Aurora swiftly pulled out her phone from her handbag and, almost without thinking, dialed Heath's number.It was deep into the night, and in the United States, it should have been the wee hours of the morning. Yet, when Aurora called, the phone rang only twice before it was picked up.A slightly hoarse male voice came through the phone, "Rory."Aurora was momentarily startled, "You haven't slept yet?""Mm, still some work to finish," Heath replied.The sound of keyboard typing occasionally transmitted from the other end of the phone, signaling Heath's busyness."You're busy, then..." Aurora was about to hang up.Heath interrupted her, "Did you use the gift sent by Kieran?"Aurora couldn't help but smile, "Yes, I did.""So," Heath's voice carried a hint of laughter, "are you calling to thank me?"Aurora laughed, "Yes, thank you, sweetheart, for saving me from dire straits!""Just verbal thanks?" Heath inquired.Aurora pouted, "What else do you want?""Anything?" Heath asked with a chuc
Probably, being pampered all his life, Maxwell had never been hit or scolded, which explained his shock when Aurora slapped him."Aurora, do you think I wouldn't dare touch you?" Maxwell turned, his eyes cold as he stared at Aurora.For a man like him, being slapped was a humiliation that could ignite a furious rage.Aurora smirked, "Maxwell, I wish you would openly lay a hand on me. Stop pretending to be the good guy. I've never been afraid of being your enemy!"Maxwell, gripping Aurora's waist, spun her around and pinned her against the pillar, his grip tightening, causing pain not just in her arm but now also in her waist.Before Maxwell could speak, Jay's anxious voice came from behind, "Aurora!"Seeing Jay was like seeing a savior for Aurora, who called out, "Jay! Help me!"Maxwell frowned. Jay was just Aurora's driver; he had no right to address her so familiarly.Jay rushed over and pulled Maxwell away from Aurora. His strength wasn't great, but his technique was effective, cau
As dawn barely broke, Aurora awoke again. Without packing anything and merely grabbing her documents, she headed straight for the airport. After briefly informing Jay of her situation and instructing her assistant to take care of Cheryl and others during her impromptu trip to the United States, she boarded the plane.Only when the plane touched down in Los Angeles did Aurora fully grasp the impulsiveness of her decision. She had really flown all the way to the U.S.By ten in the evening, after leaving the airport, Aurora hailed a taxi to Heath's hotel. Moving quickly through the lobby and up the elevator, she stood at his door and rang the bell. A minute later, the door opened.There stood Heath, wrapped in a robe, his hair disheveled and face a portrait of sleepy confusion, lacking his usual aloofness and seriousness, replaced instead with an endearing vulnerability.Heath gazed at the girl at his door, dressed in a simple white T-shirt and shorts, wearing sneakers, her hair tied in
As he reached the entrance of the mall, Dominic Ashcroft saw Aurora Pendleton just getting into a taxi. The reflection of her face in the window was a blurry silhouette, unmistakably resembling Olivia!Dominic ran towards her, shouting, "Olivia!"But the taxi sped away, leaving no trace. The girl inside, Aurora, did not react at all, not even turning her head, absorbed in something else, seemingly oblivious to his calls.Isabella followed, wiping the sweat off Dominic's forehead with a handkerchief. "Dominic, you've mistaken someone else for her. Olivia has left the Abyss; it's impossible for her to be here."Dominic stood frozen, staring in the direction where the taxi had disappeared.He had searched everywhere she might have gone, scoured through all her missions, even utilized connections and influence to check other organizations and mercenaries for any trace of her.All his anger at possibly being betrayed by someone so close had turned into longing.Regardless of whether Olivia
As Aurora was about to speak, Leen emerged and said to her, "Miss Aurora, your grandpa is awake and wishes to see you."Aurora nodded, and Evelyn inquired eagerly, "What about me? What about me?"Leen smiled gently, "Miss Evelyn, your grandpa didn't ask for you."Before Evelyn could retort, Aurora interjected, "In that case, Leen, please close the door. Let's not have irrelevant people disturb Grandpa's rest."Leen nodded and closed the grand door, following Aurora as she walked in. Left outside, Evelyn stamped her foot in frustration, knocked on the door a few times to no avail, and finally had no choice but to leave.Inside, Aurora found her grandfather propped up in bed, sipping his medicine. She smiled and asked, "Grandpa, you're awake? How do you feel?"The old man chuckled warmly, "So, you do remember to check on me? I thought you'd decided to stay in America!"Aurora laughed lightly, "Oh, Grandpa, you always tease!"Ignoring her, the old man continued his medicine. Aurora sugge
The broadcast of Autumn's Whispering Fan not only catapulted Cheryl and Zane to the forefront of stardom, firmly establishing them as A-list celebrities, but also brought fame to Soraya.Soraya's character, Thalassa, though initially involved in several misdeeds against Gavin and Belle's relationship, ultimately dies for Gavin, portraying a character of extreme devotion. Her skilled acting, combined with a sweet appearance, garnered her a substantial fanbase and better opportunities.Following the successful airing of Autumn's Whispering Fan, Aurora granted Zane and Cheryl a half-month break for some much-needed rest, with a film shoot scheduled next.This time, Aurora chose a script for Zane titled The Pianist, set in the wartime era. The character, Gideon, joins the army due to his family's decline, looking down on the poor boys from remote villages, and is equally disdained for his arrogance.Gideon, a self-serving slacker concerned only with his safety, always hides in the rear du
Having navigated the entertainment industry for years, Evelyn was no naive young girl. She boldly made a few dates with Wilde, quickly wrapping him around her finger. Thanks to her charm, she secured a lucrative endorsement deal with an international cosmetics brand and conveniently snagged a role for Yvonne.Wilde, tenderly caressing Evelyn's back, returned to his seat with a frown, facing Aurora. "Ms. Pendleton, that's not fair. Evelyn is your sister, after all. How can you speak to her like that?"Before Aurora could respond, Cheryl burst out laughing. "And what right do you have to lecture my boss, Mr. Wilde? Are you speaking as a business partner? This collaboration might not happen now. Or are you speaking as Evelyn's boyfriend? In that case, I suggest you stay quiet like me. The Pendletons can handle their own family matters."Normally, Cheryl wouldn't dare offend producers or directors with such bold words. But she knew Aurora well enough to realize this collaboration was doom
The book Dual Facades tells the story of Glimmer, a high school girl suffering from severe depression due to family issues and academic pressures.Every day, Glimmer forces a smile with her classmates, trying to fit in, but returns home to silently shed tears, haunted daily by thoughts of suicide.When Glimmer confides in her teachers and peers about her depression, her teacher advises her to focus on her studies, while her classmates mockingly say, 'Wow, that's so cool.' Her mother, impatient, dismisses her concerns, urging her back to her homework.Glimmer's attempts to seek help from the outside world fail one by one, and her condition worsens day by day. Despite fighting desperately to cling to hope and help others, she ultimately succumbs to suicide.This book is a complete tragedy. Glimmer struggles to survive, tormented by depression, leading to her untimely death.The book's acclaim is due to the author, Luce, who himself suffered from depression. He infused his life experienc
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,