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The car door was wrenched open by Adolph, and a gust of cold wind rushed into the vehicle, causing Aurora to flinch in fear.
Adolph leaned in to get a look inside, but before he could see clearly, Julian’s fist landed on his face.
He staggered back several steps, barely regaining his balance, and touched his mouth, his fingers coming away smeared with bright red blood.
The Sherwood family was one of Orley’s top elites, and people had always fawned over him with smiles. He had never been punched in public like this.
Even Adolph knew that Julian was the heir of the Hawke family in Putnam, someone he couldn’t afford to provoke. Being struck in front of everyone filled him with uncontrollable rage.
In a fit of fury, he lunged forward and landed a punch on Julian.
Julian, of course, wasn’t going to take it lying down and retaliated immediately.
Aurora’s fingers clung desperately to the edge of the car door, her knuckles turning white as she watched Julian and Adolph grapple, their fists meeting flesh with dull thuds that reverberated through her heart.
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She was extremely anxious.
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“It’s all my fault,” Aurora murmured with guilt. “If it weren’t for me, Mr. Hawke wouldn’t be getting hurt.”
From the moment she first met him, she had known Julian was different from other pampered heirs. He was a man of grace.
When he accidentally made her cough with his cigarette smoke, he had apologized sincerely and never smoked in front of her again.
When she had been on the brink of suicide, he had stopped her, offering her a 500–thousand–dollar bottle of wine without a second thought.
And when she had nearly died from alcohol poisoning, he had taken her to the hospital and paid her medical bills.
She couldn’t imagine what he could possibly want from her. She had no money and no looks. Her health was a wreck. There was nothing he could gain from her.
The only reason he treated her so well was because he was a man of high moral character.
But now, because of her, this good man was being beaten by Adolph, that madman.
Aurora was full of guilt, and her hatred for Adolph deepened.
When she had been in prison, Adolph had arranged for her to be
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“taken care of.” Even after her release, he still wouldn’t let her
- be.
He knew she wasn’t the one who had caused Camille to fall into a coma, yet he continued to hound her relentlessly. And now, he dared to hurt Julian right in front of her.
Memories of her time with Julian flashed through her mind, and despite her fear of Adolph, her overwhelming hatred gave her
courage.
Her eyes darted around the car’s interior, finally landing on a wrench in the corner. Without hesitation, she grabbed it, threw open the door, and stepped up behind Adolph.
Just as Adolph raised his fist to strike again, Aurora swung the wrench with all her might, slamming it into his head.
Pain shot through him before his vision went black, and he crumpled to the ground.
Aurora stared at Adolph, blood pooling around his head, and her mind snapped back to reality. Her hands trembled violently, and the wrench clattered to the ground.
Her eyes were wide with terror, her teeth chattering, and her lips had gone pale from the shock.
Her legs gave way, and she would have collapsed if Julian hadn’t caught her just in time.
Before, she hadn’t hesitated to wield a knife against the Elvador
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family because she had been utterly desperate, ready to die with
them.
Back then, her life had seemed like an endless abyss without a future and hope. So, no matter the consequences, she hadn’t cared.
But now, everything was different.
She knew she had a talent for embroidery, a skill that could earn her a living. Her future wasn’t bleak anymore.
She could use her embroidery to change her fate and provide a good life for Daisy and Lily.
But now, she seemed to have ruined it all.
“Mr. Hawke, will I go to jail? I don’t want to go back.”
The five years in prison had left deep scars on her psyche.
She would rather die than endure that again.
Julian’s voice was calm and reassuring. “Don’t be afraid. I’ll handle everything. Get in the car.”
Aurora nodded, her body still shaking as she slid into the vehicle.
The next moment, Julian dialed 911 and stood beside Adolph, waiting silently. Once the ambulance took Adolph away, Julian drove Aurora back to Hawke Estate.
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The car pulled slowly into the garage, but Aurora’s emotions were still in turmoil.
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Julian didn’t rush her. He simply sat in the driver’s seat, giving
her time.
After a long time, Aurora’s breathing finally steadied.
She turned to Julian, her voice still trembling. “Mr. Hawke, if something happens to Adolph, I’ll take full responsibility. I won’t cause you any trouble.”
Julian looked back at her, meeting her anxious gaze. He sighed. softly, “Don’t worry. I told you. I’ll take care of everything.”
Her tears spilled over.
No one had ever said anything like that to her before. Even if it was just to comfort her, it filled her with warmth and gratitude.
Julian, not used to comforting women, pulled a few tissues from the box on the passenger seat and handed them to her. “Don’t cry. If Grandma sees you’ve been crying, she’ll worry.”
Aurora’s sobs caught in her throat.
She thought of Beatrice’s kind, loving face and how she always fussed over her, treating her like her own granddaughter. If Beatrice saw her red, swollen eyes, she’d definitely be worried.
Aurora quickly took the tissues and wiped her tears, taking deep
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breaths to hold back the rest. She even managed a shaky smile for Julian.
But that smile was tinged with exhaustion and anxiety.
Julian knew her mind was still consumed by the image of Adolph bleeding on the ground.
If she didn’t know Adolph was okay, she’d be distracted all day.
With a sigh, Julian called Ethan and told him to check on Adolph at the hospital.
The two of them sat in silence, leaving the air thick with tension..
About fifteen minutes later, Ethan’s call came through. Julian put it on speaker.
“Mr. Hawke, Adolph just has a mild concussion. He’ll be fine.”
After hanging up, Julian looked at Aurora. “Feel better now?”
Aurora nodded, a small sense of relief washing over her face. “Thank you, Mr. Hawke.”
Julian smiled heartily, “Can we get out of the car now?”
Aurora nodded, feeling a little embarrassed.
They got out and walked into the mansion, one after the other.
As soon as Beatrice saw Aurora, her eyes lit up. She pulled
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Aurora aside, asking a million questions, practically
begging Aurora to marry Julian on the spot and give her at great–grandchild.
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Aurora’s face flushed with embarrassment, and she completely forgot about Adolph.
Meanwhile, Julian headed straight to his study and dialed Ethan’s number again.
Ethan, who was just about to leave the hospital, was taken aback by Julian’s instructions.
“Mr. Hawke, are you sure you want to do this?”
“Yes,” Julian replied firmly before hanging up.
Ethan stared at his phone, shaking his head in disbelief.
In all the years he had worked for Julian, this was the first time he’d been asked to do something like this.
But considering how Adolph had crossed both Julian and Aurora, maybe a little humiliation was exactly what he deserved.
