Chapter 2

Aurora POV

From then on, he personally took care of my every need, meticulously.

He insisted on coming home every weekend to help me with homework, explain complex math problems, and gently pat my back to soothe me when I cried.

Even after high school, Mark, who was supposed to study abroad according to the Ford family's arrangements, stubbornly stayed, attending a local university.

I once asked Mark why he didn't go abroad.

Mark poked my nose and said, "I was afraid you'd be home alone and hide away crying again."

It's fair to say I was raised by Mark. I was the princess he held in the palm of his hand.

My walk-in closet was filled with designer brands' latest seasonal collections, limited-edition bags, and jewelry worth millions.

On my eighteenth birthday, Mark allowed me to drink alcohol.

Drunk, I clung to Mark and wouldn't let go.

After Mark carried me back to my bedroom, he picked up a stack of my sketches from my desk and looked at them.

My drunkenness instantly faded. I rushed over and snatched the drawings away. "Don't get the wrong idea, I just drew them for fun."

I thought Mark would despise me, after all, it was morally wrong.

But to my surprise, Mark pinned me between his arms, a slight smirk on his lips, and looked at me gently. "You like me that much?"

In my panic, I forgot to answer, just staring blankly at him, my innocent eyes blinking.

Moments later, a flood of kisses descended upon me.

And then we were together.

Mark had been my uncle for eleven years, and finally, on my eighteenth birthday, he became my boyfriend.

But no one in the Ford family knew about it.

We often spent the nights together, returning to our own rooms before everyone else woke up in the morning.

This secret relationship lasted for three years.

During those three years, Mark's affection for me grew even stronger. Gifting jewelry and designer bags was just routine for him, and he also bought plenty of limited-edition sports cars, yachts, and villas.

No one in all of New York dared to look down on me anymore.

Mark said that once he inherited the family business and fully took over the company, he would help me become independent from the Ford family, change my name, and then publicly announce our relationship.

I believed him implicitly.

In my twenty-one years of life, Mark was everything to me.

The conversation in the study continued.

One friend scoffed, "Even the easiest woman to please can be stubborn when it comes to love. If she makes a fuss, it'll be a mess. Aurora has been in love with you for so many years, you'd better be careful."

Another asked, "You haven't actually fallen for her, have you? Everyone in New York knows how much you spoil your little niece."

My heart lurched violently, and I placed all my hope on Mark's next words.

However, my hope was quickly extinguished by him.

"How could I? Fiona wasn't here, and I was bored. Just messing around with a young girl."

I didn't hear anything else they said afterward; that one sentence filled my mind.

My body swayed, and I almost collapsed.

I had originally wanted to tell Mark that my biological parents had found me yesterday.

It was a family even more prominent than the Fords.

Once I returned to my biological parents, I would no longer be his niece.

His father wouldn't be able to look down on my background anymore.

We would have no more obstacles.

We could be together openly.

But I never expected that I was merely a distraction for him when the person he loved wasn't around.

Mark, you truly played me for a fool.

Now, it seemed there was no need to tell him this news.

After a moment to compose myself, I silently left the study.

Wiping my tears, I called my biological father.

"Dad, I'll come home to the Sterling family. I'm ready to leave immediately."

"That's wonderful, Aurora!" My dad was ecstatic. "I'll start your paperwork right away. A private jet will pick you up in two weeks!"