Aurora was sleeping in a daze when she murmured, “Stop it… hmm.”
She had barely spoken a word before Julian sealed her lips.
Only then did Aurora open her eyes fully, finally realizing what was happening.
“Julian, not here!”
she whispered into his ear, terrified of being discovered by Hayden and the others.
Julian gently nibbled on her earlobe, his voice laden with unspeakable tenderness and affection. He knew every sensitive spot on her body, and soon she melted into his embrace.
“Little Bunny, I’ll be gentle,” Julian’s seductive voice echoed.
It wasn’t until the end that Aurora leaned against Julian in the dark, her cheeks flushed with a rosy hue, her consciousness clearing. She felt her own shamelessness growing.
This was something she had despised much before, but now she was gradually accepting it. Julian, seeing her burrow her face into his chest, couldn’t help but smile lightly.
The silly girl thought hiding in his arms would conceal them from others, but he had intentionally let Hayden know.
If Hayden thought he could endure all this, he wouldn’t just suffocate him; he would infuriate him to death. He wanted to play, so Julian would play along.
“Sleep now, I won’t bother you anymore,” Julian whispered as he kissed her forehead, and Aurora fell asleep again.
Julian closed his eyes contentedly, able to sleep well, while poor Hayden couldn’t sleep at all.
Although he couldn’t see Aurora just now, he involuntarily fantasized about her over and over.
The next morning, Hayden decided to be discharged. His hand could heal at home, and he would return later to have the stitches removed.
Aurora breathed a sigh of relief, finally freed, and saw him off to the car.
“Take care of yourself, I’ll come to visit you sometime,” she said casually, though she had no intention of visiting Hayden.
“Thank you, you’ve both been through a lot,” Hayden acknowledged, knowing his plan had failed. If he didn’t leave now, Julian would flaunt his affection daily.
“Get some good well at home,” Julian said as he embraced Aurora formally.
Susan glared at them, “Hypocrites. Let’s go, Hayden.”
As the car slowly drove away, Aurora finally breathed freely.
“It’s finally over.”
“Hmph, I thought he had more fight in him, but he gave up so quickly,” Julian scoffed with disdain.
Seeing his smug expression, Aurora suddenly remembered last night’s events.
“Julian, did you hide something from me?”
she asked with a playful smile.
Julian, seeing her menacing smile, quickly backed away.
“No, why are you looking at me like that, little Aurora? Your gaze is kind of scary.”
“Did Hayden see us last night?”
“How would I know if he saw? I was very careful,” Julian adamantly denied.
“Hmph, you did it on purpose, you wanted him to see. You said no one would see us, you big liar!”
Aurora, hands on her hips and a stern face, approached him.
“Cough, Little Bunny, I’ll go handle Hayden’s discharge procedures. Wait here for me,” Julian said as he took off running.
Aurora chased after him, “Julian, you big liar, stop right there!”
If he stopped now, he must be out of his mind. Julian didn’t stop but ran even faster, leaving Aurora to laugh helplessly.
She knew all too well Julian’s intentions, guessing that ever since the night Hayden took a knife for her, Julian had figured out what Hayden was up to.
At that time, she was immersed in worry and guilt. If he told her about Hayden’s intentions, she would probably think he was being petty. So he chose to say nothing and, instead, decisively stayed behind with her to completely thwart Hayden’s sinister plans from the very beginning. This man was cold and ruthless to others, but he gave his whole heart to her, always protecting her in his own way.
He had never spoken ill of Hayden in front of her; instead, he let her feel the truth for herself. He was really considerate of her feelings, avoiding arguments and ensuring she was never hurt. Aurora realized all this and appreciated Julian even more; he was good in every way, except he was too hard on himself.
He was always there to shield her from other men, handle his own company’s affairs, and worry about her getting hurt. Previously calling him a butler, she now realized that he did much more than a butler would. When Julian came out and saw Aurora still standing in the courtyard, he approached her cautiously, “Little Bunny, are you mad?”
Aurora crossed her arms, and Julian quickly embraced her, “Okay, I admit it was on purpose. That night, when Hayden took a knife for you and clung to you, and later he audaciously tried to exploit your guilt to get close to you, how could I let his scheming succeed?”
“So I stayed to protect you, to prevent your soul from being stolen again, and your kindness from being exploited. Last night, I did it on purpose, to provoke him to give up, so he would no longer pursue you. Little Bunny, I know I was wrong, I was underhanded, I would do anything to have you, I…”
“Do you know where you went wrong the most?”
Aurora looked up at him, her gaze neither sad nor happy, and Julian couldn’t guess what she was thinking, feeling somewhat apprehensive.
“Should I not have plotted against Hayden?”
he asked cautiously.
“No, it’s that you don’t trust me. We’re engaged, and marriage is only a paper away. Whether as spouses or lovers, we should face dangers and difficulties together, but you’re always there shielding me from everything. You do it for my sake, not wanting me to get hurt at all, but Julian, do you know that it pains me too?”
“I ache for you, knowing you’re uncomfortable yet still taking care of a rival, for you, who stays up late with red eyes comforting me to rest well, for you, who dashes to my side with just one phone call. You love me so much, you’ve given me everything and forgotten about yourself. I’m really pained by this, and that’s where you’re most wrong.”
Julian was stunned by Aurora’s words; he hadn’t expected her not to blame him but to feel pain for him.
“Aurora…”
His voice was rough. Aurora nestled into his chest, tiptoed, and gently kissed his cheek, “Julian, thank you for loving me, cherishing me, and adoring me. Aurora has grown up, no longer the little girl in your arms. Whatever happens in the future, let’s face everything together, okay?”