Chapter 5

Behind Danica stood Taylor, Stellan, and Flynn. None of them expected Aurora to appear again, especially Taylor and Stellan, who were still immersed in the joy of Danica's return. They had forgotten to deal with the problem that Aurora potentially posed. Now that they came face to face, the three men put on grim expressions. Danica frowned as she stared at Aurora's face, which looked strikingly similar to her own. "Who are you?" The expressions of the three men behind her shifted, and their breathing hitched due to anxiety. Aurora noticed their reaction. She clenched her fists and replied softly, "Hello, Ms. Sauter. I'm just a maid at the villa." She wanted to stay by their side, so she wouldn't do anything that would displease or annoy them. Aurora perceptively deduced that they didn't want Danica to learn about her identity, so she claimed to be a maid. Upon seeing how sensible she was, the men visibly relaxed. Flynn added, "She's just someone I hired to clean the house." Danica's expression remained doubtful. Just as she was about to speak, she noticed a large wet stain on her white dress. Aurora had accidentally caused the wet patch when she bumped into Danica. Danica reproached her coldly. "Has no one taught you any manners? How can you run around in the living room? You've dirtied my dress." The moment Danica expressed her displeasure, Stellan quickly spoke up to placate her. "Don't get upset over a maid, Dani. It's not worth it." Then, he walked over to Aurora with a smile on his lips. Contrary to his smile, his actions were harsh as he kicked her to the ground ruthlessly. "Can't you see you've upset Dani? Go outside and kneel as an apology to her." Taylor and Flynn remained indifferent as they watched Aurora being mistreated. Aurora felt intense pain in her abdomen from the kick, but she lowered her head apologetically and said, "I'm sorry, Ms. Sauter. I'll go do that right away." She got to her feet with difficulty and went to kneel in the courtyard that was exposed to the merciless rain. Aurora didn't care about the pain or her dignity—she had long since given up on those things. She wanted to see the three men who reminded her of Louis as much as possible. Nothing would stop her from living in her fantasy every day. And so, Aurora knelt from morning until night. Yet, the rain never stopped. By midnight, she was so weak that she resembled a frail flower that was barely able to withstand the battering of the rain. She looked like she would collapse at any moment. She didn't know how much time had passed. Eventually, Danica came out. Her driver was already waiting for her outside. Danica glanced at Aurora, who was still kneeling outside in the rain. She merely scoffed before walking away. In the next moment, Taylor, Stellan, and Flynn came rushing out after her. They were standing in the covered corridor in front of where Aurora was kneeling, engaged in a heated conversation. Taylor grabbed Danica's hand with a deep frown etched on his forehead. "Are you leaving? Must you go abroad again?" Danica responded indifferently, "I've told you that this visit was only temporary." Stellan stepped forward and said anxiously, "Can't you stay? We can give you whatever you want." But Danica, spoiled as she was, rejected him without batting an eye. "No. I'm leaving next month." Her attitude infuriated the three of them. Over the years, she had always been like this. She would give them a glimmer of hope, only to retreat to a safe distance once again after she had them hooked. "Dani, can't you see how we feel about you?" This time, Flynn chose to be direct. Danica's eyes flashed with hesitation, and she changed the subject. "It's not like I'm not coming back. Why are you all so worked up? I'm leaving now." With that, she turned and walked away. The men didn't chase after her, but their expressions looked somber. As the sound of the car's engine faded into the distance, they left one by one with long faces. Aurora had watched everything unfold. She knew that Danica's capriciousness was precisely what gave her a chance. Even though the men no longer had time for Aurora now that Danica had returned, she would keep showering them with her affection like before. On Monday, she went to find Taylor. When she arrived at his villa, she saw that Taylor had locked himself in his room. He had resorted to alcohol to drown his sorrows. He had been drinking heavily all day, refusing to open the door or eat. The help had tried bringing meals to him several times, but he had driven them away each time. Aurora took over the task from them. She personally prepared meals and waited outside Taylor's door every day. After Aurora knocked on the door several times, Taylor finally opened the door. His usual cold and aloof demeanor was nowhere to be seen. Instead, he looked worn out and defeated. Upon seeing Aurora standing at the door with a tray of food, his displeasure further intensified. "If you knock again, I'll throw you off the balcony." But Aurora didn't leave. She stayed, her face full of concern as she urged, "Please eat something. You have stomach issues. You shouldn't go without food." "Get lost. I don't need you to take care of me!" Taylor growled. Through the partially opened door, Aurora saw that the room was littered with empty bottles. There were about ten unopened ones on the table. She looked at Taylor and said, "How about we make a bet?" Without waiting for his response, she set down the food and walked into the room. She grabbed one of the bottles from the table. "There are ten bottles left here. If I can finish them all, you'll eat," Aurora proposed. Taylor narrowed his eyes, thinking that she was being ridiculous. "Are you insane?" If she drank all that alcohol, she'd definitely end up in the hospital and would need to get her stomach pumped. Aurora's eyes glinted resolutely. "If you don't object, I'll take that as a yes." With that, she opened a bottle and tilted her head back, gulping it down in one go. After finishing the first bottle, she moved on to the second, the third, the fourth… In the end, she finished all the bottles on the table. By the time she was done, she could barely stand. Yet, she still forced herself to bring the tray of food to Taylor. She pleaded, "I won. Please eat now." Taylor stared at her intently, his thoughts unreadable. Finally, he took the tray of food stolidly. Once he finished eating, Aurora could no longer hold on and fainted.