After dinner, Aurora pretended to be engrossed in her phone, but in reality, she was closely monitoring Genevieve and Paul’s movements. She noticed Zachary stealthily pulling Genevieve upstairs, guessing that Zachary was likely just after some money. Once they went up, Paul also found an excuse to go upstairs, and Aurora quietly returned to her own room, leaving the door slightly ajar.
Unexpectedly, she overheard shocking news; it seemed Paul was overwhelmed by lust, daring to cuckold Magnus in his own bedroom with Genevieve! Her father usually took nearly two hours for his walks and had already been gone for half an hour, so Aurora smiled to herself.
After watching the two enter the room, she leisurely dialed Magnus’s number. “Dad, where are you?”
“I’m out for a walk, Aurora. Is something the matter?” Magnus was completely unaware of the unfolding drama.
Aurora twirled her hair, “Dad, I need to ask you something important. Please come back.”
“Alright.” Magnus, clueless about her intentions, hurried back.
To prevent Paul and Genevieve from escaping, Aurora stood guard at the door, which was now cautiously locked from the inside.
“What are you doing here?” Suddenly, Ivy’s voice came from outside, causing Genevieve’s heart to plummet from heaven to hell.
“Watching the moon,” Aurora replied coolly.
Genevieve pushed Paul away, realizing Aurora had been standing outside the door for who knows how long!
Paul, not wanting their affair discovered, was merely seeking thrill and to demean Genevieve. Hearing the voice outside, he quickly ended their encounter. The two scrambled into their clothes without a moment’s peace when Magnus’s voice rang out, “Aurora, what did you want to talk about?”
How did he return so quickly? Genevieve felt a chill run through her body, sweating profusely, “What do we do now?”
If Magnus found out about their affair, not only would Genevieve suffer, but Paul would not escape unscathed either.
With no other choice, Paul decided to escape through the window. Thankfully, it was only the second floor, and he cautiously climbed down, likely without incident.
“Dad, you’re sweating. Why don’t you go to your room to rest? I’m not in a rush.”
“That sounds good. I’ll go wipe off the sweat.” Magnus opened the door and found it locked from the inside, which was unusual since Genevieve didn’t have the habit of locking it.
“What are you doing in there?”
“I’ll be right there.” Genevieve watched Paul make a successful escape, then adjusted her expression and opened the door.
“Why was the door locked?” Magnus asked, slightly irritated.
As the door opened, Aurora glanced inside, noticing Paul was not there, but the window was wide open. She smirked at his quick escape.
Genevieve met Aurora’s gaze, realizing she was searching the room for something. Had she seen or heard anything while standing outside the door? The thought made Genevieve’s heart race with nervousness. If Aurora knew, she was doomed.
Genevieve quickly shut the door, fearful that Aurora might discover more clues. Magnus noticed her disheveled appearance and the sweat on her face.
“Are you hot?”
“Uh, yes, I just did a bit of exercise and worked up a sweat.” Genevieve’s heart still hadn’t settled, beating rapidly.
“Why did you lock the door from the inside? You never used to do that,” Magnus asked.
“I only locked it because we had guests over today,” Genevieve hurriedly explained.
“You’re not worried that Paul might barge in, are you? No one would be that reckless,” Magnus felt her concern was completely unnecessary.
Looking at the messy sheets, he remembered they had been neatly made that morning. Genevieve, noticing his gaze on the bed, felt very afraid.
“Um… I was just doing some yoga on the bed. Weren’t you going to use the bathroom? Go ahead, I need to take a shower soon,” Genevieve quickly pushed him towards the bathroom.
Magnus couldn’t help but notice her flushed cheeks, the sweat drenching her, and her slightly disheveled clothes. Although exercising might explain it, Magnus felt there was more to it as she seemed rather flustered.
Once he entered the bathroom, Genevieve looked around to make sure there were no signs of anything amiss until she found a belt under the sheets that Paul had left behind. Luckily, she checked in time and quickly hid the belt in the wardrobe.
Magnus came out and didn’t ask much, only remembering that Aurora wanted to discuss something important with him.
Standing at Aurora’s door, he knocked, “Aurora, may I come in?”
“Dad, come in,” Aurora had been waiting for a while. Although she was disappointed not to catch Genevieve and Paul this time, as long as the two were in contact, there would eventually be traces.
Magnus entered the room and Aurora offered him a cup of tea, “Dad, have some tea. I remember this is your favorite, isn’t it?”
“Aurora is thoughtful as always. Even after all these years, you still remember what I like,” he replied.
“Of course, I used to watch mom make it for you when I was little. It’s been so many years,” Aurora sighed.
Lately, Magnus had been thinking a lot about someone, perhaps because Aurora was growing to look more and more like her, stirring up his memories.
“Yes, your mom knew my taste best. It’s been many years since I had tea she made,” a sad expression crossed Magnus’s face.
“Dad, I want to ask you something. Did mom really die of a heart attack?”
“I was away on a business trip at the time. By the time I got back, she had already passed away in the hospital. The doctors said it was a sudden shock she couldn’t recover from,” Magnus recounted.
“Did you actually see mom’s body?” Aurora asked further.
“When I got back, her body was already cold and in the morgue. The next day, she was cremated. Why do you ask?” Magnus was puzzled.
Aurora thought about the photograph. If her dad had seen her mom’s body, could the person in the photo just be a relative of her mom’s?
Without a definitive answer, Aurora could only shake her head, “It’s nothing, I just missed mom.”
“Aurora, I’ve neglected you over the years. I know you felt wronged tonight, Genevieve almost blamed you,” Magnus finally felt how inadequate he had been as a father.