Aurora was deeply affected by the incident of her beloved being stolen away. It would have been acceptable if Susan had competed fairly with her. Had she lost then, Aurora could only have blamed her own lack of charm. However, Susan employed despicable methods to snatch Hayden away. Such actions disgusted not only the parties involved but also everyone else, casting a lifelong stain on Susan’s character.
Aurora always felt that if something wasn’t yours before you took it, it would still bear the mark of its previous owner afterward. Why force difficulties? It would leave everyone unhappy, including herself.
“So, Rory, you think I shouldn’t fight for her? But thinking about her rips my heart out day and night, leaving me sleepless. What should I do?” Eric asked.
Perhaps it was the comfortable water temperature or the fact that she was already feeling under the weather, but Aurora felt her head spinning slightly.
She shook her head, trying to clear her thoughts, “You just said she already has a boyfriend, which means her heart belongs to someone else. Plus, he loves her. Before, only you were suffering. If you snatch her away, then three people will be miserable.”
“Oh?” Eric was curious about her perspective.
Aurora’s gaze was distant as she struggled to stay focused.
“Previously, she was happy with her boyfriend. If you take her away, her boyfriend will be the first to suffer. Even if she stays with you, she won’t be happy, and even if you have her, how can you truly be happy if she still carries him in her heart?”
Eric pondered her words before responding, “Then how can I win her heart?”
“My personal view is this: if she and her boyfriend truly love each other, nothing you do will tear them apart. A woman will only accept another man when her own boyfriend has hurt her, and there’s no chance for them anymore. If you then enter her world and protect her, gradually making her fall for you, that would be the best outcome. That way, you aren’t breaking up a relationship and none of you are mired in conflict. Isn’t loving someone about making them happy? Silently ensuring her happiness might also be a form of happiness for you. But of course, these are just my thoughts; what you do is up to you.”
Aurora felt justified in saying this because Julian had also loved her deeply but had restrained himself for her happiness. He only appeared when she was in a dangerous situation three years ago. If he had interfered when she was with Hayden, she wouldn’t have accepted him as she did now.
Thinking of him made Aurora’s heart ache again. That damned man still hadn’t called her.
Watching Aurora’s expression shift unpredictably, especially noticing the unfocused look in her eyes, Eric stepped closer.
“But Rory, I’ve loved her for so many years, dreaming of having her. How can I be content with just watching over her? I want her to be mine, to be my wife someday.”
Aurora thought the man approaching her was just emotional, so she instinctively stepped back, only to find herself against a stone wall with no way out.
“Cousin, everyone has their own understanding of love. If you really can’t stand it, confess to her and see if she accepts you,” Aurora said, her mind foggy, her speech not as sharp as usual.
“Alright, I’ll give it a try. Rory, I love you. I have been having these feelings for you for a very long time…”
Eric’s tone suddenly shifted into a confession.
Aurora’s mind froze.
What was this? She had been talking to him for so long, only to find out that she was the woman he had been talking about all the time? She frowned, seemingly reluctant to believe, “Stop joking around, I’m your cousin, your sister.”
When Bella heard Eric’s confession to Aurora, her heart shattered, and she slumped powerless into Jason’s arms. Jason lifted her up and left the place, leaving Aurora and Eric alone, dismissing all the staff on their way out. Bella leaned heavily against him, tears streaming down her face, as Jason kissed her, saying, “Bella, you still have me.”
His kiss was filled with pity and tenderness. Bella knew what had been put in the orange juice, and what would happen next between him and Aurora. The thought made her bite her lip. Eric, who always kept women at bay, had finally waited for the one he liked.
It wasn’t clear if it was out of heartbreak or confusion, but she wrapped her arms around Jason’s neck, looking intently into his eyes, “Jason, you have feelings for me, right?”
She wasn’t foolish; even though her heart was fully given to Eric, she could still feel Jason’s affection for her. Every time she was upset, Jason was the first to step forward, looking at her as she looked at Eric.
Even a fool could feel his love, but she had always been running from it, unwilling to confront these feelings. Jason was taken aback by her question, the answer ready to burst forth, “No, I love you.”
He gently tucked her disheveled hair behind her ear.
Bella spoke slowly and clearly, “Then take me.”
“What?” Jason exclaimed, eyes wide. They had known each other for years, and he knew how much he liked Bella, and how much Bella liked Eric.
But now, here she was, lying there, asking him to take her? It wasn’t that he was unwilling; he had dreamt of Bella beneath him, shy and welcoming. He knew about Bella and Eric’s situation; over the years, many outstanding men had pursued Bella, yet she never gave them a glance.
She had always been waiting, waiting for the day Eric truly wanted her. Her purity was still intact, but he had not expected her to give herself to him so easily.
“I said, I want you to take me,” Bella repeated.
Eric always got what he wanted, and even if Aurora wasn’t with him now, she couldn’t escape him in the future. Hearing that Eric liked another woman should have been her cue to give up. It was better this way; he would be happy with the woman he loved.
“Bella, I’ll count to three, and you can back out,” he said, his heart stirred by the words of the woman he loved. Bella looked steadily at him, seemingly determined.