Desmond glanced at Lucas, surprised by what he saw. It was his first time witnessing his boss like this—so disheveled and out of sorts. The sight left a bitter taste in his mouth. The man he knew was always composed, powerful, and ambitious, never one to show emotion. So, this was all because of Aurora?
“Boss, you’ve had enough. Why don’t we call it a night?” Desmond mustered up some courage, trying to stop him from drinking any more.
But Lucas shot him a dark look. “Did I ask for your opinion?” Then he pointed toward the bar. With no choice, Desmond sighed and dutifully went to grab another bottle of hard liquor.
What could he do? He was just an employee, and the man in front of him was the one who signed his paychecks. And so, Desmond sat beside Lucas the entire night. He took a few sips himself from time to time, lamenting his hard life—he’d somehow survived all these years under a boss like Lucas.
Lucas, meanwhile, was weighed down with frustration. He couldn't understand why Aurora’s attitude toward him swung so wildly between cold and hostile.
The next morning, Aurora drove to the office. She hadn’t slept all night, and her face looked a little pale. To offset it, she had applied a light layer of makeup. As soon as she arrived outside the building, she saw Joseph standing there with a massive bouquet of roses in his arms. The moment she saw him, an unexplainable irritation surged within her. She intended to ignore him and walk right past, but unfortunately, he stepped right in front of her.
Finally, unable to take it anymore, Aurora snapped, “What exactly do you want? I’m on my way to work. Last time you ended up in a holding cell—was one night not enough for you?”
At the mention of that, Joseph’s smile stiffened. He’d been trying to forget those miserable days in jail, but her words brought it all rushing back. At first, he could’ve gotten out through his lawyer—his father thought the whole thing was an embarrassment. But somehow, the police held him for a full two or three days before finally letting him go. Once he was out, his father gave him strict orders: no more trouble and he shouldn’t bring shame to Hunt Enterprises.
But Joseph didn’t see it that way. If Aurora had been able to get him locked up like that, then she clearly had someone powerful backing her. And if he could latch onto that tree, wouldn’t he be able to walk around Ravenshore like he owned the place and earn real leverage in front of his father?
Chapter 189
The more he thought about it, the wider his grin grew. Aurora looked him over in complete disgust as he stood there grinning like an idiot. “If you’re not here for anything important, take a left and go smile at the psych ward instead. Don’t stand here polluting my view.”
Joseph didn’t even flinch at her words. He just waved his hand and said, “I’ve already forgiven you for sending me to the police station last time.”
Aurora almost laughed out loud. “Forgiven me?”
“You got arrested for harassing me and thrown in a cell, and now you’re acting like the victim? Aren’t you worried someone might laugh themselves to death hearing that?”
But Joseph didn’t care. As long as his skin was thick enough, the embarrassment would always fall on someone else.
“Aurora, I’m serious about you. I’m begging you, give me another chance, okay?” He spoke as if she hadn’t just insulted him, lifting the bouquet of roses in front of her. Then, with a deep, dramatic tone, he said, “I know you still have feelings for me. You can’t just let go of those three years we spent together so easily.”