CHAPTER 12Aurelia
Aurelia
Hours after her emotional consultation, Aurelia lounged on her couch in pajamas, eating authentic ramen from her favorite restaurant by the fire. A muted POLmArK TV Romance played in the background.
She was still a wreck after baring her soul to Estrella and needed to talk to someone about it.
She made several attempts to reach Selene via text and voicemail over the last two days, including her way home tonight.
All had gone unanswered, and for the first time in the history of their friendship, it grated on her.
She aggressively stabbed at the noodles in her bowl with her chopsticks.
The amount of personal sharing she did today was unbelievably abnormal, and it would’ve been great to talk through some of her memories with the one person who would understand—someone who lived many of those traumatic moments with her.
Instead, she spent the last couple of hours replaying key conversations and moments with Selene over the years…and started to recognize a troubling pattern of one-sidedness in their friendship.
Like all the times Selene had invited Aurelia to go out, it was according to her availability, often cancelling at the last minute—sometimes when Aurelia was already on her way—with vague excuses and no offer to reschedule.
Or how most of their conversations revolved around Selene’s problems. She would frequently call Aurelia in frustration or to vent, but rarely asked how Aurelia was doing or followed up on anything happening in her life.
Even on the rare occasion Aurelia shared good news, like a professional milestone or personal goal, Selene quickly changed the subject, downplayed it, or made it about herself.
But the worst was in moments like this, where Aurelia needed a friend, Selene would go radio silent. It was becoming clear that Selene wasn’t equipped—or willing—to show up when Aurelia needed someone most.
The noodles slipped off the chopsticks and back into the bowl right as she was about to take a bite. Growling in frustration, she gave up on the damn noodles and tried to shift her focus to the assessments Estrella sent for the matchmaking process.
Her thoughts zeroed in on the potential mystery match Estrella alluded to…and how she had knocked over her teacup in shock. She about fell out of her chair when Estrella suggested they spend the next few days fully focused on “fast-tracking” the profile and assessment work.
She allowed herself to feel a flicker of hope at the thought of this…
until it collided with panic at the thought of Kyle and the physical reminders she still bore of the last time she tried to open up to someone.
Aurelia grabbed a nearby pillow and hugged it tightly, closing her eyes to squash the fear.
“I survived,” Aurelia whispered in an attempt to ground herself. It was a mantra, a reminder of her resilience. She repeated it a few more times before cleaning up and extinguishing the fire.
She went to bed early, steeling herself for the next day’s tasks and a surprise visit to Starhaven Manor.
Similar to Aurelia's mood, the playlist on the radio today was absolutely on fire. She sang along loudly, albeit terribly, as she drove to Starhaven Manor.
After getting up early, she completed her online assessments with laser focus over breakfast, feeling empowered by the insight they gave her. Her conflict resolution style hit hardest, a stark reflection of how her upbringing and past relationships shaped her avoidance of confrontation.
Marriage wouldn’t allow her to run anymore. She needed to learn to stand her ground.
Visiting Selene today felt like a good first test.
As she turned into the grand drive leading to Starhaven, the manor’s beauty struck her anew. Nestled on a cliff outside Joia City, the whitewashed villa with its red tiled roof and carved wooden accents was nothing short of magical. Her chest tightened as reality sank in.
This estate could soon be hers…if everything worked out.
She planned to speak with Charles about the upcoming Harvest Charity Ball, a Greaves family tradition. Despite its pretentiousness, Aurelia had loved planning it with Eleanor. The thought of doing it without her was less exciting, but also an opportunity for Aurelia to honor her friend.
Parking in the staff area, she composed herself and entered through the service door, winding her way to the expansive executive kitchen.
It had a large, curved window that allowed natural light to pour in, a number of spacious walk-in pantries, and a breakfast nook with a built-in banquette that could easily fit a large family.
Fitted with top-of-the-line gleaming stainless-steel appliances, high-gloss light wood cabinetry, and polished marble countertops wrapped around the space.
The main attraction, however, was the massive center island housing a cooktop and sink, surrounded by multiple pendant lights suspended from the high ceiling…
and where Selene stood with Chef Rodrigo, reviewing menus.
She looked tired, and her smile briefly faltered when she saw Aurelia.
“Hey! I’m so glad you’re here! We’re working on the menu for the Harvest Charity Ball.” Selene walked around the island toward Aurelia, dressed immaculately in an olive pantsuit.
“Before you say anything, I have a good reason for not calling you back yet,” Selene began. They moved through the service wing toward Selene’s office. “I have a few reasons, truth be told.”
The modest and worn but elegant office was tucked in the back of the estate. It boasted the same lofty ceilings and cream walls found in the rest of the manor. Aurelia sat across from Selene’s desk, the guest chair having seen better days.
“I was starting to get worried about you and figured I’d come and do a wellness check myself.”
Selene handed her a water bottle from her mini refrigerator, then sank into her chair.
“It’s been a hell of a week. I’ve been a bit disorganized and have spent more time than I’d care to admit putting out fires with the staff. It’s put me behind on many things, so I’ve had to work later than usual.”
She explained how she left her phone, purse, and coffee on the roof of her car and drove off the other day, only noticing when everything flew across her windshield.
“It hasn't worked right since then...I ordered a replacement that’s arriving this weekend,” Selene said apologetically, fiddling with a retractable pen.
“I’m so sorry that happened. I wanted to make sure you were alright and weren’t mad at me for something. It’s been a really strange few days,” Aurelia said, guilt creeping over her for assuming the worst about her friend.
“No apology needed; it’s definitely been a shit week,” Selene sighed.
“Hopefully, I can help make things a little easier after I talk to Charles about the Harvest Charity Ball.”
Selene perked up a bit at the mention of the event.
“We’ve been pushing ahead with everything as if she were still here, so any help would be welcome.
” A flash of curiosity darted across her face.
“Have you heard anything about who her heir is? None of us has heard a peep,” Selene whispered conspiratorially.
Aurelia hedged, cautiously crafting a response. “I haven’t been here in a few days, so I haven’t heard anything...I’m sure it’ll come out when it’s time.”
Falling dramatically back into her seat, Selene sighed again. “You’re right…as usual. We have plenty to do around here in the meantime, like plan this Harvest Charity Ball.”
Aurelia forced a smile, uncharacteristically annoyed with her friend. “I don’t want to monopolize too much of your day. Give me a call when you're settled with your new phone so we can go grab drinks. My treat.”
Selene grinned mischievously. “Absolutely.”
Thankfully, Charles was in Eleanor’s study when Aurelia peeked in. Her timing was perfect as he was currently between meetings. He smiled with relief as she sat.
“What a lovely surprise,” he said warmly, then blinked. “Your hair!”
She grinned, running her fingers through it. “What do you think? It was a bit of an impulse, but I wanted something different.”
“Definitely different! It’s quite becoming on you. Had you asked my opinion before seeing it, I wouldn’t have thought it a good idea. But even an old man can learn new things.”
She blushed. Compliments still threw her off, but she was starting to enjoy receiving them.
“What brings you to see me? Hopefully, an update from your consultation?”
“A few things. First, I hadn’t been able to get a hold of Selene for days, so I came here to track her down.” She then noted Selene hadn’t said a word about her hair and frowned.
Maybe that’s why I was annoyed with her .
“Second, I wanted to talk about the Harvest Charity Ball and how I can help...and yes, also updates about the consultation.”
“Let’s start with the consultation.” Charles pulled up a document. “I have a preliminary draft prenuptial agreement ready for your review. The most prominent section that I added states that any assets or inheritance, current or future, will remain separate.”
Aurelia raised a brow.
“This protects you without requiring disclosure until you're ready. It’s your choice whether or not to share with your husband. That conversation would fall under spousal privilege and not violate Eleanor’s anonymity clause.”
Relief washed over her, followed directly by unease.
“That makes sense.” Her next sentence was slow and drawn out, a foolish attempt at evading the inevitable. “Estrella told me she had a potential match in mind,” she said softly, toying with the strap of her bag.
Charles’s brows shot up. “That quickly?”
“I met with her yesterday, and she had another client sign on at almost the same time...There could be a wedding in a week if everything works out.”
“How do you feel about that? You’re suspiciously calm.”
Aurelia chuckled. “Scared. It hasn’t completely hit me yet, so I’ll probably panic the moment I have to make a real decision. That’s how I felt driving in—realizing this estate might be mine too.”
Understanding filled his gaze. “Take it one day at a time. Don’t do anything you're not comfortable with and keep me updated.”
“I did all the self-assessments this morning. Tomorrow is the full-day interview session. After that, it’s up to her to match us. In the meantime, I figured I’d help with the Harvest Charity Ball.” She needed something to distract her from the sharp U-turn her life had taken.
Charles exhaled loudly and hastily pushed a stack of folders toward her. “I can’t express how excited I am to hear you say that! These are for you. I’m not a party planner and hereby officially delegate all of this to you. Selene has already requested to take this on and—”
“Wait, what do you mean she requested to take this over?”
The anger in her tone caught Charles—and herself—off guard. “I've helped Eleanor plan this event since I started working for her. I could do it in my sleep. Also, it’s not her job .”
Aurelia had concocted and selected the themes for the last three years. Eleanor valued her ideas, letting her make most of the decisions on her own. She wouldn’t let Selene erase that.
Unsure of how to respond to her outburst, Charles hesitated before continuing. “She came in after you left on Tuesday. Since no heir had been named, she offered to take over, saying, ‘that’s what Eleanor would have wanted.’”
“That’s what Eleanor would have wanted my ass,” she muttered to herself. The smothered laugh that came from Charles caused her face to heat. Apparently, she wasn’t as quiet as she thought.
Awkwardly clearing her throat, Aurelia replied, “That won’t be necessary. I can take it from here. Send any future calls on the matter directly to my cell phone.”
“Consider it done,” Charles said. A hint of a smile still lingered on his lips; his eyes crinkled with amusement.
Aurelia gathered the documents as fast as reasonably possible and walked out, her resolve firm and purposeful.
Charles held back a smile as she left.