CHAPTER 36Aurelia
Aurelia
Aurelia shook the nervousness out of her hands and arms before stepping out of her car and walking toward the imposing face of Starhaven Manor.
The heaviness of last night’s events was a persistent burden that pushed down on her heart. Facing Selene was one thing—after her angry texts and unanswered calls Aurelia received—but facing Charles…that was something else entirely.
She wasn’t sure which encounter she dreaded more.
This morning, Levi gently reminded her that even he hadn’t been prepared for the scrutiny that came with his life—how long it took to build the impenetrable walls that protected him, and how unfair it was to expect her to be ready after a few days.
He promised to find out who had leaked their wedding details, and—perhaps more surprisingly—so did his friends.
For the first time in her life, she had a group of people willing to support her.
But that didn’t make today any easier.
Selene had ignored every text, every call since the scandal broke. And now, with the Harvest Charity Ball looming on the horizon and the headlines still circling, Aurelia was preparing for whatever tongue-lashing Charles had in store for her.
The honeymoon is over. Time to face reality , she thought grimly as she slipped through the back entrance, trying to avoid drawing too much attention.
Her posture radiated cool detachment, the way she had seen Eleanor do countless times before; as if the world hadn’t just labeled her a gold-digging, mail-order wife. But every step felt heavier than the last. Her heart pounded painfully against her ribs.
She had to fake it to make…even when all she wanted was to disappear.
To not hear the whispers trailing behind her.
To not see the curious glances or, worse, the pitying ones.
To not feel like a living headline every time she entered a room.
Her pace quickened as she headed toward Eleanor’s study, her sanctuary, praying Selene might appear and get this inevitable confrontation over with. But she found only empty corridors, the silence somehow louder than the imagined voices in her head.
It allowed the latest recurring thought to creep in… Eleanor would be so disappointed in me.
The sharp burn of tears threatened to rise again, but she swallowed them down. Not here. Not now.
Reaching the sitting room attached to the study, she snuck inside and closed the door behind her. Leaning backwards against it, she pressed the back of her head to the cool wood and inhaled deeply, trying to steady her breathing.
It took a full minute before she realized…she wasn’t alone.
Selene stood by the window, arms crossed, eyes full of fire.
And in that moment, every self-preservation instinct Aurelia had honed over years of survival kicked in. She started to shrink inward, to get ready for the storm, to apologize and beg forgiveness. Anything to stop Selene from being mad at her.
But Selene beat her to it.
“Save it,” Selene snapped, her tone frosty and eyes ice-cold. “You’ve had plenty of chances to tell me about your sugar daddy—sorry, fiancé —whatever he is. But you didn’t. I had to find out like everyone else. From the goddamn news, Aurelia. You’re such a shitty friend.”
The words sliced through the air like a blade, and for a moment, Aurelia’s mind went completely blank.
Shitty friend. The phrase echoed in her consciousness.
The old Aurelia—the one who would grovel, take the blame, and make herself small—wanted to agree and apologize, anything to keep the peace.
But she didn’t.
Something fundamental inside her snapped.
Instead of cowering, Aurelia stood straighter as she studied her friend, her words still reverberating through her mind. Calm washed over her like a quiet resolve. The rush of fear dulled, replaced by something sharper, clearer. Her voice didn’t tremble. Her silence carried weight.
“You’ve had plenty of chances to spend time with me,” she shot back, her voice solid but tight.
“I kept asking, and you kept blowing me off. Last time, I had to track you down at work because you ghosted me—you said your phone was broken, but somehow, you still managed to read my messages. So don’t stand there and act like I’ve been keeping secrets when you couldn’t even be bothered to answer a text! ”
Selene blinked, her anger faltering under the weight of Aurelia’s words.
“And you know what?” Aurelia pressed on, her voice rising as she took a measured step closer. “You expected me to spill the most personal details of my life—of someone else’s life, someone you’ve never even met—at work, of all places? For what? So the whole office could gossip about me, too?”
The raw emotion poured out of her, unstoppable now.
“The real shitty friend is standing in front of me—too busy to call, too busy to care, but not too busy to pass judgment the second she reads a headline!”
Selene stood rooted to the floor, stunned, her mouth opening and closing as if the words wouldn’t form.
For the first time in their friendship, Aurelia had put herself first. And it felt good.
With a deep, calming breath, the fragile pieces of her composure slid back into place. “The ball’s in your court, Selene. If you want to talk— really talk—you know where to find me. But it’ll be outside business hours. I’m done being an afterthought on your schedule.”
She twisted toward the door…and froze.
Charles was leaning against the doorframe, his expression unreadable, but his eyes held a flicker of unmistakable amusement.
He had seen everything.
“Well, that’s one way to start the day,” Charles said with a bemused grin, closing the door behind him and settling into his chair like a witness to the opening act of a spectacular drama.
Aurelia sank into the nearest seat, her earlier burst of confidence collapsing beneath the weight of shame.
She rubbed her temples, the fight gone from her posture.
“I—I’m so sorry about that,” she stammered.
“I don’t know what came over me. That was…
so incredibly unprofessional.” Her words were muffled; her gaze locked on the floor.
Charles studied her with quiet patience. “Is that really how you’d describe what just happened?”
“Yes,” she answered immediately, eyes flashing up to meet his. “I take this job seriously. Letting personal matters bleed into my work life is a distraction, and it’s inappropriate.”
He tilted his head, considering her with a look that made her feel like she had missed something obvious.
“We’ll have to agree to disagree, then,” he said calmly.
“Because what I saw wasn’t unprofessional, it was necessary.
An employee tried to drag you into a personal confrontation at work.
You stood your ground. You set a boundary.
That’s leadership, Aurelia, a show of strength, not weakness. ”
She wanted to believe him. But the immense stress of everything else—the headlines, the photos, Selene’s betrayal, her insecurities in the relationship she was building with Levi—made it almost impossible to breathe, let alone feel proud of herself.
She swallowed thickly. “I think that’s the least of my worries right now,” she admitted quietly. “I’m assuming you’ve seen the news.”
The amusement faded from Charles’s features, his mouth a grim thin line.
“Unfortunately, I have,” he said. “And I’m more than a little concerned about how the media even found out about the ceremony in the first place.
” He leaned back, steepling his fingers in consternation.
“I’ve already contacted the Clerk’s office.
While the marriage certificate is technically a public record, they claim no one from their office leaked any information.
So, if it didn’t come from us—and we know it didn’t—then the next logical place to look is your new husband. ”
The accusation, even implied, hit her like a slap.
Charles sighed. “I’m not saying it was him, but you both signed confidentiality agreements. And there’s also Estrella’s contract to consider. She’s…not pleased with the media scrutiny either.”
Aurelia closed her eyes, pinching the bridge of her nose as the beginnings of a headache started to thrum behind her temples.
“And that’s only one of the issues,” Charles continued, his voice more subdued but no less firm. “The more pressing concern is that I’ve received calls from three of the charities originally slated to participate in the Harvest Charity Ball. All of them have pulled out.”
Her eyes snapped open. “All three?” she choked out, unable to believe it.
Charles nodded gravely. “They rescinded their agreements as of this morning. Each one insisted they wouldn’t be involved unless you were removed from overseeing the event.
” Displeasure etched in the lines of his face.
“I made it very clear that we have zero plans to do any such thing. If they can’t separate tabloids from your professional track record, then frankly, they don’t belong at the ball at all. ”
Aurelia sat frozen while her mind struggled to catch up with what she had just heard.
The Clowns for Climate Change Awareness.
Penguins on Parade Coalition. Underwater Basket Weavers United.
These organizations had been part of the event for over a decade.
And now, because of a scandal she couldn’t even control, they were gone.
“What…what exactly did they say?” she asked timidly.
Charles hesitated, then answered with deliberate precision.
“They said your ‘reckless behavior’ at the wedding, combined with the optics of an arranged and financially advantageous marriage, would tarnish Eleanor’s legacy and damage their brand by association.
They feel you’ve compromised the integrity of the event…
and want you fired immediately to preserve its reputation. ”
Her mouth parted, but no words came out.
“This isn’t only about you, Aurelia,” he added gently. “Your husband’s name doesn’t help. He’s had his share of very public…incidents. And the fact that no one knows you’re Eleanor’s heir yet? That only fuels their assumptions. Right now, to these organizations, you’re merely a headline.”
Aurelia deflated entirely, the fight bleeding out of her like a slow leak from a punctured tire. She pressed her fists into her eyes to hold back the tears.
“Eleanor would be so disappointed in me,” she whispered, finally voicing the constant fear aloud.
Charles’s brow creased with something close to sympathy.
Or perhaps it was frustration. “Do you truly believe that?” he asked carefully.
“Because I can tell you, without a shadow of a doubt, if Eleanor were here, she’d be throwing a fit.
Not at you, Aurelia. At them. She’d ban those charities for life and declare the ball a roaring success out of spite alone. ”
He leaned forward, his voice low but purposeful. “The real question is…what are you going to do now?”
Aurelia swallowed the lump in her throat, as Eleanor’s voice seemed to echo through her memory: Never let small-minded people decide your worth or tell you what to do.
She drew herself up, folding tension into every line of her body. “Sounds like I’ve got three new charities to find.”
Charles smiled faintly, his eyes gleaming with a familiar spark of mischief. “Now that’s what the Eleanor I remember would do.”