"What?" Jake was suffering from stage four cancer? Maxwell's voice trembled with disbelief as he ended the call. "How's that even possible…" he muttered, slowly lowering the phone. This new revelation hit him like a brick. He swore never to give up on investigating Jake's death, but now… this theory complicated everything. Was Jake even aware of his condition? Or did he know and chose to keep it a secret, possibly receiving treatment in silence?
"This is too much," Maxwell whispered, rubbing his temples in frustration. "I need to inform Aurora," he finally said, pacing around his study. Maybe she knew… or maybe she didn't. Either way, she deserves to know.
"Angel!" he called out.
Angel appeared in the doorway moments later, concern written all over her face.
"Yes, darling? You called. What's wrong? You look really disturbed." "Nothing is alright," he said, grabbing his jacket. "Get your things. We're heading back to New York."
"Maxwell, you must be joking."
She folded her arms, one brow raised. "We just got to Italy two days ago, and now you want to go back? Can you explain this sudden change of plans? "I know you love it here," he sighed, softening his tone. "But I promise, once I'm done handling this issue, we'll return. I just this is urgent."
"What issue exactly?" she pressed.
"It's about Jake's case. There's been a new lead, and I need to tell Aurora immediately."
"Max," Angel said firmly, walking up to him. "It's been eight months since he died. Aurora has moved on. She's happily married now and has a whole new life. Bringing this up will only reopen wounds that took her forever to heal."
Maxwell paused. Her words echoed in his head. You're right," he muttered. "I didn't think of it that way." He sighed again, heavier this time. "You know what? We're staying. And maybe… maybe it's time I let go of Jake's death." Angel looked surprised. "Are you serious? "Yes. I mean, he was going to die anyway…"What do you mean?" she interrupted.
"Jake had stage four cancer," Maxwell revealed, finally letting the truth sink in. Angel gasped. Oh my God. That's… that's terrible. No wonder. And honestly, there was no way he would have survived something that advanced. But Max, what if he didn't even know?"
"Exactly my thought."
He shook his head slowly. "Maybe he really didn't know. Maybe it was all a tragic accident… or maybe fate just took its course."
Meanwhile, back in New York, Aurora's mind was a whirlwind of emotions. Sitting across from her was Gianna, but her words barely registered. Aurora was still lost in the memories of the previous night her first time with Mark. Her body ached slightly, a reminder of the intense, passionate love they had shared.
"Aurora," Gianna finally snapped, waving a hand in her face. "You're not paying attention to a single word I'm saying. You look… tired."
"I'm fine, Gianna," Aurora replied quickly. "I just didn't expect you to show up this early."
Gianna scoffed. "You call this early? It's 11 a.m., dear cousin."Wow… I didn't realize time had gone by so fast." Gianna gave her a sly smirk. "Let me guess you had sex last night."
Aurora's eyes widened as her face flushed a deep shade of red. "Gianna!"
"I knew it!" she clapped her hands excitedly. "So tell me was it your first?" Aurora stared at her cousin, a bit stunned. "How did you know?" "Oh please, Aurora. I can see beyond human expectations," Gianna teased dramatically. "You're glowing like a kid who just got their favorite candy. You're still floating on cloud nine."
Aurora laughed, finally relaxing. Well… it's true. Last night was my first. And honestly? It was… amazing. "Oh my gosh, I'm so happy for you!" Gianna squealed. "Wait… are you saying you're a little inexperienced? "Yeah, a bit."
"Okay then," she said, adjusting her posture playfully. "I'll give you some premium tips that'll drive your husband crazy."Please do!"
Both women burst into uncontrollable laughter.
"Alright, back to business," Aurora said after a while, wiping tears of laughter from her eyes.
"Oh! Before I forget, Uncle William sent a message for you. He said it's urgent and that you should call him when you're free."
"Of course, I'll call him," Aurora said with a nod. Now… about your career," she continued, changing the topic. "I have a shoot with Nicole Miller coming up. We're working on Dior's newest perfume campaign. I want you to shadow my assistant during the shoot you'll learn a lot about behind-the-scenes work. And when I launch my own perfume line, you'll be the face of one of my commercials."
Gianna 's jaw dropped in disbelief. "Aurora , you're a genius! I love that idea! I can't wait to get started. Becoming famous just like you? That's the dream. "It's not just about fame, Gianna," Aurora said seriously. "It's about the hard work and dedication you put into it."
"I understand, and trust me, I'm super determined." I can already see that," Aurora smiled.
Their eyes met with a spark of shared ambition two women from the same bloodline, with different paths but the same fire burning in their hearts.