Aurora had a restless night filled with bizarre dreams. One moment she was drinking with Jasper Bennett, the next Dominic Ashcroft was picking her up, and then she saw Isabella Whitmore shooting Mike dead.The thought of losing Mike and Arno made her heart ache so much she could hardly breathe.When the cab pulled up to the Pendleton house, Aurora and Little Fish got out. She told Little Fish to go rest while she headed to her room.Walking into the mansion, Sebastian was nowhere to be found, neither was Madeline. Sophia was lounging on the living room couch, flipping through a fashion magazine, while Maxwell was on the other side of the couch, typing away on his laptop.Sophia looked up as Aurora walked in, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "Oh, you remembered you have a home? Where'd you go gallivanting last night?"Aurora didn't have time for her. All she wanted was a shower and a change of clothes; she felt grimy.Ignoring Sophia, she turned to head upstairs. Sophia wasn't having it
Aurora arrived at the sales office, donning oversized sunglasses that hid most of her face, leaving only her delicate chin exposed.A sales rep immediately approached her. "Miss, what kind of property are you interested in? Any preferred locations?""I want a villa," Aurora declared.The sales rep's jaw nearly dropped. Though their clientele was generally wealthy, it was rare for such a young girl to ask for a villa right off the bat.Quickly ushering Aurora into the VIP room, the sales rep served her tea and pulled up property listings on a tablet. "Miss Aurora, we have a wide range of properties. How big of a villa are you looking for? Do you have a budget or a preferred location? I can recommend the most suitable options."Aurora skimmed through the listings, most of which were priced above 5 million. Her current budget was nowhere near enough. She'd have to make a down payment and figure out the rest later."I don't need a prime location, but I do need a lot of space. There are fiv
By the time the sun set, Aurora was completely drained. Lyne called it a day. Wiping his sweat, he said, "That's enough for today."Aurora lay on the ground and said, "Toss me a towel."Lyne looked at the frail young girl and threw her a towel. "You don't look like a heiress from a wealthy family. Why are you pushing yourself so hard?"Aurora cracked a smile, wiping the sweat off her face. "I don't have the luxury of being a princess. If I'm weak, I won't survive."Lyne sat down beside her, shaking his head. "You're a girl, you should go easy on yourself. You're training like you're a guy."Aurora didn't respond. She should have been like a guy from the start. If she hadn't let her heart and emotions get the best of her, she wouldn't be in this mess now.Aurora stood up, gathered her things, and said, "I'm heading out. See you next time."Lyne waved her off, too tired to move. This girl, clearly exhausted multiple times, still insisted on standing up to fight. He couldn't fathom why sh
Around 5 or 6 in the evening, Madeline came home and ordered the servants to prepare dinner. The family gathered around the dining table for a meal.For the first time in ages, Aurora joined them for dinner. Her weight loss had been going well, stabilizing around 110 pounds. Coupled with exercise, she looked incredibly slim now.Sebastian had been swamped with work lately and often missed dinner at home. At the table were only Madeline, Maxwell, Sophia, and Aurora. Grandpa was probably dining at the old house.During the meal, Aurora casually mentioned, "I went to the suburbs today and thought I saw mom. Was that her?"Madeline's face visibly tensed, and she replied sharply, "You must be mistaken. I was playing cards with some ladies. How could I be in the suburbs? Where did you see me?"Aurora grinned and deliberately said, "In the east suburbs."Madeline's face relaxed, and she said, "I've never been to the east suburbs."Aurora smiled softly, "Then I must've been mistaken."She took
"What am I gonna do? The dinner party starts in just over half an hour, and where the heck is Aurora gonna find a dress?"She sat on the sofa, fretting. She considered raiding Evelyn's closet, but wearing someone else's hand-me-downs? That's just embarrassing.Just as she was torn, Grandpa walked in and called out, "Aurora, sweetheart, come here."Aurora stood up and walked over, asking, "What's up, Grandpa?""What's up with you? You look like you lost your best friend. Haven't visited me in days," he complained."Grandpa, I don't have a dress. I can't go to the Song family's dinner party," Aurora said."Tsk, always unreliable when it matters most," Grandpa retorted."Grandpa, are you here to kick me while I'm down? I'm your granddaughter, you know!" Aurora shot back."Miss Aurora, don't look so glum. Look what I've got here." Mr. Leen came from behind Grandpa, holding a beautifully wrapped gift box.Aurora walked over, untied the ribbon, and opened the box. Inside was a stunning haute
Heath stood in a corner, watching Aurora's sly performance with a smirk on his lips.Kieran, standing behind him, couldn't help but think: Just a couple of days ago, the boss had adamantly refused to attend the Song family's banquet. And now?Upon hearing that the dress shop had sent dresses to the Pendleton home but left out Aurora, Heath had made a call. Soon after, a dress was delivered to Grandpa, specifically for Aurora.But even after lending her money and sending her a dress, the girl hadn't even called him.Heath had been in a foul mood all afternoon, snapping at everyone in the branch office. Whether it was the finance director's minor mistake on a report or the sales manager's poor performance, he was dissatisfied with everything.Kieran, ever the loyal sidekick, chose this moment to hand over the Song family's invitation. "Boss, the Songs do business with us. Maybe you should make an appearance for the sake of good relations."In other words, it wasn't about seeing Aurora; i
Aurora gasped, "Heath?"Heath reached for the light switch on the wall. With a "click," the small storage room was illuminated. He was dressed in a light gray suit, no tie, and the top two buttons of his shirt were undone, revealing his attractive collarbone.Heath had one leg over Aurora, one hand gripping her slender wrist above her head against the wall. His other hand lifted her delicate chin, his eyes probing into hers.This position was, no matter how you looked at it, utterly embarrassing.Aurora shifted her head uncomfortably and said, "Let go of me."Heath didn't move. "Who taught you those moves?"Aurora sighed, "Self-taught. There are plenty of fighting classes out there. 200 a lesson, not expensive."Heath chuckled. Did she think he was that easy to fool?The training classes out there were all show, no substance. Aurora's moves were deadly and incredibly fast, almost instinctual.She was a puzzle—her personality, her actions, her financial dealings, her skills—all enigmat
Aurora remained silent, casting a sarcastic gaze at her."Sis, no matter what you think of me, I can't let you continue like this. We're sisters, and I can't stand to see you go down the wrong path!" Sophia spoke earnestly. "Even if you hit me or yell at me for the sake of others, I won't let anyone bully you anymore!"As soon as she said this, the room erupted. Sophia was earnestly advising her sister, and yet Aurora had beaten her to this state!No wonder Madeline didn't like Aurora. She didn't even prepare a dress for her. Turns out, Aurora was just too dirty to deserve the status of a Pendleton daughter!Upon hearing this, Madeline immediately stood up and asked, "Sophia, what did you say? The bruises on your face, did Aurora do this?"Sophia quickly stepped in front of Aurora and said, "Mom, no, it was my fault... it wasn't her..."This clumsy attempt to cover up only confirmed everyone's suspicions. Sophia was so kind, yet Aurora could be so cruel.Ethan rushed over, looking at