Trapped in a Secret Marriage with a Dangerous Billionaire - Chapter 42

Chapter 42: Shifting the Narrative

Aurora joined Xander for a candlelight in the dining room after he had finished freshening up.

She didn’t think he would continue with his pampering after she got a little under his skin an hour ago.

“You know,” Aurora said to Xander while gesturing with her fork, “If you continue to treat me this way, I don’t think you would be giving me any reasons to be mad at you. And let’s hope you stay on your best behaviour longer than expected.”

Xander raised his wine glass to her. “Believe me, Princess, I would hate to offend you.” She was a handful and dealing with her would require you to pull on your tendons first before making progress. That was a hard one.

But something Xander did not understand was why Aurora chose to take the other end of the table if she was impressed by his efforts.

“Why did you choose to sit over there?” he inquired, forking a piece of steak into his mouth.

Aurora replied and proceeded to cut a piece of the meat with her cutlery, “I only feel like lowering my gaze to my food and lifting my head to you. I don’t want to snap my gaze to the side and sitting right next to you will cause that.”

Before Xander could process her ridiculous excuses, she asked, “At my champagne launch last night, the lights came back on and the fire alarm ceased within fifteen seconds after hell broke loose. That has something to do with you, right?”

“Right,” Xander admitted but unfortunately, that wasn’t the end of the interrogation. Aurora was just getting started.

“What did you do to the person who tried to ruin my night?” she asked without meeting his gaze. She seemed to be more interested in her delicious steak and proceeded to eat it fervently. “In fact, forget I asked. I don’t want to know what happened.”

Xander exhaled deeply as soon as he heard the second part of her statement. He had been worried about what kind of response to give to her that would make her less mad. Thankfully, she changed her mind.

A minute later, Aurora threw another question. “Xander, how did my sister know you were married? I was really shocked when she congratulated you about it.”

“Believe me, I was surprised as well.” Xander gulped some water and set his glass down. “Owen must have told her. He was at the old house when I revealed it to my parents.”

“What about Abby and Asher? Do you know the story behind their animosity?” Aurora inquired. “They wouldn’t even say ‘hello’ to each other last night.”

Xander suddenly dropped his cutlery and palmed his face. When he uncovered it, he met with Aurora’s curious gaze.

“Baby, I think you are very curious tonight. And no, I don’t know anything about them. I am not interested in their story.”

He was worried about her piqued curiosity as he had no idea of what other crazy question she had next. And as if his fears heard him clearly, they came running.

“What’s your relationship with Major Walker?” Aurora asked, pinning her gaze on him.

Gauging from her reactions, Xander felt that she had deliberately started with lighter questions just for this particular moment.

He couldn’t believe that woman tried to trick him.

“I think I’m done with dinner,” Xander said, standing up and pushing his chair with the back of his legs.

Seeing that he was running away, Aurora drank the last of her water, grabbed an apple from the fruit bow and quickly followed after him.

“I promise, this is my last question tonight.”

Xander raised a brow. “Does that mean you will continue in the morning?”

“Not necessarily,” she answered, following him up the stairs. When they walked into their bedroom and shut the door, she grabbed his arm, forcing him to look her way and stop in his steps.

“General Walker is the commandant of our special squad. Are you satisfied now?” he asked and then proceeded to get into bed. “Also, I will be going away soon to enjoy the sea view for a month.

Aurora quickly rushed to the side of her bed and got in under the covers. “You are going on a secret mission, right?”

“Sweetheart, what happened to ‘I promise, this is my last question’ you just said?” Xander asked, completely baffled by her curious nature.

He just noticed that she loved to ask a load of questions she especially didn’t need to concern herself with.

Aurora shook her head. “I’m sorry I forgot to add that I-I D-Don’t usually keep my promises.”

“I see,” Xander nodded solemnly. “You only give promises to get what you want. You are not trustworthy.”

“So, tell me, what task were you given? Where is the location? When do you—?”

Xander immediately captured her mouth with his, kissing her fiercely and refusing to let go until she was out of breath and tapping his arms. Only then did he release her and turn off the lights.

What a successful way to shut her up.

“Goodnight, my love,” he said and didn’t even bother when Aurora didn’t respond. The poor woman must still be in shock by his actions.

~***~

Today has to be one of the most horrible days Aurora had to wake up to. Her champagne launch had kept her trending for all the right reasons, but Thursday morning’s Tea Time gossip bombshell flipped the script, casting her in a less flattering light.

“BOMBSHELL ALERT!

In the escalating power struggle between half-sisters Aurora and Olivia Swift, it seems Aurora has seized the upper hand. Her meticulously planned launch event and strategic guest list have left industry insiders buzzing.

But whispers of a scandalous romance threaten to upend her momentum. Sources close to Tea Time reveal Aurora’s involvement with Alexander Scott, her ex-boyfriend’s wealthy and influential uncle. The catch? Xander’s marital status.

At the launch, Olivia’s congratulatory words were met with a shocking revelation: Xander’s secret wedding. The question on everyone’s lips: what’s the true nature of Aurora and Xander’s relationship?

As the drama unfolds, we can’t help but wonder: will this potentially explosive scandal overshadow Aurora’s savvy business moves? Stay tuned for more updates!”

~Tea Time.