As Aurora looked at Grayson, a subtle tic betrayed the calm on her face.
Aurora gently brushed Chloe's hand aside and stepped forward, facing Grayson with quiet poise. Her gaze flicked to the thin scratch marring his tailored suit before she spoke in a polite, measured tone. "Mr. Rockefeller, I apologize for damaging your suit. Please let me know how much it costs to replace it, and I'll make sure you're fully compensated."
Her words, though courteous, carried a chill that drew a line between them as strangers.
Grayson caught every distant syllable like a blade pressed to his chest. Looking down at the damaged fabric, he answered evenly, "It's a custom piece. One hundred sixty thousand. But there's no need to compensate..."
"One hundred sixty thousand? Is that thing stitched with gold thread?" Chloe snapped, glaring at him with open irritation.
Before Chloe could say more, Aurora swiftly pulled out her phone. Her fingers moved without hesitation as she transferred the money to his bank account.
Chloe's eyes widened in disbelief. She seized Aurora's wrist, her voice rising. "Aurora, have you lost your mind? He tossed out some ridiculous number, and you just transferred it?"
Aurora's voice remained composed as she addressed him, "Mr. Rockefeller, the transfer's already been made."
Glancing at his phone, Grayson caught the bank notification flash across the screen. For a fleeting second, emotion stirred behind his calm exterior before he masked it completely. His gaze lifted to her, tone low and steady. "It's still early. How about a drink? Some of our old classmates are here."
"I'll pass," Aurora replied, her voice polite yet distant. "We're heading back now."
"I'll give you a ride," he offered quietly.
"Thank you, but we've called a designated driver." Aurora refused decisively, walking out with Chloe.
The singer's melancholic tune filled the bar, each note trailing after them like a soft echo.
Grayson stayed where he was, surrounded by the hum of conversation and the chill of solitude settling over his shoulders.
...
Outside, headlights swept across the curb as cars pulled in and out.
A gleam of pride lit Chloe's face as she gave Aurora a thumbs-up for finally pushing back at Grayson. "Did you see Grayson's face just now, Aurora? He looked ready to explode."
Looping her arm through Aurora's, Chloe burst into laughter so hard that she nearly lost her balance. "But seriously, why on earth did you send him a hundred and sixty grand that fast?"
"I just don't want to owe him anything," Aurora said quietly.
"You don't owe that bastard a single cent," Chloe said firmly. "It's a suit jacket, not a crown jewel. He's clearly trying to tangle you up again."
"Maybe so." Aurora's voice held no emotion; she had no intention of deciphering Grayson's motives of appearing in her life repeatedly. Whatever he wanted, she no longer cared. She only wanted peace.
As the two approached the curb, a sleek black Maybach eased to a stop before them.
The tinted window slid down with practiced smoothness. Chloe's curiosity vanished the instant she saw the familiar face inside. Her tone sharpened. "Grayson—seriously? You've got some nerve showing up again."
Behind his gold-rimmed glasses, his gaze locked onto Aurora. She turned her face deliberately toward the street, refusing even a glance in his direction.
For a few seconds, silence hung heavy between them. Then, Grayson's low voice cut through the evening air. "Get in the car. I'll take you home."
A trace of simmering rage glinted in Chloe's eyes, darkening her face. "Don't bother—your car's too precious. If it gets a scratch, Aurora might end up broken." She waved him off impatiently. "Just get out of the way. Our car just pulled up."
Grayson's gaze flicked to the rear-view mirror, where a pink car rolled up, its driver leaning out and waving enthusiastically.
Chloe hooked her arm through Aurora's and tugged her toward the car.
The narrow one-way street quickly turned into a bottleneck—Grayson's Maybach idled in the middle, forcing a line of cars to a halt behind it.
Horns blared in growing frustration, yet none of the drivers dared to confront the imposing S-Class with its unmistakable air of privilege.
A weary sigh escaped Aurora's lips. For everyone's sake, she chose to give in. Stepping out of the pink car and sliding into the Maybach, she angled herself toward the window, leaving a deliberate stretch of empty seat between her and Grayson—enough space for two more people.
Silence pressed down until Grayson turned, eyes catching on her folded arms, her posture a quiet barricade. A dull ache pinched at his chest, his gaze flickering with something unspoken. "About what happened back then…" he began, his voice dipped in hesitation.
Aurora met his look head-on, her tone as cool as glass. "Mr. Rockefeller, if you made me get into this car just to revisit what happened five years ago," she cut in aloofly, "then save your breath. There's nothing left to say."
"Rora." Her nickname left his lips in a low murmur, softer than the hum of her phone ringing between them.
Dropping her gaze, Aurora saw the caller ID: Fiancé. She answered naturally.
"Rora, are you on your way home?" The warm voice came through the line.
"Not yet," Aurora replied.
"You with Chloe?" he asked, voice low and probing.
Her fingers tightened faintly around the phone as she cast a glance at Grayson. "With a business associate," she said evenly.
The phrase landed like a blow. Grayson's expression darkened, a shadow sweeping over his features as his eyes turned to frost. Her expression softened with a smile as she spoke on the phone with her fiancé, her voice laced with warmth. While it had been five years since they ended things, it never crossed his mind that she'd one day belong to someone else.
"Tomorrow evening, my uncle will come back home, and my parents want us all to have dinner together. Do you have time?" her fiancé asked gently.
"Sure. Pick me up at the station after work," Aurora answered, her tone light.
"Alright, we'll do it like always—you just need to look beautiful, and I'll take care of everything else."
A quiet laugh escaped Aurora. "Okay."
Her tender voice and the warmth in her smile contrasted sharply with the frosty indifference she'd shown Grayson moments ago.
Watching her softness directed at another man made something twist painfully in Grayson's chest. A flush of anger crept across his handsome face as his long fingers closed around her wrist, pulling her abruptly into his arms. One broad hand slid to the back of her neck, forcing her gaze to meet his.
Startled, Aurora met his eyes—so close, too close—and shoved at his chest. "Grayson, let go of me!" she snapped, her tone cutting and cold.
For an instant, he froze, searching her eyes and finding only distance and chill. Something in him hardened. His jaw tightened as he bent his head and captured her lips in a fierce, desperate kiss.
Aurora jerked against him, every muscle straining as she pushed back with all her strength, refusing to yield.
