"I'm surprised to see you here, Aurelia. I thought Alexander had given you a schedule for when you're supposed to 'appear.' You look a little too eager."
Chloe Harris's voice was sweet yet piercing, like a knife wrapped in expensive honey. Aura, who had just finished a short nap after her first convenience store shift, stood rigidly at the entrance of the main lounge. She had come down for coffee, hoping Alexander wouldn't be there. Her hope was in vain.
Alexander, seated on the leather sofa, looked up at Aura with a cold stare, as if Aura had just violated one of his thousands of unwritten rules. Chloe sat close beside him, holding Alexander's arm with an intimacy that made Aura feel nauseous. Aura was wearing the simple silk dress she had used to sneak out last night, it now felt like a failed disguise.
Aura's Monologue: Okay, Aura. You are Mrs. Volkov. Chloe is the 'boundary line' in the contract. She will never leave. You have to act. Use Leo's strength, the strength of simplicity, to confront this complicated luxury.
Aura walked in with perfect posture, taking a coffee cup from the table across from them.
"Good afternoon, Chloe," Aura countered, her tone calm and professional. "It's good to see you. Alexander's schedule is incredibly demanding; I'm just enthusiastic to see him taking a break. I don't think I require a schedule to be in my own home, do I?"
Chloe let out a small laugh, a sound that radiated superiority. "Of course not. But Alexander usually likes things structured, and you know, his schedule with me is much more rigid. We've known each other for so long. But I understand, you're the new wife still trying to find your footing. I don't blame you."
"There's nothing to blame," Aura replied, sipping her coffee, letting the liquid's warmth soothe the rumble in her stomach. "Everything is going according to plan. I'm just making sure Alexander isn't too stressed with his work schedule. Emotional support is my primary role right now, after all."
Chloe tilted her head, her eyes radiating annoying pity. "Emotional support? That sounds like noble volunteer work. Alexander has had adequate emotional support from me for years. I think all he needs from you is simply... neat public presence. Nothing more."
This was a direct attack. Aura had to reply with elegant sass, maintaining the façade that she was the wife Alexander had chosen.
"I appreciate your opinion, Chloe," Aura said, looking straight at her. "But I have to say, the role of Alexander's wife is a little more complex than just public presence. It's a role that requires intelligence, composure, and full commitment. Alexander chose me because I could handle it. And so far, I'm managing excellently, wouldn't you say?"
Aura briefly looked at Alexander, who was observing the interaction with an expressionless face. Alexander wouldn't intervene as long as Aura didn't break public rules.
Chloe narrowed her eyes. "Alexander can always buy the best. I just hope, for Alexander's sake, that this investment…" Chloe stopped herself before saying 'this marriage'... "that Alexander's time investment yields the results he expects."
Chloe changed tactics, gently touching Alexander on the shoulder, and Alexander's expression softened slightly, a change only Aura could perceive because she had studied every inch of the man's face. That brief warmth felt like a stab.
"Remember, Al," Chloe said, using an intimate nickname Aura would never dare utter. "I remember when you first bought this mansion. It was two years ago, after our trip to Santorini. You said you needed a really big place so we could have a private art gallery in the west wing. Do you remember how excited we were planning the layout of our first exhibition?"
Alexander's eyes momentarily drifted, his gaze becoming soft, allowing the memory to wash over him for a second. "I remember, Chloe. It was an ambitious idea."
"Of course," Chloe continued, looking at Aura with triumph. "You always loved art and architecture, Alexander. We once spent an entire night discussing classical architecture details. That's a connection that can't be replicated, no matter how hard someone tries."
Aura's Monologue: Oh God. She is claiming her right through shared memories. And the most painful part, Alexander isn't refuting it. He's letting that memory live between them, proving that I am just an outsider, a contracted disruption. In Alexander's eyes, I am merely a business necessity, while Chloe is an emotional necessity.
Aura felt a strong urge to escape, to return to the coffee-scented convenience store, where no one cared if she knew about classical architecture or not. She had to stay here.
"Santorini sounds lovely," Aura interjected, forcing a bright smile. "I'm sure Alexander appreciates all those wonderful memories. But as Alexander always says, business moves on. His focus must now be on the present and the future. I'm here for that."
Chloe let out a dramatic sigh. "The future? Aura, Alexander's future, emotionally, has always been tied to the stability he finds with me. You might be the façade he needs right now, but we both know where his true heart lies. I'm not here to interfere with your marriage. I'm here to make sure Alexander is okay."
The atmosphere in the room turned incredibly cold, even though the crystal chandelier cast a warm glow. Chloe had uttered the most dangerous sentence: façade and true heart.
"I appreciate your concern for Alexander," Aura said, her voice tightening slightly despite her effort to control it. "I promise, I will take very good care of him. You don't need to worry. Alexander is an adult; he knows how to handle his feelings and his private affairs. I'm here to simplify his life, not add burden."
Chloe smiled coldly. "That's what we both hope for. Because, frankly, Alexander doesn't have time for emotional drama, especially from a party who should know their limits. I just want to ensure, Mrs. Aurelia, you remember the purpose of this marriage. Only Alexander and I know what's at stake, and I wouldn't want you or anyone else to ruin it."
This was a veiled warning, but the meaning was clear: Chloe knew how important this marriage was to Alexander (the inheritance, though she didn't know the contract details), and she would consider Aura a threat if Aura began demanding more than what was agreed upon (love).
Aura felt immense pain. It was a cruel reminder of the Chloe clause. Aura was a purchased object to ensure Chloe would get her partner in the future.
"Of course," Aura replied, swallowing her pride along with the cold coffee. "I greatly appreciate boundaries. I never overstep them. Alexander and I have a very clear understanding of what we are doing. I am highly professional."
Aura used the word 'professional' with emphasis, a private code for Alexander, reminding him that she was still holding up her end of the deal, even if it felt like tearing her soul apart.
Alexander, who had been silent throughout the confrontation, now moved. He pulled his hand away from Chloe's grasp and looked at Aura. His eyes were colder than usual.
"Aurelia," he said, his voice quiet but absolute. "I believe you have other business in your guest suite. Chloe and I have private matters to sort out. You've been helpful enough."
The order was clear: leave. Alexander was dismissing Aura from her own home to provide emotional comfort to Chloe. This was a small betrayal that validated every word Chloe had spoken.
Aura's Monologue: He is dismissing me. For Chloe. I am his legal wife, but he is treating me like an annoying child. I must leave, with dignity.
Aura responded to the order with a polite nod, a chilled smile.
"Of course, Alexander. Please do. It was nice seeing you again, Chloe. Enjoy the rest of your break."
Aura turned and left the lounge. She ascended the grand marble staircase to her guest suite, each step a strenuous effort to maintain a perfect posture in front of Mrs. Jenkins, who was surely watching from somewhere.
When the door to her guest suite closed, Aura's professional mask crumbled. She dropped her bag, feeling a powerful wave of emotion—anger, shame, and desperation.
Aura sank onto the sofa. The confrontation had drained her, but she immediately remembered the night before. The night at the convenience store.
Aura's Monologue: Chloe called me a 'disruption.' Alexander called me 'other business.' But at the convenience store, I was Aura, who helped Leo stock chips and scan discount coupons. There, my value wasn't determined by how much I could give Alexander. It was determined by how neatly I could stack cans.
The pain from the confrontation with Chloe was so real, yet the internal strength she found in her secret job felt equally real. Aura touched her silk shirt, and she was reminded of the scratchy polyester uniform. She knew where her true self-worth lay.
She couldn't let Chloe destroy her. She had to prove, to herself, that she was more than just a paid façade. The pain from Chloe and the threat from Uncle Victor now gave her dual motivation. Alexander might have control over her name and his wealth, but he would never have control over Aura's new secret world.
Aura stood up, determined. She had to go for her second shift tonight. She needed contact with an honest reality. She needed coffee and boring stacks of chips to remind her that her real life was waiting, far away from the lies and the beautiful memories of Alexander and Chloe's past.