Grayson halted, his features hardening as he realized how profoundly Aurora recoiled from his touch. A shadow crossed his eyes, bitterness and frustration coiling tight in his chest. With a sudden surge of emotion, he caught her lips again, this time kissing her with rough, desperate intensity.
The force of it stunned Aurora. The familiar sensation only reopened an old wound buried deep within her heart. Her hand flew up on instinct—cracking sharply across his face.
Fingers trembling from the blow, she glared at him, fury flashing in her eyes, her voice cutting cold and clear. "You crashed into my life like it meant nothing, Grayson—and walked out like it meant even less. What the hell makes you think you get to do this now? I'm no longer the woman who would come and go at your beck and call."
The luxury car continued to glide down the road as she reached for the handle, ready to leap out.
Darkness flickered in Grayson's gaze. He caught her slender wrist, his grip firm but trembling. "Rora," he murmured, the low whisper threaded with longing that twisted painfully in her chest.
Aurora jerked her hand away, eyes flashing. "Don't call me that! Whatever we had is over—if you think we can just pick up where we left off, you're mistaken."
At Grayson's quiet command, the driver eased the car to the curb.
Without another word, Aurora pushed open the car door and stepped into the cool night.
Her figure slipped into the darkness, leaving Grayson staring after her until the last trace of her silhouette vanished. Her final words echoed like a curse in his ears. "I'd rather die than be tied to the Rockefeller family again."
He pursed his lips. It was the Rockefeller family that she'd said she wanted nothing to do with. As he reflected, he'd never once introduced her to his family.
...
At the Burton family gathering, laughter and chatter filled the elegant dining hall.
Had Aurora known earlier that the uncle her fiancé had spoken of was Grayson, she might've tempered her sharp words that night. Seated beside her fiancé, Ryan Burton, she stole a glance across the table. Grayson sat opposite, engaged in a light conversation with Ryan's mother, Veronica, his profile calm yet distant. The sight sent an unexpected jolt through her chest.
Catching Aurora's gaze, Veronica offered a warm, hostess-like smile. "Aurora, I just realized I haven't introduced you properly," she said, her tone affectionate as she reached over and patted Grayson's arm. "This is Ryan's uncle, Grayson Rockefeller—my little brother. He's twenty-four years younger than I am."
Aurora lifted her glass gracefully, her expression composed, her voice even. "Pleasure to meet you, Mr. Rockefeller."
Not a flicker of emotion touched her eyes; her greeting carried the cool civility of strangers.
Across the table, Grayson's jaw tensed. His gaze locked onto hers, intense and unwavering.
Sensing the subtle chill in the air, Ryan hurried to ease the tension. "Grayson," he called out lightly, though he couldn't ignore the sharp edge in Grayson's stare directed at Aurora.
Thinking Grayson's expression meant he didn't approve of Aurora, Ryan clasped her hand with a reassuring smile and lifted his glass toward Grayson. "I'm lucky to have Rora by my side," he said warmly. "Here's to you, Grayson."
Grayson's gaze sharpened. "What did you just call her?" His voice came out low and rough, carrying a note of barely restrained anger.
"Rora," Ryan repeated easily, glancing at Aurora with a tender grin. She answered with a soft smile of her own, their quiet intimacy glowing between them.
The sight struck Grayson like a thorn to the heart. His throat tightened as he turned away and drained his glass in one swallow, the burn doing little to dull the ache behind his eyes.
When the dishes arrived, Ryan leaned close, carefully placing food on Aurora's plate.
Aurora froze when she saw the crab legs before her, fork hovering midair. "Ryan, I can't..."
Before she could finish, he misunderstood and cheerfully added a slice of coral trout beside it. "Try this, Rora. These were flown in fresh—Grayson arranged everything himself."
Ryan's family had always lived modestly—his father a university professor, his mother the owner of a small flower shop. Luxuries like these were rare at their table.
Ryan had once told Aurora that Veronica had cut ties with her wealthy family to marry for love, and that choice had shaped the life they now led.
It hadn't occurred to Aurora that Veronica belonged to the formidable Rockefeller family.
Aurora hadn't even caught the faint resemblance between Veronica and Claude Rockefeller—Grayson's imposing father until now. Even after five long years, the memory of Claude standing in her parents' living room, his voice sharp and disdainful, remained vivid. His scornful words and arrogant bearing had cut deep, leaving behind a chill that lingered still.
Aurora's face tightened at the recollection, and her hand clenched around the fork until her knuckles whitened. A wave of nausea rose, twisting in her stomach. "Excuse me," she murmured, her voice roughened by emotion as she pushed back her chair. "I need a moment."
Once inside the restroom, she gripped the sink and turned on the tap, splashing cold water over her face until the sting steadied her breathing. Droplets slid down her cheeks as she stared into the mirror, forcing her expression back under control.
The soft creak of the door broke the silence.
She looked up, the sight locking her in place. Grayson's reflection stood behind her, tall and composed, his eyes unreadable.
The narrow space seemed to shrink around them, the air thick with tension.
Aurora dabbed her face with a tissue and then turned, intent on leaving. But before she could take a step, Grayson moved to block the doorway.
Meeting his gaze head-on, she kept her tone icy. "Mr. Rockefeller, please step aside."
A dangerous glint flashed in Grayson's eyes.
Aurora tried to slip past him, but his hand shot out, catching her wrist in a firm grip. He asked, his tone razor-sharp, "Do you really want to marry a man who doesn't even know you're allergic to seafood?"
She yanked free, her expression icy. "Ryan is your nephew."
The muscles along his jaw tightened, his face shadowed by a stormy darkness.
As Aurora reached for the bathroom door, his voice sliced through the air, cold as steel. "If the Burton family learns our past relationship, do you think they'll still approve you to marry Ryan?"
Without looking back, she answered evenly, "You're welcome to find out, Mr. Rockefeller."
The door swung open, and she stopped dead in her tracks. Ryan stood just outside, surprise flickering across his face as his gaze shifted between her and Grayson. "Rora," he blurted out, eyes wide in disbelief, "why are you and my uncle in there together?"
