Leonard was at a loss for words. He truly didn’t know anything. Earlier, when he had asked Ian, the man had refused to say a word.
Ian shook his head. “Leo, I told you to stay out of this for your own good.”
“For my own good? I know you and Heather get along well, but you can’t just side with her because you like her! Don’t forget, Gemma was someone you liked before. How can you let her be wronged like this?”
To Leonard, Ian was only helping Heather because he liked her, completely ignoring Gemma.
The office had grown lively with whispers and murmurs. Though workplace romances weren’t explicitly forbidden, they always carried a certain awkwardness. Ian and Heather hadn’t crossed any major lines, but Leonard’s public confrontation clearly aimed to defend Gemma.
“Leonard, don’t ruin things with everyone because of me. This is my fault.” Gemma’s pitiful appearance caught everyone’s attention. No matter how you looked at her, she seemed like the one who had been wronged.
Ian took a deep breath. “Gemma, why can’t you ever learn to behave? I didn’t want to bring this up to spare you some dignity. But since you insist…”
“Don’t!” Gemma panicked. Her initial goal had only been to stir trouble before leaving, hoping to cast doubt on Heather.
But Ian glanced at her and revealed the truth anyway. The room fell into stunned silence as everyone processed the story. Who would have thought that the seemingly gentle and kind Gemma could be so ruthless?
“Gemma, you knew how hard we worked for two weeks on this launch. How could you do this?”
“Exactly. Did we ever do anything to offend you?”
“You always seemed so refined, but turns out you’re this kind of person.”
Voices of accusation filled the air. Gemma couldn’t take it anymore. She had assumed Ian’s kind-hearted nature meant he wouldn’t expose her.
But Ian was no longer the same man from their university days. He had people he wanted to protect now.
Gemma didn’t try to argue further. Her dismissal was evidence enough. She packed nothing, grabbed her bag, and left without a word.
Leonard, on the other hand, stood frozen. He had never imagined the woman he admired could do something like this. Ian patted his shoulder but said nothing more.
Once Gemma was gone, no one felt any lingering attachment. If anything, her departure brought relief. She had been like a tumor, or perhaps a ticking time bomb. Sparing her this time might have led to even worse trouble in the future.
After the product launch, the company’s cohesion quietly but noticeably grew stronger. Everything seemed to be moving in a positive direction.
Aurora, meanwhile, busied herself with processing orders and improving other skincare products. She intended to ride the momentum sparked by the perfume’s success.
A new wave of work began. When it was time to leave for the day, Julian called to say he wouldn’t be able to pick her up. Aurora didn’t mind.
His work was even busier than hers, and no matter how close they were, she didn’t want Julian to sacrifice his responsibilities for her.
They were both people who should soar freely, not hold each other back.
Aurora called Mona and checked her watch. Mona was still twenty minutes away, but Aurora had already come downstairs.
The deep winter wind bit at her face. With time to spare, Aurora walked across the street to buy a hot drink.
The warmth from the cup spread to her hands, reminding her of Julian’s warm touch. When had he become such a permanent presence in her world, always lingering in her thoughts?
A gentle smile crept onto her face, but it quickly vanished. She felt a gaze fixed on her.
Aurora was no stranger to attention. With her striking appearance, she had grown up under the gaze of others.
But this was different. The stare wasn’t a casual glance from a passerby. It was invasive, predatory, and made her deeply uncomfortable.
She looked up toward the source of the gaze. Parked not far away was a black car. From the back seat, someone was watching her.
The window was rolled down just slightly, enough for her to meet the man’s eyes. The rest of his face was hidden behind the tinted glass.
His eyes were intense, burning with an aggressive energy. Ordinarily, when someone was caught staring, their first instinct would be to look away.
But not this man. When Aurora noticed him, he didn’t avert his gaze. Instead, he continued to stare boldly, making no effort to hide his interest in her.
Yes, Aurora could see it clearly-his unfiltered interest. And it wasn’t a good thing.
Most women in her position would have turned away, flustered. But not Aurora. She didn’t shy away. Instead, she returned his gaze coldly, her demeanor regal and commanding, completely unshaken by gender or circumstance.
Her phone rang. “Miss Montgomery, where are you?” Mona’s voice came through the line.
“Stay there. I’ll come to you,” Aurora replied, her words breaking the silent standoff with the man.
Even as she turned and walked away, she could still feel his scorching gaze on her back. It was as though his eyes could burn through her.
After she left, the man sat back in his seat. He thought of the moment when she had smiled with the cup in her hands. It had been like winter sunlight, warm and comforting.
A cruel smile tugged at his lips, and he shifted his gaze away from where she had vanished. “Drive.”
Aurora got into Mona’s car, the warmth inside a stark contrast to the frosty tension she carried. Her expression was icy, so much so that Mona couldn’t help but ask, “Is everything okay?”
“Nothing. Let’s go home,” Aurora said, swiftly shutting down the conversation.
But the man’s hawk-like eyes were etched into her memory, leaving her unsettled. She couldn’t pinpoint the source of her unease.
Her thoughts were interrupted by a phone call. The caller was Alison Walker, someone she hadn’t seen in months.
“Hello,” Aurora answered, steadying her emotions.
“Miss Montgomery, your perfume is incredible. I had to pay a fortune to get my hands on a bottle,” Alison’s cheerful voice came through.
This woman, both rival and ally, made Aurora’s thoughts drift back to their first meeting months ago.
“You didn’t call just to talk about perfume, did you? If you like it, I can have one custom-made for you.”
“You’re still as sharp as ever. No, I didn’t call for that. I wanted to tell you something.”
“What is it?”
“Three days ago, Genevieve was bailed out.”
“Oh? She was convicted and sentenced. Who dared to bail her out?”
“I’m only giving you a heads-up. Ivy has found herself a dangerous ally. Be careful. That woman is on the brink of madness. Who knows what she’ll do next?”