Julian saw the little woman clinging to his chest in terror, yet stubbornly so, her vulnerability bursting his chauvinism at the seams. He effortlessly picked her up, and this time Aurora nestled carefully in his arms. Aurora, somewhat helplessly, said, “Ashy said he was going to surprise me, but it seems more like a scare than anything.”
She had been here a few times before, and each time Asher had told her he had a surprise for her and to not go to the rooftop. Aurora had obediently complied, not knowing the ‘surprise’ could almost scare her to death.
Julian met her eyes and chuckled lightly, “He meant well, intending to fulfill your wish. How could he know my Little Bunny was so timid?”
“Who’s timid? I’m not a coward. I’m just, just a little uncomfortable,” Aurora retorted stubbornly.
“Of course, my Little Bunny isn’t scared at all,” he said, his words sounding almost mocking to Aurora.
Feeling even more embarrassed by his teasing smile, she protested, “If you keep laughing at me, I’ll get down and walk myself.”
“I wouldn’t dare laugh at you,” he said, though his smile widened, and the two playfully made their way to Aurora’s office.
Opening the door, they were greeted by a smiling face, “Miss Montgomery, good morning! Uh…”
The person clearly hadn’t expected to see Aurora nestled in Julian’s arms.
“Mona, cough, good morning.”
Aurora quickly disentangled herself from Julian. Mona was Cameron’s sister and had become a reliable assistant for Asher and Aurora over the years.
Asher, knowing Aurora might be overwhelmed handling the company alone, had specifically asked Mona to help manage the company, which she had been looking after in Aurora’s absence.
“This gentleman must be Asher’s rival then! No wonder you’re not interested in Asher, with his imposing appearance and elegant demeanor,” Mona joked, something she might have refrained from if not for her familiar teasing relationship with them.
“Mona, it’s not a matter of interest, but of fate. Let me introduce him. He is Jul…”
“Julian Barnet, of course, I know him. Asher talks about him all the time. I’d recognize him from his ashes, Mr. Barnet,” Mona playfully described, leaving Julian and Aurora at a loss for words.
Aurora twitched her lips, while Julian responded with calm confidence, “Hello, I hope you’ll take good care of my Little Bunny’s company from now on.”
He also knew Aurora was stretching herself thin commuting between places, and since Asher had sent someone he trusted, like Rocky, to assist Aurora, Julian was polite to her.
“Tsk, being engaged really makes a difference,” Mona teased as usual.
“You always jest at me. Things have piled up these days, but I’ll treat you tonight to welcome you properly,” Aurora patted her shoulder.
“Alright, I’ll make sure to take a big bite out of you. It’s impossible to get anything out of that miser Asher usually.”
“Fine, you decide what you want to eat and I’ll make the arrangements. Is everything ready for the interviews today?”
Aurora was genuinely happy to see her old friend.
“You only remember work. Don’t you want to see the surprise he prepared for you?”
Mona took Aurora by the hand and led her inside.
Stepping into the office, Aurora realized it was decorated exactly like her previous one, tailored to her tastes.
“This is…”
Aurora was stunned, not just by the decor but even the smallest ornament was the same.
“Surprised, aren’t you? Asher really put his heart into this. He feared you might feel lonely here, so he recreated your old office. Although he can’t always be by your side, he wanted you to feel the familiarity. Ah, I really thought you’d end up with him. Fate is truly unpredictable.”
“Mona, Julian is still here, and you say these things…”
Aurora knew Julian was the jealous type.
“It’s alright, I should actually thank Asher for taking such good care of you.”
Julian could not miss the hostility in Mona’s voice, but he understood.
After all, Mona had spent more time with Asher and Aurora; it was quite presumptuous to expect immediate acceptance during their first meeting.
“Mr. Barnet is very generous.”
“Come now, tell me about the interview,” Aurora changed the subject.
“Well, though Asher brought some people over from the headquarters, we need to hire fifty-four employees in total. Here’s the list of positions, take a look,” Mona said, setting aside her earlier hostility and becoming serious.
“Alright, I see,” Aurora glanced over the list of positions.
“And how many applicants do we have?”
“I was worried initially since we’re a new company and people might be skeptical, but it turns out many are indeed interested in us. Today, we had three hundred applicants.”
“That must be thanks to your effective marketing; no wonder Ashy sent you to help me,” Aurora realized Mona was quite skilled.
“Don’t praise me too much; I’m also doing this for a living. Of course, I hope our company continues to improve. I’ve reviewed all the resumes, and among those coming for interviews today are elites from various companies. I’ve marked these talents, so pay attention during the interviews. It’s about time for me to oversee their written tests.”
“Mhm.”
Aurora nodded, “Thank you for your hard work.”
The company’s written test wasn’t like school exams, consisting of only a few questions, crafted by leaders from various companies, with no standard answers.
The test lasted only half an hour, and all the candidates scribbled as if they were back in their university days.
Only Aurora and Julian remained in the office. Aurora nostalgically observed her surroundings, while Julian surveyed the room.
“He’s really thoughtful towards you.”
Aurora knew he was jealous again, turned around, and leaned gently into his arms, “Julian, are you upset?”
“To be honest, I’m a bit uncomfortable, but not angry. I’m also a bit happy, happy that so many people love you.”
Julian embraced her tightly.
This little woman had endured so much; she deserved such affection.
“Julian, Ashy is like the closest family to me in my heart, and you are the love of my life. No one is above the other; you both are equally important to me.”
“I know, don’t worry, I’m not angry. Thirsty? I saw a coffee machine over there; I’ll go make you some coffee,” Julian released her gently.
Aurora smiled slightly, “Julian, you’re truly capable of anything!”
“How could I not be, if I am to marry and take care of you?”
Julian walked over to make the coffee.
Aurora quietly reviewed the interview materials as Julian brought over the freshly brewed coffee.
Perhaps this was truly what happiness was like; Aurora studied the documents, occasionally turning pages with a soft rustle, while he stood by with a steaming cup of coffee.
The steam from the coffee blurred her brows and eyes, but he just stood watching her intently, a picture of peaceful, harmonious times.
This was the life he had always wanted, “Little Bunny, your coffee is ready,” he reminded her softly.