Trapped in a Secret Marriage with a Dangerous Billionaire - Chapter 168

Chapter 168: The Fight is Far from Over

The Scott Family’s Main Residence.

Owen lounged on the couch in one of the guestrooms he took over, flipping through his phone when it buzzed with an incoming call. The name of his friend, Paul, flashed on the screen.

“Paul, what’s up?” Owen greeted.

“Dude, have you seen Tea Time Gossip today?” Paul’s voice sounded both amused and incredulous.

“No,” Owen replied flatly, not in the mood for his friend’s usual nonsense.

“Well, you better sit down for this. Your ex, Aurora, is Mrs. Scott—your uncle, Xander’s wife. It’s all over the blog! I bet you didn’t know this otherwise, you would have informed us a long time ago.”

Owen froze, his breath catching. “What are you talking about? Aurora? My Aurora?”

“Yes, your Aurora! The one you dumped over a text message, got together with her younger sister and laughed about with us. She’s married to your uncle, bro!”

Owen felt like the ground beneath him had shifted. Memories of Aurora, their past, and that masquerade ball where he had unknowingly addressed her as ‘Aunt’ came flooding back. How had he not put it together?

“We will speak about this later,” Owen muttered, cutting the call abruptly.

His mind spiralled into chaos. How could his uncle have married Aurora, knowing their history?

Did Xander even care about the family dynamics or the whispers this would spark? As for Aurora, he wondered if she had married his uncle just to get revenge on him.

Owen was greatly disturbed as he pictured Aurora laughing behind her mask at the masquerade ball when he respectfully addressed her as Aunt.

“Fuck!” He cursed through his teeth as he punched the couch. Aurora has definitely made him a laughingstock.

—

In the sitting room downstairs, Patricia and Richard sat on the couch, watching the morning news. The recap of the state dinner was on, showing clips of prominent guests. When the camera panned to Xander with Aurora on his arm, Patricia gasped audibly.

“That’s Aurora!” she exclaimed, gripping Richard’s arm.

Richard frowned deeply. “It seems so.”

Patricia shook her head in disbelief. “But the woman our son met as Xander’s wife at the masquerade ball was different. She wasn’t Aurora otherwise he would have told us so.”

“She must have worn a mask,” Richard said, his tone calm but thoughtful.

“Did Xander know she was Owen’s ex-girlfriend before marrying her?” Patricia asked, her voice laced with disappointment.

Richard nodded slowly. “Xander is too meticulous not to have known. He does nothing without thorough knowledge.”

Patricia let out a frustrated sigh. “Did he not think about how this would look to everyone? The complications? And he didn’t even tell the family!”

Richard leaned back in his chair. “Xander’s affairs are his own. Let’s not meddle.”

Patricia could only puff out another sigh and relax her back against the couch, still reeling from the shocking reality.

—

Vintage Cellar.

At Vintage Cellar, Aurora entered the building with her usual grace, but she couldn’t ignore the way heads turned or how staff whispered among themselves. The respectful greetings felt more charged than usual.

She smiled inwardly, knowing the reason—her marriage to Xander was no longer a secret and was out in the open for everyone to see and acknowledge.

Once in her COO office, Aurora settled behind her desk. Lilian walked in moments later, carrying an agenda.

“Ma’am,” Nene began, “The chairwoman hasn’t clocked in yet.”

Aurora frowned, wondering if something had happened at her end as she always arrived at work on time. “Call her directly.”

Lilian nodded, dialling the number with the landline and handing the phone to Aurora.

“Good morning, Aunt, is everything alright?” Aurora asked.

“I’m on my way,” Stephanie replied, her voice calm. “But I thought I’d let you know—your stepmother, Stella, suffered a mild heart attack early this morning. It’s already in the gossip blogs.”

Aurora blinked, surprised. “What caused it?” she asked, though she simply didn’t care if Stella died. Her death wouldn’t even move her an inch or to tears.

Stephanie chuckled lightly. “Your interview with Vogue. It seems your success sent her straight to the hospital,” she revealed and went on to talk about the details.

“I see…” Aurora smiled to herself, happy to know that her success affected Stella to such great lengths. “What’s the update on Princess Victoria’s visit?”

“She will arrive at 1 PM,” Stephanie confirmed.

“I’ll see you before then,” Aurora said, ending the call.

—

The Scott Family’s Main Residence.

Olivia was in her bedroom, still trying to process the shock of her enemy, Aurora, being Mrs. Scott when her phone buzzed.

A new email from yet another media outlet requesting an exclusive interview about her recent nightclub scandal and her marriage with Owen. She groaned, closing the message. This wasn’t what she needed now.

Also, this wasn’t the first time a media outlet was reaching out for an exclusive interview regarding her marriage with Owen. In fact, they became persistent from the incident at the nightclub which led to her miscarriage.

Olivia’s mind swirled with different troubles and as she was trying to get over them, her phone rang again, this time displaying ‘Mum’. Olivia’s chest tightened. She ignored the call. Her phone rang a few times but she refused to take the call thanks to her guilt.

A few seconds later, a text came in.

“Didn’t you say you visited Mrs. Scott? How come you didn’t know she was your sister? I was rushed to the hospital because of the shock. Didn’t you see the tabloids? Call me immediately.”

Before Olivia could respond, Owen barged into the room. His face was a mask of fury.

“You knew, didn’t you?” he demanded. “You knew Aurora was my uncle’s wife all along, and you hid it from me!”

Olivia stared at him, wide-eyed. First came shock and then indifference. Even if his accusations were wrong, she didn’t even care enough to correct him. He could bark at her face all day and she wouldn’t even utter a word.

“Don’t lie to me!” Owen interrupted, his voice booming. “You’re just as deceitful as ever. I regret leaving Aurora for you. You manipulated me with your fake charms. You got your boobs and your bum done and used that to seduce me. Cheap bitch!”

Olivia’s eyes blazed with anger, but she stayed silent, her lips pressed tightly together. She felt that Owen had wronged her so much and should be on his knees begging her right now but instead, he had the guts to call her a ‘cheap bitch’.

‘Seems like I haven’t taught you enough life lessons. Owen, mark my words, this fight is far from over!’ Olivia promised in her heart.

“If you don’t agree to the divorce, I promise to make your life a living hell,” Owen spat before storming out and slamming the door behind him.

Left alone, Olivia clenched her fists. “You will regret those words you just said to me, Owen. I will ruin you first and then gloat in your face, reminding you that I had told you so.”

Determined, Olivia picked up her phone and scanned through the list of media outlets that had contacted her. She finally replied to one, expressing her interest in an interview and requesting a quick arrangement.

Although Olivia currently had two big matters to deal with, she felt that facing Owen was more important than anything besides, how could she face off against Aurora when she had Xander backing her?

It’s not like she was stupid. At least she could make small trouble here and there for Aurora instead of making a huge fuss that could even endanger herself. So, Olivia chose to channel most of her energy on Owen first.

He was the one who deserved to be taught a life lesson for ruining her life.

—

Vintage Cellar.

By early afternoon, Princess Victoria arrived at Vintage Cellar with her entourage. Aurora and Stephanie greeted her warmly at the entrance.

“Your Highness, welcome,” Aurora said with a polite smile, extending her hand.

“Thank you,” the Princess replied, her own smile reserved.

Stephanie led the initial tour, sharing insights about the company. Victoria maintained a pleasant demeanour, her eyes flitting between the displays and Aurora.

When they reached the winery, Stephanie passed the reins to Aurora. Taking the lead, Aurora spoke confidently about the winemaking process and highlighted an upcoming product launch.

“Your knowledge is impressive,” Victoria remarked.

“We take pride in what we do,” Aurora replied smoothly.

As the tour wound down, the Princess sampled various wines, her interest piqued by the quality and craftsmanship.

Before departing, Victoria requested a private moment with Aurora. “Thank you for the tour,” she said, her tone friendly but probing. “I’d love to visit Xander’s residence before I leave Wing City.”

Aurora’s smile didn’t falter. “I will pass on your message.”

Victoria nodded, her eyes glinting with intrigue. “Of course.”

As the Princess’s car drove away, Aurora and Stephanie exchanged glances.

“Interesting woman,” Stephanie mused. Aurora nodded faintly, her thoughts guarded.