Sharon Dalton froze. It was only then she remembered that most of the guests probably hadn't seen Aurora Sterling looking normal in a long time. In their memories, Aurora had always been that garishly made-up, tacky-looking bitch who was no different from a streetwalker. But Sharon was different. As Aurora's cousin, she often visited the Sterling family home, so she knew what Aurora truly looked like.
While everyone was wondering where Aurora Sterling was, Damien Valerius's gaze instantly locked onto the girl in pink, who looked like a doll, standing beside Mrs. Sterling.
Seeing Aurora Sterling in her little pink formal dress, with her exquisite makeup and charmingly cute appearance, Damien Valerius couldn't help but recall what they had done in the hotel room last night. A sudden heat erupted from a certain part of his body.
Damien Valerius's expression shifted slightly, astonished by his own intense physical reaction. 'I've never had much interest in women. If it hadn't been for the drugs yesterday, I wouldn't have needed a woman at all. I just never expected that after last night, the mere sight of Aurora Sterling would trigger such an instinctive response. And I know with absolute certainty that this reaction is only for her.'
But then, Damien Valerius remembered how that woman, Aurora Sterling, after sleeping with him, had the audacity to leave him such a note and a cheap watch, trying to wash her hands of everything that had happened between them. At the thought, he was consumed by rage.
'A night with me, Damien Valerius, is worth a fortune. Did that little minx really think she could just pay me off with a cheap watch?'
Aurora Sterling followed beside Mrs. Sterling, calmly weathering the suspicious gazes from all the guests in the banquet hall. But for some reason, she suddenly felt a chill and couldn't help but shiver, feeling as if an icy, furious gaze was fixed on her.
However, when Aurora followed the feeling and looked toward the source of that cold stare, she only saw an empty sofa and a drained champagne flute on the low table next to it.
Sensing that something was wrong, Mrs. Sterling looked at her worriedly. "What is it?"
Aurora pulled her gaze back and gave Mrs. Sterling a brilliant smile. "It's nothing, Grandma."
"As long as you're all right." Mrs. Sterling nodded, then added worriedly, "Stay by my side. Don't be nervous, and if anyone asks a difficult question, just keep smiling."
"Don't worry, Grandma. I know what to do."
Aurora Sterling's behavior these past few years had been utterly absurd. Her style was tacky, her mannerisms flamboyant, and she had even willfully dropped out of high school. As a result, she was now twenty years old and still hadn't graduated. Ever since Aurora's twin sister passed away, Mrs. Sterling had pinned all of the Sterling family's hopes on her. But she could only watch, anxious but powerless, as Aurora's life grew more and more preposterous. If Aurora could truly change for the better, no one would be happier than Mrs. Sterling.
Mrs. Sterling, surrounded by a small crowd, moved to the center of the banquet hall, elegantly greeting guests as she went.
Finally, someone couldn't hold back and stepped forward to ask, "Mrs. Sterling, we heard your granddaughter, Miss Aurora Sterling, would be accompanying you today, but we haven't seen her yet. And might I ask, who is this beautiful young lady by your side? I don't believe we've had the pleasure of meeting her before."
Hearing the question, Mrs. Sterling laughed heartily. She cast a playfully chiding glance at Aurora before addressing the guests, "I can't blame you all for not recognizing her. My granddaughter's previous image was simply too... over-the-top. Allow me to reintroduce her. This is my granddaughter, Aurora Sterling."
What! *She's* Aurora Sterling?!
Nearly every guest in the hall stared wide-eyed in disbelief at the doll-like girl, their faces etched with pure shock.