Aurora Moon's Fate

At Serendipity Restaurant. 

Renata Prescott leaned close to Danny Hamilton, sitting across from her.

"I've heard rumors that Alexander Graystone has been married six times," she whispered.

"Come on, Renata, don't spread false rumors," Danny replied hastily, glancing at Aurora Moon, who was focused on her ribeye and utterly oblivious to their conversation. 

Renata followed Danny's gaze and smiled as she playfully nudged Aurora with her shoulder. "The rumors are true, right, Rory?" she asked.

"No way is Alexander Graystone's plan to build a harem!? Seriously, Aurora?" Danny chuckled, unable to contain his amusement as he waited for her response. However, she remained silent.

Renata's laughter abruptly filled the air. "Haha... Danny, you see, even Rory can't answer us. The gossip must be true! Well, my friend, you're right...Alex is starting to build his harem." 

Aurora rolled her eyes at Renata's words. She ignores their question. She can't tell them the truth, even though they are the only people she trusts besides her father and Alex, her boss.

While most people believed Alexander Graystone had been married only once, the reality was far more complex. He had been married six times, all arranged by his parents. 

Interestingly, none of his marriages lasted longer than six months, ending in divorce or separation.

She did not care much about Alex's personal life, but she knew his mother had grown suspicious of her after his third divorce. 

The tension between her and his mother increased after she accused her of having an inappropriate relationship with Alex. 

"Gosh! Can you both stop talking about my boss? Let's eat in—" Aurora's voice trailed off when her cell phone buzzed. 

She immediately straightened her back upon seeing the name on the cell phone screen.

'Why is she calling now?' 

Aurora's heart clenched with worry and confusion as she debated whether to answer or ignore the call. 

"Who's calling, Rory? Your heartless boss?" Danny asked, noticing Aurora staring at her phone as if she had seen a ghost. 

"Nope. It's his mother." Aurora stood up, brushing off their questions. "Guys, I need to take this call..."

Standing by the glass wall overlooking the bustling street, Aurora took a deep breath before answering. 

"Hello, ma'am. How can I help you?" 

"Are you with Alex?" an impatient and angry female voice snapped from the other end. 

Aurora could guess Alex had likely ignored his mother's call again, as he often did. 

"Ma'am, Master Alex isn't with me. Has he not arrived home yet?" she asked. 

"My goodness, Aurora! Do you think I'm stupid? If he were here, I wouldn't bother calling you." Her response was sharp and irritated. 

"My apology, Ma'am. Would you like me to call him now?" 

"No! But I need you to bring him to the main house. It's almost seven, and all the guests have arrived, but Alex still hasn't shown up. Get him here in thirty minutes!" 

Aurora was stunned. 

How could that be? The main house was about forty minutes away.

"But, ma'am—" she began.

"No more excuses, Aurora! This is your fault as well. You know this dinner is important, yet you didn't ensure he got home safely." 

"I won't waste any more time talking to you. Find him and return here quickly. Otherwise, I will think you sabotaged Alex's marriage out of love for him!"

Beep! 

Aurora feels a dagger stab her heart. How could she accuse her like that?

Setting aside her shock and frustration, she rushed back to the table, quickly apologizing to Renata and Danny before hurrying toward the door, their questions trailing behind her.

"Wait, wait, Rory! Your bag!" Renata called out as she hurried after her, handing her the bag.

"Thanks, Rena. I'll call you later. Please send me the bill. I will transfer the money..." Aurora said, already halfway toward the main entrance.

"Don't worry about the bill, girl. This is my café..." Renata chuckled, watching her best friend dash toward the exit, waving goodbye without looking back. 

"Happy birthday, Rory!" Danny shouted after Aurora. 

"Poor Rory. Alex's mom is ten times worse than he is." Renata muttered as she returned to their table. 

She finished her margarita and kept her gaze locked on Danny. 

"Dan, can you help Rory? Can you rescue her from that ridiculous Graystone family deal?"

Danny shrugged and sighed deeply. 

"If only I could. I already do what I can without you asking," he responded. 

"Oh, poor Rory! She's a genius among us, yet she's trapped wasting her life as Alexander Graystone's assistant," said Renata as her gaze became gloomy.

"Uh, let me correct you there. Our good friend Rory is not just Alex's assistant; she is his maid and butler," Danny replied, annoyed as he glanced at the untouched birthday cake.

*** 

Aurora stepped outside and swiftly dialed Alex's number. 

As she approached the black Volvo CX40, his voice rang out from the other end.

"Why are you calling?"

"Sir, where are you?" 

Aurora needed to act quickly to avoid his mother's wrath, so she climbed into the car and started the engine.

"In the office. Seriously, Rory, why do you sound upset? Did my mom call you?"

Aurora activated the speakerphone and replied quickly, still avoiding his question. 

"Sir, I will be there in five minutes. Please wait for me in the lobby."

"Damn it! I won't go back to my parents' house, Rory. Just ignore her. No need to waste your time coming here." 

Instead of following his instructions, her anger boiled inside her. 

For the first time, she scolded him: "Alexander Graystone, if you don't show up, I will go to your father and beg him to release me. I mean it!" 

She ended the call before he could respond.

"Alex, this is your final chance..." Aurora muttered, pressing harder on the gas pedal as she sped toward the Stardust Tower. 

...

Five minutes later, she felt relief when she spotted a tall, slender man in a dark gray suit standing by the main entrance, gazing toward her car. 

Aurora hit the brakes, bringing the car to a halt just before him, and rolled down the passenger window. 

"Sir, please get in!" Her tone was polite, but her piercing eyes conveyed the depth of her fury.

Alex stood hesitantly by the passenger door, reluctant to enter. 

He casually took a cigarette under his coat and put it between his lips. After lighting it, he glanced at her.

"You are so stubborn, Rory! Did you know that?"

"Sir, please hurry. We're running out of time. Your mother will make my life miserable again if we're late." 

Rory ignored her boss's question, instead leaning over and opening the door for him.

Alex still stood in his place, enjoying his cigarette, his eyes fixed on her.

"Alex, sir, please!" Aurora's voice was firm yet polite. 

"Do you really want me to resign? If you don't join me now, I will—" Her words trailed off as Alex finally climbed in beside her after tossing away his cigarette and stepping on it.

As he settled into his seat, Alex glanced at her. 

"She won't cause you any trouble. Why are you still afraid of my mother?" He briefly looked away to pull out his cell phone.

Aurora sighed silently, noticing that he hadn't fastened his seatbelt.

"Please put on your seatbelt, sir!" 

When Alex didn't respond, she gritted her teeth. Unbuckling her seatbelt, she leaned closer to help him. 

Just as her face was inches from his, Alex suddenly fastened his seatbelt.

"You smell great, Rory!" Alex whispered close to her ear, his warm breath sending a shiver down her spine. "Okay, you can drive now." He suppressed a grin at her glare.