Upon hearing that she intended to ask Oswaldo for the money, Zachary shook his head repeatedly. “Irene, I-I will figure something out. Please, don’t tell my family.”
“Of course,” Irene replied with a slight smile. “After all, you’re a regular here. Just make sure the money is transferred to my account on time, and I won’t make things difficult for you. We’re still friends.”
“Can I leave now?” Zachary asked.
“Of course, Mr. Montgomery. Are you planning to just walk out like this? Someone, take Mr. Montgomery to bathe and change his clothes.” Irene gestured, and Zachary had no choice but to follow the two men to clean up.
Irene made a large smile at the surveillance camera and gestured that everything was settled.
“Are you satisfied with this outcome?” Julian asked, holding Aurora in his arms.
“I am satisfied with your arrangements, but now that the fire has been stoked, I want to add fuel to the fire to make things even worse.”
Aurora’s smile was radiant. The old grudges would have been enough, but last night, Ivy had tried to seduce Julian. Everything was instigated by Genevieve, and Aurora had no intention of letting Zachary off easily. She wanted to drag them all to hell.
“What do you plan to do?” Julian asked, noticing her lingering dissatisfaction as he lazily twirled her hair with his fingers.
“Do you know what my grandfather hates the most?” Aurora asked.
“What?”
“Compulsive gamblers who take on crippling debts. It’s said that my great-grandfather lost everything to gambling, which led to the ruin of his family. My grandfather has despised gambling since he was a child, so no one in the Montgomery family dares to gamble. Even if Zachary usually misbehaves outside, he absolutely avoids gambling. If he gambles, Grandpa will be furious. He wouldn’t just be barred from the company, and he’d be ostracized from the Montgomery family for life,” Aurora said calmly.
“Now, Zachary is in need of money. If someone tempts him into heavy gambling and he accrues more debt, then…” Julian didn’t finish his sentence, but they both understood.
Zachary’s life would be ruined, not to mention Oswaldo’s reaction. Once he succumbed to a gambling addiction, he would be finished.
“Julian, do you think I’m terrible?” Aurora turned to look at Julian, seeing her own reflection in his pupils.
She still looked the same as she did three years ago, dressed in a white dress, her hair in a ponytail, pure and beautiful. Yet, her eyes seemed to have experienced all the sorrows and loneliness of the world, possessing a depth that belied her age.
Julian gently cupped her cheeks. “This isn’t your doing. They brought this upon themselves.”
Had Zachary not been gallivanting around, he wouldn’t have been so easily exploited. Had they not bullied Aurora in the past, she wouldn’t have been driven to this point.
“I hate them! They took everything from me and still want to kill me. Even if I have to go to hell, I will drag them along!” Aurora said through clenched teeth.
Thinking back on her past torments, she cast aside the last of her kindness.
“Then I will go with you,” Julian said, embracing her from behind.
“Hey, watching a good show here almost turns into a life-and-death farewell. I really can’t handle you guys,” Irene said, pushing the door open and catching the couple in their dramatic embrace. One might think they were parting forever.
“Thank you, Irene,” Aurora said, slightly embarrassed as she pushed Julian away.
“Come on, I didn’t lose out. Consider it doing Jules a favor. If it were before, I could have hosted you properly, but now I’ve got to rush off to do some renovations, so I won’t see you out.”
Irene slipped the bill into her purse, already planning to redecorate when Zachary willingly played the fool.
“I’ll treat you to dinner another day. Aurora and I are heading off,” Julian said, leaving with Aurora.
“Sure, I’ll remember this meal,” Irene replied as she saw them out of the bar.
On the way home, Julian made a call, and after hanging up, he grinned, saying, “Aurora, I helped you out again. Is there any reward for me?”
“It depends on the kind of help,” Aurora replied, feigning ignorance.
“I just contacted a friend at a casino and got someone to set a trap for Zachary. Soon, we’ll see him kicked out of the Montgomery family.”
“That must be interesting,” Aurora said with a slight smile.
“People can hardly resist temptation. As long as there’s desire in their heart, others can exploit it,” Julian said coldly.
“What if a beautiful woman tries to tempt you? Will you resist?” Aurora asked, looking at him.
“In all these years without you, do you think I’ve met enough beauties?” Julian chuckled, gently ruffling her hair.
“If I were susceptible to temptation, it would have happened long ago, not waited till today. The one I love has always been you, from the beginning, and that won’t change.”
His romantic words stirred her heart, and she finally understood that perhaps all her hardships were meant to lead her to him.
“Julian, my greatest fortune was meeting you,” Aurora suddenly said.
“Aurora, if I hadn’t met you fifteen years ago, I would have been lost at sea by now. Meeting you was my luck,” Julian said, his eyes tender as he thought of that night.
Fate had intertwined their paths, and after all their hardships, they cherished their relationship more than anyone could.
Aurora, reflecting on her past actions, had no regrets. Without those experiences, she wouldn’t have recognized Julian’s worth or matured.
Perhaps meeting Julian now was the best timing, at the right moment with the right person.
Meanwhile, Zachary was frantically trying to raise money, but those who he sually hung out with were quick to hang up the phone at the mention of lending money.
Those familiar with the nightlife knew Irene was no ordinary bar owner, knowing they couldn’t afford to offend Irene.
“Damn it. I’m always there to lend them money, yet they turn me down immediately!” Zachary raged as he slammed down the phone.
“What’s going on? Can’t you let me sleep peacefully?” Ivy yawned lazily as she came out.
“Ivy, do you have any spare cash?” Zachary asked desperately, grabbing her hand.
“How much?”
“Over ten million.”
“Are you insane? We only get tens of thousands a month for spending. Where am I supposed to find ten million?” Ivy looked at Zachary as if he were mad.