Chapter 4

Aurora's hands clenched into fists, but she shook her head obstinately. "The three of them resemble him the most. I can't give up." With that, she walked inside. Paul could only watch her go in with a look of resignation and defeat. He sighed heavily as he thought of Aurora's tragic circumstances. After parting ways with Paul, Aurora went inside and started heading to the private room the three men often reserved for themselves. Just then, Flynn appeared and spotted her. His expression soured as he asked bluntly, "Who said you could come here?" Upon seeing him, Aurora instantly put on her usual pitiful expression and whispered, "I missed you all…" But these words didn't evoke any sympathy or empathy from Flynn. Neither he, Taylor, nor Stellan wanted Danica to find out about Aurora's existence over the past three years. Danica was very particular when it came to love. If she found out they had been with another woman—even if she was a stand-in—it would drastically ruin their chances with her. They wouldn't have taken such a dangerous risk if it hadn't been for the fact that they missed Danica too much. As the door to the private room was about to open and Danica was about to come out, Flynn's gaze landed on the door of the nearby storage room. He hastily instructed his assistant, "Lock her in there. Don't let her out without my permission." "Okay!" Aurora barely had time to react before she was pushed into a dark storage room. The next moment, the door was locked from the outside. She sat on the dirty floor, and faint sounds from outside reached her ears. Among the voices of the men, there was a woman's voice. That voice could only belong to Danica—the legendary true love of all three men. In all of Aurora's years with them, she had never heard the three of them speak so gently. They kept asking if Danica was cold, if she was hungry, or if her high heels made her uncomfortable. Everyone treated her like she was the center of the universe, their voices full of affection and tenderness. Aurora didn't know how long it had been, but eventually, the sounds from the room ceased. It seemed like everyone had left. Yet, no one came to unlock the door for her. Flynn had probably forgotten about her. The storage room was cold and dark, and Aurora was locked inside for the entire night. In the middle of the night, she fell asleep on a pile of dusty junk. Aurora had a dream. She dreamed of someone she hadn't seen in a long time. That person was Louis Merrick. This was the "Mr. Merrick" that Paul had mentioned. He had passed away long ago. Louis was Aurora's late fiancé, whom she had loved with all her heart. First, she dreamed of high school, when Louis sat behind her. He kept pulling her hair on purpose. "Louis Merrick! If you keep doing that, I'll get mad!" Aurora scolded. The teenage Aurora was vivacious and spunky. She was not at all like the current subservient and robot-like person she was now. Louis would laugh and gently pat her head. "Alright. I'm sorry. I won't do that anymore." However, he would only behave for a minute before reverting back to his antics again. Aurora could only sigh helplessly and let him mess with her hair. In an instant, the scene shifted to prom night during their senior year. Louis and Aurora stood in the crowd, and he intertwined their hands. As a result, Aurora's ears turned a bright shade of scarlet. "Let go," she hissed under her breath. He refused and whispered, "Rory, you'll apply for the same university as me, right? Promise me you'll do that, please." Aurora was afraid that someone would notice their intimate interactions. She replied hastily, "Alright, I'll do that. You have my word." "You haven't agreed to become my girlfriend after graduation," Louis added. He would always find a way to make things go his way. Aurora bit her lip and murmured so softly it was barely audible. "Alright, I agree to that too." Such was her sweet and fairytale-like relationship with Louis, her childhood sweetheart. Aurora believed they would be together for a lifetime back then. She still remembered the last time she saw Louis. He had looked at her with smiling, gentle eyes that held deep adoration. He said, "Rory, let's get married when I come back from Skorsland." His promise never did come true. Aurora never got to marry him, nor did she get to see him return from Skorsland. The plane from Duskvale to Skorsland took her lover away from her forever. Finally, the scene shifted to the day Aurora received the news of Louis' death. She had rushed into the funeral home and pried open the coffin like a mad woman. To her despair, it was empty and only contained Louis' clothes. The plane crash had left no remains. At that moment, Aurora couldn't muster the will to live anymore. She slammed her head hard against the coffin. She bled profusely, but she didn't die. All the people present were terrified. The scene was chaotic, filled with cries and screams that echoed endlessly. Her father had advised gravely, "Rory, I know you loved Louis deeply… But he's gone now. Let him rest in peace and forget him." Her mother had said, "You still have a long life ahead, Rory. You're young. You'll meet someone else." But Aurora knew she would never meet anyone else. And so, she drifted through life in a daze until she met Taylor, Stellan, and Flynn. Fate had been kind to her. Taylor's face, Stellan's eyes, and Flynn's red beauty mark… Their individual features made Aurora feel like Louis had returned. Because of this, she was desperate to stay by their sides no matter what. When Aurora woke from the dream, it was already the next day. She found that her face was stained with tears. With a creak, the door finally opened. The restaurant staff came to rescue her after they noticed that she was in the storage room through the surveillance cameras. Not a single person had remembered her. Flynn and the others had long since left. It was raining outside. Aurora walked back to the villa alone and got drenched in the downpour. It was Saturday, so she should be at Flynn's villa. By the time she got there, her face was pale, and she was in a miserable state. As she walked in, soaking wet from head to toe, she came face to face with Danica.