Chapter 167

Louis gave a mocking laugh. “Why are you so concerned about a woman you claim to utterly despise, Mr. Chambers?”
Daniel’s eyes narrowed, his voice cold. “Shut up.”
Mrs. Chambers, growing anxious as time dragged on, worried that Daniel might refuse to go through with the engagement once he learned the truth. She finally blurted out, “Aurora’s here. I invited her.”
Daniel turned to look at his mother, his tone flat. “Where is she?”
He knew his mother well enough to suspect her definition of “invitation” was questionable at best.
Mrs. Chambers hesitated, unable to bring herself to answer.
She was afraid.
But the force in Daniel’s gaze was overwhelming, a pressure she couldn’t withstand. And the chorus of whispers around them was enough to trample what little dignity she had left as Mrs. Chambers.
She could only point toward the second floor. “Upstairs.”
Daniel followed her gesture.
He locked eyes with a face streaked with tears.
His throat tightened painfully.
She stood there, having witnessed everything-she’d clearly heard every word he’d said.
“Aurora,” he murmured, taking a step forward, only for Monica to clutch his arm, holding him in place.
He could only watch helplessly as Louis climbed the stairs and gently escorted Aurora down.
As she reached the bottom, her expression was cool and collected, as if the tears on her face had been nothing but a fleeting illusion.
“Aurora,” Daniel called her name without thinking.
She tilted her head slightly, offering him a soft, almost amused smile.
“Congratulations on your engagement.” ɴᴇᴡ ɴᴏᴠᴇʟ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀʀᴇ ᴘᴜʙʟɪsʜᴇᴅ ᴏɴ.net
Supported by Louis’s steady arm, she headed for the door.
That fragile silhouette grew smaller and smaller as she walked away.
Daniel stared after her, the crease between his brows deepening.
Mrs. Chambers noticed the curious and judgmental looks from the crowd. She tugged at her son’s sleeve, her voice trembling with self-pity. “I really did just invite her to your engagement party, nothing more. Believe me, sweetheart. Please, just get through the ceremony, okay?”
Daniel brushed off his mother’s hand without hesitation, his expression dark as he turned to Monica. “I remember warning you three strikes, and that’s it.”
And this was the third time.
“It wasn’t me, I swear!” Monica looked panicked.
She reached for Daniel’s arm, pleading in a small voice, “Dan, I had nothing to do with this.”
Mrs. Chambers chimed in, desperate to defuse the situation.
But Daniel’s patience was gone. What he needed was a calm, sensible wife-not someone like Monica, who had no sense of her own limits. She’d burned through his tolerance long ago.
“I’ll call Mr. Cooper to call off the engagement,” he said flatly.
He instructed Will to tidy up the mess, then strode out without looking back.
Aurora paid no attention to what happened next.
Louis took her to a nearby café. He ordered her a mug of hot cocoa. “I’m sorry,” he said quietly. “I thought he’d come to his senses.”
He hadn’t expected Aurora to end up hurt.
Aurora wrapped her hands around the mug, staring blankly into the swirling steam.
Louis fell silent, letting her process her pain in her own time.
Who knows how long passed before her long lashes finally fluttered, and the tension in her posture eased.
“Let’s go home,” she said softly.
But Louis gently held her back, his voice warm. “Aurora, could you tell me about Payne’s mother?”
People only have children when they love each other, he thought. He must have loved her once.
Aurora closed her eyes, her fingers trembling as she took a sip of cocoa.
“She was a gentle soul,” she began, her voice slow and quiet. “Her family always favored boys, so from a young age she lived with her grandparents.”
“She was mocked, bullied, even tormented for years. But she always stayed optimistic. Then, one day, she met you.”