billion book
Chapter 27
Chapter 27
Elowen didn’t pay attention to his subtle reaction. Her mind was preoccupied with the idea of marriage.
She gave Elara a suggestive look.
Elara said, “It’s customary for men and women to get married when they reach a certain age. You and
Elowen are not getting any younger. It’s about time you guys tied the knot. I checked the calendar, and
October 2nd seems to be a propitious day. Why not settle for that?”
Leopold withdrew his gaze and lifted his wine glass, taking a small sip. The wine seemed more acidic
than usual.
“Elara, you should know the customs within the Stirling family. Following the death of my father, it’s
customary to observe a period of mourning for three years. During this time, no celebrations are to be
held.” Leopold said.
Elara was well aware of this. The rule couldn’t be broken, unless the woman was pregnant. Hence she
encouraged her daughter to stealthily undergo artificial insemination, but things didn’t go as planned.
Elowen felt devastated, and her lips pursed tightly. Waiting for three months was unbearable, let alone
three
years.
“Now that you’re the head of the family, why not change the rules?” Elowen asked.
Leopold’s gaze hardened, and his expression turned serious, “The rules were established by our
ancestors. If the descendants could change them on a whim, then what’s their significance? I will not
repeat the mistakes of my father!”
Realizing that her daughter had touched his nerve, Elara hurriedly tried to pacify the situation, “Elowen
was just casually suggesting. Ddon’t take it to heart. You’ve been engaged, which is pretty much the
same as being married. Why not let Elowen move in with you?”
Leopold swirled the wine in his glass, a cunning and cold glint flickering in his eyes, “Elara, surely you
know that until I’ve fully recovered, I can’t have any physical relations with her.”
Elara choked, her face turning a shade of green.
Leopold refilled her glass, “Rest assured, Elowen is the only woman I’m engaged to. There won’t be a
second one.”
These words seemed to soothe Elara. Ever since Leopold got engaged to her daughter, he had indeed
kept
his distance from other women.
Next door.
Aurelia hadn’t caught the rest of the conversation. Their voices had been low, but she distinctly heard
the last sentence, Leopold had raised his voice, as though deliberately wanting her to hear. She
guessed that they must be discussing marriage. Whether Leopold would marry Elowen or not was
none of her concern. All she cared about was the well–being of her child.
Arnold refilled her glass with juice, “Do you remember the little rabbit we rescued during our trip?”
Aurelia nodded, “Yes, I remember. Its hind leg was broken, and the vet said it couldn’t survive in the
wild.”
“I adopted it, and fitted it with a prosthetic leg. When you have time, I can take you to see it.” Arnold
said.
“That would be nice.” Aurelia smiled, suddenly feeling a creepy chill spread through the intricate lattice
of the partition. She shivered, rubbing her arms for warmth.
Arnold quickly took off his jacket and draped it over her. The jacket was warm, instantly shielding her
from
10:59
the cold seeping through from the next booth.
“Thank you.” Aurelia said.
“That’s fine.” Arnold’s thin lips curved into a charming smile, “Aurelia, I’m glad we’ve met again. After
we returned from the trip, I’ve been looking for you.”
Aurelia paused. “Looking for me?”
Wasn’t it him who had cut off contact?
Arnold sighed, “After our trip, my father’s condition worsened suddenly. I accompanied him abroad for
treatment. When we returned, I tried to contact you, but your phone was off.”
So, he didn’t want to lose contact, but had to because he was abroad, and her phone was off?
“After graduation, I moved to Elysium for work and changed my number.” Aurelia said.
“I see.” Arnold’s hazel eyes shimmered under the light, “It seems like fate has played a trick on us. But
we’ve met again, and that means we’re destined.”
Aurelia’s heart fluttered like waves crashing on the shore. Arnold had always been the embodiment of
her ideal boyfriend – handsome, gentle, eloquent and talented. If only there wasn’t any medical
incident or he wasn’t from the Stirling family, everything would have been perfect.
As she fell silent, Arnold’s voice broke the silence, “Have you heard of the Muse Club?”
Aurelia had heard about it during her university days. It was a club composed of young, talented artists,
quite famous and many people wanted to join. “You’re a member of the Muse Club?” Aurelia asked.
Arnold nodded, “There’s a party at the club tomorrow. Would you like to come with me? It might help Còntens bel0ngs to Nô(v)elDr/a/ma.Org
you expand your network, which could be beneficial for your career.”
Aurelia pursed her lips. Her life had always been a cycle between work and her apartment, rarely
participating in social events. But she was eager to broaden her horizons.
“Sure.” Aurelia said.
In the next booth, Leopold’s grip on his cutlery tightened, an inferno of frustration simmering within
him.
Elowen turned to look at him, a sly smile showing on her face, “Leopold, I told you so. It’s clear that
Aurelia and Arnold are old flames. Aside from me, don’t trust any other woman. They all have ulterior
motives