Even without an umbrella, she walked away calmly through the heavy rain.
Erica watched the stubborn figure disappearing into the downpour and sighed softly. There wasn’t much she could say about this-after all, even the family head was powerless in this matter.
“Who is she?” A sudden male voice interrupted her thoughts, snapping her back to attention. Erica quickly withdrew her gaze.
“She’s just a company representative here to discuss a collaboration,” she replied cautiously, not daring to say too much in front of this man.
“Really? She must be someone significant if she warranted a personal send-off from you.”
“You’re overthinking it, Vice President. I have other matters to attend to, so I’ll take my leave now.” Erica turned and left without further explanation.
The man’s eyes gleamed with interest. That woman… her face bore a striking resemblance-at least seventy percent-to the family head’s. Could it be…?
A thought surfaced in his mind, and if it were true, things could take a dark turn.
—
Erica hurried back to the president’s office and found Tina coughing up blood again.
“Master, you need to go home and rest. Your health is getting worse,” Erica said, her tone full of concern.
Tina shook her head. “The curse is finally taking hold. Since the beginning of this year, I’ve been coughing up blood for no apparent reason. At first, it happened once every month or two, then every ten days, and now it’s every few days. Today is already the second time.”
“Master, it’s because your emotions are running high today. Stop thinking about unpleasant things, and don’t dwell on this so-called curse.”
“I know my body better than anyone else.” Tina forced herself to focus. “Has she left?”
“She has, but she’s just as stubborn as you. It’s raining so heavily outside, and I offered to get her an umbrella, but she refused and walked out into the rain.”
“What? She left without an umbrella?” Tina stood up from her chair abruptly and walked quickly to the window. Rain cascaded down like strings of broken pearls, relentless and cold.
From her vantage point high up in the towering building, there was no way she could see Aurora’s small figure. Yet, she stubbornly strained her eyes, searching below.
“This child… The weather is so cold, and the rain is so heavy. What if she catches a chill?” All traces of Tina’s earlier cold demeanor vanished, replaced by the genuine worry of a mother.
“Master, that’s not the most pressing issue. Miss Montgomery was spotted by Mio as she was leaving!”
“What? Mio saw her?” Tina’s expression changed dramatically.
The R family was already in turmoil. For generations, the family had been matriarchal, even after their migration from Clothville to New York. The family head had used inherited wealth to start a business, bolstered by their uncanny ability to foresee profitable opportunities through divination. The company had thrived quickly.
But prosperity didn’t last long. Over time, the mystical aura surrounding the family faded, and the lifespan of family heads grew alarmingly short. Internal divisions began to splinter the family, with some male relatives from branch lines vying to replace the women in power.
By Tina’s mother’s generation, these conflicts had reached a boiling point. Tina, unwilling to assume the role of family head, had fled back to Clothville, hoping to live her life as an ordinary person.
But fate had other plans. A series of crises, including the tragedy with Magnus, and her mother’s failing health, forced Tina to return to New York. She had no choice but to leave Aurora behind to secure the family’s future.
When she returned, Tina managed to suppress the power-hungry factions temporarily, bringing a fragile peace that lasted over a decade. But now, the old conflicts were resurfacing.
On one hand, Tina wanted Aurora to lead a simple, carefree life, far removed from the scheming and power struggles of the R family. Tina herself had endured rigorous training from a young age. Her gentle demeanor was something she had carefully crafted-an idealized version of herself she longed to become. She had hypnotized herself into believing it was her true nature.
Aurora, however, had grown up differently. Tina had shielded her from hardship, pampering her like a princess. She didn’t want Aurora to endure even a fraction of the pain she had experienced. A delicate flower raised in a greenhouse could never survive the darkness that now consumed the R family.
The elders, emboldened by Tina’s lack of an heir, were already scheming to make Mio the next head of the family after her death. For nearly a century, the men of the R family had fought to seize power. Tina, unwilling to drag Aurora into this mess, also couldn’t bear the thought of relinquishing control to Mio.
She had hoped to pass the mantle to Mira instead, but Mira seemed uninterested in the position. Mio, on the other hand, had garnered significant support within the family.
As long as Tina remained alive, Mio dared not act recklessly. She had gone to great lengths to conceal her declining health, fearing that even the slightest vulnerability would embolden the wolves circling her.
Aurora’s existence was a closely guarded secret. Only a few people knew Tina had a child. Even Erica had pieced it together through deduction. Mira, Tina’s trusted confidant, had inferred Aurora’s identity based on Tina’s unusual support for Aurora’s company.
But Mio remained unaware. He couldn’t imagine Tina having a child. If she did, why wouldn’t she bring the child back to solidify her position?
Mio had underestimated the lengths a mother would go to protect her child. Tina would rather endure all the storms herself than let Aurora be touched by even a shadow of the family’s darkness.
“He saw Miss Montgomery as she was leaving and even came to ask me about her. I’m worried he might do something to her,” Erica said uneasily.
“Mio’s father failed all those years ago, but after more than a decade of preparation, they’re determined to succeed this time. Aurora’s appearance now puts her in grave danger.
Mio’s personality is unhinged. If he’s seen Aurora, he’ll investigate her. I’m not worried about what he does openly; it’s the underhanded schemes that I fear.” Tina frowned, her expression dark and tense.
This was precisely why she had never acknowledged Aurora or tried to contact her. Today’s negotiation was supposed to be with Asher. She hadn’t expected Aurora to show up instead. If she had known, she would never have stayed. Now, her carefully laid plans were in disarray.
“What should we do now? What if Mio targets Miss Montgomery?” Erica asked, her voice trembling.
“There’s no other choice. She has to leave-get as far away from me as possible.”
Tina quickly dialed a number. On the other end of the line, a man with a deep, magnetic voice answered.
“Hello?” Julian sounded puzzled. His private number was rarely used, and receiving a call from New York was even more unusual. Was it Little Bunny with a new number? Without overthinking it, he picked up the call, but to his surprise, the voice on the other end belonged to his mother-in-law.
“Hello, Mr. Barnet. This is Tina. We’ve met before.” A cold, composed female voice came through the line.