"Miss Aurora, did you hear me? It's me, Alvin Russel. I apologize for calling you out of the blue. I was concerned because I thought I saw someone resembling you at the hospital."
Aurora expressed her frustration internally without responding to Alvin.
"Hello, Hello, Miss Aurora? Are you still there?" Alvin asked once more, his voice filled with concern.
"Yes," Aurora replied, clearing her throat to compose herself. "Mr. Russel, I didn't go to the hospital. You must have seen the wrong person." She tightened her grip on the phone.
"That's good to hear..." Alvin sounds relieved.
"Did you call me just for that?" Aurora asked.
"Of course not. Well, I wanted to share my phone number with you. From now on, I will contact you directly instead of going through Aunty Tina. I hope you don't mind, Miss Aurora?"
"Yes, of course, Mr. Russ..." Aurora began. Still, before she could complete her sentence, she hurriedly ended the call after faintly hearing Alex's voice on the other end. Her heart raced.
***
At Graystone Family Cemetery.
Aurora's family and friends left the cemetery one by one, but Alex remained, his gaze fixed on Aurora's grave. His expression conveyed emptiness, a frozen heart, and a chaotic mind.
Alex had never felt so lost or experienced such pain and distress like now.
Everything felt so foreign to him.
After a minute passed, he finally managed to speak. "Rory, rest in love…" His voice trembled, and his heart ached. "I will head home now, but I promise to return and visit you."
A forced smile slipped from his lips as he began to leave the cemetery. He could see that the rain was about to fall again, and the sky appeared gloomy, just like his heart.
Suddenly, thunder roared above him, causing him to stop in his tracks. He turned back to look at the grave behind him, his eyes blurry.
"Rory, are you upset with me for leaving?" he asked. Yet later, he was surprised at himself for asking such a question. How could he even consider asking that?
Another loud clap of thunder, close by, sent a chill through his veins.
He froze, thinking God had answered him.
Instantly, he turned back to gaze at Aurora's grave.
"Rory, are you here?" He scanned the area, hoping to find any sign of her presence, but everything seemed normal.
He smiled foolishly before continuing, "I promise I will come. Or you can visit me in my dreams. I need to apologize to you directly."
After giving her grave one final smile, he continued walking down the hill toward the parking lot.
In the distance, Alex saw Alvin standing by the car, talking on the phone with his back turned to him.
He casually strolled toward the car, but when he heard Alvin's words, he suddenly stopped.
"I hope you don't mind, Miss Aurora?"
"Alvin, you..." Alex called. When he heard Alvin say "Aurora," it felt as if something had poked at his heart.
'What on earth is happening here? Why is Alvin talking to her?' Alex thought, his mind swirling with confusion and excitement.
Alex still held onto a faint hope that the body they were burying today wasn't Aurora but someone else entirely.
Before he could continue to ask Alvin if he had misheard, he heard him speak again.
"Gosh! Miss Aurora hung up on me again just like that..."
Alex's heart raced. He didn't mishear; Alvin had talked to Aurora. His hand clenched tightly.
"Alvin, how could you talk to Rory?" His voice was cold as he confronted Alvin.
Alvin jumped in shock.
"M-Master, B-Boss, Sir..." he stuttered, still shocked and unaware of Alex's presence behind him—he hadn't heard him approach.
"Did you two hide something from me? Did she pretend to be dead?" Alex's intense gaze was fixed on Alvin. He wouldn't be angry with him as long as she was alive.
Alvin was utterly shocked by Alex's question. He understood how heartbroken Alex felt after Aurora's sudden death. Still, he couldn't believe Alex could think that way.
He shook his head vigorously before responding, "No, Sir. How could Miss Rory possibly fake her death? That's simply impossible."
Alex's heart sank at Alvin's words. His faint hope shattered immediately.
"You say no, but why do I hear you talking to her? I hear you calling the person you're speaking to by a certain name. And that name is Aurora. So, what do you have to say about it?" Alex asked.
Alvin smiled when he realized there had been a misunderstanding. "Sir, I was speaking with your wife..."
"Wife? You mean Mr. Spencer's daughter..." Alex suddenly paused, a thought crossing his mind. "Don't tell me her name is Aurora Spencer?"
A faint smile plays on Alvin's lips. He suspected that Alex had not yet read Aurora Spencer's profile.
"Yes, Sir. Your wife's name is Aurora Spencer..." Alvin smiled, observing his boss's shocked expression.
'How can that woman have the same name as Rory?' Alex found it hard to accept this coincidence.
Instantly, a flood of questions raced through his mind. He feels angry at himself for not checking the girl's profile earlier.
"Give me her profile right now!" Alex demanded sharply as he entered the car, not waiting for Alvin to respond.
Alvin hurried into the car. Once he settled into the driver's seat, he turned to face Alex and was startled to meet his intense gaze.
"Sir, I placed the file about Miss Aurora Spencer on your desk almost two weeks ago," Alvin stammered. "I thought you had already read it."
Alex's frown deepened, and his annoyed gaze intensified. "Alvin, what era is this? We are in the Internet era. Have you forgotten there's a thing called 'EMAIL'? Why the hell didn't you send it to my email?"
Alvin was left speechless. He stifled a laugh before answering, "Sir, perhaps you forgot. You asked me not to email you any information about your seventh wife."
He paused as Alex's eyes widened slightly, clearly showing his shock.
"You mentioned that you feared Miss Rory would find out. Sir, you also said that she might become angry with you if she knew you had married again."
Instantly, Alex feels his heart tighten as memories flood back to him. He clenches his hands tightly, trying to control his breathing and think clearly.
A lot has happened since last night and throughout the afternoon.
Last night, he fought with his parents about the arranged marriage. Since dawn, he has been dealing with Aurora's sudden death, and now he realizes he has completely overlooked the identity of his new wife.
His mind and heart are utterly exhausted, but he knows he needs to return home quickly to check on Aurora Spencer's profile.
"Drive home faster!" Alex commanded coldly.