Chapter 41: Chapter Forty-One

Aurora’s POV

The headlines were still everywhere.

I could barely sleep throughout the night. The eye bags under my eyes  are scary.

Jennifer told me to stop reading the comments but I couldn’t ignore them.

They called me all sorts of names. Gold digger, slut…

I dropped my phone on the and buried my face in the pillow.

I don’t have time to dwell on this. Conan’s mother is coming over for dinner and I don’t know what to expect.

I decided to bake something, after a little bit of research I found out that Mia Armani likes tiramisu.

I spent all afternoon baking. The only thing that could clear my mind was mixing and baking something.

Not a single thought crossed my mind until the tiramisu was in the oven.

Felix walked just as I was about to leave the kitchen.

“This smells so good, Aurora.” He said, smiling warmly at me.

“Thank you , Felix.”

“Have you ever considered starting a career with this?”

I paused. It wasn’t like I had not thought about that. My mum was a baker before she died and she taught me everything I know today.

My mood darkened at the thought of my mother before I quickly masked it with a tight smile. “You flatter me, Felix. There’s no way I’m that good.”

“I can assure you that you are.”

I didn’t respond, I only brushed it off with a laugh.

I promised to set a piece aside for him later which seemed to distract him from his interrogation.

The sun was already setting by the time I was done, which gave me enough time to get ready.

I pulled on a simple white sundress that stopped mid thigh and had a rope holding the chest area together at the back.

I had slipped on the cloth before I realized what a horrible choice it was. My hand couldn’t reach the tie in the back which means I needed help.

I could have easily removed it or called one of the maids to do it for me but I was looking for any little excuse to talk to Conan.

For the first time I approached his side of the walk-in closet. I knocked on the door gently, hoping that he was in the room.

There was silence. I turned to leave before the door opened.

He looked like he had just come out of the shower, his hair looked wet and they tempted me to run my hands through them.

He cleared his throat, my cheeks burned as it was so obvious that I was ogling at him.

“Uhm…” I cleared my throat awkwardly. “I need your help with my dress,” I said, turning my back to him.

For a second, time paused as he moved closer to me.

I could feel the heat of his eyes on my exposed back. He grabbed both ends of the tie, pulling it gently.

He took his time tying it almost as if he didn’t want the moment to end.

“Is that tight enough?” He asked, his voice hoarse.

“Yes.” I whispered.

Before I could turn back he already disappeared behind the door.

I sighed. So much for looking for an opportunity to speak to him.

◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇

By the time I came down Conan was already waiting in the living room, looking devilishly handsome.

His eyes roamed over my body, his eyes glistening with something I couldn't read.

The sound of the car outside made my chest tighten. A moment later Mia walked in with Janice behind her.

Her eyes met mine, cool and assessing, and I braced myself for the worst.

Her expression softened as she cracked a smile. She walked towards me and pulled me into a warm hug.

“My dear,” she said, her voice softly, “I’m glad I finally got to meet you properly.”

I froze for a second before hugging her, letting out a breath I didn’t even know I was holding.

“Mum, when you’re done suffocating my wife, let’s have dinner.” He said.

My heart thumped at that. He has been addressing me as his wife ever so often that I forget that we were not married yet.

“He’s just jealous.” She whispered in my ear before releasing me almost reluctantly.

We all sat at the dining table, Conan at the head and Mia and Janice sitting at his right and me by his left. The dishes were served and for a moment we all ate in silence.

After dinner I served dessert.

“Who made this?” Mia said, her face twisted in pure joy.

“I did.” I said.

“Really, do you run a bakery? This might just be the best tiramisu I’ve ever had.”

I blushed as I basked in her complement and affection. From the corner of my eyes I could see Conan staring at me.

Then Janice started.

“So Aurora,” she said, dropping her fork before continuing, “aside from baking, what do you do?”

I opened my mouth to speak—

“I mean we all know you have the habit of topping headlines, what else don’t we know? I mean, seeing as you came from nowhere.”

I set my fork down, forcing myself to meet her gaze. “The news isn’t what they painted it to be.”

Janice smirked. “Of course not. They just happened—”

“Janice,” Conan warned, his voice low.

She smiled at him sweetly. “What? I’m not allowed to ask a question?”

Mia looked at her sharply. “Enough.”

Janice leaned back on her chair, irritation clear on her face. “Vanessa would have been a much better choice. God knows why you broke up with her.”

That was the final straw for Conan. He set his glass down hard. “Janice, I said stop.”

Her words confirmed my suspicions. Vanessa must have been his ex.

I wonder if he still loved her, seeing as her mane enacts a type of reaction from him every single time.

I tried to act like her words didn’t bother me but I couldn’t. I pushed my chair back softly.

“Sorry, excuse me.”

I could feel everyone’s eyes on my back as I left for the restroom.

I splashed some water on my face, staring at my reflection in the mirror.

Her words shouldn’t affect me. None of this was real. So, why was I trying so hard to please his family?

The door opened and Mia stepped in. I quickly straightened, my nerves creeping up.

She closed the door gently behind her. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah. I am.” I rushed out.

“Don’t let what anyone says get to you, Aurora. Especially Janice, she’s just being protective of her big brother.”

I swallowed. “It’s not just Janice. The headlines, everyone, I feel like eyes are constantly on me.”

Mia stepped closer, her expression gently. “I know what it feels like to be torn apart by the media. When I divorced Conan’s father, the media ate me alive. They spun lies and called me names.”

I blinked, surprised. “You… went through all of that?”

She nodded. “And it hurts. I understand exactly how you must be feeling right now. Their opinions don’t matter. Never live your life caring about what people think of you. You decide who you are and people who matter will see it.”

My throat tightened. “But what if Conan-”

“Conan is not a fool,” she cut in. “I raised him better than that. He may be stubborn and closed off but I know he sees the truth.”

Tears prickled at my eyes. “Thank you for believing me.”

She reached out to squeeze my hand. “You never have to worry about me judging you. I believe in what I see.”

I nodded, not trusting my voice.

She gave me a small smile. “Good. Now dry your eyes before Janice reinvents another story.”

I laughed lightly, the tension breaking a little.

We returned to the dining room and finished our dinner.

As she left she pulled me into one last hug before leaving.

At least someone was on my side.