“Boss?” Aurora lifted her head from Julian’s embrace. Now Jason was right beside her. Who was this boss she mentioned?
Julian looked down at her and said, “That’s right, Little Bunny, you might not know yet, but the real CEO of Luminary is actually your cousin Eric!”
Aurora’s face showed shock. “You mean he’s the CEO?”
“Mr. Gilpin is just a branch manager, but the real big boss is your cousin. Surprising, isn’t it?” Julian spoke calmly.
What could be more ridiculous than this revelation? She naively thought that Eric was just a financial manager at the Montgomery Group.
She thought he was competing with her for the position of vice president, only to find out he was the powerful CEO behind Luminary. Life was indeed ridiculous.
It turned out that from the beginning, she had been a pawn in Eric’s hands. She prided herself on her intelligence, yet she had been led by the nose for so long and only realized the truth today.
On reflection, there were many odd incidents, like the day Paul was fired and Eric showed no emotion.
If he were really Paul’s son, he would have shown anger or resentment at his father’s plight.
But at that time, he was indifferent, as if nothing had happened, and he maintained a close stance even in opposition to her.
Previously, she thought he was different from Paul, but now she realized he was not Paul’s son at all.
And with such a large company, why would he care about a minor vice presidency? His many actions were just to get close to her.
He exploited her trust, repeatedly arranging meetings under Jason’s name, which explained why Jason’s behavior seemed odd.
Jason had asked her out several times, but they never discussed business, and Eric was always present.
One afternoon, she had fallen asleep in the car and woke up to Eric telling her that Jason couldn’t make it because of a sudden issue.
Actually, he probably didn’t want to wake her up, so he told Jason to cancel the meeting.
Such small details, which would have made a stranger cautious, never raised suspicions because she considered him just a cousin and never thought about the ethical implications.
Blinded by the word “cousin,” she had been manipulated without seeing the truth.
Feeling played, Aurora’s good mood upon reuniting with Julian was completely spoiled.
She jumped out of Julian’s embrace with a gloomy face and walked straight toward Jason, her spine rigid.
“Mr. Gilpin, is this true?” Aurora’s calm gaze was unnerving.
Jason, unaware of what had happened the previous night and with Eric absent, didn’t know how to explain.
“Does it matter whether it’s true or not? Think about how much the boss has done for you; don’t act so innocent here,” Bella interjected, visibly annoyed.
In her eyes, Eric had done as much for Aurora as Julian had. “When you were just starting out in the United States, if it weren’t for the boss’s secret help, do you think you’d be successful today?”
Aurora trembled slightly. She had started from scratch in a foreign land without any connections or background, and had made her company public in three years.
You might say you worked hard, but countless people work hard every day, yet not everyone achieves success.
Aurora thought it was all due to her hard work and luck, but she hadn’t realized that Eric had been assisting her all along. She remembered their first meeting-the eyes hidden behind his glasses as he called her Miss Montgomery, which she had completely forgotten. How much had he concealed?
Julian noticed the change in Aurora’s expression and quickly pulled her into his embrace, “Little Bunny, you’re tired. Let’s go home.”
“What about our boss?” Bella angrily demanded.
“He? You might find him at the club around the corner. With his good looks, he must have made a fortune tonight,” Julian said, his tone lacking the tenderness he had shown Aurora.
Jason and Bella, hearing his reply, were furious. “How dare you…”
“Of course, I dare. Go and tell him, if he covets my woman again, next time it won’t just be a few men taking care of him,” Julian stated coldly. The things that man had done to Aurora, he deserved to die a thousand times over.
Aurora’s face showed surprise. She was only now experiencing Julian’s ruthlessness, recalling how she had once tied him to a bed. He hadn’t sought revenge, and she felt secretly pleased about it.
“Julian, how dare you treat our boss like this!” Bella charged at him but was firmly held back by Jason.
After all, they were the ones at fault. It was the boss who had first drugged Aurora’s orange juice. Julian’s fierce retaliation was to be expected. That he spared the boss’ life was already merciful.
“Instead of squabbling with me, you better go check on your precious boss. With his looks, I’m sure both men and women would adore him,” Julian added fuel to the fire, infuriating Bella who quickly dragged Jason away.
Bella knew well the twisted nature of the club’s clientele. The thought of Eric being sent there, even for one night, could mean his end!
Once they left, Julian’s gaze softened as he looked at Aurora again. “Julian, did you really send him to that place?”
“He intended to harm you; how could I let such scum off easily? Little Bunny, do you think I’m cold-blooded? Even if you do, I have no regrets. I’ve said it before-no one can hurt you,” Julian declared, holding her tight, the image of Eric trying to touch Aurora the previous night fueling his anger.
Such measures might scare most women, but Aurora simply shook her head. “No, he made a mistake and deserved punishment. I don’t think you’re cruel at all.”
“You’re so sweet, Little Bunny. But why did you look at me that way just now? What were you thinking?” Julian tousled her hair.
Leaning on her tiptoes, Aurora whispered in his ear, “I was thinking about the day when I tied you to the bed as we returned to the country. You didn’t send me to that club; shouldn’t I feel thankful?”
Hearing her teasing, Julian tapped her head. “How dare you make fun of me? Thinking you should have been sent to the gigolos, aren’t you regretting now? Let me tell you, in this lifetime, you are mine, and no other man can even think of having you.”