Chapter 6

The old man immediately stood up and straightened his clothes, looking towards the entrance.

A man strode in, wearing a high-end dark suit, his features as sculpted as a statue, stunningly handsome. Unlike Maxwell's gentle demeanor, this man exuded a sharp aura that made it impossible to ignore his powerful presence.

Heath spoke, "Mr. Pendleton, wishing you all the happiness in the world and a long, healthy life."

The old man quickly approached, saying, "Heath, you must be tired from your long journey. Please, sit down and rest."

Heath took a seat beside the old man.

The crowd began to whisper, "Who is this young Mr? The old Pendleton seems to value him highly, even standing up to greet him personally."

A young gentleman explained, "This is Heath Fairbank from the Fairbank family in the capital. He's the youngest son. I hear he's about to become the heir to the Fairbank family."

"The Fairbank family from the capital? That century-old wealthy family? No wonder the old Mr values him so much!" another gentleman remarked.

"Looks like the old Mr wants to form an alliance with the Fairbank family. Look at Evelyn; she can't take her eyes off him."

As everyone chatted, Evelyn sat nearby, staring intently at Heath. She had never seen such a noble man before, and she was determined to get to know him that night.

The banquet officially began, but Aurora had not yet appeared, causing the old man to frown in displeasure.

Upstairs, Aurora groggily sat up, realizing that half of the banquet had already passed. She looked at the glass of lemon water on the table, the only thing she had consumed that day. She remembered a servant bringing it to her the night before and wondered when the Pendleton family's servants had become so kind to her.

It must have been Sophia, putting something in the water. How else could she have slept so long?

Aurora still felt drowsy but knew she had to attend the banquet. Her grandfather had finally agreed to let her participate, and if she didn't show up, he would never give her another chance.

She got up to open the door, only to find it locked.

Sophia Pendleton!

Aurora opened the window. The rooms of Sophia and her siblings were all on the third floor, while she, the unloved one, lived in this small room on the second floor. Though she felt weak, escaping from the second-floor window shouldn't be a problem.

She tore the bedsheet, twisted it into a rope, tied it to the bed leg, and threw it out the window, slowly climbing down.

Wearing an evening gown and still under the effects of the sleeping pill, she dangled precariously from the window. Aurora felt like crying. As Olivia, she could have easily descended from the fifth floor, even performing acrobatics with just a rope. Now, she clumsily climbed like a thief.

As she was thinking this, her foot slipped, and she lost her grip on the bedsheet, falling.

She quickly covered her face, praying she wouldn't land on it.

The expected pain didn't come, and Aurora found herself landing softly in someone's arms.

She opened her eyes and saw a face close to hers. "Holy cow! He's so handsome!"

She had met many men in her life, but this one was something else!

Heath had stepped outside for a smoke and a breath of fresh air, wandering around the back of the villa. Suddenly, he heard a window open and saw a bedsheet thrown out, followed by a girl in a black evening gown, climbing out and muttering to herself.

He saw her barefoot, stepping on an unsupported part of the wall, about to fall, and reached out to catch her.

The girl was slightly chubby, but soft in his arms, a pleasant sensation. He watched her cover her face, then slowly peek through her fingers, seemingly relieved she hadn't fallen, exhaling cutely.

Heath looked at her amusedly, asking, "Miss, how long do you plan to stay in my arms?"

Aurora scrambled down, stepping on a stone because she wasn't wearing shoes. She cried out in pain and fell forward, knocking Heath to the ground.

Heath Fairbank: "..."

Aurora clumsily got up, apologizing, "I'm so sorry! I'm too heavy, did I hurt you? I'm sorry! I didn't mean to! I stepped on a stone... because my shoes are missing."

Heath asked, "Should I call security? After all, you did climb out of a window."

"No, no! I'm part of the Pendleton family. I only did this because I was locked in!" Aurora hurriedly explained.

Heath looked at her frantic explanation, noticing she didn't dare look up at him, and said, "I saved you, and you're going to talk to me with your head down the whole time?"

Aurora looked up, her hair a mess, her face flushed from anxiety, and asked, "Thank you for not letting me fall. May I know your name?"

Recognizing her face, he realized she was the girl who had used his car window as a mirror that day.

Heath smiled, amused by the coincidence.

"Heath Fairbank," he replied.

"Thank you, Mr. Fairbank. I'm Aurora Pendleton, the third child of the Pendleton family," she said.

Heath noticed that there was no surprise in her eyes at his surname, as if she had never heard of the Fairbank family. She simply introduced herself formally.

He repeated, somewhat playfully, "Miss Pendleton? Aurora Pendleton."