Aurora had seen this sports car before; it was one of only six in the world, and one of them was gathering dust in Julian’s garage. The man who could afford such a luxury clearly held a special status and position. If a bag symbolized a woman, then a car was a representation of a man’s identity.
When the car stopped, a middle-aged man emerged. He was of mixed descent, with the deep features of a European and the contours of an Arab. Tall and still fit in his middle age, he was clearly someone who exercised regularly. He wore a neat gray waistcoat paired with a white shirt, which perfectly outlined his physique, hinting at a youth spent as the center of much attention.
“John, you’ve arrived,” Tina said, her chill demeanor melting away as she moved to greet the man.
“You asked me to come, and I would come from anywhere,” John replied, embracing Tina and affectionately kissing her cheek.
Their relationship was clearly no ordinary one. Magnus’s heart felt as if it were being nibbled by thousands of tiny insects at the sight of her running into another man’s arms. He now understood how Victoria must have felt each time he went to see Genevieve, as if her heart was being carved with a knife.
“Tina, who is this?” Aurora asked for Magnus, breaking the ice.
She had thought Victoria was back for good, that they could be a family again. She never considered where her mother might have been all these years, or whether she had found someone else. It was only upon seeing this man that she realized. Over a decade had passed; her mother might have long moved on from her grief, her world now accompanied by another.
Though it was natural, Aurora couldn’t help feeling deeply saddened.
“You must be Miss Montgomery. Hello, I’m Tina’s husband, John Walsh. You can call me John,” he said with a smile that no woman could resist, his charm unmistakable even to Aurora, who knew he was Magnus’s rival.
“Hello, I’m Aurora.”
“You are as beautiful as I imagined. This is a little something I prepared for our meeting.”
The man produced an exquisite box, which Aurora initially thought might contain a brooch.
To her surprise, upon opening it, she found a rare emerald gemstone, finely cut and styled-an item worth at least seven figures. Was this really just a gift for meeting?
“John, this gift is too precious; I cannot accept it,” Aurora said, handing back the box.
“In fact, I feel it’s somewhat insufficient,” John Walsh responded gently.
“Please, Miss Montgomery, do not disdain it.”
Aurora was stunned; who gifts such a lavish present on a first meeting? She was about to say more, but John Walsh had already turned to Magnus.
“Mr. Montgomery, hello. We’ll be partners from now on. I look forward to working with you,” he said, his demeanor both gentlemanly and generous, leaving no room for criticism.
Magnus stood there, his expression awkward. He had thought there might still be a chance for reconciliation with Victoria, but over the years, she had become another man’s wife.
“Hello,” Magnus said, suppressing his discomfort.
“Sorry to intrude, I just got off the plane and heard Tina was here, so I came straight over. You don’t mind having one more person, do you?” The man spoke with impeccable politeness, making it impossible to find fault with him.
“Of course not, please come in,” Magnus said, even though he might have minded terribly.
Everyone had different thoughts as they entered the yard. John Walsh had his arm around Tina’s waist, which Magnus and Aurora found odd. Walsh? Wasn’t that Victoria’s family name?
“Must have been tiring traveling all this way?” Tina only shed her cold demeanor when he was by her side, and it was undeniable that they looked good together.
Magnus felt his heart sink. After all, he had hurt her so deeply; how could he even think of rekindling their past relationship?
“It’s alright. The thought of seeing you soon made me feel not tired at all.”
John Walsh must be a very pleasant person, capable of bringing joy to those around him. Aurora saw the faint smile on Tina’s lips and thought that she must have been doing well over the years.
At that moment, she felt conflicted. She wished for a perfect family but also wanted her mother to be happy.
It seemed her happiness could no longer come from Magnus. What should she do now?
Meanwhile, in another apartment, Ivy had just returned to find Genevieve sitting by the window, silently crying.
In just a few days, Genevieve had completely lost her composure, looking like a forsaken wife, her days marred by constant tears, a far cry from her past glory.
“Mom, stop crying. Look, your eyes are all red. Didn’t you teach me that crying doesn’t solve anything?” Ivy had become the strongest in the family.
Zachary had recently been released and spent all day sleeping in his room, attempting to escape reality.
“But what can we do now?” Genevieve sobbed miserably.
“There’s a lot we can do. Don’t you want to go back to the Montgomery family?” Ivy had always dreamed of returning.
“How can I not want to? But what can I do?”
“If there’s no opportunity, we’ll create one. I’ve thought about it. Zach and I left in such a hurry, we didn’t even bring a change of clothes. We’ll use that as an excuse to go back first.”
Ivy had been ostracized at the company today. Although Aurora had left, the others were not kind to her. She had barely managed to endure.
“Go back?” Genevieve wiped her tears.
“Can we really go back?” The injury she got from falling down the stairs still ached occasionally. Magnus had completely given up on her!
“Of course. You managed to win over my dad back then, why not now? Get ready and make yourself look gorgeous, and we’ll go back. I’ve already arranged the car,” Ivy encouraged.
Genevieve knew the chances of returning were slim, but if they didn’t try, they would lose even that last bit of hope.
“Okay, I’ll go change now.”
In her heart, Ivy had already calculated; Magnus was a soft-hearted man. If she could just get close to him, maybe he would forgive her.
Even if they couldn’t return now, at least she needed to make herself known to Magnus, little by little gaining his acceptance.