Jaxon stared wide-eyed at Aurora, "Uhmm, could you please say that again?"

Without faltering, Aurora repeated, "I'm applying to be a business consultant."

Jaxon was perplexed, it was his first time seeing someone apply for the job straight up, her confidence kept him interested. He leaned forward and asked with an amazed smile lingering on his lips, "What made you think it was that easy to apply?"

"I never said it was," Aurora firmly answered, "I am just confident that having me work with you and your team will boost your ratings."

He chuckled, "You really are an interesting woman, aren't you? No one has ever done this before."

Aurora brought out a file envelope from her bag and handed it to him, "Here are my credentials to prove that I'm perfect for the job."

Jaxon sighed, "I guess it can't be helped." He took the files from her and opened it, "Even if I do find your credentials impressive, I don't exactly have the power to give you the job."

Aurora watched in silence and he flipped through the files. Her facial expression emitted confidence, however, she was feeling a bit uneasy on the inside. She never thought she'd be this desperate to get a positive review from someone regarding her work.

Jaxon blinked multiple times, his brows furrowed as he whipped his head towards her, "Blackwood? As in the Aurora Blackwood? Damian Blackwood's wife? Hold on..." He leaned on the table and asked in a low voice, "Isn't there a rumor that he got married recently? Does that mean...?"

"It was on the damn news. It's no rumor."

His eyes widened slightly, "And you're okay with that?"

She looked away, her hands tightening on each other, "So what if I am? I'm done with that family anyways."

Jaxon let out a soft gasp. He had watched several events hosted by Blackwood enterprises on live television before, and every few minutes, his eyes would dart towards the fine lady that always sat next to Damian Blackwood. But on most occasions, he wouldn't be able to find her simply because she didn't attend.

Blackwood enterprises was a really popular and powerful company after all, of course anybody associated with them would be easily recognizable. But Aurora was an exception, she attended only a few social events with the Blackwoods and even when she did, her face would be heavy with makeup because Victor preferred it that way. She knew why, of course. So that she wouldn't be recognizable outside these events by reporters, so they wouldn't approach her and ask any sensitive questions. Aurora didn't know whether to be happy or angry about it, while she liked the peace of being able to mix in with the public, she still would've been able to handle the attention.

Looking back, there were a lot of signs leading up to the separation of her and Damian which indicated that the Blackwoods had been planning it for quite a while. She scoffed and looked back at Jaxon, "Damian Blackwood and I are no longer married. I am not tied to Blackwood enterprises anymore or anyone else in connection with them. So I would appreciate it if you left out the part about me being Damian's former wife when putting in a good word for me to your boss."

Jaxon put the files down and let out a soft laugh, "Oh? And what makes you think that I'd put in a good word for you?"

Aurora calmly took a sip of her drink and smiled, "Because you've seen my work and you're impressed by it. And then decided to take a proper look at my name because you skipped that part at the beginning thinking it was a waste of time. You almost didn't believe that I'd be this qualified but those files proved you wrong."

Jaxon remained silent for a bit, "I think you're the fortune teller here, Ms Sinclair." (Reference to chapter 5 where Aurora first called him a fortune teller) He leaned back, "You're right, you do have great work credit. But my boss will have to know your background to see if you earned those credits genuinely or with your former status."

Aurora bit her lips, at the end of the day, the Blackwood name still had her on a chokehold. It would take a lot of convincing and close observation for them to believe that she was indeed a hard worker. She huffed, running low on options, she finally agreed. "Very well, do your investigation."

Jaxon smiled, "Great. You'll hear from me in 3 days. I'll be taking these with me, if you don't mind." He tapped on the files and Aurora nodded in agreement, they were photocopies anyways.

"Now that business is out of the way, why don't we talk more comfortably now?" He asked with a calm smile, his voice and expression now softer. "Can I call you Aurora?"

She took a deep breath, maybe small talk wouldn't be a bad thing. The only person she had been talking to was Maywell, thank goodness for that or her descent into madness would've been brutal, having someone else around would be good for her, mentally. "Sure. You can call me Aurora."

His eyes brightened up so much that Aurora almost noticed it, "Great, so...divorce, huh? Must've been hard."

"It wasn't that hard. All we did was sign a few papers." She answered with a shrug, trying her best to play it off but Jaxon wasn't having it, however, he didn't push further. He already observed that Aurora was a reserved person, she didn't look like the type to converse without filter after just meeting a person twice, especially if those meetings were initially for business purposes. He only laughed at her answer and asked a question, "Tell me, what do you plan to do with this newfound freedom of yours?"

Aurora smiled, she took a quick glance at her own stomach and answered, "Satisfy a lot of cravings. Oh, I've always wanted to..." As she talked about the activities she'd like to try in the city, Jaxon's smile involuntarily began to widen.

"Aurora Sinclair..." He called in his head, "So Damian Blackwood actually let someone like her go? Someone this beautiful? Just look at her, she's so angelic. A little on the tough and no-no sense side but still angelic. Hell, if she were mine, I'd never do anything to make her look at anyone else." He blinked and tilted his head, "If she were...mine." His heart couldn't help but beat in a whole new way.

__

Dubai.

Damian and Selene were curled up on the plush couch in their luxury suite, watching a late-night movie. The massive TV cast a soft glow over the dimly lit room, and the sound of crashing waves outside their balcony blended with the movie's background music.

Selene rested her head against Damian's shoulder, lazily feeding him popcorn every now and then, even though he wasn't exactly in the mood. He played along, letting her press a piece to his lips as he absentmindedly chewed, his mind elsewhere. He was silently rehearsing how he would bring up the idea of cutting their honeymoon short. He knew she wouldn't like it, but he needed to get back. The longer he stayed away, the more restless he felt...and the more the whereabouts of Aurora became more of a mystery.

But before he could even open his mouth, Selene suddenly spoke. "Honey, should we just go home tomorrow?"

Damian blinked, turning to look at her. "What?"

__

"Why do you want to go home tomorrow?" Damian asked, he masked his excitement with curiosity really well as he took her hand. She shrugged, "Nothing really, Dubai is pretty boring. We should've gone to Japan instead."

Damian raised an eyebrow, he searched her eyes for a hidden reason but he couldn't find any. On one hand he was relieved that she just found Dubai boring, and on the other hand, he found himself a little disappointed that she just found Dubai a little boring. He wondered if anything else ever went on inside Selene's head other than materialism. Funny how things turned out but who cares? As long as it worked in his favor in the end.

He then pulled her in for a warm embrace, "You're right, it's indeed really boring here. Why don't you get some sleep? I'll pack our bags after and we'll leave tomorrow. Sounds good?"

Selene groaned softly in his arms, "We'll pack our bags tomorrow. How about we just make this moment count?" She looked up at him seductively, "I wanna do it again..."

Damian sighed, a little smirk on his lips. He then shifted their positions on the huge couch. Selene was now underneath with him hovering on top of her. His strong hands brushing gently on her skin, "Are you sure?" He asked in a low voice,his sharp eyes lingering on her nightgown, "You might wake up late tomorrow."

Her heart skipped several beats at his words, she spread her lips to say something but her words failed her, all she did was swallow and nod. He leaned down and kissed her violently, aggressively. Selene didn't complain because it was just the way she liked it, her hands found his neck and pulled him closer.

The night stretched on in a blur of heated touches and soft moans. Selene surrendered completely to him, her breathless gasps filling the room. Damian took control, his grip firm yet teasing, his lips exploring every inch of her. She responded eagerly, clinging to him, savoring every rough kiss, every possessive movement.

When it was over, she laid sprawled against his chest, her fingers lazily tracing his exposed chest. She sighed in satisfaction, pressing a soft kiss to his collarbone.

"You're in a good mood tonight," she murmured, smirking up at him.

Damian exhaled, he kept stroking her blonde hair in a rhythmic manner, then he asked for the sake of confirmation, "You really don't mind leaving tomorrow?"

She lifted herself onto her elbows, watching his expression carefully. "Why? You weren't expecting me to say it?"

"Not at all." Damian admitted, turning to his side.

Selene shrugged, tracing circles on his chest. "I got what I wanted, Damian. A ring on my finger. Your name attached to mine." She smirked, leaning in to kiss his jaw. "So yeah, I wanna go home early and properly start being your wife, that's way more fun. But don't think for a second that I don't know where your mind has been all this time."

Damian's body stiffened for a fraction of a second, but she caught it.

She laughed, rolling onto her back. "I'm not blind, honey. Every time you think I'm not looking, your mind is somewhere else." She turned her head to look at him. "Tell me, Damian, are you still thinking about her?"

His jaw clenched. "Go to sleep, Selene."

Selene smirked in satisfaction, rolling onto her side and closing her eyes. "Sweet dreams, darling."

Damian didn't sleep for a long time. He laid awake, staring at the ceiling, his mind drifting back to a woman he had tried so hard to erase from his thoughts. But no matter how much he pushed, no matter how hard he tried...Aurora's face still haunted him.

__

Aurora paced around the house. She couldn't help but feel a little nervous. It had been 3 days since she spoke with Jaxon and she was expecting to hear from him today. But the day was almost over, she looked at the wall clock, a little after 7pm and she was still yet to hear from him.

Her phone rang, but it was Maywell instead. She sighed, who else was it going to be? Aurora didn't have anyone else in her contacts that she reached out to regularly other than Maywell. "Hello?"

"You don't sound good." Maywell flatly remarked, "Is something wrong?"

"Of course not. I'm fine, my babies are fine." Aurora lightly rubbed her stomach with a smile which faded almost immediately, Jaxon still hadn't called her. She explained to Maywell that she applied for a job and was still yet to hear the company's feedback.

"Oh, I see. Don't worry about it, I'm sure they're taking this long because they're preparing a special place for you." Maywell's words made Aurora laugh, this eased up her mind a little. She thanked Maywell for calling and they wished each other a good night.

A few minutes after putting her phone down, the doorbell rang, her heartbeat quickened, could it be Jaxon? She made her way to the door and she opened it.

She was correct. It was Jaxon. His usual friendly smile plastered on his face. She couldn't help but smile as well. "It's you." She whispered.

"It's me." His calm deep voice echoed.

"Well? What's the update? Did you do your research? Am I qualified for the job or not?" She asked hastily. This made him laugh, "Calm down, Aurora. I believe you have to invite guests into your home if you wanna get information out of them."

Aurora frowned, raising one of her eyebrows, "Seriously?"

"Yes. Seriously?"

She rolled her eyes and moved so he could come in. "Thank you." He said with a cheerful smile.

After waiting for him to sit and get comfortable on the couch, she crossed her arms, "Well? Talk."

He cleared his throat, "Well..."

Aurora's ears perked up.

He continued, "I believe it's customary for guests to receive a beverage before any matter is discussed."

Aurora's face fell, "I didn't make it, did I? You're just here to let me down easy."

Before Jaxon could respond, she stormed off to the kitchen and came back with a can of cold drink, she tossed it at him, "Here's your beverage. Now get out." She said firmly.

Jaxon caught the drink effortlessly and stood up, "Aurora. Listen-"

"Just go away!" She yelled.

Jaxon sighed, he placed the drink down on the table and walked up to her. He placed both hands on her shoulders and made her look at him, "My boss loved it, alright? He personally did his research and found out that you earned your work credits fair and square, so he'd be more than happy to have you come in for a face to face interview tomorrow before he officially hires you, okay? So calm down."

Aurora stiffened, her eyes shining brightly, from the tears that were clouding her eyes, "Really? I'm qualified for the job?"

Jaxon chuckled, "Yes. You are qualified." Seeing how much she needed it, he pulled her in for a hug, "Congratulations, Aurora."

"Congratulations." The words kept ringing in her head. When was the last time she heard that? She really needed this win. With a really bright smile she hugged him back, "Thank you!"

After the hug, Jaxon sighed, "I can't believe you threw a can at me. You're really not to be messed with."

She lightly punched his arm, "Nonsense, I didn't mean anything by it." Her laugh was like music to Jaxon's ears, it was the first time seeing her bright smile, "What a sight..." He spoke inwardly, "I want to make sure she remains like this."

He cleared his throat, "So...since you basically got the job, why don't we celebrate over a few drinks? And I don't mean going to a café."

"Oh," Aurora's eyes dwindled, "Drinks, huh? Sounds pretty nice but uhmm, I can't drink."

"Why? Can't handle a bit of alcohol?" Jaxon teased with a coy smile. She laughed dryly, "Uhh, no...it's not that. I'm actually...pregnant."

The room went silent. For a while, nobody said anything. Only the sound of the ticking wall clock could be heard.

"Does he know?" Jaxon finally asked. His voice carried a subtle bit of anger, not directed at her, but Damian instead.

When she slowly shook her head, he scoffed and looked away, "Well, damn. What exactly happened between you two?"

"I don't wanna talk about it." Was all Aurora said and Jaxon didn't pry, he picked up the drink she had given him earlier, "Thanks for the drink." He said and left.

A sigh left her, her mood had dampened for sure, but she wasn't going to let that disturb her joy. She got the job at last. Now it was on to her next goal... to get a decent car.

___

Blackwood enterprises.

Damian's office. The door swung open without warning. He didn't have to look up to know who it was. He sighed, muttering under his breath, "Here we go again."

Victor Blackwood strode inside, his expression sharp with disapproval. His tailored suit was impeccable, his presence commanding as always.

Damian barely spared him a glance before handing a stack of documents to his assistant. "I need photocopies of these."

"Yes, sir." The assistant nodded quickly, grabbing the files and slipping out of the office, leaving father and son alone.

Victor wasted no time. "I paid a visit to the mansion this morning."

Damian finally looked up, his fingers drumming against his desk. "And?"

Victor's jaw tightened. "Her belongings are still there."

The words hit him harder than he expected, but Damian masked his reaction. He leaned back in his chair, forcing indifference into his tone. "I've been busy."

Victor scoffed. "Don't insult me with that excuse." He took a step closer, his piercing gaze scrutinizing Damian's every movement. "Three days, Damian. You've been back for three days. And yet, that wench's clothes, jewelry, and personal effects remain untouched."

Damian's fingers curled slightly, but he didn't reply. That wench?

Victor pressed on, his voice growing sharper. "Selene told me she tried to have them removed weeks ago. You stopped her."

"She didn't need to make a scene about it," Damian muttered, not meeting his father's eyes.

"Oh?" Victor tilted his head. "So it's just a matter of convenience? Because from where I'm standing, it looks like you haven't truly let her go."

"Was I even supposed to let her go in the first place?"

Silence.

Damian continued, "Look, I know what I'm doing, okay? And I'm in the middle of work so I'd like some peace and quiet. Or should I let go of those as well?"

"You know what you're supposed to do. Do it...or I will." Victor left after the warning.

"F*cking headache..." Damian whispered as he tossed some files aside.

__

Aurora found herself in front of a tall building consisting of various office complexes, with each complex offering different services. As she was trying to figure out which floor and which office she was looking for, she felt a light tap on her shoulder.

"Reporting for duty?" Jaxon asked with his signature friendly smile. Aurora was a little surprised, seeing the way he left last time, she thought he'd be upset to see her but she was wrong, "Well, not officially." She answered with a small smile.

"Don't worry. Your spot is secured. Come on, I'll show you our complex." He offered as he walked past her. Aurora followed him silently through the sleek glass doors, her heels clicking softly against the polished marble floors. The building had a modern design that screamed professionalism.

Jaxon led her to the elevator, pressing the button for the ninth floor. As they ascended, he glanced at her with a knowing smirk. "Nervous?"

She exhaled softly. "A little. It's been a while since I've been in an office setting."

He chuckled. "You'll do fine. Besides, I wouldn't have brought you here if I didn't think you had potential."

She raised an eyebrow. "Brought me here?"

The elevator dinged, and the doors slid open. Jaxon stepped out first, leading her down a well-lit hallway. "Sorry, I meant let you apply." He said with a guilty smile. They stopped in front of a glass-paneled door with Reid Consulting Group written in bold letters.

He pushed the door open, revealing a spacious office with a modern aesthetic. Several employees worked at their desks, while private offices lined the walls. Aurora followed him through the space, taking in the sleek furniture and the scent of fresh coffee in the air.

Jaxon stopped in front of a grand office with a glass door and knocked twice before stepping inside. Aurora followed, only to freeze in surprise when she saw a distinguished man seated behind the large desk.

"Dad," Jaxon said smoothly, "Meet Aurora Sinclair."

Aurora's eyes widened. "Your father owns Reid Consulting Group?" She bit her lips, the name should've been a dead giveaway but she never really thought much of it. A sigh escaped her lips.

Seated behind the desk was a man who bore a striking resemblance to Jaxon, tall, well-groomed, with the same calm demeanor and sharp eyes.

Unlike Jaxon's playful smirk, however, his father carried an air of quiet authority, the kind that commanded respect without needing to demand it.

The older man rose from his seat, adjusting the cuffs of his suit before extending a hand. "Charles Reid," He introduced himself in a smooth, measured tone. "And yes, I own Reid Consulting Group."

Aurora shook his hand, still processing the revelation. She turned to Jaxon, who only offered her a lazy grin.

Charles gestured toward the seat across from him. "Please, sit."

Aurora hesitated for a moment before sitting. She could feel Charles studying her, not with judgment, but with a quiet curiosity.

"I assume Jaxon didn't warn you about this little detail," he said, amusement flickering in his eyes.

"Not at all," she admitted, throwing a pointed glance at Jaxon, who simply leaned against the desk, looking far too pleased with himself.

"I prefer to let my father speak for himself," Jaxon said casually.

Charles hummed, then folded his hands together on the desk. "I understand that you're looking for a fresh start, Ms. Sinclair. And I want to assure you that your past, whatever it may be, has no bearing on your future here."

Aurora tensed slightly.