Dominic gave an awkward little laugh. "Alright, I won’t say anything more. But... Aurora, what happened with him before—that was just a misunderstanding, right? I mean, he’s been nothing but polite lately..."
"I don’t want to talk about him." Just the mention of Everett made Aurora feel like she was about to break.
She really didn’t want to care about him, didn’t want to hear his name again. Just thinking of him brought up this restless, powerless feeling that scared her.
Dominic shut up right away.
Noticing Aurora’s mood shift, Director Z wisely moved the conversation away from Everett’s acting and onto the company’s annual bonus and year-end plans.
"Aurora’s music video will be released before the New Year. If the response is good, Mr. Nelson said there’ll be bonuses. When it’s time to promote it, I hope everyone gives it their all—share it with your friends and family. It affects everyone’s paycheck!"
Z grinned as he spoke.
"Absolutely! I bet it’ll blow up even without much promo."
"Exactly! We’ve got our future pop queen, our rising king, and the insanely charming Everett in the cast!"
"Not to mention Amanda, Selene—LXL’s finest!"
"It’s gonna be a hit for sure."
The whole group was pumped, and Aurora’s mood finally lightened a little.
But all night long, Everett’s face kept flashing through her mind.
That face—shifting between joy and frustration. That kiss. The way his eyes lit up, how genuinely happy he looked.
And then how his expression darkened after she pushed him away and said no.
No matter how hard Aurora tried, she couldn’t keep him out of her head. She’d force herself to forget—and then a second later, there he was again.
It felt like Everett was her entire world.
Frustrated and fed up, she grabbed a glass and started throwing back drinks with Director Z like she was on a mission.
Dominic grew increasingly anxious. He tried to stop her, but couldn’t. Aurora downed five glasses of red wine in a row—she was the type who got drunk fast.
"Sorry, I’m gonna take Aurora back to her room," Dominic said quickly, helping the obviously tipsy Aurora to her feet.
Amanda jumped in to help. Aurora wasn’t heavy, but Dominic was still a woman.
The two of them helped carry the drunk Aurora back to her hotel room. She collapsed onto the bed, cheeks flushed an unnatural red.
She mumbled under her breath, "Ugh... Everett, you... such a jerk... let go of me..."
Amanda and Dominic glanced at each other and silently helped her out of her coat and shoes.
Aurora mumbled a few more things before passing out completely.
"Aurora seriously needs to stop. She knows she can’t handle her liquor and still keeps drinking..." Dominic muttered. "What if someone else had been the one to help her back instead of us?"
Amanda chuckled. "What’s there to be afraid of? Even if someone else helped her and overheard something, it’s no big deal."
Dominic frowned. "No way. People twist everything these days. It only takes one little rumor to blow up."
Amanda’s smile turned more suggestive. "Honestly, even if no one overheard anything, the rumors are already out there. Just check the entertainment sites back home. People will gossip no matter what—you being scared won’t stop them from making stuff up."
Dominic thought about it. She had a point.
Back home, the news was already full of stories claiming Aurora and Everett were secretly dating. Some even showed photos of her leaving his hospital room.
With those kinds of pics, even if she jumped into a river, she couldn’t wash the rumors off.
"Relax. The truth speaks for itself. And even if Aurora is with Everett—so what? It’s not like she’s hurting anyone. Just focus on taking care of her and stop overthinking it."
Dominic nodded and thanked Amanda. She gave a small wave and left the room.
Aurora slept uneasily. When Dominic came back with a damp towel to wipe her face, Aurora suddenly grabbed her wrist in a panic.
"Don’t... don’t touch me. Get away..."
Yeah... whatever happened between them—it runs deep. Really deep.
Aurora slept in a daze until the middle of the night. When she finally woke up, her head was pounding. After a moment of effort, some blurry memories came back—she had gotten drunk.
She’d been too stressed, too upset. Maybe that’s why she tried to drown it all with alcohol.
Running her fingers through her hair, Aurora let out a soft sigh. She wasn’t even sure how she felt anymore.
She still clearly remembered rejecting Everett. His face... it looked like a storm was coming.
He probably wasn’t taking it well either.
Aurora frowned. Ugh, what is wrong with me? Why was she worrying about him again? He’s a grown man—he wasn’t going to fall apart over this.
Men, especially rich ones, never really lack women. Unless it’s someone extremely hard to get, they could usually have whoever they wanted without trying too hard.
Just look at how many actresses in Country SH quietly kept rich men company.
Didn’t matter if those rich men were old, overweight, greasy, or downright creepy—actresses still lined up to be with them.
Aurora rubbed her face. To stop herself from spiraling into more overthinking, she got up and jumped in the shower.
Now that the MV shoot was done, everyone was finally relaxing. Director Z had booked everyone a flight for 3 p.m. the next day.
Aurora looked out at the sunrise as it crept over the horizon, pulling her coat tighter around herself. Her heart felt hollow.
Maybe it’s because Alexander’s gone... that’s why everything feels .
When Everett opened his eyes, he realized he was at his father’s house—in the bedroom he used to stay in as a child. After his younger sister was born, he’d moved out of the villa. It had been a very long time since he last slept here.
The room was still tidy. Everything was neatly in place, probably because no one really came in.
He checked the time—8 a.m.
A miracle, really. Lately, he’d been battling insomnia. But last night, he drank too much... that must’ve knocked him out.
Mr. Langston didn’t say much about it. In fact, he was quietly relieved that the actress didn’t come back with Everett.
Why didn’t he like actresses? Because he’d learned his lesson. Everett’s birth mother—his ex-wife—had been far too wild, too promiscuous.
So yeah, his dislike for actresses had a history.
Everett still felt a bit dizzy—classic hangover.
He washed his face, which helped a little, then opened his wardrobe. Inside, he found several brand-new suits—clearly custom-made for him.
Everett narrowed his eyes coldly. He pulled the clothes out and tossed them onto the floor, then called for the housekeeper.
"Aunt Lyra, can you please throw these away?"
Aunt Lyra had also been brought over from Country S. Since the family was originally from there, they preferred the customs and familiarity of their home country. Mr. Langston, being sentimental, even insisted on hiring help from back home.
"Young Master... these are brand new," she said, stunned. She picked them up—yeah, they were clearly unworn.
"You’re welcome to give them to your relatives. I don’t care. Just don’t put them back in my closet."
Everett’s tone was cold and final.
He knew exactly who had put those clothes there.
Who else but that sleazy woman, Gianna?