Chapter 66

NATHANIEL.

Being accosted by one of his employees outside his company was not how he’d envisioned his morning going. Whatever his Head of Marketing wanted to show him that was so important could have been done in his office. But as it was now, the man had already cornered him and there was no point in running. So, he stood by the side of the entrance with his employee, engaged in a deep conversation that he was not in the mood for. But a man had to do what a man had to do.

When he raised his eyes at the sound of tires screeching and pulling into the driveway, he was shocked to see Aurora sitting in the passenger’s side of the car and on the passenger’s side was a man whom he’d never seen before. Since the car was at a distance, they did not see Thane staring at them with confusion clearly on his face.

A strong wave of jealousy overtook him. Thane was under the impression that Aurora had taken the morning off, perhaps to take care of a family matter. She’d texted him asking for permission to come in an hour later this morning and he had happily granted it.

Who was that man? What relationship did she have with him? Had Thane been wrong to assume that Aurora had been dealing with personal issues he’d deemed familial? The man was even dropping her off. It felt oddly stranger because he liked dropping her off and this felt very much like their morning routine had meant nothing to her. He longed to know the nature of their connection and whether it threatened the delicate balance of emotions that existed between him and Aurora.

There were still ongoing unresolved issues involving Winter and now the appearance of this new man made emotions swirl chaotically inside him. Should he be worried? He’d tried his best to curb his inhibitions when it came to Aurora so as not to scare her because he knew he could be really intense sometimes but in his defense, he’d never felt this strongly about anyone before. There was a resilient urge of possessiveness inside him towards her.

Yet, despite the turmoil roiling within him, the presence of his employee acted as an inconvenient barrier, preventing him from approaching Aurora at that moment. He was acutely aware of the need for discretion, especially with an onlooker by his side, and it frustrated him. If he did anything to bring to notice his relationship with Aurora, she would not only despise him for it, he would lose her as his assistant.

“Sir?”

“Hmm?” Thane hummed, bringing half of his attention back to his Head of Marketing. “Did you say something?”

The man looked peeved. “I have been asking if you understood my point. I think the ratings would improve drastically if we opted for the second option.”

Thane nodded absentmindedly. “Hmm. Sure. Sure,” he said. If there was one thing he’d learned from being a businessman, it was that no important decision should be made with a chaotic mind. “Let’s meet in my office this afternoon and talk more about it. Alright? I’d love to hear more.”

The employee beamed, happy that Thane had acknowledged his idea. “Alright, sir.”

Once the man was gone, Thane glanced one more time at Aurora who was engrossed in conversation with the man that had dropped her off. He wondered what they were talking about, and wished he could walk up to them and demand an explanation. But just as Aurora had told him yesterday, he was only just a suitor even if he was her husband. He could not afford to overplay his hand.

So, he did the only thing he could: turned around and headed for his office. Once he was seated, his laptop pinged with an email notification. Opening it, he saw that it was an update from the detective, confirming that the investigations into Aurora's college days had been completed. This new information was like a weight pressing down on his mind. He wasn’t too sure if he was still interested in knowing about her past. What if he found out something he could not go back from?

Nevertheless, he’d hired the investigator himself and it was only right he got his money worth’s. He emailed back asking for the information to be sent to him. The need to unravel the mysteries surrounding Aurora's past had become increasingly imperative. There were so many things about her he didn’t know and feared he would never know because of her evasive nature.

Thane had noticed that Aurora did not talk much about herself and he did not want to push her past her limit and away from him. She didn’t talk much of her family either. He reckoned that if she had, he might have figured things out a lot sooner.

However, as Thane awaited the detective's response, his thoughts turned to the new man he had seen with Aurora earlier. Contemplation gnawed at him, urging him to consider having the detective investigate this enigmatic figure. The surge of jealousy and possessiveness he had experienced earlier still pulsed within him. But after some moments of inner turmoil and hesitation, he made a conscious decision to let it go.

Not only would it make him feel like a control freak if he did that, but Aurora would never forgive him if she ever found out. Thane recognized the importance of not overstepping boundaries and interfering too much in Aurora's social interactions.

He understood that her life extended beyond their relationship, and respecting her autonomy was paramount. She was free to have friends and acquaintances without him breathing down her neck. Though the emotions churned beneath the surface, he resolved to strike a delicate balance between uncovering the truth and allowing Aurora her space.

Thane's initial motivation for involving the detective in the investigation was driven by the suspicion that his wife might have been having an affair. The shadow of doubt had cast a heavy pall over his thoughts, leaving him with a restless desire for answers. Now that he had them, he had to be careful about what direction to take.

However, as moments passed and he contemplated the situation further, Thane's intentions began to shift. The fire of jealousy and insecurity still simmered within him, but he harbored a profound yearning to earn Aurora's trust on his own merits. He recognized that true understanding and connection couldn't be forged through investigations alone.

One of these days, he was going to have to talk to her about her past. He wanted there to be no secrets between them. He wanted to know her in and out, probably consume her as she did him. Trust was the most important aspect of every relationship and even though it posed a challenge, he was willing to trust her.