Heather always felt that Gemma was acting strangely. Gemma, known for her bad temper, had been unusually distant towards Candy all day. Now, late at night, she had been asked to go out in the midst of a snowstorm to buy something-something she wouldn’t normally be willing to do even during work hours, let alone now.
Though Gemma often wore a polite smile in front of Candy, Heather couldn’t understand why she returned looking so pleased.
“Why are you staring at me like that?” Gemma snapped as she noticed Heather’s gaze. Her expression grew dark.
“Nothing. I just think you’re acting strange-different from what I imagined,” Heather replied directly.
“Who knows what you’ve imagined me to be?” Gemma scoffed. “I don’t have time for this conversation. I have to get up early tomorrow. I’m going to take a shower.” She quickly masked her irritation; if Heather caught on, it would be disastrous.
Gemma opened her wardrobe, pulled out a bathrobe, and was about to change when her eyes landed on a box nearby. Without asking Heather’s permission, she opened it and found an apple inside.
“Oh, so Ian called you out in the middle of the night just to give you an apple? How thoughtful,” she said, her tone dripping with sarcasm.
Heather, who was used to keeping a low profile, immediately snatched the box from Gemma’s hands. “Didn’t your mother ever teach you not to touch other people’s things without asking?”
Gemma sneered. “It’s just an apple. If you like it so much, I’ll buy you a hundred pounds of them tomorrow. Look at you, acting like it’s some kind of golden apple!”
Heather scoffed but didn’t argue. “I like the apple he gave me. What does that have to do with you?”
“Someone like Ian? Please. I wouldn’t have looked at him twice in college. But I suppose you…” Gemma’s voice trailed off as her eyes caught sight of something-a simple yet elegant Tiffany bracelet on Heather’s wrist.
The room was warm, so Heather had taken off her coat, leaving the bracelet partially exposed. Gemma’s sharp eyes immediately noticed it. She grabbed Heather’s hand to get a closer look.
“Who gave you this?” Gemma demanded. She vividly remembered that Heather hadn’t been wearing a bracelet earlier at work. The only person who had been with Heather since then was Ian.
“None of your business,” Heather said, pulling her hand away. Gemma was insufferable.
“It’s Ian, isn’t it? He gave this to you, didn’t he? That’s why he called you downstairs earlier-to give you this bracelet,” Gemma said bitterly. The thought made her stomach churn.
Years ago, Ian had only given her a scarf. If he’d given her something like this bracelet back then, she might have said yes to him.
“So what if it’s from him? What does it have to do with you? Gemma, I’m tired. I have to get up early tomorrow. Stop making a scene,” Heather said firmly. She carefully placed the apple into her bag. Even if it was just an ordinary apple, she didn’t want Gemma anywhere near it.
Gemma was seething with jealousy. Damn Ian. Damn Heather. I won’t let you two have your way!
Without saying another word, Gemma stormed into the bathroom. Heather watched her go, feeling uneasy. Gemma was the kind of person who could do anything when she lost her temper.
—
Aurora had spent an unforgettable Christmas Eve at Montgomery Manor. It had been a long time since she’d celebrated Christmas with her family. When she found a moment to herself, she called Candy. Candy had been eating at the time and sounded cheerful, so Aurora didn’t press further.
After dinner, Oswaldo led Aurora to the Christmas tree to find her gift. There were two trees this year, and now she understood why.
The tree on the left held gifts prepared by Oswaldo, while the one on the right contained gifts from Joaquin. Julian, despite calling it childish, couldn’t hide his anticipation. What kind of gift would his father prepare for him?
Julian opened a pale blue striped box to find a small wooden horse inside.
“This wooden horse…?” Aurora looked at it and immediately knew it carried a story. Even the cheapest wooden horse from a store would look better than this one.
Julian’s eyes reddened slightly. “My mother once painted a picture of a wooden horse, so as a child, I loved them. But my father… he was always strict with me. He wanted me to become an exceptional person.
He arranged countless lessons for me-piano, academics, everything. When he noticed I had talent for music, he even hired a world-class pianist to tutor me.
He filled my childhood with tutors and schedules, leaving no room for play. He didn’t allow me to have toys, believing they were a waste of time.
Once, during a school craft class, I carved a wooden horse by hand. I thought it wouldn’t hurt to have one toy of my own. But when he found out, he destroyed it right in front of me. He said toys were distractions and that I needed to focus on becoming the elite who would one day take over his company.”
Aurora felt a pang of sympathy. At the time, Julian must have been just a child. For Joaquin to do such a thing in front of him-it must have left a deep scar.
“So this wooden horse…?” Aurora asked softly.
“He must have carved it himself. That’s why it looks so terrible,” Julian said, though he clutched the wooden horse tightly.
Joaquin’s gift was undoubtedly an apology for the past. Though it came late, the sentiment was clear.
“What a unique gift,” Aurora remarked. “My grandfather gave me a share transfer agreement.” She had opened her own box to find that Oswaldo had transferred nearly all his shares to her.
Since Aurora already owned two companies, she wasn’t particularly surprised by the extravagant gift.
“Grandpa’s trusting you to take the reins. Don’t let him down,” Julian said.
“Of course not,” Aurora replied. She carefully put away the papers and went to thank both Oswaldo and Julian. With important matters to handle the next day, she needed to prepare.
Understanding this, Oswaldo didn’t insist she stay longer. As he watched her car disappear into the snowy night, he sighed. “Who would have thought Aurora would become the most capable person in our family? She’s surpassed both of us.”
Magnus nodded in agreement. At 22, he had taken over the Montgomery Group and maintained stability. But Aurora, at the same age, had built her own empire from scratch.
“She’s remarkable. But that’s how it should be. The young need to push themselves. When she looks back on this one day, she’ll see how unforgettable these experiences were,” Magnus said.
“Mm,” Oswaldo agreed.
—
Later that night, Aurora finished her bath and climbed into bed.
“Julian, do you think anything will go wrong tomorrow?” she asked.
“Not a chance. Every step has been checked multiple times. Nothing will go wrong. Don’t overthink it-just rest,” Julian reassured her, pressing a kiss to her forehead.