Untangling a Heart From the Past

Xavier Stafford claims to love Aurora Bowman to the moon and back, but he's escaped from marrying her 99 times. To delay their marriage, he even orchestrates a car accident to cause her to miscarry. As if Aurora isn't already devastated after losing her baby, she overhears Xavier and his friend's conversation. "I only dated her for seven years to get revenge for Violet. If Aurora thought any of this was serious, she'd be in for a rude awakening!" Aurora's heart goes cold at those words. A rude awakening, indeed. Thankfully, there's still hope for her to walk away and save herself. After regaining her composure and gathering her thoughts, Aurora agrees to another marriage proposal. While Xavier carries out his 100th attempt to escape marriage, Aurora proudly gets married to another groom in Elmstead. Chapter 1 On his way to get his marriage license with Aurora Bowman for the 99th time, Xavier Stafford had been so desperate to avoid marrying her that he sped up and crashed into a large truck. It had been a serious crash, following which Aurora and Xavier had been rushed into the ER. Ten minutes later, Aurora lay on the ice-cold operating table, covered in blood, as the doctors induced labor to deliver her baby at seven months. When she came to, the surgery had ended. She cried when she was told the baby hadn't survived. The doctors had told her to recuperate, but she was so worried about Xavier that she went against their orders and snuck to his hospital room to see him. However, she arrived at the door to hear laughter coming from within. "I've got to hand it to you, Xavier. You risked your life just to get out of marrying her. But she was pregnant with your child, you know. According to the doctors, labor was induced, and she delivered a stillborn baby boy. Are you sure you won't regret pulling this stunt?" Xavier snorted indifferently. "Regret it? Please, did you forget that I only agreed to be with her as payback for what she did to Violet? I wouldn't regret doing this even if it had cost Aurora her life, let alone the baby's." His eyes glinted coldly, and his handsome face was devoid of its usual warm and loving expression. Aurora's breath hitched, and her shoulders trembled. She rubbed her eyes and took a second look at the face of the person who had spewed such hateful words. However, it didn't matter if she doubted her vision or not. She was forced to admit that the two men speaking in the room were none other than her biological older brother and her boyfriend of seven years. "You have a point," Ethan Bowman said, jaw clenched. "If she hadn't insisted on returning to the Bowman family seven years ago, Violet wouldn't have had to move abroad for her studies and be separated from us! That wench is nothing but trouble!" "Thankfully, Violet is coming home soon." Xavier's tone softened at the mention of Violet. "I'll hash things out with Aurora after avoiding marrying her for the 100th time, then bring Violet home." He added, "Don't worry, Ethan, Aurora loves me irrevocably. Once she finds out that the last seven years were a lie, she'll be so heartbroken that she won't show her face around us again!" Aurora felt all the strength leave her body when she heard his words. Tears streamed down her face like ceaseless rivulets. Bracing her hands against the wall to support herself, she hurtled out of the building and curled up on the bench in the garden, weeping her eyes out. She couldn't believe what she'd just heard. Aurora had never been lucky. She'd gotten lost as a child, and it wasn't until she turned 18 that she was reunited with her biological parents. However, when she returned to her family home, she discovered that her parents loved their adopted daughter, Violet Bowman, more than her. When she first arrived at the Bowman residence, Ethan had given her a vicious warning. "Violet is the only sister I have. Don't you dare call me your brother!" Aurora was put up in the smallest room in the house, meant for the housekeeper, and forced to wear Violet's hand-me-downs. They even sent her to work at a nightclub to pay for her school fees. When school started, many men had posted pictures of Aurora in skimpy clothes on the school forum. Lewd rumors about her began to spread like wildfire, and a leering creep even cornered her in an alleyway and messed her up. During her darkest moments, Aurora considered banging her head against the wall until she bled to death. But then Xavier appeared and saved her. He'd taken off his jacket and draped it over her shoulders. He'd transferred her to a different school and taught her tormentors a lesson. He'd also sent her countless pretty dresses and showed her kindness in every possible way, protecting her like a guardian angel. He'd slowly healed her wounds and even proposed to her in a grand, romantic ceremony. Aurora had always believed Xavier was the light at the end of the tunnel. Only now did she realize it had all been a lie. Xavier had only dated her because she'd taken Violet's place as the heiress of the Bowman family. Violet had been so heartbroken, she left the country. He didn't love Aurora at all. Their seven-year relationship was nothing but an elaborate sham, a cruel act of revenge. He had saved her in her darkest moments, only to shove her back into a darker hellscape. Aurora wept so hard that she could barely breathe. She finally understood why all those accidents had happened whenever she and Xavier were about to get their marriage license. Xavier never planned to marry her in the first place. Her hand drifted to her flat stomach. Trembling, she made a call. Chapter 2 Aurora said, "Mr. Winston, you wanted me to marry your son so that he could have a partner to take care of him for life, right? Well, consider this a yes from me." On the other end of the phone, a man cried in delighted surprise. "Excellent! That's wonderful news! Give me five days to straighten out my business overseas, and I'll send someone to pick you up from Nordura. He added, "Don't worry, Aurora, the Winston family fortune will be yours whether my son wakes up or not!" Aurora hummed in response before ending the call. In truth, she couldn't care less about the Winstons' fortune or marrying a man in a vegetative state. All she wanted was a place she could safely settle down in. She lifted her gaze to the white clouds drifting across the cerulean sky, then heaved a long sigh. Aurora was finally doing something that would make everyone happy. Xavier and Ethan would be thrilled to know she would move out of the Bowman residence and hand the title of the Bowman family's heiress back to Violet. The engagement ring on Aurora's finger dazzled under the sunlight. Gritting her teeth, she slid it off and made to toss it into the trash can beside her. However, Xavier appeared at that moment, panicking as he ran up to her. "Don't throw away the ring, Rory!" He wrapped his arms around Aurora's slender, delicate frame. "The car crash was just an accident. Even if we didn't get our marriage license this time, there's always next time." Worry flashed in Xavier's eyes as he spoke. His embrace was still as warm and firm as ever, but all Aurora felt was a bone-deep chill. A bitter smile that bordered on a grimace twisted her face. "An accident? How many times have you tried to get out of marrying me, including this time? 99? "You told me you weren't ready the first time and turned the car around halfway. The second time, you faked a stomachache and had me go to the hospital with you. The third time we tried getting a marriage license, you told me something urgent came up at work and you had to handle it…" Her fingers curled as she recounted the many "accidents" that happened before they were slated to get their marriage license. "This is the 99th time you got 'cold feet', so when will we attempt another escape to round it up to 100? "You never wanted to marry me in the first place, did you, Xavier? You've just been toying with me this whole time." Xavier's eyes widened, and shame welled up in him when he realized Aurora had seen through his plans. "I… That's not true. You know how much I love you, Rory." Aurora let out a self-deprecating laugh. "And yet… your love isn't even enough to save our baby." Her face was ashen as she rested a hand on her stomach, as if bidding the baby that had been in there farewell. "We'll have another baby," Xavier said quickly, looking stricken. "We can get our marriage license once you get better." The Xavier before Aurora was like a different person from the man in the hospital room earlier. She couldn't even tell them apart anymore. Staring at him through teary eyes, she said, "If you truly want us to get our marriage license, we can go now." Xavier froze, realizing something about her felt off. "We can't do it now… You're still recovering. Let's wait until you're better." "I don't want to wait anymore. I want to do it now." Aurora stared at him evenly, hoping to find even the faintest hint of sincerity on his face. Alas, his brow furrowed. He couldn't understand why the usually obedient Aurora was being so stubborn all of a sudden. Did losing the baby have something to do with her change in attitude? He was still struggling to give her an answer when his phone rang. He sighed in relief as he released Aurora. "Let me take this call first." He answered it at once. "Violet? What's up? Oh, you're back? Great! I'll send you the address right now." Xavier happily ended the call and held Aurora's shoulders. "Violet heard we got into a car crash and was so worried, she flew home right away. Aren't you glad to have such a wonderful older sister?" The corner of Aurora's mouth twitched. She couldn't bring herself to smile while she was grieving over the baby she'd just lost. However, Xavier was too happy about Violet's return to notice Aurora's odd demeanor. He led her back to the hospital room and immediately told Ethan about Violet's return. The two men broke into wide grins. "We'll finally get to see Violet again!" When the excitement passed, Xavier realized he'd sidelined Aurora and quickly ran to her side to comfort her, "Be good. We'll talk about getting a marriage license soon, okay? And we can always have another baby in the future." He made it sound so easy, as if Aurora had slipped and fallen instead of suffering a miscarriage. She lowered her gaze as a resentful smile curved her lips. Xavier mentioned the future, but she doubted they'd ever have one together. Chapter 3 Ethan frowned. "What's with the sour face? It's not our fault you couldn't protect your baby." "Ethan, don't say that about Rory. I'm sure she didn't mean to lose the baby," Xavier said, shielding Aurora. "Fine, keep defending her, see where that gets you," Ethan sneered, cocking his eyebrow. "Rory's my fiancee. Of course I'll defend her," Xavier countered, turning to stroke Aurora's hair. At that moment, realization hit Aurora. Xavier had defended her like this countless times in the past, and it was always after Ethan admonished her or put her down. Looking back, if Xavier had truly been protective of her, would his friend Ethan pick on her and tear her apart mercilessly? The only reason she could think of was that Ethan and Xavier had colluded to manipulate her and make her pay for taking Violet's place in the Bowman family. She suddenly found all this to be a farce. Squeezing out a smile, she said, "I should go get some rest in my room." … Aurora slept for a long time. She knew Violet and Xavier had swung by at some point, but she had no interest in dealing with them. And so, she pretended to be fast asleep. But when she heard the sound of the door opening, followed by sniggering, she bolted upright in bed. She quickly pulled the blanket over her like a shield and demanded anxiously, "Who are you?" Standing before her were a group of men and women she'd never met before. They didn't look like they'd come for a friendly chat. "Did you forget about us already?" one of them sneered as the rest raised their eyebrows, cackling. "We go way back in school, remember? We're even regulars at the nightclub where you worked!" Aurora's eyes wouldn't stop twitching. Her hand trembled as she grabbed her phone to call for help, but a short-haired woman snatched it away. "Don't bother trying to call Mr. Stafford for help. He's Violet's man!" "Violet sent you?" Aurora asked in disbelief. The short-haired woman slapped Aurora. "Keep Violet's name out of your filthy mouth, you bitch!" she hissed. She forcefully tugged Aurora's blanket off and stared at her flat stomach, breaking into a wicked laugh. "Lost your baby, huh? That's what you deserved, you shameless woman! It's your fault for always flirting with old men and stealing Violet's man!" The others chimed in, "You had that miscarriage coming!" "I didn't do any of that." Aurora's face was deathly pale as she shook her head vehemently. However, the short-haired woman wasn't satisfied. She punched Aurora in the stomach several times. "It's all your fault for upsetting Violet! May your womb rot, and may you never have children!" Sharp pain exploded through Aurora's body. She summoned all her strength and strained to press the help button, but Violet walked in at that moment. Violet looked elegant and beautiful in a long, white dress. "Stop! Aurora's my younger sister! I won't let anyone bully her!" Chasing out Aurora's assailants, Violet approached Aurora's bed. "Are you alright? Those people are unbelievable!" Aurora curled up and said feebly, "Unbelievable or not, they were acting on your orders." Tears welled up in Violet's eyes as she said dejectedly, "I know you're angry and upset after dealing with something like that, especially since you've just lost your baby. But I don't know or have anything to do with this. How could I ever hurt you? "It breaks my heart to see you like this too. Don't worry, Aurora. I promise I'll make those people apologize to you!" With that, she reached for Aurora's hand. "Don't touch me!" Aurora rasped, and it took all that was left of her strength to smack Violet's hand away. Unbeknownst to her, Ethan and Xavier entered at that precise moment to see her lashing out at Violet. "How dare you lay a hand on Violet?" Ethan thundered, slapping Aurora before pulling Violet behind him. Xavier eyed Aurora coldly. "I'm disappointed in you, Rory. Violet flew all this way to look after you, and this is how you repay her kindness?" "I wouldn't let her touch me because she had people come in here to beat me up!" Aurora's heart sank, and a tremor went through her body. She pointed at the marks on her stomach. "If you don't believe me, go check the security footage!" "Why should we check the footage when we know Violet would never do something like that?" Ethan said through gritted teeth, "I bet you just can't stand the thought of Violet doing well and refuse to let her come home!" Having said that, he took Violet's hand and led her out of the hospital room without a backward glance. "For heaven's sake, Aurora," Xavier said. "Hating Violet is one thing, but making up a crude lie like that is an entirely different story. You have no idea how worried Violet is about you." He sighed and produced a box of food. "She even told me and Ethan to buy you your favorite crab cakes. How could she possibly hire people to beat you up?" Aurora laughed bitterly. She was allergic to shellfish and would never eat crab cakes. To think that she had loved Xavier for seven years, only for him to be unaware of her allergies and take another woman's side at first instance. She took a deep breath and got out of bed, then led Xavier to the security control room. "See the footage for yourself." In the footage, Aurora was seen getting beaten up by a group of people. They mentioned Violet's name clearly in the audio too. Chapter 4 Xavier clenched his fists. He gave Aurora a pained look, though his tone was stiff and cold as he said, "This doesn't prove that these people were working under Violet's orders. She even went into the room to save you. "Rory, you should ask yourself why these people wanted to rough you up instead of putting all the blame on Violet." The truth was laid out before him, yet he chose to side with Violet anyway. Aurora couldn't help finding this exchange utterly absurd. Her heart grew so cold that it was practically frozen. She could no longer muster the strength to argue with Xavier. "Fine," she said flatly. "I'll reflect on this." Xavier frowned, anguish flickering in his eyes. He opened his arms and pulled Aurora into a firm hug. "Alright, that's enough. Violet wants to meet up for dinner tomorrow. You can apologize to her then. I'm sure she'll forgive you." Aurora's nose burned as she buried her face in his shoulder. She forced back her tears. She might as well treat the gathering tomorrow as a farewell meal, seeing as she would soon be married and settling down in Elmstead. The next day, before Aurora was discharged from the hospital, Xavier jotted down the doctor's instructions and suggestions regarding her recovery. He held up the notebook and waved it in front of her afterward, seemingly proud of himself. "Look at how much I care about you, Rory," he said. Aurora nodded and said nothing. They headed to the address of the fancy restaurant Violet had sent them after they'd packed Aurora's things at the hospital. Upon their arrival, they saw that everyone was already there. Even Xavier's mother had come. "Xavier, you're here! Come sit with us." Xavier's mother, Beatrice Wilder, beckoned her son over to the seat beside Violet. She ignored Aurora as usual, even though Aurora was supposedly Xavier's official girlfriend and fiancee. Ethan, however, didn't ignore Aurora. "What are you gawking at?" he snapped. "You're supposed to serve us and take our orders! You're the youngest one here, so shouldn't you at least respect your elders?" Aurora thought Xavier would speak up for her, but his gaze was unexpectedly fixated on Violet. He didn't even once look at Aurora. "Alright." Aurora lowered her gaze. She had no choice but to do as Ethan asked, pouring water for everyone at the table and taking their food orders. When she reached Violet, a leg suddenly shot out from under the table and tripped Aurora. The drink she was holding spilled onto Violet's dress. Violet gasped sharply, and everyone at the table turned to stare at her. "What are you doing, Aurora?" This time, it was Xavier who chastised Aurora first. "My mom had that dress specially made for Violet. You may not like Violet, but that doesn't mean you can keep picking on her!" Aurora's eyes reddened with tears, and she suddenly didn't know what to do with her hands. "It was an accident." Xavier scoffed and helped Violet out of her seat. "Come on, I'll take you to the restroom to clean up." "I knew a troublemaker like you shouldn't have come!" Ethan flew into a rage after Xavier and Violet left and grabbed a fistful of Aurora's hair. He then slammed her face into the table. A lump instantly swelled on Aurora's forehead, and some blood even trickled from the wound. The pain had her sobbing, "Ethan, it really was an accident—" Ethan's eyes were cold and vicious as he kicked her square in the chest. "I told you that Violet is the only sister I have. I won't have a lowly outsider like you pick on her!" Aurora gritted her teeth as tears glistened in her eyes. In the end, she couldn't keep herself upright anymore and slumped to the ground. "Quit acting like the victim and clean yourself up in the restroom," Ethan snapped, shooting her a disgusted look. Aurora dug her nails into her palms, her fingers shaking as she bolted out of the dining lounge. She wasn't familiar with the layout of the restaurant, and it took her a while and plenty of wrong turns before she found the restroom. However, she had only just stepped inside when she heard the amorous sounds coming from within. "Your body is still as soft as ever, Violet…" Xavier's voice was a deep, husky melody and thick with desire. Aurora froze. She couldn't bring herself to take another step into the restroom. There was a light chuckle, followed by Violet's complaint delivered in a high-pitched tone, "Save your compliments. Don't act like you didn't sleep with Aurora when I was abroad the last few years." "But I feel nothing for her!" Xavier argued defensively. "I'm only dating her so I can make her pay for what she did to you. I slept with her, but only so I know how to keep myself from hurting you in bed. I only used her for practice, Violet. My love and loyalty always belonged to you!" Violet beamed as she pressed herself against Xavier's sculpted torso. "Was she really just practice to you? Do you swear you've never fallen for her?" "Not even her body can tempt me. I've never fallen for her," Xavier said solemnly. The blood drained from Aurora's face. At that moment, any hope she had for her and Xavier's relationship was crushed. She remembered Xavier crying—a rare sight—after they slept together for the first time. She'd thought he'd loved her too much and been too nervous back then, but she was wrong. The tears he'd shed at the time were not so much out of love as they were out of guilt, for he believed he'd cheated on Violet by sleeping with Aurora. So what was their passionate lovemaking that first night supposed to be, then? Just a practice session for Xavier? Ten minutes later, Xavier led Violet out of the restroom. Panic seized him when he saw Aurora standing outside, her face pale and tear-stained. Chapter 5 Xavier quickly dropped Violet's hand and hurried over to Aurora. He grabbed her hand as his heart thundered beneath his ribcage. "Rory, what are you doing here?" he asked. "How long have you been standing there?" Aurora's lips trembled as she tried her hardest to keep her tears from falling. She clutched the hem of her blouse with feeble fingers and lied, her voice cracking, "I accidentally bumped my head. I was going to clean up in the restroom, but this restaurant is so big that it took me a while to find one." Anyone who paid close attention would have noticed something was off about Aurora, but Xavier merely heaved a sigh of relief and didn't probe further. He shot Violet a meaningful look, indicating that she should leave, then led Aurora over to the sinks. "I've only been gone for a short while, and already you've hurt yourself this badly?" he chided, gently cleaning the gash on Aurora's forehead. Then, he retrieved a Band-Aid from the shelf and carefully stuck it over her wound. "Looks like I'll have to stick with you every second of the day to keep you safe, huh?" He placed a tender kiss on Aurora's lips and murmured, "Come on, let's skip the rest of dinner and go home." A distant look registered in Aurora's eyes. She wondered how Xavier could keep playing this role so convincingly. Didn't he ever get tired of pretending? However, she swallowed her questions. She'd be leaving soon, and she hoped her last three days here in this city would go by in a blur. Upon returning to the apartment, Xavier lovingly cupped Aurora's face as usual. "Your birthday's in three days, Aurora. I'd like to get our marriage license on that special day." Aurora went still. She had no idea that the day she moved away from this city would be her birthday. When she didn't reply, Xavier quickly added for good measure, "Are you worried there'd be another accident to stop us from getting our marriage license, Rory? Don't worry, I promise everything will go smoothly on your birthday, including getting our marriage license." She pursed her lips tightly as bitterness welled up in her. So, this was the plan Xavier had devised to mark the 100th time he got out of marrying her, by suggesting that they get their marriage license on her birthday. She forced a smile, her heart like a withered rose within her. "Sure." "We have a deal, then. Promise me you'll prepare for our big day, Rory," Xavier said, grinning before carrying her into the bedroom so she could rest. She didn't put up a fight. … The next day, Aurora was packing her suitcase when she realized she'd left the farewell gift the orphanage director had given her back at the Bowman residence. If the orphanage director hadn't taken her in after she got lost as a child, she might not have survived all these years. Now that she was about to leave Nordura, the farewell gift from the orphanage director was the last sentimental connection she had left of this city. She took a cab to the Bowman residence. Once she arrived, she made her way toward the front entrance and ran into Violet. Violet bristled at the sight of Aurora. "Aren't you supposed to be getting ready for your big day with Xavier? You're getting your marriage license soon, so why are you here?" Aurora brushed past her into the villa. She had no intention to pick a fight with Violet. "I'm here to take something of mine. It won't take long." "I didn't say you could come in!" Violet stormed after Aurora, her gaze darting to the third floor. A sudden idea crossed her mind when she heard the faint laughter coming from upstairs. Letting out a sharp cry, Violet pretended to have twisted her ankle and fell toward Aurora. The two women tumbled down the stairs, and Aurora ended up underneath Violet, cushioning the fall. On the third floor, Ethan and Xavier heard the commotion and abandoned whatever they were doing. They bolted downstairs. "What's going on?" Violet sobbed, "Aurora got upset at me and tried to pay me to leave! When I refused, she pushed me down the stairs!" The vein near Ethan's temple throbbed. He raised his leg to kick Aurora in the chest, and she flew backward. Before she could recover, Ethan clenched his fists and roared at her, "What did Violet do to piss you off? All she wants is to move back home after returning from abroad!" "I didn't push her…" Aurora lay on the cold floor, feeling as if her bones were shattered. On the other side of the room, Xavier helped Violet up with a concerned look on his face. He looked her over, checking for injuries. It was only when he realized she didn't sustain any severe, visible injuries that he heaved a sigh of relief. "Didn't I already promise you that we'd get our marriage license on your birthday? Why are you still picking on Violet? She didn't do anything to provoke you, did she?" Xavier asked, his eyes full of rage and disappointment as he came to a stop before Aurora. "She was the one who pushed me. I didn't even touch her," Aurora tried to explain, clutching her chest as the pain drained the blood from her face and caused her to break out in a cold sweat. "How dare you lie to our faces!" Xavier shouted and slapped her.. The blow hit her like a lightning bolt. It was the first time in seven years that Xavier had laid a hand on her. She stared at him in disbelief, tears spilling down her cheeks. Xavier's chest tightened. His hand was still trembling following the slap. "Why are you crying? You'd better think about what you've done and start feeling sorry about it, or I won't bother getting a marriage license with you!" Chapter 6 Xavier forced himself to stay calm, steeling his heart as he turned to take Violet to the hospital. Ethan followed suit with a worried look on his face, leaving Aurora alone in the villa to deal with the breath-robbing pain that seized her. "Why… doesn't anyone believe me?" Aurora's lips trembled as her chest rose and fell rapidly. Her injuries were far worse than Violet's, but neither her brother nor fiancee cared enough about her to stay and help. Tears of resignation and heartbreak streamed down her face. She was about to reach for her phone to call for an ambulance, but the moment she hoisted herself upright, black spots flooded her vision. She fell forward helplessly, all the strength leaving her. Aurora didn't know how long she'd blacked out for, but she woke up in a splotch of dried blood. The villa was still and silent, and the sky had darkened outside. The feverish heat spreading through her body told her she needed to go to the hospital right away. Groaning, she propped herself upright. Each step she took seemed to set fire to her injuries, and she panted and grunted as she walked. She staggered forward, but no sooner had she opened the door than she saw a horde of people barging through the foyer like a pack of rabid dogs. "Ms. Aurora Bowman, are you truly the one in all those explicit pictures online?" The press was a motley crew armed with cameras and microphones. Aurora winced as the bright camera lights went off in her face. "You're the heiress to a prestigious family. Why would you feel the need to sell yourself like that?" "Rumor has it that you were forced to get an abortion a few days ago by your sugar daddy. Do you have a comment on that?" The sharp and crude questions from the press were like daggers stabbing into Aurora's heart. However, the more panicked and terrorized she was, the more pressing and relentless the reporters became. "Is it true that you grew up in an orphanage after getting lost as a child. Then, after you were reunited with your family, you tortured your parents' adopted daughter?" The crowd jostled Aurora roughly. It was all she could do to put her arms over her head to keep from getting injured. "What do you have to say about the orphanage director dying from a cardiac arrest after he heard all those rumors about you? Do you feel guilty or ashamed?" Aurora's eyes widened upon hearing that. She grabbed the reporter's pant leg and demanded, "What was that? Did you just say the orphanage director passed away?" No one answered her question. The reporters only wanted answers out of which they could spin stories to feed the masses. Gradually, a bigger crowd swarmed Aurora, and she'd lost count of how many people stepped on her. Just as she was losing hope, Xavier hurtled toward the crowd and roared at them. He led the bodyguards to disperse the reporters, then anxiously scooped a fallen Aurora into his arms. "Rory, I'm sorry. I should have come sooner. I'll take you to the hospital now." Aurora clung to him, trembling. "Xavier, they told me the orphanage director passed away. That's not true, right?" Her body was cold, and her clothes were covered in dirt and stains. A pained look flickered in Xavier's eyes, but he didn't answer, only nodded once in confirmation. "How did this happen?" Aurora choked on a sob as fat tears slid down her cheeks. The pain and emotional damage took a toll on her, and she passed out. Xavier had the best doctor tend to her and guarded her faithfully. "Why isn't she waking up?" he snarled at the doctor, clenching his fists. "Why are you getting all worked up, Xavier?" Ethan asked as he strolled through the door. "We talked about this, remember? We agreed we'd use the media to provoke her, then ruin her reputation to make her pay for what she did to Violet." Xavier held back his anger and hissed, "Yes, we did agree on that, but look at how badly injured Aurora is!" "It's only normal for accidents to happen. There was no guarantee that she'd be 100% safe from harm," Ethan countered. He then frowned, seemingly realizing something. "Xavier, don't tell me you've actually caught feelings for Aurora." Xavier felt like he'd just been struck by a bolt of lightning, his heart going still. Tension edged Ethan's voice. "Don't forget why you got together with her seven years ago. Violet's still lying unconscious in the hospital because of her! If you have feelings for her, you aren't welcome in the Bowman family!" Xavier chewed his lip and forcefully chased away the strange feeling that had overcome him earlier. He said with newfound resolve, "I started dating Aurora to get revenge on Violet's behalf, so why the hell would I catch feelings for her? Violet has always been the only one I love!" Ethan was unconvinced. "You swear you've never caught feelings for Aurora?" "On my life," Xavier replied, lifting his chin fearlessly. At that moment, neither of them noticed the single tear that slid down Aurora's cheek as she lay on the bed. "Good." Ethan let out a breath of relief. "It's Aurora's birthday tomorrow. Hash things out with her after you get out of marrying her for the last time. Don't let her attend the orphanage director's wake service or funeral, either. I want her to know how it feels to lose someone important!" "Don't worry, I know how to maximize her suffering more than you do." Xavier rose to his feet and bit out icily, "We should go before she wakes up." When they left, Aurora slowly opened her eyes. Chapter 7 Agony seized Aurora, its fiery grip unrelenting. She licked her chapped lips, her expression bitter. So, the pictures of her that had spread like wildfire online and the press that had harassed her earlier were all Xavier's doing. And he didn't even plan on letting her pay her last respects to the orphanage director who'd watched her grow up. Xavier truly never loved her at all. A short while later, Xavier entered the room again. He put on a look of relief when he saw that Aurora was awake. "Oh, thank goodness!" he exclaimed. "I thought we'd miss out on getting our marriage license if you didn't wake up in the next two days." Aurora's head dipped slightly as she snorted inwardly. Xavier wasn't worried that they'd miss out on getting their marriage license; he was worried she'd screw up his 100th attempt to avoid getting married. She slid the engagement ring off her finger and placed it in Xavier's hand. "This is the ring you gave me when you proposed. I'm returning it to you now… You can put it on for me tomorrow after we get our license." Xavier froze, then smiled as he said, "Sure. Whatever you say, Rory." Taking a deep breath, Aurora asked, "Do you still remember how happy you were when I said yes to your proposal? My feelings for you never changed, but I wonder if your love for me is still true." "My love for you is true, Rory. Until death," Xavier answered solemnly without hesitation. Aurora couldn't help but find all this rather pointless. She gave him a curt hum in response, then scooted back under the covers. "I'm tired. You can go home now. I'll be fine on my own." "Sleep well, Rory. I'll meet you at the courthouse tomorrow." Xavier tucked her in and set a glass of lukewarm water on the bedside table, his gentle indulgence almost like a farce. … The next morning, Aurora woke up to a bucket of freezing water splashed over her. The water was so cold that it made her bones freeze, and she sneezed three times in a row. Panicking, she looked up and saw Ethan standing before her, and her body went rigid. "I'm giving you away today," Ethan said imperiously, regarding Aurora as if she were his charity case for the day. "Think of the water as a way to wash off your sins. As long as you're kind to others from now on, you'll always have a place in the Bowman family." He beckoned for two stylists to enter the room, then brought out a clean, ivory wedding gown. "An older brother is like a father to his younger siblings. I had these prepared for your big day. A driver will take you to the courthouse after you've done your makeup." Aurora went still. Ethan knew this would be Xavier's 100th attempt to get out of marrying her, yet he had come and offered to give her away as if he were doing her a huge favor. "What, are you so happy that you can't speak?" Ethan raised an eyebrow. "Stop gawking and get your makeup done already. Xavier's waiting for you at the courthouse so you can get your marriage license together. Violet and I will drop by later to witness your special day, too." Aurora nearly scoffed. She doubted they would swing by to witness her special day. They only wanted to witness her downfall and make a laughingstock out of her. "Alright. Thank you… Ethan," she said slowly and quietly. She didn't bother calling Ethan's bluff. She'd be leaving Nordura later anyway. Ethan's brow furrowed. In the past, he would have been loath to refer to himself as Aurora's older brother. He might have even snapped at her for addressing him by his first name, just because. But today was different. He had to get her hopes up now so that he could crush them later. Such was the sweet taste of revenge! "Sure." Suppressing his disgust, Ethan nodded and turned to leave the room. Aurora waited until Ethan had disappeared around the entryway before she got out of bed, shivering. Drenched from head to toe, she wrapped her arms around herself and said to the two stylists, "How much did he pay you? I'll pay you double to leave, but you have to promise me to keep this a secret." After Aurora had paid the stylists to leave, she grazed her fingertips on the pristine, intricately made wedding gown. "How soft. Too bad I won't be wearing it." She grabbed the wedding gown and bundled it up in her arms, then mercilessly tossed it into the trash. She then wrote an official estrangement announcement and had an attorney publish it in the papers. Finally, she sent Xavier a text, scheduled to be sent in several hours: "Consider your revenge a success. You've got seven years of my youth and a stillborn baby to show for it." When Aurora was done, the person whom the Winston family sent to escort her to Elmstead arrived. A lively young woman with short hair stepped out of the car. She didn't comment on Aurora's pathetic state and only shrugged off her jacket, draping it over Aurora's frame. "If you're ready to go, Ms. Bowman, follow me." Aurora nodded, quietly thanked the young woman, and got into the car after her. She didn't look back or feel reluctant to leave. After all, she didn't have anyone worth loving in Nordura anymore.