In the evening, Aurelia stayed at the Sunbeam Retreat, and as dawn broke, Arnold was already there to pick her up, driving her to work.
He accompanied Aurelia to the entrance of the Design Department. "I need to head off to Starhaven, but it won't be long. After the main photoshoot, I'll leave the rest to my team," he assured her.
He was hesitant to leave her for too long, fearful that Leopold might snatch her away.
She gave him a small smile, "Don't worry, work is important. Just text me when you arrive."
He gently brushed her hair, "Promise me. Whatever happens, let me know right away. Don't try to shoulder it alone."
"Sure," she nodded.
The office was abuzz with many colleagues witnessing the scene.
What did this imply? How could they not speculate? The office chatter was ablaze.
"Early in the morning and we're already getting a dose of Arnold and Aurelia's love story."
"I told you Aurelia's baby must be Arnold's. They've been secretly dating for a while, isn't pregnancy the next logical step?"
"I've never seen Aurelia at any clubs. She's so frugal she won't even splurge on coffee, how could she possibly be partying and fooling around?"
"High society bachelors like Arnold always go for girls like Aurelia. They are pure, appealing, and virtuous."
"The Stirling family has a tradition of mourning for three years. Arnold probably wants to get married soon, and that's why Aurelia's pregnant. I heard Evelyn is also trying to conceive. If she doesn't, she'll have to wait two more years."
"The Design Department is truly a hotbed of talent. One is set to be the CEO's wife, the other the CEO's sister-in-law."
Aurelia sank into her chair, troubled. This was not the scenario she had hoped for.
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