Maxwell had no choice but to set Aurora down. The moment her toes touched the ground, her body went limp, leaning against him. She then staggered, trying to make her way to the door.Only then did Maxwell realize that Aurora wasn't fully awake. Her eyes were unfocused, and she seemed disoriented, stumbling around without a clear direction.What he hadn't expected was her heightened sense of caution. Just holding her for a moment had triggered her resistance.Concerned she might fall, Maxwell followed her, occasionally steadying her as they made their way to the hotel entrance.Alaric, trailing behind, was stunned. “This girl's got some moves. She fought back the moment Maxwell touched her."They finally reached the entrance, where Aurora looked like she was about to collapse. But every time Maxwell tried to help, she instinctively dodged him.The screech of car brakes filled the air as a black Maybach pulled up. Security approached to stop the car but retreated when they met the drive
The next day.Aurora came downstairs, and Grandpa greeted her to join him for breakfast. "Come on, the kitchen staff has been simmering porridge for you all morning. Have some."Aurora took a seat and sipped her porridge obediently. Seeing her in better spirits, Grandpa asked, "Hey, the semester's almost over. You going to school today?"Aurora nodded. "Yep, going to school. Meeting up with Vespera later."Grandpa suggested, "Since you don't drive, want me to arrange a chauffeur for you?"Aurora's eyes light up. "Nah, Grandpa. Let me find someone myself—someone who knows a bit of martial arts and can double as a bodyguard."Grandpa approved. "Sounds good. Once you find someone, have Leen vet him, and we'll pay him from the family funds."After breakfast, Aurora stepped outside and dialed Jay, who picked up the phone lamenting dramatically, "Aurora! How much longer do you expect me to hide out in Seaview? Jasper and Carly have left! I'm bored out of my mind in this gigantic villa!"Aur
After school, Aurora bid farewell to Vespera, and had her driver drop her off at a restaurant. She packed a portion of sweet and sour fish, then headed to Heath’s place.She unlocked the door and found Gloria cooking. Gloria was overjoyed to see her, "Miss Aurora, you're back? Come in, I'll call the boss for dinner!"Aurora was puzzled, "Doesn't Heath usually come home for dinner?"Gloria, with dishes in hand, said, "Not often. Since you moved out, he rarely comes home. Usually, Kieran gets his meals delivered to the office."Gloria reached for her phone, but Aurora stopped her, "It's fine, Gloria. I'll call."With a cheerful grin, Gloria handed over her phone and returned to the kitchen. Aurora dialed and heard Kieran's voice, "Gloria, I'll swing by for the food later, have it packed."Aurora: "...Kieran.""Miss Aurora?" Kieran was stunned, and double-checked. It was indeed Gloria's phone."Is Heath busy?" Aurora inquired.Peering into the conference room at Heath, Kieran replied, "H
The atmosphere was buzzing with excitement as everyone greeted Heath. Aurora, feeling a bit like a fish out of water, managed to introduce herself to a few people. She then followed the crowd into the racetrack.A group of men were impatiently shouting across the track, their voices tinged with anticipation. "Is it ready yet? When are we starting the race?"Alaric was sprawled lazily on a plush sofa. He looked up and called out to Heath, "Hey, Heath, how about a spin? The cars are begging to be driven."Heath shook his head dismissively. "Not interested."Alaric looked puzzled, his eyebrows knitting together. "Then what the heck are you doing here, man?"Heath shot him a glance, his eyes narrowing slightly. "Weren't you the one who asked me to bring Aurora here?"Alaric let out an exaggerated sigh, turning to Aurora with a mock-accusing look. "Aurora, you promised not to sell me out. What gives?"Aurora chuckled awkwardly, her cheeks flushing a light pink. "I didn't sell you out. He f
Elowen stepped forward, remarking, "Heath, Aurora seems to know a lot about racing. She knew Zane was going to lose just from his second turn."Just then, Zane walked over, overhearing the comment. "Who said I was going to lose on the second turn?"Aurora frowned, thinking, "Is Elowen just like those Pendleton sisters, always stirring up trouble?"Alaric, trying to defuse the situation, said, "It's nothing, just some casual chat."Zane, still fuming from his loss, snapped, "Casual chat? Who's casually saying I'd lose?"Aurora stepped up, admitting, "I did."Zane looked at her dismissively, "What would a young lady like you know about racing? On what basis did you say I'd lose?"Aurora replied with a smirk, "I noticed your car's left tire is old, while the right one is new. You took the turn too sharply and too early, losing speed."
While waiting at a red light, Heath turned to look at Aurora. His gaze seemed casual but struck her to the core. "Would you ever harm me?" he asked.Aurora shook her head. "No."She could spend her entire life seeking revenge on Isabella Whitmore and Dominic Ashcroft, fighting against the underworld and the Whitmore family, but she would never harm Heath. She held this secret close to her heart—her identity, her past, her purpose. She feared that when the time came for her to step onto the battlefield, she might drag Heath down with her.All she wanted was his safety.Heath smiled, reaching over to ruffle the back of her fluffy hair. "That's enough for me."As long as she said no, he believed her.Back home, Aurora sent photos of Zane and Cheryl to Derek Eastwood, the author of War Against Fate. After seeing the photos, Eastwood immediately agreed to the adaptation.Jay had already arrived at the Pendleton residence. Leen had arranged for him to stay there, providing him with a car, a
Evelyn Media was pumping out promotional shots of Sophia almost every week. Online trolls were hyping up Sophia's innocent charm like crazy, predicting that the school drama Youth would be a smash hit.Meanwhile, Aurora's project War Against Fate was hitting some snags.Zane's acting skills were mediocre at best. He could pull off playing a spoiled rich kid addicted to booze and women in the early scenes, but when it came to the middle part—where his character, Dylan, faces family ruin and has to endure humiliation and bullying—he just couldn't deliver.Born with a silver spoon in his mouth, Zane had never faced hardship, let alone humiliation or bullying. How could he possibly portray those emotions?And it wasn't just any humiliation. The script called for scenes where Dylan gets kicked out of a dance hall and beaten in the rain, has to pull rickshaws and carry goods at the docks, and is even forced to kneel.Zane was having none of it. "My face is too handsome to be covered in mud
The next day, in the evening. Heath drove to Alaric's house, entering with Aurora. The banquet hall was bustling with men and women chatting away. Heath leaned over to Aurora and said, "If you don't want to stay, we can leave." Aurora smiled and nodded. Alaric called out loudly, "Heath!" Everyone turned toward the door and greeted Heath politely. It seemed like everyone knew him. Elowen let go of Alaric's arm and floated over like a butterfly, her voice melodious, "Heath, I thought you wouldn't come today. You usually avoid these kinds of gatherings." "Rory wanted to come, so here we are," Heath replied. Elowen's expression shifted, "Aurora is here too. Let's all have fun." Aurora: "…" So, I've been standing next to Heath this whole time, and you didn't notice? Alaric came over and said, "Aurora, go easy on the drinks, or Heath will tear my house down." Aurora playfully stuck out her tongue, "Then let him." A few men came over and invited Heath to play cards. Heath turned t
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,