Although Aurora''s pile of gifts was neatly stacked and looked beautiful, it waspletely different from Ste''s gesture, which had started with the number ''1.'' These presents weren''t numbered; they were simply gifts meant to fill a void.


    Seeing that Leonard was standing before the mountain of presents without a hint of joy on his face, Aurora frowned slightly. "Leonard, aren''t you going to open them?"


    He seemed toe back to himself then, picking up the first box. It contained an expensive-looking fountain pen. He set it aside and opened the second, which held a leather belt. The third was a tie clip. The fourth, a scarf. He continued opening them one by one. There was even a bottle of rare, pricey liquor. Most of Aurora''s gifts were practical and high-quality, not just frivolous trinkets. She had clearly put some thought into them. Yet, Leonard''s expression remained neutral.


    Even Simone found herself caught up in the novelty of it, like watching someone open a series of mystery boxes. She knew that picking out twenty-nine suitable gifts without a single misstep was no easy feat.


    The final gift was a scroll. When Leonard unrolled it, a portrait of a man was revealed. It was him.


    Leonard paused. Aurora watched him. "Leonard, I painted this for you myself. What do you think?"


    For the first time, a flicker of warmth entered his eyes, and the stern set of his jaw rxed. "This is very thoughtful of you."


    Of all the gifts, this was the only one Aurora had made herself. At this stage in his life, Leonard didn''tck money. No gift, no matter how expensive, could truly move him. A genuine smile finally appeared on Aurora''s face. "I''m d you like it."


    Simone shot Aurora a surprised look. What had gotten into her? To suddenly be so attentive to Leonard, not only making up for years of gifts but also personally painting his portrait-it was unheard of. Painting took a significant amount of time, and Aurora rarely engaged in such time consuming activities unless boosted her reputation or value. Of course, Aurora was exceptionally talented; whatever skill she learned, she mastered. It was a feat others could not replicate.


    Despite all her efforts, Leonard''s mood remained low, and he spoke very little, Aurora''s brow furrowed She had done exactly as he asked, so why did he still seem so unhappy? She desperately wanted to know what was wrong with him.


    With only three people, the party''s atmosphere was somewhat cold. Even Simone, who usually livened things up, was quieter than usual About an hourter, the bleak


    celebration came to an end, Leonard


    escorted Aurora and Simone


    downstairs, where their drivers were waiting.


    After seeing Aurora into her car, Leonard handed her a slip of paper. "This is Violet''s current address."


    Aurora was speechless. That... was it? He said he found Violet''s whereabouts, and that''s all he gave her? An address? Were her twenty-nine gifts all for nothing more than a piece of paper?


    "Be careful on the road," Leonard said.


    "You should get some rest, Leonard," Aurora replied, unable to hide her frustration.


    After she left, Leonard noticed Simone still lingering, a pensive look on her face. "Is something wrong?" he asked.


    "I just remembered why that painting looked so familiar," Simone said.