One moment he was sternly warning her to be wary of Eric, the next his face was all innocence and grievance. Aurora couldn’t help but laugh.
“What kind of magic trick is this? How can you change your expression so quickly?”
“I just can’t bear the thought of being apart from you, Little Bunny. You have no idea how important you are to me,” Julian said, gently taking her hand.
“I know, because you hold the same place in my heart, Julian. I just want to go back and see what happens to Genevieve.”
“Go ahead, I understand. Did the paternity test results come back?”
“Julian, you even know about that? I’m starting to wonder if there’s anything you don’t know,” Aurora said, somewhat exasperated.
“You got close to Alison just to get Paul’s hair, didn’t you? I figured it out from there,” Julian replied.
Aurora was amazed at how perceptive Julian was.
“It’s a good thing I’m not your enemy, otherwise I wouldn’t even know how I died. The doctor said it would take a week to get the results.”
Julian smiled at her description of him.
“I would never harm you. If only I had been bold enough to come forward earlier, you could have used the sample for Robert’s test and gotten the results much sooner.”
“It’s okay, I’ve waited three years; one more week won’t hurt. I don’t really interact with Robert, and it felt awkward to bother him, so I went to the hospital instead.”
“Well, that woman’s fate won’t change. She has to answer for her past actions, let her enjoy a few more happy days.”
When they reached the entrance of the estate, Julian carefully adjusted her disheveled dress.
“Be careful and call me if you need anything.”
“Okay.”
Aurora got out of the car and walked towards the villa, immediately greeted by the delicious smell of dinner-her timing was perfect.
Inside, Zachary looked near death, sprawled on the couch gaming, while Magnus watched the news, and Genevieve sat stiffly upright. Ivy, however, reignited with fury at the sight of Aurora, but Genevieve quickly tugged at her skirt, noticing her reaction.
Remembering Genevieve’s earlier words, Ivy suppressed her anger and managed a strained smile.
“Aurora, you’re back? Just in time for dinner.”
Her words drew everyone’s attention, especially Zachary, who looked at her as if she were insane. He remembered how Ivy had cursed Aurora behind her back, and her sudden warmth today seemed utterly baffling.
“Aurora’s back? Great, we have your favorite dishes tonight,” Magnus said happily.
Aurora was initially surprised by Ivy’s change of attitude, but a quick glance at Genevieve told her the probable reason. It seemed that Genevieve had given Ivy a good talking to after she had run home crying earlier that day.
Interesting, Aurora thought, relieved to no longer have to deal with a fool.
She decided to play along, smiling at Ivy and even taking her hand.
“Ivy, you’re not mad at me anymore? I was worried when I saw how upset you were this morning.”
Previously, Genevieve had warned Ivy about Aurora’s cunning, but only now did Ivy truly understand her prowess. In the office, she was so arrogant, but in front of Magnus, she played the saint. Well, anyone could play that game.
“I thought about it carefully when I came back, and I was wrong,” Ivy apologized.
“That’s right, we are all family here, we should be united. Seeing you get along makes me happy,” Magnus said as he stood up and patted both of their shoulders.
Little did he know, both of them were merely putting on a facade, each with their own agendas.
“Ivy, don’t be mad at me. You tried to send your colleague away without understanding the situation, and you shouldn’t have slapped your colleague or insulted all the staff by calling them the Montgomery family’s dogs. If word of this gets out, people will think you’re abusing your position in the Montgomery family. I asked you to apologize for the sake of the bigger picture,” Aurora said, her words sharp as knives, subtly informing Magnus of Ivy’s foolish act.
“So it was really you who started it. How could you demean your colleague like that? Don’t you know that the Montgomery family’s success isn’t just due to our competence, but also because of the many people working behind the scenes? A ship sails smoothly on the sea also because of the many parts supporting it. Those who seem lower in rank than you play a vital role in the company. To call them our dogs is outrageous. Do you even understand their hardships and pride? How would you like it if I called you a dog?” Magnus was a fair and kind person who respected everyone.
Especially kind to his employees, he was naturally furious to hear Ivy had caused such a scene on her first day at the office.
“Magnus, Ivy is still young and didn’t mean it,” Genevieve quickly intervened.
“Young? She’s always causing trouble. Aurora is only a few months older than her; why is Aurora able to excel? And you’re defending her-she’s your well-raised daughter! She didn’t even go back to work today, did she? Despite all my talking, she’s still so willful, as if she doesn’t care about my opinions at all,” Magnus raged.
“Aurora, Aurora, always Aurora-yes, she’s excellent, and I’m just useless mud that won’t stick to the wall. Aurora, you must be pleased now, right?” Ivy spat out, her temper flaring after just a few words, and she stormed upstairs.
“I really thought she had realized her mistake. If she doesn’t change her attitude, it will be the death of me,” Magnus said, clutching his chest.
“Dad, don’t be upset. Ivy didn’t mean any harm. To avoid misunderstandings about our family, I also made a mistake-I shouldn’t have slapped her. Hopefully, she’s learned her lesson and won’t make the same error again. She’ll improve,” Aurora tried to soothe him.
Sighing deeply, Magnus felt too dismayed and went upstairs.
After he left, Genevieve glared coldly at Aurora.
“Miss, what a tactic, stirring up such a storm with a single sentence.”
Aurora’s face, no longer the docile image shown to Magnus, was aloof as she glanced at Genevieve.
“Thanks for the compliment, but I must thank you for your special care over the years. Without that, how could I have learned these tricks? I used to despise these methods, but now I find them quite useful. Indeed, I’m quite pleased with myself right now,” Aurora said with a lazy smile.