His right hand kept checking his phone from time to time, hoping to see a reply from Aurora. Behind him, Wendy complained, “Lukey, why are you walking so fast? I can’t keep up!”
Lucas glanced at the unread message on his screen, irritation bubbling under the surface. But when he turned around to face Wendy, his expression remained calm and polite. “Alright, I’ll wait for you.”
Even after they got into the car, Aurora still hadn’t replied. Sitting in the driver’s seat, Lucas felt uneasy. Had Aurora seen what happened earlier and misunderstood?
On Aurora’s side, she was having lunch with Leonard, but her mind was clearly elsewhere. Her thoughts were still spinning with the image of Lucas and his so-called true love. When lunchtime came, the two only shared a simple meal.
Then Leonard seemed to remember something and casually asked, “Miss Walton, do you know that person at the airport earlier?”
With a loud clatter, Aurora’s spoon fell into her bowl. Her eyes widened slightly, and she hastily reached for a napkin, only for Leonard to kindly hand her one.
“Why do you ask that all of a sudden?” Taking the napkin from him, she muttered a quick “Thanks” and couldn’t help but question him.
Leonard let out a soft chuckle. “Miss Walton, you’ve been distracted this whole time. I’m not clueless. I can tell something’s on your mind.”
Aurora thought back on the entire drive and lunch. It was true–she hadn’t been herself. She looked a little embarrassed. “Sorry about that. I must’ve made a fool of myself.”
Leonard just smiled. “Don’t overthink it. Some things are within our control. And by the way, the soup here is excellent. Great choice! You’ve got good taste in restaurants. I’ll definitely bring my sister next time.”
That caught Aurora’s interest. “You have a sister?”
“Yes, her name is Nora Knight.” When Leonard mentioned the word sister, there was a flicker of emotion in his eyes that Aurora couldn’t quite read–something gentle, maybe even tinged with sadness. But she didn’t press. Everyone had their secrets, things they chose not to share. There was no need to dig deeper.
Over the course of the meal, the two of them got to know each other better. Aurora learned that Leonard was actually her mother’s first step in expanding into the international architecture market. He had studied architectural design abroad, and Grace hoped to integrate his design philosophy into Walton Corporation’s development plans. Interestingly, Aurora’s views often aligned with Leonard’s, and they hit it off quickly. By the end of lunch, Leonard was clearly impressed with her.
“I didn’t expect you to share so many of my perspectives on modern design,” he said with a bright smile. “Talking to you has been a real pleasure, Miss Walton.”
“Likewise,” Aurora returned a smile. “I think we work well together. I’m looking forward to collaborating with you.”
“And when there’s a chance, bring your sister along. I know a few great restaurants. We can try them out together.”
Leonard’s smile widened. “Absolutely. Don’t worry, I’ll pass your invitation along to my sister.”
The meeting ended on a good note. After dropping Leonard off, Aurora returned home, but her mind couldn’t help drifting back to what had happened earlier in the day. She took a deep breath and reminded herself—it was just a flash marriage. She had no right to ask for more. She made this choice herself. Even if she regretted it now, it was too late. Living separate lives wasn’t such a bad thing.