Asher was sharp, almost too perceptive for his own good. Losing to Julian had been inevitable-after all, Julian had known Aurora since they were kids. That special bond between them was something Asher could never replace. Watching Julian treat Aurora so well, Asher had reluctantly stepped aside.
But now, who was this Denis Vukic, and where had he come from? Was every random man destined to replace him in Aurora’s heart?
“Mr. Vukic, I’ll take over. I know what she likes to eat, and the right temperature for her food. You’re clearly too delicate for this kind of thing,” Asher said, reaching for the bowl and spoon in Denis Vukic’s hands.
Denis Vukic, however, was not the kind of man to easily relinquish control. If he gave up that easily, he wouldn’t be Denis Vukic.
Neither man was willing to let go. Their tug-of-war over the bowl grew so intense that the sturdy container began to bend out of shape under the pressure of their hands.
Aurora, watching the scene unfold, couldn’t hold back anymore. “Uh… actually, I can do it myself.”
Asher, still locked in the struggle, glanced back at her. “Have you seen your face? You look like you’re about to die. You think you can manage this?” he scoffed.
Aurora truly felt weak. After vomiting everything she’d eaten the night before and sleeping through the night, her body was still frail. She didn’t even have the energy to lift a finger.
“But you two holding it like that doesn’t help me either. I’m starving, really starving,” she pleaded, hoping to elicit some sympathy.
Seeing the exhaustion on her pale face, the two men finally let go-at the exact same time. The bowl tipped over, spilling the porridge all over the bed.
Aurora’s stomach growled. The scent of the porridge wafted through the air, teasing her. Starving as she was, seeing the food so close yet out of reach was a cruel torment.
“You couldn’t even hold onto a bowl. How useless can you be?” Asher sneered, momentarily forgetting Denis Vukic’s powerful background and the potential consequences of offending him. At that moment, all Asher cared about was that no one else could lay claim to his “little troublemaker.”
She had been his once, and now she was Julian’s. Either way, she could never belong to this latecomer Denis Vukic.
“And you held onto it so well, didn’t you?” Denis Vukic shot back coldly, his tone equally sharp. The two men glared at each other, their mutual dislike evident.
Aurora, on the verge of tears, tried once more. “I’m hungry. Really, really hungry.”
Denis Vukic waved over his assistant. “Go buy some more.”
The spilled porridge had soaked the bed. For someone like Denis Vukic, a man with a near-obsessive cleanliness streak, this was likely driving him mad.
He stared at the mess, his brows furrowing deeply. Without hesitation, he reached over to lift Aurora from the bed, intending to move her elsewhere. But before he could touch her, Asher stepped in.
“Mr. Vukic, let me handle this. I’ve carried this little pig all the time before,” he said, scooping Aurora into his arms before Denis Vukic could protest.
Aurora pouted. “Who are you calling a pig?”
But she couldn’t deny that Asher had often carried her in the past.
Back when she used to work late and fall asleep at her desk, it was always Asher who carried her to bed. He would remove her makeup, wipe her face, and even clean her feet. The bond between them was, in some ways, closer than family.
“You, of course. Look how much weight you’ve gained since you came back. Did Julian feed you like a pig?” Asher teased, though Aurora was still as light as a feather in his arms.
In truth, she hadn’t gained any weight at all. Despite Julian’s constant efforts to entice her with delicious meals, her chronic stomach problems meant she couldn’t eat much.
Denis Vukic’s gaze lingered on Aurora as she nestled in Asher’s arms. Her hands instinctively wrapped around Asher’s neck, and her small, delicate feet peeked out from under the blanket.
“Mr. Vukic, I’ll have to trouble you to change the sheets,” Asher said with a sly smile.
Denis Vukic gave him a cold glance but said nothing. Instead, he obediently began changing the sheets.
For someone like him, changing the sheets was both a pleasure and a torment.
Why a pleasure? Because he insisted on perfection. Every corner of the bed had to be meticulously tucked, every crease smoothed out. The overhanging sides of the sheet had to be of equal length-no exceptions.
The result was a bed so flawless it resembled a pristine sheet of paper. Just looking at it could soothe the mind.
But why a torment? Because his obsessive attention to detail meant the task took him far longer than it would for anyone else. Even as Asher stood by, repeatedly saying, “That’s good enough,” Denis Vukic ignored him entirely.
Once the sheets were done, he moved on to the blanket. By the time everything was in place, Asher carefully laid Aurora back onto the bed. Both men moved with exaggerated caution, as if fearing they’d wrinkle the perfectly made bed.
When the new porridge finally arrived, Aurora preempted another tug-of-war. “Ashy, you feed me. You know what I like.”
Asher smirked at Denis Vukic, who glanced at his watch. He had an important meeting to attend and, seeing that Asher was there to take care of Aurora, decided to leave.
“Rest well,” he said. After a long pause, he added awkwardly, “I’ll come back after work.”
“Thank you, Mr. Vukic. Ashy’s here to take care of me, so you don’t…” Aurora began, but before she could finish, Denis Vukic interrupted.
“I’ll come,” he said firmly, turning and leaving without waiting for her response. His departing figure seemed lonely.
Once he was gone, Asher leaned close and teased, “What are you staring at? He’s gone. Keep looking, and I’ll call Julian to tell him you’ve moved on. Let’s see how many calls he’ll bombard you with.”
Aurora rolled her eyes. She knew he was joking and didn’t take it seriously. “Ashy, why are you so hostile to Mr. Vukic?”
“Mr. Vukic this, Mr. Vukic that. How long have you even known him?” Asher admitted to himself that he was jealous. He could still accept Julian-but Denis Vukic? What claim did he have compared to their three years together?
“A few days,” Aurora replied honestly. “Ashy, are you too tired? Mr. Vukic hasn’t done anything wrong. Why are you so against him?
“If he hadn’t rushed me to the hospital last night, I could’ve been in real danger. He even stayed with me all night. You shouldn’t treat him this way,” she said, still confused about Asher’s anger.
“He stayed with you all night? And I spent all night looking for you! Aurora, do you even have a conscience?
“A few months ago, you went back home and got together with Julian. Fine, he’s your childhood sweetheart. I can accept that.
“But now, back in the U. S., you’ve latched onto Denis Vukic? Do you have to keep attracting drama wherever you go? Do you even know how worried I was about you last night?!”
Asher hadn’t slept in over 24 hours. His bloodshot eyes bore into her, his frustration spilling out unchecked.
Aurora sat there, stunned by his outburst.
“Ashy, what… what’s wrong with you? What did Mr. Vukic do to make you this angry? Did you misunderstand something? He and I…”
“You’re just a troublesome woman who can’t stop worrying people!” Asher barked, cutting her off. Overwhelmed with emotion, he stormed out of the room.