When Aurora was awoken again, it was by the ringtone of her phone. She answered the call, her voice still soft with the remnants of sleep.
“Hello.”
“Aurora, where are you? Your mom is almost home,” Magnus reminded her, snapping Aurora out of her daze.
“I’ll be right there, Dad. Just wait for me,” Aurora said as she sat up in bed.
“No rush, take your time,” Magnus replied, knowing that Aurora had taken the week off for something important, and he was very understanding.
Aurora put down her phone, and Julian, awakened by her movements, asked, “Little Bunny, are you leaving?”
“Yes, Julian, I’ll come back tonight,” Aurora replied, dropping a kiss on his lips as was their custom when parting.
“Drive safely,” Julian said, holding the back of her head for a deep kiss before letting her go. Their passionate display was painfully glaring to Hayden and Susan.
It wasn’t that they were trying to provoke anyone; this was just how they normally interacted at home.
Julian, now fully awake, got out of bed to smooth Aurora’s skirt before she left the house.
Susan watched Aurora leave, envy filling her eyes. Why couldn’t Hayden be like Julian with her?
Even if not to the same extent, even half of Julian’s attentiveness would be something. She was a daughter of the Simmons family; what couldn’t she have?
Yet, all she truly desired was Hayden’s love. Would she ever get it in her lifetime? Deep doubts clouded Susan’s mind.
Once Aurora left, Julian reverted to his usual aloof demeanor, showing no interest in engaging with Susan and Hayden. He finished the last document and had Rocky take it away.
“Sir, are you sure you want to keep working from the hospital recently?” Rocky asked, somewhat helplessly. Who else’s boss made a hospital their home?
“For now, yes. I’ll attend the important meetings, and you can bring the contract documents to me in advance,” Julian was prepared for a prolonged battle with Hayden.
“Alright, sir. Is there anything else I need to buy for you?” Rocky managed not only the company affairs but also Julian’s personal matters.
“When I need something, I’ll call you. You can go home now; I still have some emails to check,” Julian instructed.
“Okay,” Rocky said, leaving with a stack of documents.
Hayden felt the gap between himself and Julian widening. The busier one was, the higher their status, and in just a short time, Julian had reviewed numerous contracts and documents.
Many of Julian’s assets were hidden, and currently, no one could accurately estimate his worth.
…
As Tina drew closer to the Montgomery family, her anxiety intensified, her fingers clutching her handbag tightly.
People say time heals all wounds, but even after more than a decade, the scar in her heart had never faded.
The years had merely covered it with dust, making her believe she had moved past everything from before. Yet, returning here, she realized that the wind had blown away the ashes, exposing the gruesome scar.
Genevieve had already faced her retribution, and by all accounts, Tina should have been pleased, yet she felt no joy.
It was a lose-lose situation now; who really came out ahead?
She had booked her flight for tomorrow, planning to see Aurora one last time tonight before leaving for good, having already chosen her path with no room for softness.
“Madam, we’ve arrived,” the driver informed her.
Magnus had already opened the car door for Tina, dressed in a sharp suit, looking as nervous as if he were about to meet someone very important.
“Tina, we really are fated to meet. I just arrived as well,” Aurora said as she approached from behind Tina’s car.
Tina noticed Aurora’s slightly weary face.
“Didn’t sleep well last night?”
“Um, something happened last night, but it’s resolved now, nothing to worry about,” Aurora replied with a faint smile, choosing not to share the frightening details that would worry them both.
“Let’s go inside and talk,” Magnus quickly suggested to Tina.
As Tina walked through the courtyard, she noticed that everything had changed dramatically from the past. The flowers and plants she had once planted herself were gone. After Genevieve arrived at the Montgomery family, her first act was to remove all traces of Victoria, replanting the garden with her own preferred flora.
Even without Magnus saying anything, Tina understood clearly; women can be petty, and a woman like Genevieve, with her intense possessiveness, wouldn’t tolerate even the slightest imperfection.
Just like herself now, she could never forgive Magnus, no matter what he did. Her impression of him was solely of the painful incidents from the past.
The three of them entered the villa, which had also been extensively renovated, sporting a completely different style from before. Tina remembered how Magnus once whispered in her ear, “Whatever style you like, we can make it like that. I bought a villa with a large garden just so you can tend to your plants to your heart’s content.”
When he was kind, he was extremely kind; however, he remained equally kind to whoever was the woman in his arms.
Aurora, who had been trained not to show much emotion, kept an eye on Tina’s expressions.
“Tina, take a seat first. Dad went to the supermarket to get your favorite mangoes. I’ll go get them,” Aurora said, still hoping her parents might reconcile.
Despite the past hurts from Magnus, Aurora still hoped for a happy family. Tina understood Aurora’s intention, but some things weren’t so simple.
“I don’t like mangoes anymore. Do you have cherries?”
“Yes, I’ll get them right now,” Aurora replied smartly, having had Magnus buy a variety of fruits in advance.
Now alone with Magnus in the living room, he tried to find a topic of conversation, but found it difficult to speak.
“I’m going back tomorrow. Someone else will handle this project here; I’m not involved anymore,” Tina stated flatly.
“What? You’re not involved anymore?” Magnus was surprised.
“Yes, he’ll be here soon. I’ll introduce you. He will take over managing this project.”
“He… who is he?” Magnus asked, surprised and realizing that spending more time with Tina might not be as simple as he hoped, as she was cutting the final tie.
“He’s someone very important to me.”
“Someone very important…”
he murmured, wondering just how significant this person could be.
Aurora returned with the fruit just as Tina received a phone call.
“He’s here. You don’t mind one more person, do you?”
“Of course not,” Magnus quickly replied, while Aurora was still a bit confused.
“Is there another guest coming?”
“Yes, a friend of Tina’s. From now on, her friend will handle the collaboration projects with our company.”
“He’s outside now; I’ll go welcome him.”
Tina opened the door to leave, and naturally, as hosts, Magnus and Aurora followed to greet the guest.
Aurora felt uneasy, suspecting that this new arrival could greatly affect her plans. She hadn’t seen the car yet when she heard the roar of a sports car engine-a Koenigsegg CCXR appeared, one of only six in the world. Clearly, this person was no ordinary individual.