The next morning, Aurora was jolted awake by the sound of her alarm. She rubbed her sleepy eyes and reached out toward the other side of the bed, only to find it empty. Lucas hadn’t come home last night. A flicker of unreadable emotion flashed across her eyes. Throwing off the covers, she stepped onto the cool floor and walked to the wardrobe. She casually picked out a beige knit sweater and a pair of black wide-leg pants. After washing up, she grabbed a quick breakfast before heading out the door.
At the office, Aurora sat at her desk, powered on her computer, and started working. But no matter how hard she tried, she just couldn’t focus. Images of Lucas' cold expression from last night when he answered that call, his hurried departure—it all kept replaying in her mind.
She made herself a cup of hot coffee, the warmth gradually clearing her head, allowing her to finally immerse herself in work. As the end of the workday approached, her phone screen lit up with a messenger notification. It was from Tessa.
“Aurora, Mom’s birthday party is next Saturday. Don’t forget. And you must bring your ‘mysterious’ husband along. Mom and I are both looking forward to meeting him!”
“By the way, I still don’t know what your husband’s family does for a living. Julian has been so busy with work lately that I feel bad asking him to take time off just to go dress shopping with me.”
Aurora stared at the screen, her brows knitting together slightly. How could she not catch the underlying tone in Tessa’s words? It was nothing more than an attempt to flaunt Julian while taking a jab at her, waiting to see her make a fool of herself. A cold smirk played on Aurora’s lips as she tapped out a reply.
“You’re truly lucky to have found someone as accomplished as Mr. Hayes.”
“As for my husband, he’s not as busy or influential as Julian, but he’s very much looking forward to meeting everyone. You’ll have to help me judge if he’s good enough, sis.”
Setting her phone aside, Aurora rubbed her temples. Her marriage to Lucas had been an accident, an arrangement born out of unforeseen circumstances. And now, she had to bring him along to Grace’s birthday banquet, where she would have to deal with Tessa’s veiled jabs and mind games. The mere thought of it was exhausting. But Aurora had never been the type to back down. Since Tessa Walton wanted a show, Aurora was more than happy to put on a grand performance for her.
Not long after, Tessa’s reply came through.
“Of course. As your sister, I have to take your lifelong happiness seriously. I’ll be sure to help you evaluate him properly.”
Aurora didn’t bother responding. Instead, she placed her phone face down on the desk with a light thud. She shut down her computer, stood up, and left the office. If Tessa wanted to use the birthday banquet to humiliate her, then Aurora would just have to see who would end up embarrassed in the end.
As she stepped into the underground parking lot and pressed her car key, a familiar voice, laced with anger, rang out behind her.
“Aurora Walton, stop right there!”
She didn’t need to turn around to know who it was. Joseph.
Aurora halted and slowly turned, her expression indifferent as she met his furious gaze. Joseph strode up to her in a few quick steps, his face dark with anger, his eyes burning with barely concealed rage. He scanned her from head to toe, his tone dripping with sarcasm. “Didn’t expect this… You’re looking more polished than ever. Seems like you’ve been doing quite well since leaving me.”
Aurora crossed her arms, arching a brow in silent amusement. “Mr. Hunt, is there something you need? If not, I have to get home.”
Her detached attitude only fueled Joseph’s irritation. His voice rose sharply. “Stop pretending, Aurora! Did you climb your way up by seducing someone powerful? Is that how you got back into Walton Corporation?”