1 Inside the Maybach, Ted was lost in Aurora’s kiss. The hazy glow of the city lights blurred past the tinted windows as he leaned back into the plush leather, the intoxicating scent of her perfume clouding his senses. She was a whirlwind of controlled passion, her lips claiming his with a fierce possessiveness that left him breathless. Aurora pulled back just enough to whisper against his ear, her voice a low, husky murmur. “The partition is up, Ted. The driver can’t hear a thing. What are you so shy about?” He watched her, the woman who was always so composed, now moving with a raw intensity that made his face flush. He wrapped his arms around her, surrendering completely to the tidal wave of sensation she was building within him. It was climbing, cresting, about to peak when the shrill ring of her phone shattered the moment. Aurora frowned, annoyed by the interruption, but a glance at the caller ID made her answer. Ted, still catching his breath, saw the name on the screen: Yara, her best friend. “Aurora, are you crazy—?” Aurora cut her off, switching seamlessly to flawless Italian. “It’s not convenient. Speak Italian.” There was a sharp inhale on the other end, then Yara’s voice, now a torrent of angry Italian. “You really married Simon Shen? What were you thinking? You went blind saving him, and he abandoned you at the lowest point of your life! He ran off with another woman and nearly destroyed you. And now you’re back with him?!” The foreign words clicked into place in Ted’s mind, translating automatically. By the time he processed the meaning, a chill that had nothing to do with the car’s air conditioning seized him. It felt like falling into an ice cellar. Aurora, oblivious, replied calmly in Italian, “If I don’t marry him, the Shen family will force him to marry some old hag. I can’t bear to see him suffer like that.” “And what about Ted?” Yara shot back, her voice tight with fury. “He was the only one there for you when you were blind! He’s spent years loving you, practically tearing his own heart out for you. All of us see it!” “I’ll keep it from him,” Aurora said, her tone still cool and detached. “He’ll never know.” “How long can you hide it? A lifetime? Doesn’t Ted want to marry you?” The questions seemed to chip away at Aurora’s composure. Her voice grew clipped. “Just make sure the news of my marriage to Simon doesn’t get out. Tell no one. In a while, I’ll have a fake marriage certificate made for Ted.” She hung up, cutting off whatever else Yara had to say. Dropping the phone, she turned her attention back to Ted, her body moving against his once more. But the spell was broken. Ted’s body was trembling uncontrollably. As the moment passed and they began to straighten their clothes, he opened his mouth to speak, but her phone pinged again. A notification from a "favorite" contact. Aurora glanced at it, and her expression changed. “Stop the car,” she told the driver. She turned to Ted, her voice soft. “Darling, something’s come up at the office. I need you to get out here and grab a cab home, okay?” He said nothing, just gave a numb nod and opened the door. The black Maybach shot away like a bolt of lightning, leaving him standing on the pavement. He stared into the river of headlights, the city’s roar a dull hum in his ears. The dam of his composure finally broke, and tears streamed down his face. No one knew he had secretly learned Italian years ago, just to feel closer to her world. He had understood every single word. Each syllable echoed in his mind, a thousand tiny blades plunging into his heart, dredging up memories he’d long since buried. Aurora Murray was the untouchable heiress, and he was the housekeeper’s son. He remembered the first time he saw her, a sun-drenched angel at a grand piano in the Murray family’s magnificent villa. He had never heard music so beautiful, nor seen a girl so radiant. In that single glance, her name was carved into his soul. He never told anyone, knowing the chasm between their worlds was too vast. Besides, her heart already belonged to someone else: Simon Shen, her childhood friend. She had loved him openly, fiercely. At seventeen, she’d thrown herself in front of a car to save him, losing her sight in the accident. But from that day on, Simon vanished. He never visited, got a new girlfriend, and left Aurora to navigate her new, dark world alone. The busy Murray family had little time for a blind daughter, and she was relegated to the old family estate, forgotten. It was Ted who requested a transfer to the old house. For seven years, he was her world. Her hands, her eyes, her shadow. When she turned twenty-three, he knelt outside the home of a world-renowned surgeon for three days and three nights, begging until the doctor agreed to take her case. The surgery was a success. Her light, once dimmed, blazed back brighter than ever. In just one year, she reclaimed her position, becoming the heir to the Murray Corporation. He was the one who had stayed with her through every season, from the deepest night to the break of dawn. He was the one who held her, kissed her, made love to her. And the first thing she did with her reclaimed power was marry the man who had abandoned her. For years, he had worked tirelessly to close the gap between them, to become worthy. But Aurora’s parents only ever saw the housekeeper’s son. They tried to pay him off, again and again. Aurora always fought for him, and for her, he had never once considered leaving. Until today. Ted wiped his tears, pulled out his phone, and dialed a number. “Mrs. Murray,” he said, his voice steady. “I’ll accept your fifty million. I’ll leave Aurora forever.” 2 A thrill of victory shot through Mrs. Murray’s voice. “You’ve finally come to your senses? It’s about time. A housekeeper’s son has no place with the heir to the Murray fortune. Where are you? Come sign the contract now.” An address popped up on his screen. With a bitter laugh, Ted hailed a cab. At the café, Mrs. Murray interrogated him, her questions sharp and clinical. Satisfied with his answers, she slid a contract across the table. “Black and white. No regrets once you sign. You’ll get half the money now, and the other half the day you leave the country. You are to ensure you never, ever appear in front of my daughter again. Understood?” Ted’s gaze fell on the astronomical sum listed in the agreement. His lashes fluttered. He would never appear again. Not in this life, not in the next. He picked up the pen and signed his name with a clean, decisive stroke. Mrs. Murray let out a relieved sigh, tucking the agreement away. “I’m giving you two weeks. Disappear. Change your name, move abroad, I don’t care how. Just make sure Aurora can never find you.” “I understand, Mrs. Murray. Don’t worry.” He watched her leave, then headed home. Making himself invisible to Aurora would be simple. The Murray family’s deep-rooted political history meant they were barred from leaving the country for three generations. If he emigrated, she would never be able to follow. After a long night of research, he settled on Australia. As he picked up his phone to check the time, a new social media notification caught his eye. It was Simon. A nine-photo grid. Three selfies of him holding roses, three photos of a marriage certificate in the center, and three of their hands, fingers intertwined. Ted knew Aurora would never have allowed this post. Simon must have set the visibility to “Ted only.” A deliberate, triumphant jab. Ted calmly liked the post. A moment later, a message from Aurora came through. “Darling, I have to go on a business trip. I won’t be back for a few days.” He replied with a simple “Okay” and went to wash his face. The next few days were a blur of logistics. He applied for an expedited visa, filed his resignation, and packed his life into boxes. Each day brought a new, poisoned post from Simon: touring a new villa in South Bay, trying on wedding suits with a diamond sparkling on his finger, posing in front of a massive wedding portrait in their new home. Ted liked every single one. He methodically purged his apartment of Aurora. Every gift she’d ever given him, the matching toothbrushes, the framed photos—all of it went into the trash. He was about to turn off the lights late one night when she suddenly returned. She froze in the doorway, her brow furrowing at the sparsely decorated room. “Why is so much stuff missing?” “I didn’t like it anymore,” he said calmly. “Threw it out. We can buy new things.” She nodded, tossing her coat on the sofa. Then her eyes landed on the packed boxes. “You quit your job?” She spotted his official documents on the coffee table. “Why is your passport out?” “I was tired, wanted to take a break,” he explained, tucking the documents into his bag. “And I needed it for some paperwork.” His placid demeanor seemed to satisfy her. She curled into his arms, her voice soft. “I know I’ve been busy. Your birthday is in a couple of days. How about I take you to the auction house tomorrow? You can pick out any gift you want.” He didn’t refuse. The next day, they had just taken their seats at the auction when Simon appeared, striding over with an arrogant swagger and sitting right next to Aurora. Throughout the evening, Aurora kept her head turned towards Ted, ignoring Simon completely. After the auction, she grabbed Ted’s hand and led him downstairs. Ted excused himself to the restroom. When he came out, he saw Simon cornered in the stairwell by a group of rowdy socialites. “Well, well, if it isn’t our dear Simon,” one of them sneered. “Abandoned the great Aurora Murray and now look at you. Isn’t this what you call karma?” “I hear your father is marrying you off to some rich old crone. You’re pretty enough. Why not come with us instead? We’ll be sure to take very good care of you…” The lewd suggestion was cut short. Aurora appeared at the top of the stairs, her face a mask of cold fury. She descended like a storm, kicking one of the women so hard she stumbled back. 3 With chilling efficiency, she slammed the ringleader to the ground, raining down punches until the women were a bloody, pleading mess. “We’re sorry, Ms. Murray! Please, forgive us!” “Get out!” she snarled. “If I ever see you near him again, you’ll regret it.” The terrified group scrambled away. A crowd had gathered, but Aurora ignored their stares. She helped Simon to his feet. “Are you hurt?” He collapsed into her arms, sobbing theatrically. “My ankle… I think it’s sprained. It hurts so much.” Aurora’s expression hardened. She supported him, pushing through the crowd. In her haste to shield him, she shoved past Ted, knocking him off balance. His head cracked against the hard edge of a step. A searing pain shot through his skull, and warm blood trickled down his temple. The onlookers gasped. “He’s bleeding! Someone call an ambulance!” Pain contorted Ted’s face as a cold sweat broke out over his body. The blood dripped onto his eyelashes, each drop feeling as heavy as lead. He watched Aurora disappear down the stairs without a backward glance, a bitter taste filling his mouth. He remembered a time he’d cut his finger while making soup for her. She had fussed over him for an hour, terrified it would scar. She had kissed his hand, murmuring, “Ted, you’re the most precious thing to me. When you’re hurt, I hurt more. Your hands will wear the ring I give you one day. They have to be perfect.” Now, he was bleeding on the floor, and she didn’t even see him. And the ring she’d promised was on another man’s hand. An ambulance took him to the hospital. He navigated the bureaucracy alone—registration, examination, prescription—and got home late into the night, the pain in his head making sleep impossible. Aurora never came home. The next morning, he dragged his exhausted body out of bed to change his dressing and saw Simon’s latest post: a video of Aurora kneeling on the floor, gently massaging Simon’s ankle and applying medicine. Ted watched it over and over, his eyes burning, until he finally drifted into a restless sleep. When he woke, it was dark again. His phone was vibrating. It was Aurora. “The Pavilion, Suite 703. Come now.” He hesitated, then pulled himself from bed and went. Pushing open the door to the private room, the first person he saw was Simon, looking like a wronged, innocent rabbit. Aurora sat opposite, her expression unreadable and severe. The silence stretched until Ted finally broke it. “Why did you call me here?” Aurora sat up straight, her posture radiating authority. “Ted. Those thugs yesterday… did you send them to harass him?” Ted froze. He glanced at Simon and caught the fleeting glint of triumph in the other man’s eyes. He understood instantly. This was all a performance, directed by Simon. A self-deprecating smile touched his lips. “No. I don’t know them, and I have no interest in such games.” His denial did nothing to soften Aurora’s expression. “Ted,” she said, her voice dangerously calm, “the moment Simon chose to abandon me, I let him go. We’ve been together for seven years. You should know who is in my heart now. The Shen family is in ruins; anyone can kick them while they’re down. But that person shouldn’t be you. You don’t need to attack him on my behalf.” Her words were a physical blow. He remembered her screaming into her pillow at night, the frantic trips to doctors, the crushing despair when she was misdiagnosed as permanently blind… Seven years of hell, now dismissed as if they were nothing. He thought of the marriage certificate with Simon’s name on it, and tears pricked his eyes. “Yes,” he whispered, his voice thick with unshed grief. “Seven years. And only now do I truly understand who is in your heart.” Her eyes narrowed. “What is that supposed to mean?” He shook his head, the mocking smile returning. “It means I’m just a housekeeper’s son. What power or connections could I possibly have to hire thugs to bully a young master?” Even with the truth laid bare, she didn’t believe him. He was tired. So tired. “Since you don’t believe me, just tell me. What do you want me to do?” She pressed her temples. “Apologize, Ted. When you do something wrong, you say you’re sorry.” At that moment, Simon, who had been playing the victim, finally spoke. “An apology isn’t necessary. If you’re truly sorry, you can just drink these.” 4 On the table sat a row of glasses filled with amber whiskey. Ted’s gaze lifted to Aurora, searching her face for an answer. In the dim light, her expression was a shadow. The silence in the room was suffocating. He felt a desperate need for air, his mind flashing back. When he first came to the estate, the blind Aurora would drink herself into a stupor every day. He’d pleaded with her to stop, worried for her health. One night, drunk and bitter, she’d shoved several bottles in front of him. “Even a housekeeper’s son dares to control me now? Fine. You drink these, and I’ll listen to you.” He was allergic to alcohol. But to save her from herself, he hadn’t hesitated. He’d chugged every bottle and ended up in the hospital. He’d woken up to see her sitting by his bed, her face grim. “I’m the one who’s drunk, not you! Why would you play with your life when you know you’re allergic?” He’d only said one thing. “Because I worry about you, Miss. Your eyes will get better. And even if they don’t, I’ll be with you forever. So please, don’t give up.” From that day on, she never touched another drop of alcohol. The memory brought a smile to Ted’s lips, but his eyes glistened with tears. He didn’t argue. He reached for a glass, then another, and another, draining them one by one. The fiery liquid burned a path down his throat, a bitter fire spreading through his stomach, scorching the heart it could never reach. On the seventh glass, Aurora finally snapped. “Enough!” Ted looked at the dozen or so glasses left and laughed, a broken sound. “Enough? Is my apology accepted? Is your beloved satisfied?” Aurora shot to her feet, her face, usually so placid, now dark with fury. She grabbed his hand. “You know that’s not what I mean! Ted, I told you, Simon and I are over. My family disapproves of you, and if you do something so reckless, they’ll use it against you. I’m trying to protect you from their judgment!” Her words were so logical, so reasonable. And so utterly false. He laughed again, a raw, painful sound. Her family disapproved of the housekeeper’s son, but they’d welcome the man who had betrayed her? It was all just an excuse. He wasn’t the one she was willing to fight for. He wrenched his hand away and turned to leave. He made it to the door before his body gave out, and the world went black. “Ted!” Aurora’s heart seized. She rushed forward, sweeping him into her arms. But Simon grabbed her sleeve, his voice a pathetic whimper. “Aurora… I feel dizzy.” She paused. But only for a second. Then she strode out of the room, her voice trailing behind her. “I’m taking Ted to the hospital. Call your assistant.”
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