When She Walked Away He Fell Apart (Aurelia and Cassian) novel Chapter 367

Chapter 367

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“After that, you probably guessed it. Right before Uncle Benedict passed away, he used the family fortune to force Herbert to marry me. Herbert came to me, and we made a deal in private. The contract said our marriage would only last three years,” Mia said.

“For those three years, neither of us could tell anyone we were married. Otherwise, we’d have to pay the other party 15 million dollars. You know I don’t have that kind of money, so I kept my mouth shut, even from you. If we broke the contract. early, the penalty would be 100 million dollars,” Mia went on.

“Then, just as the three years were almost up, Herbert’s grandma fell sick. She’s the only person in this world who ever treated me kindly, besides you and your mom. For her sake, we extended the contract for another three years, and the penalty also shot up to 150 million dollars,” Mia added.

At this point, Mia let out a deep sigh. “It’s almost up now. I’m finally seeing the light at the end of the tunnel.” These days. she’s literally counting the days on her fingers. ‘No kidding, it’s actually giving me hope for once!‘ she thought to herself.

“If you’re unwilling to continue, I’ll get a lawyer to talk to Herbert,” Aurelia said, worried that Mia was suffering in silence.

But Mia shook her head. “I’ve already survived five years. One more month won’t kill me. Besides, I owe him; he saved my life back then, so I can endure it.”

When her uncle kidnapped her to that creepy old guy’s bed, Herbert stormed in and pulled her out of that nightmare. She would never forget that favor. So no matter how overboard Herbert got, Mia never complained. She took it as paying back what she owed him.

Aurelia respected Mia’s choice, of course. But Mia had one more thing to share with her. She grabbed Aurelia’s hand and placed it on her still–flat belly, grinning from ear to ear. “You’re going to be a godmother.”

Aurelia’s eyes went wide in shock, and she was speechless for a long while. Just as Aurelia was about to say something, Mia shushed her. “That jerk Herbert still has no clue, and I’m not planning to tell him.”

The timing for this child really couldn’t be worse, but Mia still wanted to keep it. It wasn’t for Herbert, but for herself. She had been alone for years, with no family members.

“So, your contract with Herbert has about a month to go, right?” Aurelia asked.

Mia nodded. Aurelia did a quick calculation before saying, “During this period, try to avoid him as much as you can; don’t let him get suspicious. I’ll have Kyler help you find a place in Marvonia where you can lay low and take care of yourself and the baby.

“As soon as the divorce is finalized, you can move there, stay out of Herbert’s sight, and focus on your pregnancy in peace,”

“Alright, I’ll do whatever you say,” Mia replied. She then settled down at Aurelia’s place, finally feeling at case.

Of course, they kept her pregnancy a secret. No way they wanted any more drama before Mia and Herbert were officially divorced.

Jessica stayed in Ashmont for a week, and on the night before she left, Aurelia took her out to dinner at Blue Bridge, Jessica felt a little out of place in such a fancy restaurant, at the same time a bit awkward.

After all, whenever she came to Ashmont, it was either in a club or on her way to one. It was her first time in such an elegant place, and she felt like she was a whole new person

“Why isn’t Mia joining us today?” Jessica asked. Jessica and Mia had clicked instantly, and she couldn’t help but miss her

presence.

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4:07 pm WM

Chapter 367

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“She was supposed to come, but she had a doctor’s appointment and couldn’t make it,” Aurelia explained. Of course, it wasn’t just a regular check–up; it was a prenatal appointment.

“That’s fine, we can get together next time,” Jessica said, true to her easygoing nature, and didn’t ask further. After they finished eating, Jessica hesitated for a moment before finally telling Aurelia something.

“I bumped into Mr. Locke at a dinner a couple of days ago,” Jessica said.

Aurelia paused while pouring her coffee, then said lightly, “Really? Small world, huh?”

“You two…” Jessica started.

Knowing what Jessica wanted to ask, Aurelia jumped in before Jessica could finish. “It’s been years since I last saw him.” Her words made it obvious that there was nothing left between them.

Jessica smiled awkwardly and sighed. “Life really is like a drama sometimes. Back then, Mr. Locke was always looking out for you, and I honestly thought you two would end up together,” she said.

Aurelia let out a self–deprecating laugh and said, “Jessica, you might have mistaken. If he didn’t make things hard for me, that would already be a blessing. Looking out for me? That’s wishful thinking.”

Back then, he had done everything he could to protect Tessa, even if it meant stealing resources and connections right out from under her. Aurelia would never forget who gave her a helping hand and who tried to knock her down.

Jessica quickly added, “I don’t know about other things, but if Mr. Locke hadn’t backed you up back then, I probably wouldn’t have invested in you.”

This time, Aurelia was the one left speechless. ‘Cassian… backed me up?‘ Aurelia thought, her mind reeling. ‘How did I not know about this?‘ she wondered, baffled.

Jessica looked a little guilty. “Don’t blame me for being pragmatic, but back then, hardly anyone would’ve risked that much money on you. That’s why I turned you down when you came to see me in Southvale.”

Aurelia remembered that all too well. She really wasn’t ready at the time. She was just desperate for an investor, so she rushed off to Southvale to see Jessica, who then turned her down.

She felt pretty lost, thinking the port project would be dead in the water. But the following day, just as she was about to head back to Ashmont, Jessica popped up at her hotel and said she had spent the whole night thinking it over and finally decided to invest in her project.

That money had saved Aurelia when she needed it most. In the end, it helped her clinch the port renovation deal. So she had always been grateful to Jessica for that. But now, Jessica told her that Cassian was the one who put up the guarantee for that money.

“Cassian came to me and said he’d be your guarantor. He promised that if the project flopped or the investment failed, he’d cover my losses by double. He even signed a contract with me to ease my worry,” Jessica explained.

To prove it, Jessica had her secretary send over the contract she had signed with Cassian back then. When Aurelia saw the contract, she felt completely thrown off. She couldn’t even put her feelings into words right at that moment.

Everything she thought she knew had been flipped upside down, one thing after another. It hit her that she understood Cassian even less than she thought. Or maybe she had never really known Cassian at all.

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