Throughout the gathering, many eyes were drawn to one side of the room, including those of Ivy, who sat beside Aurora. If Aurora were poison to men, then Julian would be the dream of every woman. Who would not desire to marry such a wealthy and handsome man?
Ivy watched the tall man approaching their table with a steady stride, a cold aura emanating from him. The allure of such a cold, distant man was undeniable, and Ivy sat right next to Aurora, who had earlier stood beside Julian without Ivy noticing.
For a moment, Ivy thought Julian was looking right at her and walking towards her, her heart racing with excitement as she imagined various scenarios. Julian stopped before them and said, “Let’s go.”
Ivy stood up even faster than Aurora, drawn to his commanding gaze and words. He was exactly the type of domineering man she always liked. Little did she know, his attention was on Aurora beside her. Aurora placed her hand in his, saying, “Grandfather, it looks like I need to leave first.”
“Aurora, who is he?” Oswaldo and those from the Montgomery family certainly knew Julian. Anyone in the business world knew of his formidable tactics.
For years, he had been a shadowy figure, known only as the Dark Lord before his true identity was revealed. It wasn’t until recent years that he had stepped into the light, surprising everyone with his excellence and handsomeness, his background remaining a mystery.
He had always used the name “Julian Barnet”, and no one would have guessed his connection to the wealthy Alvarez family. He had risen without leveraging any family background, and despite the media’s attempts to uncover dirt on him, they found nothing.
When he appeared in Clothville, Aurora had just returned from America. Julian stood before her, intending to take her away, and everyone began to speculate about their relationship.
“Grandfather, it seems I will have to tell you another time,” Aurora said, feeling the coldness from the man beside her. What he needed now was quiet companionship.
She placed her hand in his, and like a runaway bride, he led her swiftly away. Hayden only saw the flutter of her red dress.
Their departing figures were a sore sight for Ivy, who embarrassingly remained standing, mistakenly thinking he had come for her.
Genevieve looked even more displeased, having hoped to catch an opportunity to mock Aurora, unaware of when she had become involved with Julian.
Magnus, the most oblivious, had yet to grasp what had happened, belatedly asking, “Aurora knows Mr. Barnet?”
Genevieve glared at their retreating figures. “It seems they’re more than just acquaintances. The expensive jewelry Aurora wore now makes sense.”
“What do you mean?” Men generally overlooked these details, so Magnus did not immediately understand what Genevieve was implying.
“Aurora might be somewhat disgraceful,” she hinted darkly.
“Mind your words! How is she disgraceful?” Oswaldo slammed the table in anger.
Magnus held his forehead, wondering if he had forgotten what he himself had said about Joaquin earlier.
“Father, be gentle. This isn’t our home. Look, everyone is watching us,” Magnus cautioned.
Oswaldo quieted down somewhat but still glared menacingly at Genevieve. Fortunately, the attention of others was now drawn to the Alvarez family, so no one noticed them.
Genevieve finally spoke, “Who was the one who took Aurora away just now?”
“It was Julian! Mom, even I recognize him. He’s every young girl’s dream,” Ivy hurriedly interjected.
Oswaldo looked at her as if she were foolish. It was such a simple question he couldn’t be bothered to answer it himself, and Genevieve’s expression remained unchanged.
“No, that’s probably not his real name. His true name must be Julian Alvarez.” Genevieve slowly revealed the truth.
This was a secret of the Alvarez family, much like how others didn’t know that Ivy and Zachary were Magnus’s illegitimate children.
To outsiders, it seemed that only after Aurora’s mother died did Magnus find another woman, but very few knew the truth.
The same was true for the Alvarez family, although Julian had always despised his own identity and lineage, unwilling to have any ties with the Alvarez family.
His deliberate absence, combined with Joaquin’s protective efforts, meant the outside world only knew Joaquin had a younger son, but no one knew who he was. Over time, like Aurora, he was forgotten.
Genevieve’s mention reminded Oswaldo of some old stories about Joaquin he had heard.
“Are you saying he is that old fool’s late-born son?”
“Exactly. As far as I know, Joaquin had arranged a marriage for him a few years ago with the youngest daughter of the Gilpin family, Lindsay Gilpin. However, he just left with Aurora, and their relationship seems intimate. Could it be that Aurora is the other woman?”
“Over the years, what she did in America remains unknown to us. Perhaps she traded her body for money…”
“Shut your mouth! My granddaughter would never need to worry about money.” Oswaldo, always protective, wouldn’t let anyone speak ill of his granddaughter.
Seeing Oswaldo get angry, Genevieve toned it down. “Even if I’m wrong, she was with Hayden before, and now she’s involved with Hayden’s uncle. The Montgomery family is reputable. What would people say about us if this got out?”
Genevieve, caught off-guard by Aurora’s recent return, finally saw a chance to turn the tables and would not let it pass.
With this, both Oswaldo and Magnus fell silent. Regardless of other matters, the fact remained, and reputation was of utmost importance to the wealthy.
“Oswaldo, I know you care for Aurora, but this isn’t the time to dote on her. If Aurora continues to engage in activities that tarnish the Montgomery family’s reputation, we can’t just ignore it.”
“She even claimed to know the famous designer DO and boasted about starting a company in America, thinking we wouldn’t know since we’re not there.”
“Not only is her character questionable, but her private life is also a mess. I should never have let her go to America. It’s my fault she turned out this way,” Genevieve lamented.
“Don’t be sad. How could you blame yourself?” Magnus quickly embraced her.