Chapter 85 Jealousy
"No need." Francis withdrew his hand and took a step back. "You just got back to the country. You should go settle in and rest first. Tina and I need to rush home to have dinner with our parents."
His decisive rejection left Aurora's hand frozen in mid-air. She lowered her eyes in disappointment, staring at her toes as she said, "I'm starting to miss the time when you and I were dating. At least back then, you wouldn't reject me so easily."
Francis's tone was somewhat cold. "That was so long ago, I've forgotten." He could tell she was testing him, but he didn't want to play along. He didn't want to guess at Aurora's intentions anymore. Whether she wanted to repair their relationship or had other motives, he wouldn't go along with her like before. Without waiting for Aurora's response, he drove off.
Aurora watched the rapidly departing car, her neatly manicured nails digging into her palm. Her lips pressed into a straight line, but in her heart, she was determined: "Francis, I won't give up! I know you resent me, and I'll take this cold treatment as paying back my debt. But I believe that one day you'll remember how much you loved me. My love for you hasn't changed, and yours can't change either!" She turned and walked into the hotel, her footsteps crisp and rhythmic, her hair sweeping a beautiful arc through the air.
In the car, Tina's head popped up from the back seat, asking curiously, "Francis, what did you just say to Aurora? I felt like she seemed a bit sad."
Francis replied, "That's grown-up stuff, you don't need to worry about it."
Tina pouted in dissatisfaction. "Francis, I'm twenty years old, I'm an adult! You're the only one who still treats me like a kid. I think Aurora's attitude toward you is pretty good. Don't you want to get back together with her?"
"No." Before she could finish asking, Francis answered decisively. He couldn't help but think of Jennifer at home. Over the years, he'd had plenty of women, but Jennifer was the first to move into his place, and she'd been there for months. Although he and Jennifer occasionally argued, the rest of the time she made him comfortable and happy. Compared to Aurora's cold elegance, Jennifer seemed gentle and considerate. Even when she occasionally lost her temper, it came across as playful.
Tina's eyes rolled around, and she asked again, "Such a quick answer—does it have something to do with your new girlfriend? I remember her name is Jennifer. So compared to Aurora, you like Jennifer more now?" Tina's interest in Jennifer grew. To shift Francis's years-long obsession with Aurora—she must be quite a woman.
"Like her? She's alright, I guess." Francis thought about it. His fondness for Jennifer naturally couldn't compare to his infatuation with Aurora back then. He was a mature man now and would never again get drunk over losing a woman and nearly ruin his career.
Tina rested her chin in her hand, her tone scornful. "Francis, you're such a playboy!"
Francis didn't argue—he really wasn't a good man. There happened to be a red light ahead, and he slowly stopped at the intersection. One long arm quickly reached to the back seat and tapped Tina's forehead. "Even if I am a playboy, it's not your place to lecture me."
Tina let out a wail and lay down sideways in the back seat, muttering, "When I see Mom, I'm going to tell on you. You bullied me as soon as we met, and you've made my forehead all red."
To welcome Tina, the Carter family members had rarely all gathered together today. Asher and Isabella sat at opposite ends of the long table, neither saying a word for ages. Finally, when the expected time arrived, Asher pointed at the wall clock and asked the butler, "It's already this late, why aren't they home yet? Give them a call."
"Yes, Mr. Carter." The butler stepped aside to make a call. Francis answered, telling him they'd be home in twenty minutes. The butler relayed this news to Asher. Isabella heard it too and quickly told the kitchen staff to prepare to serve the food, so Francis and Tina could eat their favorite dishes as soon as they got home.
As soon as Tina got home, she threw herself into Isabella's arms, saying with complete devotion, "Mom, I missed you so much!" After nuzzling in her embrace for a while, she looked up at Asher on the other side and said, "I missed Dad, too. I brought gifts for both of you; they're in my small suitcase."
Asher nodded seriously, a hint of a smile at the corner of his mouth. "Stop fussing around, go wash your hands and eat."
During dinner, with Tina there to lighten the mood, the atmosphere was fairly pleasant. Halfway through the meal, Asher suddenly brought up throwing Tina a belated coming-of-age party. "You spent your birthday abroad alone. Now that you're back, we should still hold a Coming of Age Party at home. It's a good chance to meet some peers here in the country."
Though Tina found it troublesome, she didn't object. And so, her coming-of-age party was set for the following week.
Francis stayed overnight at The Carter Manor that day. When Jennifer went to bed alone, she couldn't help feeling a bit lonely. She didn't even know what was driving her when she opened that photo Mia had sent again. Francis and Aurora—so affectionate, such a perfect match. Good thing she'd recognized her position early on. If Francis told her tomorrow that he wanted to end their relationship, she could exit gracefully.
Francis returned to his apartment the next day. Jennifer was somewhat surprised to see him. "I thought you'd stay out for a few more days."
Francis loosened his tie. "Tina's home, having one meal with her was enough. She's not a kid who needs me looking after her every day."
Jennifer's hand paused while pouring water. She took a deep breath before saying, "Actually, you don't need to make excuses to hide things from me. I know my place, I won't make a scene."
Francis looked at her, puzzled. "I don't know what you're talking about."
"Someone took photos of you two and posted them online. Your sister doesn't seem to look anything like you, and everyone's calling you long-lost lovers reunited." Jennifer added two spoonfuls of honey to her glass, stirring slowly. She'd said it so clearly—she really didn't understand what Francis was still trying to hide.
"What photos?" Francis actually had a guess—could it be Aurora?
The corner of Jennifer's mouth lifted in a mocking smile as she opened the photo and placed it on the table. "This one. It's actually a pretty nice photo."
Francis glanced at the photo. Sure enough, it was that moment when he and Aurora were looking at each other. He hadn't realized that his gaze toward her at that moment looked so complex and deep. Francis frowned, pressing one hand on the phone screen to turn it off while his other arm wrapped around Jennifer's waist. He nuzzled her cheek and said, "Is it sweet? Let me taste." Without waiting, he drank directly from Jennifer's hand. Very sweet.
"You say you know your place, but this behavior clearly shows you're jealous." Francis turned Jennifer's face toward him, looking directly into her eyes.