Marry Ex's Billionaire Uncle After Divorce (Aurora and Jasper) novel Chapter 61

Chapter 42: Lover

(Aurora’s POV)

I didn’t own much. Even after purging the memories, I only had two suitcases and two cardboard boxes left.

Phineas glanced at the pile on the curb. He gestured to his driver with a flick of his wrist.

“Put the boxes in the trunk.”

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The driver moved instantly, hoisting the heavy cartons into the back of the Bentley Mulsanne. Phineas then reached for the handles of my two large suitcases.

“I can get those,” I said, stepping forward. “They’re heavy.”

Phineas sidestepped me effortlessly. His grip on the handles didn’t waver.

“I don’t let ladies carry heavy loads in my presence,” he said, his voice cool and final. “It’s basic etiquette. Get in the car.”

We took the elevator up from the garage to the lobby level to transfer lifts. As the doors slid open, Mrs. Gable from across the hall was just stepping out with her recycling bin.

She froze. “Aurora? Moving out already?”

“Just a change of scenery,” I said, keeping my smile polite.

Mrs. Gable’s eyes darted to Phineas. Her curiosity was palpable, her gaze hungry for gossip. She opened her mouth, likely to ask if this tall, devastatingly handsome man was the reason for my sudden departure.

Then Phineas looked at her.

It wasn’t a glare. It was a flat, indifferent stare, like a predator assessing whether an obstacle was worth destroying. The temperature in the hallway seemed to drop ten degrees.

Mrs. Gable paled. She audibly swallowed her question, clutched her recycling bin, and scurried back toward her door. “Safe travels, dear.”

The elevator doors closed, sealing us in. I suppressed a laugh. Jasper had never been able to shut Mrs. Gable up.

“Effective,” I murmured.

Phineas didn’t respond, but the tension in the small space felt surprisingly comfortable.

Chapter 42. Lover

In the car, I pulled out my phone. I needed to handle Olivia before she sent a search party.

*Me: I moved out. Jasper is insane.*

*Olivia: THAT BASTARD. Did he hurt you? Where are you going?*

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*Me: I’m safe. Director Harrison helped me find a secure apartment. It’s corporate housing.*

It was a lie, but a necessary one. Olivia knew Director Harrison was a family man and a

stickler for rules.

*Olivia: Thank God for Harrison. If you need money or a lawyer, I’m here. Don’t let that trash family bully you.*

I lowered the phone, a lump forming in my throat. In a world full of transactional relationships, Olivia was the only constant.

The Bentley pulled into the underground garage of the Everett Zenith. We took the private elevator directly into the apartment.

When the doors opened, I stepped into a space that was larger than my entire childhood home. Floor–to–ceiling windows overlooked the Los Angeles skyline. The furniture was sleek, Italian, and expensive.

The driver deposited my bags and vanished. The silence that followed was heavy.

I turned to face Phineas. He stood near the kitchen island, looking out of place in his dark suit against the bright marble.

“Mr. Everett,” I started, keeping my voice steady. “I need to be clear.”

He turned, raising an eyebrow.

“I am in the middle of a divorce lawsuit,” I said. “Technically, I am still married. I have no intention of becoming a ‘kept woman‘ or a secret lover. If that is the expectation behind this low rent, I can’t stay here.”

Phineas looked at me. There was no offense in his grey eyes, only a calm detachment.

“I have no interest in destroying families,” he said smoothly. “And I certainly don’t have a fetish for sleeping with my subordinates.”

I blinked. “Then why?”

“You are Professor Walsh’s student,” he replied. “And you saved me from a sartorial disaster with that tie. Consider this a professional courtesy. Nothing more.”

Chapter 42: Lover

It was logical. Cold, transactional, and safe.

“Thank you,” I said. “I will do my best to repay the favor, within moral boundaries.”

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Phineas let out a short, dry laugh. “Aurora, look around you. What could you possibly offer

that I need?”

His arrogance was suffocating, but it was also reassuring. He didn’t want me. He just pitied

1. me.

“Call it a rich man’s excess sympathy,” he said, checking his watch. “Take your time unpacking.”

He turned and walked out the door without looking back.

As soon as he was gone, the electronic lock beeped, signaling it was secured.

I went straight to the control panel. I deleted the factory settings and programmed a new passcode. Then I added my fingerprint.

Only then did I exhale.

I walked into the master bedroom and collapsed onto the massive bed. It felt like a dream. But for the first time in three years, I was out of Jasper’s reach.

(Author’s POV)

Across the city, Jasper’s phone buzzed.

“We did it,” Sienna’s voice came through the speaker, trembling with excitement. “Mom and I just left the estate.”

Jasper sat up straighter in his office chair. “And?”

“Matriarch Eleanor likes me,” Sienna said. “I used the connections you gave me to get the rare tea she likes. She actually smiled, Jasper. She invited us back next week.”

Jasper let out a breath he didn’t know he was holding. The sting of being evicted by Aurora and the recent losses in the stock market faded instantly.

“That’s incredible,” he said. “If Eleanor approves, the rest of the family will fall in line.”

“Here is Mother,” Sienna said.

Victoria’s voice replaced Sienna’s, sharp and commanding. “It went better than expected. But we must be careful. We can’t look desperate.”

Chapter 42: Lover

“I understand,” Jasper said.

“Now, about your wife,” Victoria said, her tone turning icy. “You need to cut her off. Completely.”

Jasper frowned. “I already kicked her out of the-”

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