"Are you good?" Seraphine asked as she noticed the sudden change in Aurora's demeanour.
Aurora forced a nod; her eyes couldn't leave the distressing scene before her. "I... I'm fine," she managed to stammer, her voice quivering with emotion.
Aurora allowed Seraphine to guide her into the elevator as she felt her soothing hands tapping her in a comforting way. As they ascended to the VIP room, Aurora's mind raced with conflicting emotions, anger and pain.
Aurora was determined to focus on why she was there; she tried to forget the despicable scene of Caspian and the strange lady. The servers warmly welcomed her into the VIP section. Immediately, a variety of delicacies were served at the dining table. Aurora was shocked; she couldn't believe she could experience such luxury.
"Would you like to have some?" Seraphine asked, offering Aurora a warm smile. Aurora nodded and tried to smile back. She picked up her spoon and took a couple of bites. The food was so delicious, she wanted to exclaim, but she held back, reminding herself to be on her best behaviour. Just as she was about to take another bite, her phone rang, interrupting the moment.
"Shit! It's my father-in-law! Probably, he was ready for the meeting with the doctor," she thought. She ignored the call, planning to return it later. However, the persistent ringing left her feeling unsettled, and she found it hard to focus on her meal.
"I'm sorry, but I need to go, ma'am! I need to be somewhere with my father-in-law," Aurora said, picking up the serviette from the table and wiping her mouth.
"Oh! So soon? I heard you got married to the director of Harrison's Group. I could speak to your father-in-law if you don't mind! To spare some time for us!" Seraphine suggested. However, Aurora wasn't okay with that; she immediately objected.
"I am sorry, Miss Seraphine... Oh... sorry... mum! I didn't know I would spend much time outdoors. We had a plan to visit a place today!" Aurora explained, her voice a mix of emotions. She wished she could continue the meal and spend time with her new mum.
"Well, before you go, I would need you to sign some forms to indicate you are now the signatory and director of my businesses home and abroad," Seraphine said, signalling to one of her guards. Within two minutes, a man and a woman entered the room, bowing to Seraphine. They were Seraphine's lawyers. Aurora couldn't believe it; everything felt like a dream to her.
"Here are two of my lawyers," Seraphine explained as Aurora greeted them respectfully. Within minutes, the lawyers presented the forms and handed them to Aurora to sign. Seraphine gazed at Aurora, her heart swelling with pride. She was grateful Aurora accepted her as a mother despite the years apart. Watching Aurora, she marvelled at how her daughter had grown into such a beautiful young lady.
"She looks so much like her father," Seraphine mused, lost in thought, until one of the lawyer's voices, Ben, brought her back to the present moment.
"We are done, Miss Seraphine!" Ben's voice echoed, snapping her back to reality.
"Oh! Great! Fantastic!" Seraphine exclaimed, reaching into her million-dollar Italian handbag. She pulled out a golden card and handed it to Aurora. Aurora was mesmerised by the card, its raw, captivating light gold surface adorned with buttons and features. "This is for you," Seraphine said, smiling warmly.
"This card does many things. If you get to a company and want to know the director, click this white button. It will display the company's owner; you can now control any company under my empire as the new director. You can use it to purchase anything you want, no matter the cost! It contains millions of dollars. With time, you'll discover its incredible features!" Seraphine explained, handing the golden card to Aurora.
"Thank you, Mother, but…" Aurora started, but her phone rang again. It was her father-in-law. She had ignored the call before, but she couldn't ignore it now.
"Hey, Aurora, where have you been? I have been calling," Harrison's voice boomed through the phone. He was fond of Aurora and unaware of the poor treatment she received from Caspian. He longed for a grandchild and wondered why Aurora had never been pregnant in her three years of marriage to Caspian.
"Yes, I am great! I am so sorry, Father, I wasn't aware that my phone rang; however, I can speak now!" Aurora said, twitching her eyes. "Well, I have been trying the Caspian line as well; I want the two of you to meet me at the hospital immediately!" Harrison said urgently.
"Oh! I am sorry; he had an emergency to attend to this morning, so he was out as early as possible, but I can come alone if you don't mind." Despite Caspian's cruelty to her, Aurora felt a need to protect him, her love for him unwavering. "Alright, it's okay. Meet me at the hospital right away! We need to know what the issue is," Harrison ordered.
"I need to go, Mum! I have something urgent; my father-in-law is waiting," Aurora pleaded with Seraphine. "It's fine. Call me whenever you're free! I'll have to introduce you as my daughter and heir to my empire," Seraphine explained.
"Oh! I'm sorry, mum! I would love my new identity to be concealed for now!" She pleaded, holding Seraphine's hands firmly. "It's fine, my daughter," Seraphine responded as they stared into each other's eyes; Aurora's eyes blinked with tears. I am your mum now; let me know whatever you are going through. Share with me your pains, fears, and happiness," Seraphine said as Aurora nodded sweetly. Thank you, Mum," Aurora said, and they shared some sweet hugs.
As Aurora was escorted to the elevator, she sighed deeply. " It's time to secretly deal with those who have hurt me in the past," she swore to herself, recalling the despicable scene of Caspian with the strange lady. Her heart grew heavy as she anticipated seeing them again in the regular section while the elevator descended.
When the elevator finally stopped, Aurora maintained her gaze straight ahead, determined not to see anything that would tear her heart once more. She kept her eyes forward, but the regular section's sweet, mixed voices of laughter drew her attention. She couldn't help but glance over, only to be surprised when she didn’t see Caspian with the strange woman.“Where the hell have they gone?” she wondered, halting her step as her eyes scanned the area. She wanted to know where they headed. “Probably, he has taken her to a hotel,” she thought, trying to steady her gaze.“Is everything alright, Aurora?” Seraphine's question brought her back to the present. “Why do I even care so much about someone who disregards me? To hell with both of them,” she thought and forced a smile.“Oh! I’m sorry, Mum! I was just admiring the beautiful scenes of couples in the regular section,” Aurora said, walking up to Seraphine and holding her hands firmly.“It’s fine. It’s part of what you control now! You can
"Aurora! Aurora!" A scream shattered the peaceful environment, and a car screeched to a halt beside the roadside; two young ladies emerged and rushed towards two girls who were chatting and laughing. "Aurora!" She called out again, and as the girls turned in their direction, she shoved one of them forcefully, sending her tumbling to the ground."You, you poverty-stricken girl. Do you think you can push me off the stage and get away with stealing all the applause and praise that rightfully belong to me? Absolutely not! How dare you think you can outshine me?" Annabel roared as she glared at the helpless girl on the ground.Undeterred by the fall, the girl got back on her feet, dusted herself off, and was about to walk away with her friend when Minty, Annabel's friend, grabbed her in anger, accidentally stepping on her leg."You stepped on me?" Minty raised her eyebrows in disbelief, glaring at Aurora with her mouth agape."How dare you step on my friend?" Annabel snarled, her hand risi
Aurora attempted to rise, but excruciating pains coursing through her body kept her grounded. Some onlookers rushed to their aid, offering assistance getting them both up. Just then, Theodore's wife, Evelyn, appeared, balancing the food ingredients she had gone to buy on her head."What happened, my husband?" she exclaimed, dropping the food ingredients to the ground as her eyes saw the wasted engine oil and the mess in their office and apartment. Tears welled up in her eyes as she asked, "Who did this to us? What happened?""Harrison came demanding the money; where am I supposed to get such an amount from?" Theodore uttered, his voice filled with anguish."I'm sorry; let me help you inside. You need to clean up from this mess first," Evelyn said, guiding her husband through the cluttered entrance to their apartment. "I'm relieved they didn't reach the bedroom; you must shower first. I'll go prepare food for you right away," she added as she led him into the bathroom.Hurrying to chec
"This is unbelievable; it can't be! There must be some kind of mistake!" Janet lamented, frustration evident in the firm hits of her hands against the wall. She double-checked the list of winners, but Aurora's name was nowhere to be found. Not only was she absent from the list of winners, but her name also didn't appear among the participants selected to represent their country in the competition against the advanced Western world. Janet felt a wave of anger, wanting to shatter the glass covering the winners' names and tear the paper apart."How on earth did that girl win? Everyone knows you're the best! You should have won this prize, Aurora! What went wrong? Something isn't right!" Janet lamented, bombarding Aurora with rhetorical questions. Aurora Sterling remained silent, her mind ablaze with frustration. It felt as though the ground should open up and swallow her whole. The world suddenly felt empty to her. All her hopes were shattered, and her face contorted with deep pain."Eve
The wedding day arrived, and the venue exuded glamour as Harrison Monroe welcomed dignitaries from far and wide. Rumours quickly circulated that Harrison was marrying a girl young enough to be his granddaughter.Theodore and Evelyn took their seats at the front of the lavish hall, appearing more radiant than ever. Theodore's heart swelled with relief on this day, a feeling he hadn't experienced in a long while. Despite his strong objections to Aurora marrying an older man, he reluctantly accepted it as the only solution to settle the debt. Their faces radiated with joy like never before."Look at that poor girl marrying a man old enough to be her grandfather! It's infuriating to think that we might be related someday. But on the bright side, Caspian, Harrison's handsome son and heir to his business, has returned from Canada. I hope to meet him today and perhaps catch his eye. Who knows, we might even get married," Annabel mused with a hint of anticipation."My goodness, Annabel, Caspi
She stood still, mystified by the urgent call and the need to come home in an emergency. She was sceptical about what she should do first: clean up the mess of the broken cake or dress up to visit her grandparents. With a sigh, she walked to the living room, grabbed a cloth and knelt to scoop up the cake, her hands trembling. Icing smeared the floor as she scrubbed. “What should I do with this now? The reason for it had been trashed!” she thought, her heart racing with worry. She tossed the ruined cake into the trash and wiped the tiles until they gleamed. "At least this way, he won't be more pissed," she thought, standing up and dusting off her knees. She hurried to her room and quickly dressed, putting on a long black chiffon gown and white sandals. She booked a ride and hurried out, her thoughts racing about what awaited her at her grandparents' house. She hoped to be back before Caspian returned.It had been months since she'd last visited. Seeing her grandparents' house in the