CHAPTER 24

She had a lot on her plate at the time, and unlike her husband, she didn't like spying on him, especially if it wasn't for business. So, she was going to trust him now and hope that he would resist temptation as much as he could.

She found the attendants waiting for her when they arrived at the orphanage. She had called ahead of time to let them know she was coming. She didn't want the press to be there; she didn't want the world to see her as a media hound. She had been gracing the media for the past few days, and now it was time for her to vanish.

She smiled at the older generation who greeted her. She greeted them warmly as they waited for the food truck to arrive. The kids were happily running around as soon as it arrived. She smiled as they all helped each other unload the boxes that had filled the truck.

She requested to sit outside while they were unloading and was served with some fruits. She spent her time talking to the manager, who was explaining the orphanage's situation; because it was small, there were fewer donations.

So, she made a decision to support the orphanage that instant and she warned the manager that she doesn't tolerate any corruption or foul play. Since she will be helping the kids then there will be no need for the elders to take advantage of that.

She hated seeing kids go hungry, and she will never forgive such inhumane people. Anyone can be bullied, but children were out of bounds for her.

What she didn't expect was for some paparazzi to learn that she was busy donating food to a small orphanage. She had her pictures taken while she was having fun with the elderly and playing with the children. She received a call from her husband after having so much fun.

"Did you miss me, honey?" Aurelia flirtatiously asked, ignoring the looks of her bodyguards.

"I'm missing you. Where have you gone?"

"Oh, I'm at Hope Orphanage right now. Why are you asking?"

"What exactly are you doing there?"

"I'll tell you when I get home. Are you planning on coming home for dinner?" she queried.

"Yes, I intend to take you and Miguel out tonight," he replied, and she smiled.

"All right, then, I'll dress up nicely for you. I love you," she said, kissing her husband on the phone.

"I love you too," he said as he hung up the phone.

She smiled as she remembered the conversation, then returned when she realized the kids were staring at her blushing. How much did these children hear?

She didn't mind being around them in the least.

"Is there something wrong?" Miguel asked, concerned about her sudden action.

"I'm just glad you're here with me. You should get ready because your father is taking us out to dinner tonight. So, tell the chef not to make anything,"' she said, pinching her baby's cheeks.

"I will do so. Go and get ready," he said, blushing, and she smiled.

***

Aurelia entered the elevator, rode to the fourth floor, and entered her bedroom. She was exhausted and in desperate need of a long, relaxing bath. She went to her adjoining bathroom, filled the tub with warm water, and added some bathing salts and some herbal medicine she'd been taking since she agreed to the deal with the silver-haired woman.

These herbs were beneficial to her; they strengthened and cleansed her.

Aurelia slid into the tub after removing her clothes and closed her eyes to let the water work its magic. It felt good to unwind after such a long day. She performed the soul splitting technique with her eyes closed because she needed to see someone. She couldn't wait to see how much pain that person was going through right now.

It took her a while to find Victor, but when she did, she was so enraged that she wanted to spit blood. How could he have such cunning plans? She needed to take action before he tried anything funny.

One of these days, a chance meeting will suffice. She needed to get the girls on him as soon as possible because they don't have anything else to do besides schoolwork.

She didn't want to be enraged any longer, so she left the man alone and returned to her body. It had been about an hour since she arrived, so it was time for her to get out of the tub and find some clothes.

She went through her closet and found a nice crimson long strapless mermaid dress, which she put on with ease. Because she disliked wearing too much makeup, she only padded her face and applied a light lipstick to her lips.

She put on the black stilettos she had recently purchased. She took her clutch and left her bedroom after spraying the cologne.

Miguel was dressed like a young master when she arrived downstairs, which he was. He was so beautiful that she couldn't help but smooch him on the cheeks, leaving some prints on his cheeks.

"Can't you see that you're messing up Miguel, my dear?" Mark said as he looked at them both.

"Come on, doesn't he look so dashing?" Aurelia smiled as she complimented her child.

"You both look fantastic," he said as he snapped a photo of the two.

"Thank you very much, dear. Now let's go have that dinner," he said, hooking his arm around Aurelia's.

The three-person family left the mansion in a black limousine, laughing and talking the entire time. It felt great to be able to have such a fun outing after such a traumatic event.

Aurelia smiled at her family, satisfied that she had eliminated all of the threats that had accumulated around them. Mercy had already been dealt with, so she just needed to finish her off quickly with her younger brother Mike.

Eliza had a lot on her plate; what made her think she'd be let go after taking away everything she cared about?

***

Quinton was looking through the file that had been assigned to him for his next assignment. It wasn't difficult because he had taken it upon himself to investigate his boss's family.

He needed to know his boss' enemies if he was going to survive in her harsh world. How could such a sinister woman entice him in such a way? Everything about her turns him on to the point where he believes he is not normal.

He looked around at his family, the other kids he'd been hanging out with for a while. They were a family who had been through a lot together. Quinton had his own family, but they couldn't take care of him because he was the eldest.

He had younger siblings who needed more attention than he did, so as a teenager he hustled until he was found by Aurelia.

They were given five profiles to investigate, and they had two weeks to complete them before the one-week break that was coming up in two weeks. She could do it herself, but he could tell she wanted them to understand what spying was all about.

They hadn't all had assignments since they were assigned to Aurelia, so this was a great opportunity for all of them.

The ten children were divided into five groups, each with one male and one female. He, as the eldest, was paired with Veronica, the youngest. That way, he could teach her while also ensuring that nothing went wrong.

Veronica was a strong-willed young lady who, if put on the right path, could outperform many of them. So, he took advantage of the opportunity to ensure that the young girl will be able to protect herself and make a name for herself. She came from a difficult background and adored her.

While they were sitting there looking through the files, Veronica suddenly began talking, which caused some tension in the room.

"Do you think we made the wrong decision to follow boss back then?" Veronica asked, and all nine of them looked at her.

"Why are you asking?"

Jeremiah inquired of the youngest, who shrugged her shoulders.

"Don't you think she's a little cruel? Do you remember what happened that night?" Veronica responded to the question with a question of her own. They trembled with fear just thinking about that night.

"That was the most horrific scene I have ever witnessed," Lily reflected.

"It was terrifying. I had no idea a person could harbor such resentment toward others," Mary said, shaking her head.

"Have you forgotten why that happened in the first place, before you all start judging her?" Owen was irritated by the ungrateful people who were disparaging their boss.

"They were all traitors to her! When she accepted us, you heard her? All she requires from us is loyalty, and yet those people had the audacity to spy on her and report her every move to people with whom she had a bad relationship. What would you have done if it had been you?" Casey, the female eldest, queried as she looked around at her brothers and sisters.