Trapped in a Secret Marriage with a Dangerous Billionaire - Chapter 225

Chapter 225: A Mysterious Case

~One Month Later~

It’s been a month since Aurora’s spectacular Citrus Fruit Punch Champagne launch, which has surprisingly still been the talk of town.

Its sparkling goodness and citrus flavour seem to be a new taste, well suited to a majority of palates.

But while the hype about Aurora’s brand keeps growing daily, all thanks to a massive loyal fan of supporters, including the socialites, it’s also been, unfortunately, a month since Stella went missing.

Unexpectedly, she vanished without a trace on the same day the police got the arrest warrant and travelled to the Swift Family’s Residence to arrest her.

It’s also shocking to note how possible it was for someone to disappear without a trace after going into a spa despite being on the watch of three different teams.

People from Xander’s, Stephanie’s, and the Police have been keeping an eye on Stella, yet she managed to disappear right under their noses.

Since then, none of them have been able to give the sudden turn of events a break. They refused to give up and have been working separately to find answers as disappointment and regrets gnawed at them.

—

Xander’s Residence.

It’s Friday. After a hard day of work at the office, Xander returned home and went straight to his study to continue some of his private business after learning that Aurora was taking a nap.

As Xander sat behind his desk, he opened his laptop and had just opened a document when the ringing sound from his phone caught his attention.

Viewing the name on the screen, he slid his finger across the screen to take the call.

“Hey, Asher!” Xander greeted, placing the phone on his left ear as a sigh escaped his lips. His voice was dull, pointing at his lack of contentment due to the serious case he had at hand.

“You sound like you’ve been run over by a truck. No news yet?” Asher inquired with a tinge of curiosity missed with concern in his tone.

“Nothing yet,” Xander replied, leaning against his leather seat, his gaze falling on the shelf of books. “Liam has been working on it. I believe he would have some answers when he returns this evening.”

There was a two-second silence before Asher replied, “I am around your area and should drop by in ten minutes. We can go through whatever Liam brings and join heads to make some deductions.”

Xander had no contrary objectives. He appreciated his best friend’s help and looked forward to their meeting.

Xander terminated the call and put his phone down. He glanced at his laptop and tugged at his tie. He was completely unable to focus and get back to work.

In the end, he got up, picked up his phone and left his study for the bedroom. Surprisingly, Aurora was awake when he walked in.

“Hey!” Aurora greeted with a tired smile, holding a cup of tea in her hands as her gaze followed him to the bedside.

“Hey!” Xander smiled back at her as he felt suddenly relieved from his tensed muscles. Seeing his wife was enough to make him forget his worries.

“Did you just come back?” Aurora asked before sipping her mint tea while peeping from the small gap.

Xander shook his head, leaning in to kiss her forehead softly. “I came back a while ago and heard you were sleeping, so I decided to go to the study to work for a bit.”

“I know you didn’t want to disturb me, but I was in a very deep sleep and didn’t even know when Nene brought tea into the room.” Aurora’s eyes slit into crescent moons as she set her teacup down on the saucer next to her on the lampstand.

Contrary to Xander’s sour mood, Aurora didn’t seem the least bit worried about her stepmother’s disappearance now. However, she had been furious when she learned about it a month ago.

“It’s fine.” Xander leaned in to kiss her lips softly this time around before straightening his back. “How was your day?”

“Urrghh.” Aurora let out a groan, shutting her eyes briefly. “Exhausting. I felt my bones about to break after working nonstop all morning. I had to leave work thirty minutes before time.”

Xander caressed her left cheek with his thumb while smiling down at her. “It’s good to be a boss. Being in control of your schedule is one of the best feelings ever.”

“I guess you are right,” Aurora mentioned as she leaned into his palm, letting it cradle her cheek. They both stayed in that position for almost a minute long before Aurora broke the silence and leaned away.

“You should go take a shower,” she said to him, pushing a few strands of her hair behind her ears.

As soon as she said that, Xander remembered that Asher was on his way and hurriedly mentioned it to her.

“I think I will be running a little late,” Xander said, hinting at taking a while in the shower. He also needed some time in there to think to himself.

Aurora pushed the duvet off her body and got to her feet. “I will see what snacks the kitchen has, but first, let me pick something for you to wear from the closet.”

Although Xander felt Aurora should be resting after complaining about exhaustion, he couldn’t help smiling, knowing she wanted to help him.

As Xander took off his clothes in the walk-in closet and headed straight for the bathroom, Aurora dropped his dirty outfit in the laundry basket before going through his wardrobe to select something casual for the evening.

She arranged the clothes on the plush couch before leaving the room.

“Nene, what kind of snacks do we have here?” Aurora asked after almost bumping into her just as she exited the stairs and took a turn.

Nene quickly followed Aurora, matching her steps as she responded to her question, “We have cookies, fruit and vegetable salad, cake cutlets and fish fingers. Are you hungry?”

“No, I wasn’t. But now, I am.” Aurora said, leading the way into the kitchen.

Nene smiled, shaking her head, as the chefs and servants in the kitchen stopped for a moment to acknowledge their presence before continuing with their work.

“Would you like some fish fingers with mayonnaise and ketchup sauce?” Nene asked, peeping at Aurora, whose gaze wandered around the kitchen, looking for something she had no idea about.

“Yes,” Aurora consented. “And I would love some hot chicken wings before I finish the fish fingers,” she added and turned to Nene just to make sure she understood.

On the other hand, while Aurora insisted on sitting on the kitchen island and waiting for her snacks, despite how busy it was, Nene made sure to attend to her order.

“Asher will be coming over and might stay for dinner. Make something sumptuous,” Aurora said to the chef as if the meals they prepared hadn’t always been sumptuous.

But she did know the reason she had to make the reminder. She wanted to properly serve her husband’s best friend and make him comfortable.

Who knows what nudged this extra soft spot in her today?

Nene microwaved some of the fish fingers while one of the chefs quickly made the dipping sauce. Two minutes later, they were served in front of Aurora.

“Ma’am, are you sure you don’t want to eat in the dining room?” Nene inquired calmly before glancing around and moving her gaze back to her. She was worried for her comfort, but it seemed like Aurora was very well settled in.

“Don’t worry about me. I can deal with the noise. It’s more lively here,” Aurora said, meeting her gaze. “And I will leave after my hot chicken wings are ready.”

At her insistence, Nene had no choice but to leave her side for a moment after serving her a glass of chilled pineapple juice.

Worried for her mistress, Nene hurried one of the chefs up with the hot wings, and a few minutes later, it was ready, just as Asher arrived. And since Xander was still upstairs, Aurora left with her snacks to keep Asher company.

Two minutes later, Aurora pushed the plate of snacks in front of her a bit. “Asher, these fish fingers are delicious. Please join me while they bring yours. You can try the hot wings as well.”

The way Aurora stared at Asher surprised him, aside from the fact that she had just invited him to eat from the same plate. That doesn’t seem normal.

Was she really okay with that?

Still, he smiled and lifted his palms, trying to make an excuse about his dirty hands. Just then, a servant walked in with a bowl of water and stopped in front of him.

“Okay, thank you.” He chuckled awkwardly and went on to wash his hands and dry them with a clean towel before moving to the end of the long couch he was sitting on.

Then, without wasting a second, he picked one of the fish fingers and took a big bite. As soon as the flavours hit, surprise-filled his eyes. “Umm… This is good.”

“I told you.” Aurora smiled before pointing at the dipping sauce. “Try it with the sauce.”