Heath strolled leisurely into the training area, rolling up the sleeves of his shirt to reveal his well-defined forearms.
He flashed a smile at Aurora and said, "Let's get started."Aurora threw a quick punch, but no matter how fast she was, Heath always seemed to dodge effortlessly, as if he was always one step ahead.Panting, Aurora couldn't even graze the hem of his shirt, which frustrated her to no end.She aimed a swift punch at Heath's face. Dodging to the side, he grabbed her wrist with his left hand. Aurora lifted her right arm for an elbow strike to his chest, only to be caught again.With both hands restrained, Aurora instinctively used Heath's own force to flip over, aiming a kick. Heath sidestepped again, locking her in his arms.Her hands twisted behind her back, pressed against Heath, he leaned in, his breath slightly ragged, whispering in her ear, "Was that move taught by Coach Lyne too?"Aurora was taken aback. She'd been fighting oKnock, knock, knock. The sound of knocking echoed through the room. Aurora got out of bed and opened the door. The housekeeper Mr. Leen stood outside, holding a tray."Mr. Leen, what's up? It's pretty late," Aurora asked."Miss Aurora, you didn't eat much at dinner. Your grandpa was worried you might get hungry, so he asked me to bring you some food," Leen explained."Thanks, Grandpa. And thanks for the trouble, Mr. Leen." Aurora stepped aside to let him in. Leen walked into the room, tray in hand."Miss Aurora, I've warmed up some milk for you and brought some snacks. Have something before you go to sleep. Don't starve yourself," Leen set the tray on the table and advised her."Alright, got it. Thanks," Aurora responded."Miss Aurora, you've had a tough past, and it weighs on your grandpa's heart. Sometimes he wants to make it up to you, so don't turn him down. He's getting old; he might not always think things through," Leen suddenly added.Aurora looked up and met Leen’s earnest ga
The next day, Aurora was at home when her phone buzzed. It was a call from Jasper, and he sounded super anxious. "Aurora, can you come over to the villa? Something's wrong with Amy!""What do you mean 'something's wrong'?" Aurora stood up from the couch, slipping on her shoes as she talked."She's had a high fever since yesterday, and she's unconscious now. She even coughed up blood!" Jasper blurted out."Coughed up blood? Hold on, I'm on my way!" Aurora dashed out the door.Just as she reached the entrance, she ran into Leen."Miss Aurora, where are you off to in such a hurry?" Leen asked."I've got an emergency. I'm taking Grandpa's Audi from the garage," she replied."You should really get your driver's license soon. Driving without one will upset your grandpa," Leen cautioned."I know, I know," Aurora said, speeding off in her car.When she arrived at the villa, she practically sprinted inside. Jasper saw her and immediately led her further in."Amy's in her room. Carly and Jay ar
Aurora could still hear Little Fish yelling her name, but it was like she was underwater. Her head was spinning and her legs felt like jelly. Then everything went black.Hearing Little Fish's cries, Grandpa and Leen rushed downstairs, only to find Aurora lying unconscious on the floor.Outside, Maxwell was about to drive Sophia home when he heard the commotion and came inside.Everyone hurried to help Aurora up. Sophia stood to the side, arms crossed, and said, "What's her deal now? She was all fierce just a moment ago, and now she's passed out?""Miss Sophia, what did you do to Miss Aurora? Every time she runs into you, something bad happens!" Little Fish accused, her eyes red."Nonsense! What could I have possibly done to her? She's the one who—""Shut up!" Maxwell cut her off sharply."Big brother! You're taking her side?" Sophia stomped her foot in frustration."Enough! Sophia, go back to your place and stay away from the old house! And stop bothering Aurora!" the old man banged h
The next day.Aurora woke up in a daze, feeling weak all over. She moved her arm and propped herself up to see Little Fish lying beside her bed.Little Fish woke up, rubbed her eyes, and smiled when she saw Aurora awake. "Miss Aurora, you're finally awake!""Why didn't you go back to your room to sleep?" Aurora rubbed her temples with her eyes closed."You had a fever, and Dr. Lysander said you shouldn't catch a cold after sweating at night. So, I stayed here to cover you with a blanket," Little Fish explained."Lysander Fane? Has he been here?" Aurora asked."Yeah, he'll be back for a follow-up check. Are you hungry? Want me to bring some food?" Little Fish inquired.Only then did Aurora realize she was hungry and nodded.After helping Aurora freshen up in the bathroom, Little Fish brought up some porridge and a few side dishes. "You just woke up, so let's keep it light. They've been keeping the porridge warm for you in the kitchen.Aurora sat down on the sofa, took a few bites, and
After leaving the cemetery, the group returned to the villa.Aurora carefully collected the blood samples from the three of them. "I'll have the doctor run some tests. We should have the results by tomorrow. What are you guys planning to do next?"The group exchanged glances. Jasper spoke up, "Miss Aurora, we took the liberty of looking into your background. You're the least favored third daughter of the Pendleton family. What were your original plans for us?"Aurora chuckled, "As you can see, I'm just a high school student. I don't have money or influence. If you guys want to stay, you'll have to live under the radar.""Meaning?" Carly raised an eyebrow, her expression full of Western allure."After I finish my college entrance exams, I'll be starting my own company soon. I'll need a lot of help. You can stay if you want, but the pay will be standard, not like the big bucks you made in the underworld."Aurora put it delicately, but everyone knew that in the underworld, they were invo
Aurora had just recovered from a serious illness and was sleeping like a log. When she woke up, it was already past nine in the morning.Her stomach was growling, so after a quick wash-up, she headed downstairs for breakfast.Before she even reached the bottom of the stairs, she heard her grandfather's laughter. Curious, Aurora descended to see who had put him in such a good mood.Just as she stepped off the stairs, she heard a familiar, deep voice. Aurora's mind went blank for a moment.Heath Fairbank?Rubbing her eyes, she looked again.Yep, still Heath Fairbank.Dressed in a dark suit, he looked a bit travel-worn. He was sitting at the dining table, bathed in the warm morning sunlight. The light seemed to gild his chiseled profile, adding a touch of warmth.Wasn't he supposed to be back in the capital?Why was he here in Seaview when she woke up?Heath looked up at Aurora. Her long hair was a bit messy from sleep, and she looked d
A knock suddenly came from outside the door. Little Fish asked, "Miss Aurora, are you in there? Your grandpa wants to know if Mr. Fairbank has left yet."Heath rubbed his temples and opened the door. "No, he hasn't."Little Fish: "Uh... Hello, Mr.Fairbank."The door closed again. Aurora sniffled and hopped out of Heath's arms.Feeling a bit empty and somewhat disappointed, he still put on a tsundere face. "We've been hugging for ten minutes. Regretting it now would be a bit late, don't you think?"Aurora, wiping her tears, stuttered, "I never... never asked you to hug me."Heath wiped the corner of her eyes and asked, "Done crying?"Aurora looked down. "Mhm..."Heath led her into the bathroom and turned on the faucet. "Wash your face. If we don't go down soon, your grandpa might think I'm up to no good."Aurora glared at him with red eyes, washed her face, and as she was drying it, Heath said, "I have a flight to X City at 1 PM."Her face buried in the towel, Aurora mumbled, "Got it."
Kieran watched the two people hugging so sweetly it could give you diabetes. He grinned mischievously and looked at his own boss, Heath, through the rearview mirror. He felt a sense of joy, as if he were about to marry off his daughter.Heath looked up and saw Kieran's smug face in the rearview mirror. With a cold expression, he asked, "Got too much time on your hands?"Kieran: "Boss, um, are you and Miss Aurora, like, an item now?"Heath: "No."Kieran Ashford: "No? Why not? You guys hugged!"Heath gave him a dismissive look: "Shut up and drive."Kieran was left speechless. Is love really this complicated? Anyone with half a brain could see these two were into each other! Why aren't they together yet? He was so close to celebrating, but after all the effort he and Lysander put in, these two still hadn't made it official?Heath glanced at Aurora's figure in the rearview mirror, the corner of his mouth curling up slightly. They weren't officially together, nor were they even dating. He
The next morning, Vespera was woken up at dawn, barely getting a few hours of sleep. Known as a dedicated designer, she was usually the first one awake, but today she could barely keep her eyes open. As the stylist worked on her hair and makeup, Vespera sat half-dazed, drifting in and out, completely unaware of the hands tugging her in all directions.Two hours later, with her hair and makeup done, Vespera finally slipped into her wedding dress. The reality hit her, and for the first time, she fully realized she was about to get married.Memories flooded back, particularly that first encounter with Alaric. He’d been sprawled on the steps outside, a bit too tipsy, looking up with half-closed eyes, asking, “What’s wrong with me?” Vespera, surprising even herself, had replied, “Nothing at all.”Back then, he was just a bright, headstrong young man, carrying so many dreams and frustrations. Somewhere along the way, he’d grown into this strong, grounded man. And somehow, after everything,
It wasn’t until a few days after their engagement that it even crossed Vespera’s mind to ask about the villa.Alaric confirmed he’d bought it, explaining that he’d thought she might like it and decided to go for it. As for renovations, he wanted to wait until she officially agreed to everything; after all, they’d eventually need their own place—living with Zane forever wasn’t exactly an option.By now, the news of Alaric and Vespera’s engagement had spread everywhere. Alaric was practically ready to announce it to the world on social media, but thankfully, Aurora stepped in, suggesting he keep things low-key since he was the company CEO. Plus, Vespera wasn’t exactly a fan of the public spotlight.Alaric reluctantly held back but couldn’t resist dropping hints in his friend group chat every other day. Heath and the rest were used to it by now—except Lysander, who constantly complained that he was drowning in a sea of "lovey-dovey vibes," being the lone single guy among them.When Auror
The next morning, Alaric woke up, remembering last night’s events. He pinched himself—no, it wasn’t a dream. Vespera had actually said yes.He jumped out of bed, showered, changed, and even straightened his tie before driving to her studio. There she was, focused on work, wearing a stylish dress and light makeup, looking absolutely radiant.When he walked in, Vespera looked up, surprised. “Finally awake?” she asked with a smirk.Alaric simply nodded, taking her hand without a word and leading her downstairs. She stumbled after him, asking, “Where are we going?”Alaric gently nudged her into his car, driving her toward a villa. Vespera was clueless and a bit shocked, glancing around, unsure of what was happening.They finally arrived at a beautiful villa. Alaric opened the door, and she asked, “Did you just buy this?”&n
The next morning, Alaric was finally over his fever. When Vespera woke up, he was already waiting in the living room. After breakfast, they both headed to their respective offices.Aurora’s team reported they’d successfully returned to the Whitmore family’s estate. For her, that had been a fierce battle. For Vespera, however, the real challenge lay ahead: the design competition.Ever since her last conversation with Yvonne, where Yvonne had hinted that everything she had was due to Aurora and Alaric’s support, Vespera had been determined to prove herself. She wanted to be worthy of Alaric and was pouring all her energy into this competition.After submitting her designs, Vespera anxiously waited at home for results. When the winners were finally announced online, she saw her name in second place. The relief and pride were overwhelming. She had finally achieved something worth sharing with Alaric. Now, with the award ceremony in the UK, she had no choice but to let him know.Expecting
Vespera had reclaimed her brand, and Alaric seemed to be maturing by the day, treating her like she was his entire world. Everything seemed to be falling into place.After that showdown in Alaric’s office with Elowen, she hadn’t shown her face again. Vespera figured it was over, that Elowen had finally given up. Everyone else thought the same.But on the day they took graduation photos, Aurora disappeared. Heath and Alaric eventually tracked her down — Elowen had taken her. Vespera was frantic, blaming herself for not protecting Aurora better.Heath and Alaric couldn’t stop Aurora’s flight at the airport, so they booked tickets to the UK to get her back. Vespera had too much to handle here to join them, so she only saw Alaric off at the airport.He held her close, whispering, “Don’t worry. I’ll be back soon, and Aurora will be safe.”Vespera hugged him back tightly. She trusted him. Alaric and Heath would get this done — Elowen had crossed a line that couldn’t be ignored, and she knew
This past week, Aurora had been tirelessly setting up to counter Evelyn and her allies, Yvonne and Elowen. Meanwhile, Alaric, working alongside Aurora to reclaim Elowen’s brand.A week later, the press conference went ahead as planned. Alaric helped Vespera pick an outfit, stayed until she’d finished her makeup, and then drove her to the venue himself.The conference, led by Evelyn, was a disaster for her team. They failed to take over Aurora’s company, couldn’t drive her out of the Pendleton family, and made no progress in placing Yvonne and Elowen as CEO and head designer. Their plans had backfired entirely.Leaving the venue, Yvonne, clearly shaken, stepped in front of a car without looking and was hit, blood pooling around her. Vespera, stunned and dizzy at the sight, would have collapsed if Alaric hadn’t steadied her.Frantically, Vespera fumbled with her phone to call home, stammering, “It’s Yvonne… she’s bleeding so much…”As someone unaccustomed to such violence, Vespera was t
Alaric looked at Vespera with an innocent expression and said, “It’s not what you think. I’m not a creep.”“Not a creep?” Vespera glared at him. “Then what were you doing in my room?”Alaric almost groaned. “If I told you I was here to give you a massage, would you believe me?”“Total creep!” she shouted. “Sneaking into my bed while I was asleep!”Alaric shot back, “I did not! When I woke up, you were the one curled up on me!”Vespera paused, recalling the moment she woke up. Okay, maybe she had been cozying up to him. Wait a second—was he implying she was the one acting out of line?Seeing her hesitation, Alaric grinned smugly. “See? You were just as comfortable with it!”“Get out!” Vespera yelled.Alaric left the room, trying not to smile too much. Sure, nothing happened, but just getting to hold her felt amazing. Although… his shoulder was sore from her leaning on him all night, so he headed back to his room to grab a few more hours of sleep.Vespera, alone in her room, listened as
Vespera walked ahead, casual and carefree in a T-shirt and shorts, no makeup, and even bare of high heels, while Alaric trailed close behind with a jacket in hand, grinning like a fool. Everyone in the lobby couldn’t help but notice—their usually composed CEO was tagging along, practically beaming.Catching up to her, Alaric draped his jacket over her shoulders. “How could you leave without dressing warmer? You’ll end up with a stomach ache tonight,” he said, his voice soft with affection.Vespera felt a warm flutter in her chest but stayed quiet, letting his jacket settle around her as they walked out. Alaric was thrilled she hadn’t brushed him off; emboldened, he slipped his hand into hers, wrapping her cold fingers in his.For a moment, she stiffened, then relaxed, letting her hand nestle securely in his. Together, they headed to the parking lot, Alaric practically floating with joy. This felt better than winning the lottery!Bringing her home, Alaric felt out of his depth—things h
Alaric stood in his office, with Elowen right in front of him, her hand tugging at his tie, a faint smirk hidden beneath her slightly indignant expression.Seeing the scene, Vespera nearly turned around and left right then and there. But she reminded herself of her purpose for coming today. She was done hiding from Elowen. Even if Alaric wasn’t hers in the end, she’d be damned if he ended up with someone like Elowen.So Vespera strode into the office, fixed her gaze on them, and asked, “What’s going on here?”At the sound of her voice, Alaric spun around, fumbling to free his tie from Elowen’s grip. But Elowen held tight, glancing over at Vespera with a slight smile. “Miss Thornfield? You’re here?”Vespera closed the door behind her, gave a slight nod, and asked again, “What exactly is this about?”Elowen smirked. “Oh, it’s nothing. I just wanted to ask Alaric if I could borrow a few people to help promote my new fashion line. Not sure if he’s on board with it, though.”“Not a chance,