Aurora cut him off coldly. “You should know that I didn’t come here to talk about any of that.”

Julian tried to steer the conversation elsewhere, but Aurora was firm in her purpose and didn’t give him any room to divert.

Left with no other choice, Julian finally came clean. “Aurora, I just want us to start over. What’s so wrong about that?”

Hearing that, Aurora was utterly speechless. “What do you mean what’s wrong? Are you seriously saying you did nothing wrong?”

Julian looked completely confident. “What did I do wrong? All I had done was go after the woman he liked. It was about his own interests—what was so wrong about that? Everyone looked out for themselves, didn’t they?”

He genuinely believed he was in the right. And with that, Julian’s confidence grew even stronger.

Aurora stared at him, at a loss for words. This man really was hopeless. Even now, he still had the audacity to act like he was completely justified? “Then why would I want to start over with you?”

Julian froze under her mocking gaze, completely stunned and unsure how to respond.

Why?

He blanked for a moment before snapping to the conclusion that she must be hesitating because of Tessa. “Aurora, I know what’s holding you back. Don’t worry. Leave all that to me.”

His words left Aurora momentarily dazed.

Leave it to him? What the hell was that supposed to mean? Her mind clouded in confusion, she couldn’t respond right away.

“What are you even talking about? I’m starting to not understand a word you’re saying.”

Part of her felt like she was beginning to understand what Julian meant, but she didn’t dare believe it.

After all, between the two of them, there was still Tessa.

Julian’s expression turned disapproving.

“Aurora, we’re both smart people. Some things only need to be said once or twice.” His tone grew increasingly impatient. “At this point, if you’re still going to pretend you don’t get it, then there’s really no point in talking.”

“Then say it clearly.”

Aurora’s tone was just as cold, the slight tilt of her eyes now carrying an unmistakable chill.

Julian no longer bothered to beat around the bush. “Fine. You’re saying all this because of Tessa, aren’t you? Don’t worry. I’ll talk to her. As long as you agree to be with me, I’ll handle everything on my end. My family too—I’ll make sure none of them interfere with you. When the time comes, you…”

“Stop.”

Aurora couldn’t take it anymore. She finally cut through Julian’s delusion with a sharp interruption. She gave him a once-over, clearly disgusted. She couldn’t believe this was what he had in mind. Even now, with his engagement to her sister, he was still thinking about all this nonsense? “Julian Hayes, you honestly make me sick.”

Julian frowned. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Aurora, I’ve always been genuine with you. Isn’t that going too far? And don’t worry, I’d never stop you from doing what you want. You can go wherever you like—I’ll go with you. But you have to let me manage your money. I’m just worried you might lose your way if you have too much on hand.”

Aurora curled her lips into a smile, the sarcasm in her eyes almost blinding. “Julian, your skin gets thicker by the day. Keep dreaming, but don’t drag me into it.”