ve always considered you my own daughter. How could a mother forget her child’s favorites?” Genevieve replied cheerily.
Aurora smiled, “That’s true. A mother would remember her child’s favorite dishes, but I’ve always preferred roasted ribs, not braised.”
Her words wiped the smile off Genevieve’s face immediately. Aurora had clearly done it on purpose.
Aurora passed the ribs to Magnus. “Genevieve must have remembered it wrong. Dad loves braised pork ribs the most. Eat up, Dad.”
“Well… My memory is getting worse,” Genevieve laughed awkwardly.
“You have been thoughtful, Aurora. After all these years, you still remember what I love,” Magnus said joyfully.
“Of course, I remember clearly. You always finished the braised pork ribs Mom made when I was a child. But she’s no longer with us…”
Aurora’s voice trailed off, her tone tinged with sorrow, leaving Magnus feeling a profound sense of regret for only failing her mother.
Hearing about the braised pork brought a pang of longing to Magnus’s heart as well.
“Aurora, I’m sorry for not taking good care of your mother.” His eyes grew dry with emotion.
“It’s all in the past. Life and death are predestined. Mom taught me how to make braised pork ribs, so I’ll make them for you now that she’s gone.”
Magnus felt his heart soften. “Aurora, you really have grown up!”
Seeing the father and daughter grow closer, Genevieve grew uneasy, and she quickly signaled Ivy and Zachary with her eyes.
Both had rarely helped serve Magnus during meals at home, but Ivy quickly picked up a large shrimp, jumping into action.
Zachary served Magnus a pig’s trotter. Seeing what each had chosen, Genevieve felt utterly frustrated.
“Dad, this shrimp is so fresh. It tastes amazing.”
“Dad, you’ve worked hard. This pig’s trotter will help nourish you.”
Magnus’s expression grew increasingly sour, and Aurora, seeing this, removed the pig’s trotter and shrimp from his plate, which immediately angered the others.
“Aurora, what are you doing?” Ivy slammed her fork down on the table. “Are you the only one allowed to serve Dad, and we can’t?”
“Exactly. Don’t be too much. We’re just trying to help Dad. Why are you interfering?” Zachary was also visibly upset.
Aurora elegantly wiped her mouth and calmly replied, “If you really cared about Dad, how could you not know that he’s allergic to seafood and hates pig’s trotters the most?”
They felt deflated at her words.
Magnus coldly said, “How can you be around me so long and still not know what I like and dislike?”
Ivy panicked. “Dad, I’m sorry. It wasn’t intentional.”
“If I had eaten that shrimp, I would have broken out in hives. Who would be responsible then? How dare you even scold your sister.”
“Dad, don’t be angry. I think Ivy and Zachary just mean well. Let me get you some soup. You can drink it when it’s a bit cooler.” Aurora stood up and ladled some soup for him.
“You really are considerate, Aurora. I’ll do it myself. You sit down and rest.” Magnus grew fonder of Aurora, finding her much more thoughtful and well-mannered compared to Ivy.
The other two dared not speak further, and only the voices of Aurora and Magnus could be heard at the table.
Genevieve smiled outwardly, but internally she was fuming.
After dinner, the family sat down for a casual chat, and Ivy purposely started a conversation. “Aurora, your earrings are so beautiful. They almost look like they’re made from the tears of a black swan.”
“I’m sure these are from the famous DO’s black gem set. Honey, didn’t I ask you to reserve one for me? I didn’t expect that Aurora would own one of the only five sets made worldwide.”
Genevieve steered the conversation towards Aurora’s jewelry, catching Magnus’s attention. “DO’s items are not easy to buy, even with money. How do you have it, Aurora?”
“With Aurora’s status as a student and the money we’ve given her over the years, she couldn’t afford these earrings. Could someone have gifted them to her?”
Aurora, aware of the underlying motives, smiled subtly, “Yes, they were a gift.”
“That set must be expensive. Who would give such a gift?” Genevieve pressed.
“It was DO who gave them to me,” Aurora said nonchalantly.
“What? DO gave them to you? How do you know DO?” Genevieve clearly didn’t believe it, knowing the designer was a genius beloved by wealthy ladies across Europe.
“That’s my secret,” Aurora laughed lightly, wondering if she should reveal to Genevieve that she was DO herself.