Chapter 317

Tessa stood off to the side, watching eagerly, silently willing the woman in the red dress to hold her ground.

Meanwhile, Lucas’ eyes shimmered, as if someone had lit a string of fireworks inside him.

So, Aurora was satisfied with him.

Just one comparison, and Julian looked like nothing more than a jester – standing awkwardly on the sidelines, painfully out of place.

He should’ve known the moment Aurora called him over that nothing good would come of it. But if he hadn’t complied, she wouldn’t have let it go. Either way, he was doomed. His head was starting to ache.

Lucas looked around the room and spoke, his voice low, rich, and magnetic. “I believe my wife has made herself perfectly clear.”

The moment he spoke, the room quieted. His voice seemed to take up all the space, demanding attention without even trying. Everyone’s eyes were fixed on him.

Tessa clenched her fists, a cold unease creeping into her chest. She had a bad feeling. If Aurora didn’t fall today, would there be another chance? She couldn’t let this slip through her fingers. Just as she was about to signal Rachel, the woman in red opened her mouth again.

“But your wife didn’t really say anything.” Lucas didn’t miss a beat. “She didn’t need to. I am her statement.” As he spoke, he pulled Aurora into his arms, his hand resting confidently on her slender waist. The two of them stood side by side, inseparable.

“You’ve all seen it for yourselves. The man you call her future brother-in-law – what does he have that even compares to me?”

He let that question hang in the air, then added smoothly, “Why would my wife downgrade, after tasting better?”

That hit its mark. Julian’s face twisted. “Lucas Carter, you arrogant pretty boy. What the hell do you mean by that?” Aurora didn’t skip a beat. “Pretty boy?” She shot back, “We’re legally married. So, unless you’ve forgotten, you should stop spouting nonsense."

Lucas’ words had just landed, and Tessa’s face turned from pale to livid in a blink.

He was insulting Julian, but wasn’t that the same as dragging her dignity through the mud too? Her expression darkened by the second.

Yet everyone else in the room looked thoroughly convinced. They couldn’t argue that with a husband as good as Lucas, why would Aurora bother chasing after someone else? Lucas’ comment had sparked a new wave of comparisons, this time between him and Julian.

It didn’t take long for the crowd to reach a consensus. Julian stood a few centimeters shorter, his presence significantly dimmer.

Where Lucas carried sharp elegance and masculine confidence, Julian’s softer, almost delicate features seemed dull in contrast. Facial structure alone tipped the scale – Lucas’ features were striking, chiseled, undeniably magnetic. Julian’s, by comparison, felt forgettable. The contrast wasn’t subtle; Lucas exuded sheer, effortless charm. It wasn’t even a choice – anyone with eyes could see who the better man was.

And just like that, the tide shifted. The crowd wasn’t buying the drama anymore. The woman in red tried to speak again, but someone in the crowd cut her off.

“Give it a rest. Can’t stand seeing a happy couple, is that it?” “Exactly. Aurora’s made her point loud and clear.” “Seriously, are you just here to stir up trouble in their marriage?”

That last comment lit a fire under Lucas. He reached for Aurora’s hand and laced his fingers through hers, raising them high for everyone to see. “Sorry to disappoint, but we’re doing just fine.”

The room erupted with cheers. Aurora’s cheeks flushed with a rosy hue, the color blooming across her face before she even realized it. She looked up at Lucas, standing protectively in front of her, and felt her heart race faster and faster, like it couldn’t keep up with everything he was making her feel.