Anyone else would’ve retaliated by now.

But Julian, after his initial panic, had settled into an eerie calm. In fact, he was already thinking about how to arrange a meeting with Aurora. After all, this was an opportunity. Since Joseph had failed, he intended to seize the moment and slip in while the door was still cracked open.

With Aurora’s career on the rise, now was the perfect time to get close—and once he did, he planned to secure both the woman and her wealth. That way, he wouldn’t have to keep living like a disappointment in his own household. As for his ties with Tessa? That was just to keep his parents happy.

Julian tightened his grip on the steering wheel, his thoughts becoming clearer with each passing second. Money was one thing, but he wanted her too.

Just thinking about Aurora’s stunning, sharp-edged beauty stirred something wild in him. Compared to her, Tessa didn’t even come close. It baffled him, really. They had the same mother, but Aurora was the one blessed with striking features, the kind of looks that could turn heads and unsettle hearts.

But none of that mattered now. What mattered was winning her over. With that in mind, Julian sent her a message and asked her to meet him the next day for dinner at Day Light Restaurant.

When Aurora received the message, she was in the middle of discussing project details with John. She didn’t pay much attention to the notification at first until she saw who it was from. Her interest piqued instantly. What was Julian doing messaging her now? Was it possible he didn’t know she had already figured out who had been following her? And that she knew he was behind it?

Turning to John, Aurora asked him to pause the discussion for a moment.

Chapter 298

She needed to see exactly what Julian had sent. Was he planning to give her a proper explanation? Even now, she still didn’t know how to handle what had happened that day. But if she didn’t deal with it, it would always feel like a thorn stuck in her heart—something she couldn’t quite pull out. Just the thought of Julian made her feel uneasy.

When Aurora saw the message from Julian asking to meet, her first instinct was resistance. Then she felt something was off. What exactly was he trying to do?

John noticed the shift in her expression and assumed something had gone wrong. He walked over, concerned. “What’s wrong, Aurora? Did something happen?”

Aurora shook her head. “It’s nothing. I need to head out for a bit. Let’s continue our discussion another time.”

She had no intention of bringing this matter up, especially not with a business partner. She didn’t want it to affect their willingness to move forward with the collaboration. After everything she had gone through, Aurora finally understood the importance of keeping her guard up—both with people and with matters at hand. Otherwise, she’d only end up being taken advantage of.

Seeing that Aurora didn’t want to say more, John wisely held back. “Alright. Just be careful, Aurora. If you need anything, you can always let me know.”

“Thank you, John.” Aurora smiled, but said nothing further. She knew John meant well, but in matters like these, the only person who could truly help her was herself.

Her assistant, fully aware of where Aurora was going, didn’t ask questions. Instead, they efficiently managed all the company affairs, leaving Aurora with nothing to worry about. Only then did she feel at ease enough to head to the place Julian had mentioned.