Julian gently pulled her into his embrace. “Although I wish you could lean on me like a woman should, letting me shield you from all the storms and frosts, seeing you now, so confident and beautiful, perhaps this is also good.”
“Mmm.”
“You’ve been too busy lately. How about we go on vacation once you’re less busy?” Julian asked tenderly, looking at her with affection.
This workaholic, even more formidable than any man, he couldn’t bear to see her engulfed in work every day and wanted her to take some time to relax.
“Once I’ve taken down Genevieve and driven them out of the Montgomery family, avenging the past, then we can go on vacation,” Aurora said, nestling obediently in his arms.
“Good, I’ve had the butler prepare dinner. You’re not allowed to go anywhere today.”
“Alright, tonight I am yours alone, okay?”
He gently teased her nose, “That’s my girl.”
The car drove up to the seaside villa, but Julian led her out early. “Aren’t we going home for dinner?”
“We’re having dinner by the sea tonight,” Julian said softly, knowing Aurora loved the ocean, so he had specially prepared a romantic candlelit dinner by the sea.
“So romantic? Then you go ahead, I’ll go back and change.” She was still wearing her work suit.
“Sure, I’ll head down first,” Julian went ahead to prepare.
This was a private beach, and the occupancy rate of the villas here was very low, making it relatively quiet.
At the seaside terrace, everything was already set up by the butler, “Young master, everything is ready.”
“Mmm.” Julian approached the table, picked up a rose from the vase, and casually scattered a few petals over the white tablecloth.
Fine wine, fragrant scents, exquisite dinnerware, and the aroma of food filled the air. Everything was ready.
Aurora, who had also been tired lately, deserved a good break, and Julian’s thoughtfulness was evident.
Aurora went back to her room to take a bath, selecting her outfit for the evening from the wardrobe.
She instinctively reached for a black dress but gently released it upon touching it.
Taking a deep breath, she finally chose a simple white dress instead, and looking at her reflection in the mirror, she seemed as youthful as a high school girl.
The woman in the mirror looked noble and pure, her hair flowing softly, adding to her gentle charm.
This version of her, less stern than usual, seemed to naturally radiate a soft glow.
She wore no makeup and, donning a pair of flat shoes, headed towards the beach. In front of Julian, she didn’t need to pretend; being her true self was enough.
With this thought, her mood brightened considerably, and even her steps became lighter.
“Aurora.” Suddenly, a voice called out from behind her. Aurora’s smile faded, but she didn’t turn back and continued walking forward.
Clearly, he wasn’t about to let her go so easily. Hayden quickly blocked her path. “I should have known, the last time we met I should have realized you came for the house.”
“That really is a coincidence, Mr. Alvarez.” Stopped in her tracks, Aurora had no choice but to halt.
“Where do you live? We seem to be neighbors now.” Hayden had bought a matrimonial home by the sea initially just because Aurora loved the ocean.
Little did he know that he would actually encounter Aurora. Just as pleasure began to rise in his heart, he immediately remembered the words Aurora and Julian had spoken at his engagement party.
“It seems there’s no reason for me to report to you where I live,” Aurora said coldly, staring at him. Since her return, she had emitted a sharp aura, dressed entirely in cool tones, and it was not easy to see her dressed as she had been in the past. Her voice, however, was icy cold; indeed, even if her appearance had not changed, her gaze could no longer return to what it once was.
“Aurora, I’ve been wanting to talk to you.” Since that day, Hayden had tried to call Aurora a few times privately, but Aurora had been too dismissive to entertain his calls. “Mr. Alvarez, I think I’ve already discussed everything that needed to be discussed with you, and now I’m busy, so please excuse me,” Aurora replied with utmost coldness.
“Tell me, do you really want to be my aunt?” Hayden still remembered what Julian had said that day. “I want to make one thing clear, I really do want to become Mrs. Barnet, whether or not I’m your aunt is irrelevant.”
Julian had once offered a condition to get closer to her, but at the time Aurora had only said she would consider it without agreeing. She had been tempted, but at that time she had no feelings for Julian, and although the condition was very enticing, she ultimately did not agree.
Even if she hated Hayden, she should not have to sacrifice her own happiness; wouldn’t that be like jumping from one abyss into another?
Later, her relationship with Julian developed solely because Julian’s actions had moved her; whether or not she was Hayden’s aunt had become unimportant. All she wanted was the status of Mrs. Barnet, and she had nearly settled her scores with Hayden and Susan.
Now, she felt indifferent towards Susan, and as long as Susan stayed out of her way in the future, all past grievances could be erased.
“You don’t even know him, you can’t possibly love him. If you’re doing this to get back at me, you really don’t have to,” Hayden said as he grabbed her hand. Aurora scoffed, “Mr. Alvarez, I think you might be a bit delusional. What makes you say I can’t possibly love him?”
“You didn’t know him three years ago; you’ve only been back for a short while. If you say you’ve fallen in love with him in such a short time, I don’t believe it,” Hayden insisted. He felt that Aurora couldn’t possibly truly like Julian; she was merely with Julian to provoke him.
“Mr. Alvarez, what’s between me and Julian doesn’t need to be proven to anyone, but I really don’t like to drag things out, so I’ll just say it. I knew him fifteen years ago, and over the years, he has been secretly protecting me. If it weren’t for him, I would have been disgraced and ruined three years ago.”
“What exactly happened that night three years ago?” Hayden became more convinced that all the twists were related to that night. “If you really want to know, go ask your fiancee. I don’t feel like talking about it; Julian is waiting for me, excuse me.”
Aurora pulled away from his grasp, and with each mention of Julian, Hayden felt a stab of pain, realizing she knew everything now. “Aurora, I will never give up!” Hayden called out to the figure in white, fluttering away.
Aurora did not look back but quickened her steps. In this life, all she wanted was to be by Julian’s side, longing for no one else to disrupt their relationship.