Aurora lifted her gaze subtly, her expression unreadable as she took in the sight of a man standing outside the store.

He wore a baseball cap and a face mask, his posture slightly hunched as he watched her and Megan intently.

Something about him felt familiar.

A second glance confirmed it.

It was Joseph.

Her brows furrowed.

Hadn’t he just been released recently? Was he already looking for trouble?

Though from the way he was lingering outside, he didn’t seem bold enough to make a scene.

Deciding he wasn’t worth her attention, Aurora shifted the conversation smoothly. “See that dress in the display across the street? That’s the new collection from A&Co. It’d look amazing on you.”

Megan, a devoted fan of A&Co., immediately perked up. “Wait, they released a new line? Why didn’t I hear about this?!”

Without hesitation, she grabbed Aurora’s arm and dragged her across the street, completely forgetting about picking out a tie for Lucas.

Which had been exactly Aurora’s intention.

She had no interest in buying Lucas a tie.

If she did, Megan would no doubt tell him the symbolic meaning behind it.

And if Lucas thought she wanted to tie him down… who knew how he’d mock her for it?

She was just a mere stand-in.

How dare she act like she could become something more?

A sharp pang shot through her chest at the thought.

Annoyed at herself for even caring, she took a long sip of coffee, willing the bitter taste to calm her down.

She glanced sideways at Megan, making sure she was still fixated on the dress and hadn’t noticed her momentary lapse in composure.

Once reassured, she flicked her eyes back toward the store entrance.

Joseph was gone.

Aurora’s gaze darkened slightly.

Was that just a coincidence?

She quickly brushed the thought aside. It wasn’t worth dwelling on.

Instead, she focused on enjoying the rest of the shopping trip with Megan, letting herself get lost in the usual retail therapy.

Two hours later, they were both loaded with shopping bags as they collapsed into a cozy restaurant for lunch.

Megan let out a satisfied sigh. “Ugh, shopping really is the best stress reliever!”

“But you did most of the shopping,” Aurora teased.

Megan waved her off. “Please. You barely bought anything. You need to spoil yourself more!”

Chapter 57

Aurora chuckled and handed her the menu. “Pick something to eat first.”

Megan shook her head. “You decide. You already know what I like.”

With that, she pulled out her phone and started snapping pictures of their shopping bags.

“After buying this much, if I don’t post it on social media, what’s the point?”

Aurora shook her head with a small smile, not bothering to comment.

Just then, Megan let out a sharp gasp.

“Oh my God, Aurora, you’re trending!”

Aurora blinked. “What? Me?”

Megan quickly shoved her phone over. “Look! It was just posted, and it’s from today–someone’s been following us and taking pictures!”

Aurora immediately stood up, scanning the restaurant with narrowed eyes.

Nothing seemed off.

No one suspicious.

No one with a camera.

Her expression darkened as she looked down at the screen.

The trending post was a series of photos showing her with a man captured in a way that made it look like they were flirting in public.

The photos were intimate and suggestive.

In reality, the man had accidentally bumped into her.

Their interaction had lasted barely five seconds.

And, most importantly, he had been holding another woman’s hand the entire time.

But that didn’t stop the gossip accounts from twisting the story.

The captions painted her as a shameless homewrecker, seducing a man right in front of his girlfriend.

The comment section was vicious.

Meanwhile, in another part of the city, Joseph was watching the online chaos unfold, a satisfied smirk playing on his lips.

His sharp eyes gleamed with triumph.

This was only the beginning.

He was going to drag Aurora down, piece by piece, until she had nowhere left to run.

And when she was at rock bottom, he would swoop in like the hero she had no choice but to rely on.

She’d have to thank him for saving her.

Joseph swirled his drink and clinked his glass against Chuck’s.

“Pleasure doing business.”

But before Chuck could even enjoy the moment, his smirk suddenly froze.

“Shit! Aurora just fought back!”

Chapter 58