Mrs. Hill, though just a housekeeper, had always treated Aurora like her own daughter, knowing she grew up without a mother''s love. The news of Aurora''s departure had been heartbreaking, and when the tragedy struck, Mrs. Hill mourned for a long time.


    "Mrs. Hill, I''m doing fine. Don''t worry about me." Aurora gave her a warm embrace. "It''s just good to have you back," Mrs. Hill said, wiping the tears from the corners of her eyes. "Mr. Ba can finally get a decent night''s sleep and a proper meal."


    Aurora looked apologetically at Julian. Of everyone, he had probably suffered the most during this time.


    Justin and Mrs. Woolf stepped out of the car. Aurora turned to them and said, "Justin, Mrs. Woolf, the vi next door is currently vacant. You can stay there temporarily until you''ve sorted things out."


    The vi next door had been converted by Julian, with the ground floor functioning as a workspace and the upper floor avable for living. Justin, who wasn''t short on money, nned to settle in Clothville eventually and would buy his own ce. For now, he epted Aurora''s offer.


    "Aurora, do you live here?" Mrs. Woolf asked, noting the vi wasn''t particrlyrge and feeling it didn''t match Julian''s or Aurora''s status.


    "Yes, I love the ocean. When I bought this house, I was nning to live alone, so I didn''t choose arge one," Aurora exined. "Later, Julian moved in, and we got used to it."


    The Montgomery Manor, the Montgomery family''s grand vis, and even Julian''s own vi were all massive, but Aurora didn''t care for overly extravagant spaces. This cozy home, however, felt warm and inviting to her.


    "Come on, let''s head inside," she said.


    Oswaldo''s car arrived shortly after. It was his first time visiting Aurora''s house, and like everyone else, he reacted with surprise.


    "Child, you''re living in this little vi? Why don''t you move back? My house is empty anyway, and if it''s not to your liking, I''ll buy you a bigger one," Oswaldo offered.


    As her elder, and now that Aurora had returned, Oswaldo wanted to give her everything she deserved. Back when Ivy and Zachary were still around, they constantly demanded money and gifts from Magnus. But since their departure, Magnus found himself with far fewer financial burdens.


    Aurora, however, was nothing like Ivy and her family. She never asked for a penny and often bought thoughtful gifts for Magnus. Both Oswaldo and Magnus wanted to spoil her, even if it meant buying her a new vi right away.


    "Grandpa, this ce is more than big enough for Julian and me. We don''t need anythingrger. Besides, Julian''s previous vi was huge, and we didn''t even use half of it. There''s no need to waste money," Aurora said.


    Having endured hard times before, Aurora didn''t share the extravagant habits of those around her. While she spent freely on her daily needs, she had no tendency to waste.


    "Grandpa, you''ve reminded me! The baby will arrive in a few months, so we need to prepare the nursery. Little Bunny, should we move back to my vi then?" Julian asked. "We''ll see," Aurora replied with a hint of exasperation. Their current vi was over two hundred square meters-plenty for a family of three. Many families lived in far smaller spaces, sometimes with two or three kids, even grandparents, all crammed into a small apartment. But she knew she couldn''t measure Julian and the others by ordinary standards.


    "Come on in, everyone," Mrs. Hill said joyfully, ushering them inside.


    Asher held Aurora''s arm, careful not to let her trip or bump into anything. Denis and Daria, deciding the gathering was already crowded enough, had stayed behind with Nick and the others.


    After being quiet for so long, the vi was lively again. Though the décor was elegant, it wasn''t overly luxurious, exuding a warm, homey atmosphere.


    Oswaldo, leaning on his cane, inspected the space with a critical eye. The more he looked, the less satisfied he seemed. "How can you live in such a small house? Especially now that you''re pregnant. The yard is so tiny-how will you breathe fresh air? You should move to a vi with a proper garden."


    Aurora smiled, understanding his concern. "Grandpa, let Julian handle the arrangements. There''s no rush."


    "Aurora, do you like my previous vi? If not, I''ll buy a new one right away. Just tell me what you want," Julian chimed in, his tone serious.


    Aurora thought of Julian''s massive vi,plete with a pool where he''d once kept crocodiles. She shuddered slightly at the memory. "Julian, your vi is fine. Just clean out a room for the nursery. Oh, and I have one more request."


    "What is it?" Julian asked.


    "Get rid of the crocodiles. They scare me." She hadn''t forgotten how he''d once used them to intimidate her.


    Julian chuckled, recalling that time. He had no intention of actually feeding her to the crocodiles-it had been a bluff. "Alright, I''ll have someone take care of it. I''ll empty the pool and nt some water lilies instead. How does that sound?"


    "Whatever you think is best," Aurora replied, trusting himpletely. Whether it was small orrge matters, Julian always handled things with care and thoughtfulness. Aurora returned to her familiar bedroom, untouched since she''d left. Everything was just as she remembered.


    "I''m finally back," she said softly. "Julian, I thought I''d never have the chance toe here again. But here I am, back in this familiar ce."


    If you''re loving the book, nel5s is where the adventure continues. Join us for theplete experience-all for free. The next chapter is eagerly waiting for you! "This is your home. If not here, where else would you go?" Julian said, gently ruffling her hair. "Rest now. I''ll take care of the guests. And tonight, get ready for the wee dinner I''ve nned for you."


    "Alright." Feeling safe, Auroray down on her bed without hesitation.


    Julian tucked her in, sitting by her side. "Sleep," he said softly, just as he''d done so many times before.


    Meanwhile, Justin, watching Aurora surrounded by her friends and family, couldn''t help but feel guilty. He thought back to the time he had forced her to stay by his side. While everyone else had suffered in her absence, Julian had kept the truth about Justin''s actions to himself. To everyone else, Justin was nothing more than the man who had saved Aurora, and they treated him with respect.


    As everyone basked in the joy of Aurora''s return, Genevieve arrived unexpectedly. If Aurora was back, where was Ivy?


    Julian hadpletely forgotten about Ivy until Genevieve brought her up. He had promised Genevieve he wouldn''t pursue Ivy''s crimes and would keep her updated if anything new surfaced. But once Aurora returned, Ivy had slipped from his mind entirely.


    "Ivy? You''ll have to ask him," Julian said, nodding toward Justin.


    Genevieve turned to Justin. Left with no choice, Justin said, "I''ll call the people on the ship. She should still be there."


    "Thank you," Genevieve said.