Aurora felt unsettled, but she kept it to herself.Since he was away, she figured she might as well enjoy a couple of nights of peace. At least she'd get some quiet time.That night, she lay on the large bed, staring at the ceiling.For the first time, she noticed just how big the master bedroom felt.It was so big, as if the space around her was filled with nothing but silence—so vast and heavy it almost threatened to swallow her whole.She didn’t even bother turning off the wall lights.It hit her then—how terrifying habits could be.Somewhere along the way, without even realizing it, she had grown used to Lucas’ presence.He was like air, seeping into her world in places she couldn’t see, gradually surrounding her.Aurora turned her head to glance at the other side of the bed. When Lucas was there, it had felt a bit cramped. But now, the bed seemed big enough to fit three of her.Gone was the familiar back she used to lean on, the warmth she’d grown fond of. For the first time, s
To his surprise, Aurora was actually kind of adorable in private.“Alright, my bad,” Ian said with a tactful smile. Then, with deliberate phrasing, he asked, “So… has a friend of yours been going through something lately?”That instantly soothed Aurora’s earlier tension. She suddenly gave off the air of a proud Persian cat—poised, elegant, and just a little aloof.“Let me think…”The truth was, Aurora didn’t quite know how to bring it up.She kept telling herself it was something between the two of them. Involving too many outsiders might just make things messier.But at the same time, if she kept fighting this battle alone without ever confronting it, what good would that do?So, she framed the situation as if it had happened to a “friend” and explained it to Ian from that angle.…“So, your… I mean, your friend suspects that her husband and his so-called childhood friend having lunch together is actually just a cover for something else—and the whole thing might be deceiving you… I
Leonard hesitated for a long moment. His Adam’s apple moved slightly as he swallowed, then he finally said, “Aurora, if possible… you don’t need to thank me.”“It feels too formal. We’re friends, aren’t we?”Under the sunlight, his light-colored hair shimmered, giving him an almost ethereal look.But this time, Aurora clearly saw the seriousness on his face.It wasn’t the first or second time she’d seen Leonard, but she had never seen him wear that kind of expression before.“What’s with that serious look?” she asked, trying to steer the conversation away. She didn’t want to face him when he looked like that.Leonard understood what she was doing, but he only smiled. “It’s nothing. I just think, if you really consider me a friend, then don’t be afraid to lean on me. I don’t mind the trouble.”“If there’s anything I can help with, I always will.”Aurora patted his shoulder. “Don’t worry. I won’t hold back with you.”Just as they were about to part ways, Leonard couldn’t help but ask,
Just as Leonard was still lost in thought, Aurora’s conversation with the client suddenly came to a halt.He was puzzled for a moment, then noticed Aurora’s gaze fixed on something in the distanceFollowing her line of sight, he caught a glimpse of Lucas having lunch with another woman.The moment registered, and Leonard instinctively turned to see Aurora’s reaction.But in the very next second, she had already composed herself, seamlessly returning to the discussion. “We’re currently in collaboration with LC International. This outlines the trajectory and strategic direction of our partnership. You can take a look.”She continued, “And here’s a breakdown of our future development goals. Your firm might find some of these concepts worth referencing.”Aurora laid out the documents one by one, calm and composed, as if she’d never been distracted at all.Seeing that, Leonard had no choice but to suppress his urge to press further. Now wasn’t the time.They were negotiating with a major c
“This is really ruining the mood. If I get upset, who knows what might slip out of my mouth.”The implication couldn’t have been more obvious.Lucas wasn’t stupid.He knew exactly what Wendy meant.But he didn’t indulge her. He replied flatly, “We agreed you will keep quiet after this meal.”“That’s not what I meant when I said it,” Wendy retorted, playing games with words and twisting the meaning.Lucas grew even more annoyed. He stood up and walked straight out, tossing back, “You eat by yourself. I’ve got work to deal with at the office.”He absolutely hated being threatened.And Wendy had guts. Wendy stared at his back for a moment, stunned, but soon let it go.It didn’t matter. Like turning up the heat just a notch at a time, she figured that with enough patience, she’d eventually work her way into Lucas’ heart.She had no idea where her confidence came from, but she believed plenty of people out there liked what they had together.If Aurora ever found out what Wendy was thinkin
Hearing that, Joseph gave up on trying to make Judy stay.In fact, he felt a tiny flutter of joy.He hadn’t expected her to be seriously thinking about their future."Alright then, go on with your work. I’m heading to the office too," he said.The moment she heard that, Judy left in a hurry, not even pausing to look back.Joseph, meanwhile, kept sighing to himself.Judy had just started a studio, so she was naturally busy and barely making profit.But the truth was, Judy had already visited quite a few places on Joseph’s dime.Back then, her studio hadn’t even been set up yet, and all she wanted to do was travel around a bit.And by the time she came back, she'd opened a studio—something even she hadn’t fully planned for.But looking back now, the biggest surprise wasn’t the studio.It was Joseph.Once Judy left, Joseph got dressed and headed to the office.At first, the receptionist didn’t recognize him.It wasn’t until she heard someone greet him as "Mr. Hunt" that she finally realiz