In his statent, Everett admitted that he did, in fact, have feelings for Aurora. However, every ti he tried to get close to her, she would firmly reject him, repeatedly stating that she had a boyfriend.
Everett also confessed to using his influence to gain access to the film set but insisted that nothing had ever happened between him and Aurora.
The comnt section exploded with mixed emotions.
"Our Everett finally found a woman who makes his heart race, but Aurora doesn’t even like him? What a sha!"
"I guess so. I actually saw Aurora with her boyfriend a few days ago."
"Aurora’s boyfriend is Alexander. He’s just an ordinary IT guy, but their relationship seems really solid."
"Poor Everett! Co love instead! I swear I’d treat you right..."
"I’ve always liked Aurora. I never believed the rumors about her. And I was right!"
The hostility in the comnts had faded. At least now, Dominic had ssaged Aurora, telling her that after Everett released his statent, many people had started apologizing to her on Twitter.
Aurora’s eyes burned as she stared at her phone. A heavy ache settled in her chest. She tossed the phone onto the bed and collapsed against her pillow, feeling utterly drained.
She never would have expected Everett to "clear her na."
But the truth was... they were no longer innocent.
He knew she didn’t love him. He knew she loved Alexander.
She had thought Alexander would be dood if he offended Everett—that he would be backed into a corner with no way out.
But instead, Everett had publicly spoken up for her. Even though it was a lie, at least it stopped the fans from attacking her and spewing hate.
Alexander walked over, sat down at the edge of the bed, and gently took her hand.
"He made a statent for you," he murmured. "So now... you don’t have to worry anymore."
His expression was empty—void of any relief or happiness.
He felt powerless.
When Aurora beca the target of public scrutiny, there was nothing he could do to help her.
Yet that man... the first thing he did was gather news reports from Country W and step forward to defend her.
There was no abuse of power, no threats, no coercion.
Alexander felt a bitterness creeping into his heart. Maybe he had been too quick to assu the worst about Everett.
"I’ll finish my five-year contract with LXL," Aurora said with forced enthusiasm, looking up at him. "After that... I’ll leave the industry. We can start a family then. Have a few kids... Would you like that?"
Alexander’s chiseled features remained calm, but there was a distant coldness in his eyes. He forced a smile and nodded.
"Yeah... Five years will pass quickly. You’re already twenty-six. Having kids at thirty-one is a bit late, but it’s not too bad."
Aurora tried to push thoughts of Everett out of her mind and rested her head on Alexander’s lap.
The two of them sat in silence.
No words. No movents.
Just an emptiness that neither of them dared to acknowledge.
Aurora’s chest tightened with discomfort. She could feel Alexander’s coldness, his distance.
By afternoon, his boss called.
A computer at work had broken down again.
Alexander promised to be back at the office within thirty minutes.
Aurora felt a slight pang of disappointnt. She had thought he would stay with her for a few more days.
Before, he would always jump at any chance to spend ti with her, eagerly planning getaways and lazy days together.
But after everything that had happened... nothing was the sa anymore.
Alexander slid his phone into his pocket, then reached out to gently brush his fingers across her cheek. His eyes softened slightly.
"Aurora, I’m heading back to the office," he said. "Don’t rush back to work just yet, okay? Stay ho and rest for a while."
Aurora nodded. "Alright, I’m not in the right state to work right now anyway."
Alexander gently brushed her bangs aside and pressed a kiss to her forehead. "I’m heading out now. I’ll co see you tomorrow. Aurora... just give so ti. I need to adjust and process everything."
Aurora curved her lips into a faint smile, reminding him to take care and stay safe. Their conversation felt oddly formal—polite, almost like two acquaintances who had just t.
After Alexander left, Aurora sat motionlessly at the edge of her bed before dialing Courtney’s number, asking her to co over.
Being alone would only make her spiral into overthinking.
Courtney arrived quickly—just as expected from her best friend. Aurora finally unlocked her ssaging app and saw that her classmates’ group chat was buzzing, most of the ssages centered around her.
So laughed, so mocked, but their opinions all boiled down to one thing—Everett was just covering for her, and the truth was likely sothing else.
Many people ssaged her directly, so just curious, others more confrontational. Danielle, in particular, had left a string of harsh and nasty comnts.
With classmates like that, there was no need to maintain contact.
Aurora didn’t hesitate—she blocked Danielle and stopped reading the chat.
Courtney had a general understanding of the situation between Aurora and Alexander. Her heart sank. From the way Alexander was acting, it was clear—he did mind what had happened between Aurora and Everett.
"You’re such a fool," Courtney sighed, exasperated. "The most painful thing for a man is hearing his woman admit she had sothing with another guy. No man wants to be made a fool of! I know you didn’t an for any of this to happen, but seriously... why can’t you just be a little more tactful?"
Aurora lowered her gaze, her lashes trembling slightly. Her voice was hoarse.
"And what would that change? He already knows. Even if I lied, what happened with Everett would still be a thorn in his heart—sothing that can’t be removed or healed. If I lied to him... he probably wouldn’t believe anyway."
Her voice was soft, yet filled with certainty. Alexander wasn’t stupid. The mont he saw Everett that night, he had already started doubting things.
And after those photos leaked... how could he possibly still trust her?
Courtney shook her head and tapped Aurora’s forehead. "You’re too honest. Even if he suspected sothing, you shouldn’t have admitted it! Everett isn’t bothering you anymore—your past with him won’t co to light unless you bring it up. But now look what happened... you did admit it, and now Alexander can’t let it go."
She sighed. "Put it this way—if Alexander had slept with another woman, but claid he was set up, would you really be okay with it?"
Aurora nodded. "Yes."
Courtney: ...
She was speechless. Only this naive girl could be that forgiving.
No woman would be fine knowing that, even if it had happened against his will. The thought alone would leave a scar.
Aurora, however, remained composed. "He told he needs ti. I believe him. He’s a reasonable man... everyone has a past, after all." But even as she said it, her words felt empty.
Courtney frowned. "Alright, enough about this. Let’s see how things go between you two moving forward. What’s done is done—there’s no turning back."
Aurora, exhausted, nodded in agreent.
The storm had passed. The scandal had settled. Everett was no longer a problem. Hopefully, she and Alexander could move on and build a future together.
But Aurora was far too naive.
A few days later, there were new developnts regarding the attack at NJ Corporation.
The won who had ambushed her had been paid—soone had hired them at a high price just to publicly humiliate her. However, the mastermind behind it remained hidden in the shadows.
Over the next few days, Alexander did visit Aurora, but each ti, he didn’t stay for long.
Then, on this particular night, at around 9 PM, Alexander dragged his exhausted body out of the office, heading to the parking lot.
Just as he reached his car, four or five n suddenly sprang out of the darkness.
Before he could react, a swift kick sent him crashing to the ground.
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