“Aurora, you suddenly called me last night asking me to come home, and when I arrived, you directed me to the bedroom. All of this was a reminder of one thing,” he said.
“Father, are you talking about Genevieve and Paul’s affair?” Aurora saw that Magnus was speaking diplomatically, but his meaning was clear, and she bluntly addressed the reality.
Magnus’s expression changed upon hearing the word ‘affair’; no man could tolerate his woman’s betrayal.
“Had you known about this all along? Why didn’t you tell me sooner?” Magnus’s typically gentlemanly demeanor faltered.
“I didn’t know until yesterday afternoon myself. I happened upon Genevieve at the office by chance. At first, I thought nothing of it, assuming she was there to see you. But then she entered Uncle Paul’s office. That’s when I found it odd, especially after Uncle Paul sent his secretary away. I hadn’t considered it initially, but when I approached the door and saw a crack, I caught them in the act!”
“So it is true! No wonder her expression seemed off when I saw her yesterday!” Magnus clenched his fists tightly.
“I intended to tell you at the time, and I even took a photo-look…” Aurora showed the photo she had taken the previous day.
The sight disgusted Magnus, who felt an urge to smash the phone then and there.
“Although this photo shows them together, their faces aren’t clear, so I hesitated to show it to you. I feared you wouldn’t believe me,” Aurora said, her voice tinged with hurt.
If she had told Magnus about the affair before he had any suspicions, he might have thought she was just spreading rumors, just like years ago.
Aurora had learned from the past. She wanted Magnus to gradually uncover the truth himself and approach her, thereby affirming the facts and feeling guilty towards her.
Aurora played this game of strategic retreat masterfully, choosing the perfect moment to reveal the truth, further fueling Magnus’s disgust towards Genevieve.
Recalling Genevieve’s attempt to slander her the previous night, Magnus felt even more remorseful.
“I’m sorry, Aurora. I was blind to have entangled with such a vile woman,” Magnus lamented, filled with regret.
Seeing that he had previously not confronted the issue, Aurora guessed he had wanted to save face. If there was still any affection for Genevieve in his heart, it was crucial not to speak ill of her in front of him. Otherwise, should Genevieve regain a place in his heart, Magnus would only despise the gossiping Aurora.
Aurora was tactful, letting Magnus make his own decision, especially since the children were still his concern.
“Father, what do you plan to do?”
“This vile woman has done such a thing. Thankfully, I never actually married her. I intend to cast her out of the Montgomery family; we cannot tolerate a dishonorable woman,” Magnus declared, now finding even the sight of Genevieve repulsive.
“No one can accept betrayal,” Aurora knew from experience.
Remembering how she felt when she found out about Hayden and Susan, her situation seemed similar to Magnus’s. One was her best friend, the other her cousin-the disgust was palpable.
“Although Genevieve is at fault, Ivy and Zachary are innocent. It looks like your grandfather is about to make a decision.
If I caused trouble now, your grandfather would surely take his anger out on both of them. I don’t want this wretch to affect the futures of the two children. So, I plan to wait until the children have joined the company before I kick Genevieve out! Aurora, can you understand your father? I know this is somewhat unfair to you. I’ve made many mistakes, but they are innocent.”
Just as Aurora had anticipated, Magnus was still concerned about those two. However, if one day he found out that the two people he cherishes are not his children, I wonder if he could withstand the shock.
Aurora smiled slightly. “Dad, of course I understand. Although they are not born of my mother, they also carry the Montgomery family’s blood. Naturally, I also want them to have a better life. When you grow old, we will take good care of you together. Grandfather loves me the most. When the time comes, I will speak well of them to Grandfather, and he will surely agree.”
“Aurora, you truly understand the greater good. If only they were half as good as you, I would be at ease,” sighed Magnus.
“Dad, don’t worry about it too much. For now, let’s pretend we don’t know about this,” Aurora gently consoled.
“Sigh…”
“It’s getting late; I need to head to the office. Don’t be sad, Dad. What’s done is done. You haven’t let Genevieve down; she brought this upon herself!”
“Alright, off you go,” Magnus waved.
As Aurora turned to leave, she withdrew her kind smile, replacing it with a sly one. In front of Magnus, she had to maintain the image of a dutiful daughter. Did he still think she was sincerely helping them? She planned to send them soaring to heaven before brutally casting them down to hell. They were keen on joining the company, weren’t they? With their meager abilities, they would surely mess things up. Once she obtained the paternity test, she would pick the perfect moment to reveal everything. Genevieve and those two bastards would be thrown out, and the thought made her very happy. It seemed all her past sufferings weren’t so bitter after all! Aurora walked lightly toward the office, a plan brewing in her mind.
However, this scene between father and daughter was witnessed by Alison from across the street. Seeing Magnus holding Aurora’s hand and speaking to her, what was merely paternal affection in her mind twisted into a sordid transaction. She quickly snapped a photo with her phone.
Her lips curled into a mocking smile. “Hmm, no wonder she’s so bold. So she has the CEO as her sugar daddy. Wretch, you’re no different from me in climbing the ladder,” she thought.
Capturing this photo made Alison feel very smug, dissipating the frustration she had felt the day before. Wretch, just you wait!
Alison had just exited the elevator when she bumped into Heather. If she hadn’t known her for many years, Alison wouldn’t dare say the woman before her was Heather. This woman, who seemed to have undergone a complete transformation in just one day, walked towards her with a steady stride, her gaze no longer timid, her posture confident. Previously, Heather would instinctively avoid her, but today, she approached Alison directly.