Mag-log inAurora's POV I could hardly breathe as I stared at the photograph on Xavier’s desk. The man smiling next to Carter Mills Sr. looked confident, younger, and very much alive. This wasn’t Leonard’s dead brother. It wasn’t Leonard either. This was the mysterious fifth founder my father had worked so hard to hide from history. Arthur Bell. My hands started shaking. “It’s him,” I said, my voice barely above a whisper. “The guy who came to my apartment. The one who called himself Arthur Bell. He’s the fifth founder.” Xavier’s whole body went tense beside me. He leaned over my shoulder, his chest pressing against my back, warm and solid. Even now, with my world flipping upside down, I felt that familiar pull. The way his breath brushed my ear made my skin tingle. I hated how much I wanted him to wrap his arms around me and make everything else disappear for a few minutes. “Steve,” Xavier barked, not moving away from me. “Reopen every file we have on Arthur Bell’s supposed death. Everythin
Xavier's POV Steve walked into my office looking like he’d swallowed something sour. “Emergency court injunction just hit. Locker 317 is frozen. Aurora can’t touch anything inside it. Someone claims the contents belong to Griffins Enterprises, not Daniel’s estate.” I froze mid-sip of coffee, the cup hitting the desk harder than I meant. “What the fuck did you just say?” “I’m telling you, it’s real. Filed this morning. They moved fast.” I stood up so quick my chair rolled back and hit the wall. “I didn’t authorize any injunction. Check it. Now.” Steve was already on it, nodding as he typed on his tablet. “Legal department is pulling the filing. But heads up—someone used old corporate credentials. The kind that should’ve been dead for years.” Within the hour, Steve had the details. He dropped the papers on my desk and rubbed his eyes. “It wasn’t us, Xavier. The signatures are forged. They’re using our own history against us. Whoever did this knows exactly how the company worked ba
Aurora's POV I barely slept. All night I tossed and turned, that old key burning a hole in my mind. By the time the sky started to lighten, I was already up, dressed in jeans and a simple hoodie, and heading out the door. I called my lawyer, Marcus, and told him to meet me at the storage facility address I’d looked up. I didn’t tell anyone else. Not Isla. Not Xavier. This one felt too personal, too raw. I needed to see it for myself first. The storage place was on the outskirts of the city, one of those big warehouse-style buildings with rows of orange doors and almost no people around this early. Marcus pulled up right after me, looking sharp in his suit like he was ready for court even at seven in the morning. “You sure about going in alone like this?” he asked as we walked toward the office. “I’m sure.” The manager behind the counter was an older guy with a coffee stain on his shirt. When I slid the key across the desk, his eyebrows shot up. “Locker 317,” he said, checking hi
Aurora's POV I couldn’t stop staring at the photograph. The five men stood shoulder to shoulder like they ruled the world back then. I recognized four faces right away—my dad, Xavier, Carter Mills Sr., and Victor Langston. But the fifth guy? His face was completely burned away, just a ugly black scorch mark where his features should have been. It gave me the creeps. Who does that to a picture? And why leave it behind like some kind of twisted clue? Harold Bennett leaned in closer, squinting at it under the office lights. “I haven’t seen this in over a decade,” he said quietly, his old voice a little shaky. “Maybe longer.” “Who is he?” I asked, pointing at the burned spot. “The fifth man. What’s his name?” Harold hesitated, rubbing his chin. He glanced at Xavier like he was worried about saying too much. “Truth is, I never actually learned his identity. Most people think Griffins Enterprises was founded by four men. That’s what all the official stories say. But it was five. Somewhe
Xavier's POV The boardroom had turned into a fucking circus. Directors were shouting over each other, pointing fingers like this was some reality TV show instead of a billion-dollar company. Caldwell was red in the face, accusing Reeves of being the leak, while Reeves fired back that it had to be someone who benefited from destabilizing me. Papers were scattered everywhere. Phones kept buzzing. It was a goddamn mess. I slammed my hand on the table hard enough to make a few of them jump. “Enough.” My voice cut through the noise. “IT is already tracing the email. I want answers, not accusations flying around this room like idiots.” Steve was already on his phone in the corner, barking orders. I glanced across the table at Aurora. She wasn’t looking at the screen or the shouting men. Her eyes were moving slowly from face to face, studying everyone like she was trying to see through their bullshit. She looked calm on the outside, but I knew her too well—that slight press of her lips, t
Aurora's POV The morning sun glared off the glass towers of Griffins Enterprises like a warning. I stepped out of the black SUV with my lawyer, Marcus Hale, close at my side, clutching the leather portfolio Xavier’s team had delivered at dawn. My heels clicked against the marble steps, and every sound felt amplified. Cameras flashed from the small crowd of reporters clustered near the entrance. Whispers rippled through the lobby the second I walked through the revolving doors. “That’s her,” someone murmured. “Daniel Hayes’s daughter.” “The secret shareholder.” I kept my chin high, but my stomach twisted into knots. The silk blouse I’d chosen clung a little too warmly to my skin, and I could feel eyes crawling over me—employees pausing mid-stride, executives pretending not to stare from the elevators. Marcus leaned in slightly. “Head up. Say nothing until we’re in the room.” Easy for him to say. He wasn’t the one who had spent the night tossing in bed, replaying Xavier’s low voic
Aurora's POVI met Uncle X standing at the front of the door with a stoic look on his face. His hands rested in his pocket and his muscular frame leaned on the door post. It seemed like I had gotten myself into trouble.“What did you do at the mall?” He asked, not letting me walk in.“I bought new
Aurora’s POVWhat the fuck is the witch even doing here?“Ohh.. Aurora… You are here too?” Diana gave the most fake smile I have seen in my life.Marinette and Rose's eyes also fell on her, and they smiled.“Hi,” Marinette waved, and the witch waved back.Rubbish! I don't know why they like her.“
Aurora's POVUncle X shunned me, he sounded disgusted and disappointed. I put my head down as I walked back to my room.My sweetheart was disappointed… not me, to me, it was a massive step, at least I made it clear to him that I do not see him as my biological uncle.I laid on my bed, my heart tig
Aurora's POVI wanted to follow my plans according to what I jotted down last night, but I couldn't. I saw a beautiful opportunity to jump to number 2, which says ‘seduce Uncle X’, and that's what I am about to do. Diana wasn't home, this was my trump card.I passed by his room, and I caught him si







