“Bitch,don’t act so high and mighty.Aren’t you just a bar girl?What are you pretending for?”The sound of a bottle shattering cut through the air.
Astrid’s hair was yanked by a burly man,her face turning pale with fear as several sleazy old men surrounded her.
“I really am not a bar girl,I’m just a waitress…”
Before she could finish,a heavy slap landed hard across her face.
Hearing the commotion,Aurelia rushed over and was met with the scene.She even recognized the man tormenting Astrid,an infamous nouveau riche,well known for using money to force women into submission.
Aurelia had already been in a foul mood,and now this man dared to cause trouble right in front of her.He must have been asking for it.
She grabbed a bottle and smashed it against his bald head,shards scattering across the floor.The man glared furiously,but the moment his eyes fell on Aurelia,his anger froze.
“Do you know who I am?”Aurelia’s face was cold,her presence carrying authority that could not be ignored.
The man stammered,his body trembling.“Y-yes,I know…President Aurelia.”
Everyone knew Aurelia’s ways.Though only a woman,she had kicked down her elder brother to take control of the family and was known for being ruthless and absolute in her words.
“You knew,and still dared to bully my friend?”
The man panicked instantly,dropping to his knees and groveling.“I didn’t realize she was your friend,I was blind…”
Aurelia crossed her arms,a cold smile tugging at her lips as she looked down at him.The man understood at once and began slapping himself across the face.
Only when his cheeks were swollen and bleeding did Aurelia finally speak.“Get lost.If I ever see you bullying my friend again,it won’t end this easily.”
The men scrambled away in fear.
When she looked at Astrid in her arms,the girl’s eyes were filled with admiration.“Aurelia,you were so cool just now.”
Aurelia let out a laugh at the blunt compliment,and just as she was about to answer,the door was suddenly kicked open from outside.
“Astrid!”
Santino rushed in,still wearing his lab coat,clearly having come straight from work after hearing the news.
When his eyes landed on the marks across Astrid’s face and the broken glass scattered on the floor,fury flashed through him.He pulled Astrid behind him,his expression dark.
“Aurelia,don’t go too far!”
Aurelia froze at the sudden scolding,the smile on her lips stiffening.
Astrid quickly tried to defend her.“No,it wasn’t like that.Aurelia saved me.”
But Santino refused to believe it.“Astrid,you don’t need to speak for her.I know exactly what kind of person she is.”
Cruel and ruthless,willing to do anything for her goals,a woman who,when rumors weren’t enough,even went as far as hurting his mother.
Aurelia paused,then let out a bitter laugh.“In your eyes,am I really that low?”
Santino ignored her words,let out a cold snort,then lifted Astrid into his arms and carried her away.
Watching his retreating back,Aurelia lost all mood to continue drinking.
Now she even wished Santino would misunderstand her,wished he would be angry with her,because even a quarrel felt better than this cold indifference.
Back home,Aurelia’s head throbbed again.The tumor inside her skull was like a nail driven deep,forcing her to remember her love for Santino with every breath while making her suffer all the same.
Late at night,as the pain grew unbearable,she fumbled for her phone in a daze and blindly sent out a message.The moment it was sent,her strength gave way,and she sank into unconsciousness.
When she woke,Santino was sitting quietly at her bedside,watching her.
Seeing her stir,he didn’t leave as he once would,and for a fleeting moment,Aurelia felt as if she had gone back to the days when he had guarded her with tenderness.
“…Sorry.”His voice was stiff,his eyes avoiding hers as though weighed down by unease.“Yesterday,I thought you had bullied Astrid.I misunderstood you.”
Aurelia shook her head,and just as she was about to speak,crimson blood dripped onto the sheets.She pressed her hand against it instinctively,but it was no use.
She had long grown used to such bleeding,yet Santino panicked,his hands trembling as he passed her tissues.
When it finally stopped,she turned to thank him,only to see him frowning,his gaze fixed on her.
“What’s wrong with you?”Santino’s voice carried a tremor he didn’t even notice.Even he hadn’t realized yet that he could no longer live without Aurelia.
Aurelia suddenly laughed,tears glistening in her eyes.“What if I told you I had a very serious illness,one that couldn’t be cured?What would you do?”
She spoke of her terminal illness as if it were nothing more than a joke,yet Santino’s expression grew darker with every word.
She was about to explain,but he cut her off coldly.“You’re still such a liar.Dying would be too easy for you.You have to stay alive and make amends slowly.”
Aurelia let out a real laugh this time,nodding as though she agreed.“Yes,I lie.It’s just inflammation,nothing serious.”
At that,Santino’s already dark face twisted into something even uglier.
Looking at him,Aurelia couldn’t help but wonder.If he knew the truth,that she had cancer,what would his reaction be?Would he feel sorrow,would he grieve,or would he only feel relieved that he was finally free of her?
Her gaze lingered quietly on him.Forget it.Better not to tell him.Let him hate her for a lifetime.
