Chapter 7
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Shawn’s POV
Shawn was having the time of his life. Tiffany was beside him as he moved around the crowd, greeting and thanking all who came.
Tiffany looked stunning. She had dressed to impress, and people who didn’t know Shawn well would think she was his wife.
For a while, he didn’t even notice Aurora wasn’t around.
“Happy birthday, Mr. Carter!” a guest said, coming up to shake his hand. Shawn grinned, thanked him, and moved on.
“Shawn!” a deep voice boomed.
Shawn turned to face Robert Kane, the CEO of a very large tech corporation. Kane wasn’t just any guest, he was Shawn’s biggest client.
“Kane,” Shawn greeted with a smile, shaking the man’s hand firmly. “I’m glad you made it.”
“I wouldn’t miss it,” Kane said with a broad smile. “But tell me, where’s that lovely wife of
yours?”
Shawn blinked. It took him a second to realize that he hadn’t seen Aurora since the party started hours ago.
“My wife?” he echoed slowly, furrowing his eyebrows as he glanced around, trying to catch a glimpse of her.
“Yes, Aurora.” Kane’s smile widened, his voice was loud enough to draw attention. “You have no idea how much respect I have for her. Did you know it was her who convinced me to work with you?”
Shawn froze for a second. His smile faltered. He hadn’t known that. “She did?”
“Of course,” Kane chuckled. “She made me swear not to tell you, but that woman practically camped outside my office for a week. She said you had the vision, the drive, and that you only needed a chance. She looked me in the eye and told me you wouldn’t fail. And I believed her.” Kane clapped Shawn’s shoulder again. “You’re a lucky man, Shawn. A wife like that? She’s a gem.”
Shawn forced a smile, but inside, something twisted.
Aurora?
She had never told him that. He remembered the sleepless nights, the frustration at not landing Kane’s contract until suddenly, Kane had agreed. Shawn had assumed it was his persistence, and his brilliance. But now Kane was saying it had been Aurora?
“She’s running late,” Shawn said finally, trying to calm his voice to sound steady. “But she’ll be here.”
Kane laughed warmly. “I’ll be waiting. Tell her I said hello.”
Shawn faked a smile as he nodded. Immediately Kane walked off he quickly nulled out his
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Shawn faked a smile as he nodded. Immediately Kane walked off, he quickly pulled out his phone to text Aurora.
Where the hell are you?
He kept the phone back into his pocket, forcing another smile as more guests came to greet him, but unease began to creep into him.
Where was Aurora? He asked himself.
He typed another message.
–
The party’s almost over and you’re still not here.
He pressed send, but it was then he realized that the messages didn’t deliver. He frowned, checking his signal, but it was fine. So he decided to call instead.
He was about to call when another voice interrupted.
“Mr. Carter!” A woman, the wife of a big client, approached with a bright smile. She shook his hand firmly, then glanced around. “Where is Aurora? I was hoping to speak with her again.”
Shawn stiffened. “She’ll be here.”
“You’re very lucky,” the woman said. “Not many wives would go so far for their husband’s career.”
He furrowed his eyebrows. “What?”
She smiled. “Aurora is remarkable. When my husband hesitated about partnering with you, she came to us directly. She told us about your vision, and your dedication. She spoke so highly of you. If not for her, I doubt my husband would have ever trusted this venture. You should be so proud to have such a wife.”
Shawn’s jaw tightened, but he managed to fake a smile. “Yes. Of course. Thank you.”
The woman nodded, then she glanced at Tiffany, who had her arm hooked on his arm. A cold look of disapproval crossed her eyes, and she walked away without saying another word.
Shawn flushed slightly in unease. Slowly, he slipped his arm from Tiffany’s arm.
Tiffany’s face fell. “Shawn…” her voice shook like she might cry. “Are you ashamed of me?”
He sighed, glancing at her softly. “No, Tiffany. I can never be ashamed of you. It’s just…” he glanced around briefly, “It doesn’t look good. People might start having ideas, and-“.
She cut him off. “But you said that-”
He held her shoulders gently, but firmly. “There are so many clients here that respect Aurora. They can start trouble if they notice anything off, alright? Don’t worry, I will buy you that diamond headpiece when we get back.”
Tiffany pouted but didn’t argue. “Okay,”
Shawn, however, was very distracted as he kept scanning the crowd for Aurora.
Chapter 7
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A = 96%ས He frowned. Maybe she was running late. Or maybe she was just being careless again. He hated how it looked. The guests were starting to notice her absence.
Around them, the whispers had already started.
“Where’s Aurora? Has anyone seen her?”
“She’s always at his side.”
“Who is this woman holding him?”
“I heard that’s Aurora’s best friend.”
“Are you sure? Because it looks like there’s something going on between Mr Carter and her.”
“If he replaces Aurora, he’ll regret it.”
“Aurora’s the best thing that ever happened to him. Without her, he will crumble.”
The whispers echoed everywhere, and Shawn could feel the eyes following him. He clenched his jaw, trying to act unbothered, but his hand twitched as he checked his phone again. There was still no reply, neither had it been delivered.
Suddenly, just as the whispers were getting too much, a loud voice cut through the hall. “I have a delivery!” a man at the entrance called, holding up a large brown envelope. “Delivery for Mr. Shawn Carter, from Ms. Aurora Redmond!”
The entire ballroom went silent.
