On her way to the office, Aurora left the window down, letting the wind blow towards her, her mood heavy again for some reason after Alison’s incident.
“Miss Montgomery, have you had breakfast?” Cameron asked, noticing that Aurora’s spirits had been low for the past few days.
“I don’t feel like eating.”
Aurora had no appetite, and feeling slightly under the weather only made it worse.
“Mr. Betts specifically instructed to make sure you eat breakfast, otherwise your stomach won’t be able to take it,” Cameron reminded her.
“I know.”
She acknowledged but took no action, and Cameron couldn’t press further, being just a driver.
After dropping Aurora off at the office, he relayed the situation to Asher, knowing well that the high salary Asher paid him wasn’t just for driving.
“Has she been upset these past few days?” Asher frowned.
“Yes, Miss Montgomery probably argued with Mr. Barnet, she didn’t eat breakfast today,” Cameron replied truthfully.
“Alright, I understand.”
Asher then tried to call Julian, only to find his phone turned off.
He got out of bed, his face contorted with rage, “Damn it!” Unfortunately, he was thousands of miles away and couldn’t rush to Aurora’s side right now.
Asher knew Aurora well; if she didn’t want to eat, nothing anyone said would make a difference, and he wondered what had happened between them.
He knew that the seemingly strong Aurora was actually more fragile than anyone after the incident three years ago.
Especially in matters of the heart, she was always extremely cautious, never fully committing her heart again, fearful of experiencing the same hurt she did three years prior.
Julian was an exception, having managed to open her heart in such a short time.
Although Asher felt helpless and reluctant, he mostly felt happy that another man would take over protecting her, which was good for Aurora.
He had made inquiries; Julian treated Aurora very well, so he felt reassured enough to leave.
Hearing that Aurora was so upset she skipped breakfast made him very uncomfortable.
The woman he cherished so deeply, how could she neglect her health over a man!
More importantly, he worried Aurora might continue to spiral down, so he decided to fly back to Clothville from the U. S.
This was when a woman needed him most, and he had always said, Aurora could always return to his arms.
Unaware of Asher’s imminent arrival, Aurora felt groggy, having only had two cups of hot water all morning and barely managing the documents in front of her.
“Rory, are you okay?” Eric now walked into Aurora’s office as if it were his own home.
The other staff found it strange, considering the two were now competitors, yet they seemed as friendly as close friends.
If they didn’t know Eric was Aurora’s cousin, everyone might have thought the two were in a romantic relationship.
Aurora, already feeling sleepy, looked up at his voice, “I’m fine, just a bit tired.”
“You don’t look well, not like you’re okay,” Eric immediately noticed the weariness and pallor on Aurora’s face.
“It might be a small cold from the breeze last night, a bit more hot water should do the trick. What’s up with you?” Aurora forced a bit of energy into her voice.
“Mr. Gilpin asked me to tell you that he feels we haven’t had a proper chat for a while. He’s inviting us to relax at the hot springs tonight. It might be just what you need for your cold, and Mr. Gilpin has finally managed to make some time. Are you available?” Eric’s gaze was gentle as he looked at Aurora.
Reflecting on her refusal the previous day due to her mood, Aurora thought, ‘Why not, one last time. If Mr. Gilpin doesn’t give me a straight answer tonight, I’ll give up.’
Eric wasn’t as annoying as she had thought; after all, he was just a vice president. If he wanted to handle it, she would let him.
Aurora nodded, “Sure, I’m free tonight.”
“Then let’s head over together after work,” Eric said with a faint smile.
“Okay.”
Aurora had a groggy day, sleeping in the office until Eric came to wake her as the workday was nearly over.
“Rory, maybe I should take you to the hospital first, you don’t look well,” Eric said, initially thinking her cold was minor but now seeing her lackluster condition.
“It’s nothing, just a bit tired. Is it time to leave already? Let’s go,” Aurora stood up.
“Alright,” Eric said, looking at her worriedly as they left.
Fortunately, Aurora showed no other symptoms except a bit of dizziness. She drove with the window down, letting the breeze gently caress her cheeks.
“We’ll have dinner nearby before heading over, Mr. Gilpin is waiting for us there.”
“Mm,” Aurora responded weakly.
Unbeknownst to them, a nondescript car followed. Julian had had his people watching Jason and Eric since morning. Hearing that Jason had booked a famous local hot spring, he knew Eric couldn’t resist.
He was distracted all day, worried about Aurora’s safety.
Seeing the two dine while Julian only had a bread from a roadside vendor, Rocky couldn’t bear to watch.
“Boss, you haven’t been eating or sleeping well, what have you got yourself into? You care so much for Miss Montgomery, just tell her,” Rocky couldn’t understand.
“That fox is cunning, it took a while, but he finally showed his true colors. It’s better for Little Bunny to see him for what he really is than anything I could say.”
“Ah,” Rocky sighed, not fully grasping the dynamics between Julian and Aurora.
“Is everything set for the hot springs?” Julian asked coldly.
“Don’t worry, boss. Mr. Coleman had informed the manager first thing in the morning,” Rocky replied respectfully.
This natural hot spring was just one of the many hidden assets owned by Nick, whose business ventures extended far beyond just casinos.
“Good.”
If Julian didn’t have the means to protect Aurora, he wouldn’t have dared use her as bait to lure Eric.
Soon after, Aurora and Eric emerged, Eric courteously letting Aurora walk on his left, closer to the building, while he walked near the traffic lane.
The sight of Eric’s attentiveness made Julian’s skin crawl. Disgusting! Creepy!