At first, both of them had dismissed the position of manager as too trivial for them, but after Zachary’s incident, they weren’t even sure they could secure a job at the company anymore.
They grudgingly thanked Grandpa Montgomery for their interview opportunity, while Zachary and Ivy suffered extreme misfortune.
Now, even the duck that was almost in their mouths had flown away, and all of this chaos had been caused by Julian, who, ironically, had no personal grudge against them; his actions were solely for Aurora.
Thinking of Aurora only fueled their anger even further, yet they were powerless to do anything about it.
“Dad, Zachary is badly injured, I’m going to take him to the hospital,” Genevieve said, unwilling to stay and face Aurora, uncertain if she had more tricks up her sleeve.
“Go on, then. Just looking at you makes me angry, always causing more problems than you solve,” Grandpa Montgomery grumbled as he saw them off.
“Aren’t you going back with them?” Grandpa Montgomery asked, noticing that Aurora and Julian had no plans to leave.
“Why? Grandpa, we came especially to keep you company, so you wouldn’t be alone in this big house tonight,” Aurora said with a slight smile.
In front of Magnus and Grandpa Montgomery, she was always on her best behavior, which finally brought a smile to Grandpa Montgomery’s face. “You do have heart. Come on, Julian, let’s have a few more rounds.”
“Sure thing,” Julian replied, his demeanor not entirely sycophantic. He had grown up in a fragmented family and deeply yearned for a warm home life. Being an illegitimate child himself, he loathed betrayal and infidelity the most.
He vowed in his heart, thinking of his mother’s past hardships, that he would always treat his wife well, ensuring she never suffered and never becoming a heartbreaker himself.
The two played chess in the courtyard, now quieter with the arrival of autumn and fewer insects chirping.
The occasional sound of chess pieces being placed or leaves spinning down to crunch underfoot added to the tranquility.
Aurora quietly made tea on the side, the boiling water bubbling against the lid creating a unique sound as she watched the two men’s serious profiles.
As night fell and a crescent moon shyly appeared, bathing everything in a beautiful light, Aurora’s mood was uplifted.
In stark contrast, the mood was somber in the car rushing to the hospital. Aside from Zachary’s occasional moans of pain, Genevieve and Magnus remained silent.
Magnus, in particular, had been icy since leaving, not even glancing at Zachary.
Zachary felt like he was on pins and needles, suspecting that Julian had deliberately whipped him, leaving his backside both hot and painful, an unbearable agony.
Uncomfortable in his seat and unable to stand due to his size, Zachary’s moans elicited some sympathy from Genevieve.
“It’s all that Aurora’s fault, she must have incited Julian to reveal this, my poor child…”
“Mom, it hurts so much, I feel like I’m going to die.”
“Shut up! Aurora hasn’t said a bad word about you, she has even been speaking well of you in front of her grandfather.
You ungrateful wretches, if you can’t thank her, at least don’t slander her. If I hear it again, you’re all out of the Montgomery family.”
Magnus was already frustrated, having endured since the previous night not only the revelation of Genevieve’s affair but also the fact that Zachary had lost fifty million dollars.
Seeing Aurora’s obedient demeanor before him and her advocacy in front of her grandfather, he exploded at the sheer ingratitude of these people.
With a roar, he silenced them, and after a while, Ivy cautiously ventured, “Dad, are you alright?”
He had always been a gentle father; how could he utter such harsh words today?
“I would be better off without you all,” Magnus thought, his anger deepening as he recalled years of cleaning up their messes.
“The hospital is just ahead, hang in there, Zachary,” Genevieve said, quickly changing the subject to soothe his mood.
Magnus was like a bomb at the moment, ready to explode at the slightest touch.
As they reached the hospital entrance and Genevieve was about to get out, Magnus suddenly spoke, “It’s just a few lashes from a whip, not a big deal. Ivy can stay with him; you come home with me.”
“Yes…” Although Genevieve was reluctant, she didn’t dare provoke Magnus at this moment.
“Zachary, take care of yourself. I’m going back with your dad now, Ivy, take good care of your brother,” Genevieve instructed them.
“Got it, you guys go ahead,” they replied, watching the car drive away.
Ivy was perplexed, “Do you feel like something happened between mom and dad? I don’t think dad is just angry about your gambling.”
“Couples bump heads when they’ve been together a while; you and your boyfriend argue all the time, too. It’s normal, and I’m in a lot of pain here.”
Zachary, ever the less sensitive man, didn’t pick up on the nuances like Ivy did, but she realized he had a point and helped him into the hospital.
Unbeknownst to them, this was just the beginning of a storm that would ultimately shatter them.
Magnus and Genevieve got out of the car; he walked ahead without waiting for her, a sharp departure from his usual gentlemanly behavior.
Genevieve, following behind, noticed a pebble in the courtyard and pretended to trip over it, exclaiming, “Ouch!”
Normally, Magnus would rush to help her, but this time he merely paused his stride slightly and continued on without turning back.
A man’s tenderness can be as gentle as water, but his coldness can be as distant as a stranger.
Genevieve, once cherished by Magnus, felt as if she had plummeted from heaven to hell, his once familiar silhouette now feeling utterly foreign.
When she fell, she accidentally reopened a wound she had previously inflicted with a knife, causing it to bleed profusely.
“Magnus… won’t you come help me up?” she made one last effort.
Magnus quickened his pace inside and shut the door, his silence answering for him.
Genevieve, forced to stand on her own, twisted her foot from exerting too much force. It was indeed a case of misfortune piling on.
With blood on her palms and limping, she headed forward when the maid rushed to help, seeing her distress.
“Get away!”
Genevieve returned to her bedroom only to find Magnus packing a nightgown to leave.
He glanced at her hand and thought of the wound she had caused by framing Aurora, feeling no pity.
“I’ll sleep in the guest room.”