Chapter 5 She Never Thought About Returning to Her Home Country

Alex Phillips's POV:

After our intense lovemaking, Aurora quickly drifted off to sleep.

Even in her sleep, she looked exhausted, her brows furrowing slightly.

She unconsciously leaned into my arms, a tear forming at the corner of her eye.

I instinctively bent down and kissed it away. I used to do this to comfort her when she was crying.

I studied her face. The youthful innocence from her school days was gone; she had become more composed and confident, radiating a captivating charm.

Her long curly hair was a bit damp with sweat. Right now, she lay quietly beside me, like a pure angel.

But I knew this was just a front. The real Aurora was sharp-tongued and materialistic; she could say the most hurtful things with those rosy lips.

If it weren't for the changes in her family, she wouldn't have even thought of coming back, let alone remembered me, the guy she left behind seven years ago.

Aurora's face was small; I could easily hold it with one hand.

Her lips parted slightly, and I couldn't resist bending down to kiss her.

My teeth grazed her soft lips, and I couldn't help but bite down a little harder. It wasn't until I saw her brows furrow more deeply that the tightness in my chest began to ease.

Luckily, she had come back now, and at this moment, she was in my arms.

After gently caressing her rosy lips one last time, I straightened my clothes and got up to leave.

The car slowly stopped in front of the company.

As soon as I stepped out of the elevator, my assistant Jacob greeted me with a smile, skillfully opening the office door for me and handing me a perfectly tempered cup of coffee.

Jacob said, "Mr. Phillips, Ms. Foster just came by to see you, but she didn't say what it was about. After seeing you weren't here, she left."

I had already seen Claire's call on my way here. I then sent her a message and glanced up to find Jacob staring at me.

I asked, "What's up?"

Jacob said, "You seem to be in a really good mood today."

Realizing he had overstepped, he quickly left.

The office returned to its quiet state, and I leaned back on the sofa.

Was I in a good mood? Thinking of Aurora still sleeping at home, I couldn't help but smile.

Suddenly, the phone rang. It was a call from Claire.

"Alex, I want to hold an art exhibition and need some famous paintings for promotion. There's an art auction the day after tomorrow. Can you come with me?"

I lightly tapped the table. In my memory, this was Aurora's biggest dream when she was eighteen. At that time, she had received straight A's and was very happy.

Aurora said, "Alex, my teacher said my painting skills have improved a lot. When I graduate, I want to hold an art exhibition so everyone can appreciate my aesthetics and taste! By then, you can be my guide, since you always understand the emotions I want to convey in my paintings!"

Maybe I took too long to respond, and Claire's voice got a bit hesitant. She asked, "Are you busy that day?"

I snapped out of my thoughts and finally agreed, "Sure."

Aurora Ross's POV:

Due to Alex's rough lovemaking, my waist ached for two or three days.

I was really tempted to set everything aside and take a break in bed for a while, but reality wouldn't allow it..

The upheaval in the Ross Group had brought out a lot of people with ulterior motives, and I had to regain control to get the company back on track.

Alex's generous help had prevented the company from going bankrupt, but it was only a short-term solution. I couldn't depend solely on Alex to revive the Ross Group.

Most people are always driven by profit. After the family went bankrupt, the Ross Group's former partners all refused my requests for help, and I had been searching for suitable projects.

From reaching out to stakeholders and drafting proposals to finalizing arrangements, I meticulously managed every step, treating it as if it were my own masterpiece.

After sending the final version of the proposal to the new partner, I was about to close the email page when I suddenly received a message from Jason, asking why he hadn't seen me recently.

The message from Jason left me stunned for a long time.

When I was studying abroad, I would go to Redstone Park near the school to sketch every weekend. The scenery there was beautiful, with many cute animals and uniquely dressed tourists.

Jason was one of the regular visitors. Although his hair was already gray, he was very spirited. After getting to know him by chance, I discovered he had a unique insight into paintings and could immediately spot the flaws in my work. Since then, we exchanged email addresses and frequently discussed our insights on art. Beyond art, he also cared for me like a kind elder.

I quickly replied: [My family is going through some issues, and I'm trying to save money. I'm sorry, but I can't join you for walks for now.]

Jason: [I'm sorry to hear that, but I believe with your abilities, you'll get through this. If you're short on money, why not try auctioning your paintings? After all, your paintings have a certain charm and should fetch a good price.]

I stared at the email in a daze. I didn't think anyone would buy my paintings since I wasn't famous, but I was willing to give it a try.

I thought for a moment and called Amy abroad. "Amy, I remember you're coming back to the States soon for an auction. Would you be able to assist me in putting my paintings up for bid?"

Amy was my dearest friend whom I met abroad. She often organized auctions in various countries and was usually hard to reach. But luckily, she was returning to America soon.

"Of course, no problem." Amy agreed readily, and I finally felt a sense of relief.