Aurora did not go to the office all day, instead choosing to stay at the manor to keep Oswaldo company. The elderly man, who was well advanced in years, no longer cared for money or fame; he only wished for his loved ones to be by his side. Seeing Oswaldo’s face, lined with wrinkles, relax made her heart warm. Her grandfather was eighty years old, and each day now was less than the one before. Aurora did not know how much longer she could stay by Oswaldo’s side, so she cherished the present, seizing everything about these moments together.
“In the evening, let’s have Julian over for dinner. I quite like that boy. By the way, is he good to you?” Oswaldo inquired.
“Grandpa, rest assured, he treats me very well, to the core,” Aurora responded, her face tinting with a blush, a sign of someone in love, which Oswaldo noticed immediately.
“As long as he is good to you. I also think he’s more reliable than that Hayden, despite his difficult background…”
Oswaldo was interrupted before he could finish.
“Grandpa, what are you saying? Julian didn’t choose his own birth circumstances, and he doesn’t want to be known as an illegitimate child either.”
“My silly girl, I wasn’t criticizing him; you’re already defending him? Don’t worry, if I really minded his background, I would never have allowed you two to be together in the first place. I’m not Joaquin; I’m not that old-fashioned. As long as he is good to you, it doesn’t matter if he’s a commoner or a noble. The Montgomery family may not be among the very top, but we don’t need to secure our position through marriage alliances. The true well-being of our children is all that matters,” Oswaldo said earnestly, soothing Aurora’s concerns.
“Then I’ll call him now to invite him over for dinner.”
“Go ahead,” Oswaldo gestured with a wave of his hand.
Aurora, in high spirits, called Julian. He seemed to be at a coffee shop or a similar establishment. The background filled with melodious music, and Julian’s magnetic voice came through: “Hello?”
Before she could reply, a boisterous male voice interrupted, “Who’s calling? Let me see, is it my sister-in-law? Is it Aurora?”
“Get lost, Phil! If you grab my phone again, I’ll knock you out!” Julian’s fierce voice came through, making Aurora laugh despite herself. He had mentioned earlier that he was going to the airport to pick up a cousin-evidently, this Phil.
“Aurora, aren’t you going to control your husband? He’s always so violent; it’s scary. Shall we report him to the women’s association?” Phil joked, seizing the phone at his peril.
Aurora barely got out a greeting before Julian snatched the phone back.
“Ahem, Aurora, what’s up? That was my foolish cousin just now,” Julian said without mincing words.
“Hey, who are you calling a fool? Are you going to make me tell Aurora how you were ogling women at the airport?” Phil exaggerated his tone.
It seemed these two cousins were quite the pair. Aurora waited for their banter to subside before speaking, “Julian, I’m at grandpa’s. He wants you to come over for dinner tonight. Are you free?”
“I am free, but I’ve got a tag-along.”
“A tag-along? Is that how you describe your handsome, adorable cousin who is unrivaled in cuteness across the world?” Phil snorted from the side.
The interaction between these two was quite amusing. Throughout the phone call, Aurora’s smile never ceased.
“No worries, the elder enjoys a lively house. Let your cousin come too; we have enough food even for an extra mouth,” Aurora said with a slight smile.
“More like ten extra mouths, not just one,” Julian quipped mercilessly.
“Hmph, Aurora is always so kind to me. Don’t worry, we’ll definitely be on time. I’ll tell you all about how terrible my cousin is when I get there,” Phil said as he ended the call.
Aurora chuckled, “He really is a treasure of a cousin.”
This also proved that Julian got along well with him, despite Julian’s general hostility towards the Alvarez family-a reason why he chose the Barnet name over Alvarez.
Since Julian cared about him, Aurora decided to treat him well. She went to the kitchen to instruct them to prepare some warm dishes, fearing Phil might be tired from his journey and needed something to warm him up.
Soon it was afternoon, and Julian arrived with Phil as promised. As Aurora opened the door, a handsome yet unfamiliar face appeared before her.
“Hello, Aurora, I’m Phil. You can call me Filip, Filippos, Fulop, whatever you like…”
It was then Phil noticed Aurora’s face, bearing a striking resemblance to a woman he had seen on the plane, especially those eyes.
Seeing potential trouble, Julian twisted Phil’s waist sharply, causing him such pain that he nearly jumped.
“What’s the matter, Phil?” Aurora asked curiously, having sensed his boisterous nature over the phone and finding him even more so in person.
Only then did Phil realize why Julian had warned him not to be surprised by any resemblance, and why he was so concerned about the R family’s affairs.
Could that formidable woman be his mother-in-law? What a small world indeed.
“He’s just like this, forgot to take his meds today,” Julian explained.
“Phil must be tired after such a long flight. Go take a shower in the guest room and rest a bit. I’ll call you when dinner’s ready,” Aurora said, noticing Julian’s special treatment of Phil and extending her kindness to him as well.
“Wow, Aurora, you’re such an angel! I don’t know what good fortune my brother stepped in to find such a gentle and virtuous angel like you,” Phil said with a delighted face.
“Don’t just stand there, come in and rest,” Aurora stepped aside to let them in.
The butler took Phil’s luggage and led him to the guest room, with Phil continuously praising everything from the beautiful house to the exquisite furnishings.
“Grandpa, you must be Aurora’s grandfather, how are you so young?” Phil sweet-talked unabashedly.
The usually feared Oswaldo was not intimidating to Phil at all; he approached like a friendly puppy, almost wagging his tail.
“You must be Julian’s cousin, truly a handsome and talented young man,” Oswaldo replied, obviously pleased with Phil’s sweet talk.
“Grandpa, you can call me Phil, Filip, Filippos, any of those,” Phil responded.
“What a good kid,” Oswaldo liked him very much.
Aurora was puzzled, “How come your cousin is the complete opposite of you?”
“This kid has too much energy,” Julian replied with a hint of helplessness.