Following Adam's intrepid question, the adults' conversation turned to children and family. Here, Logan found common ground with Nikolaev, sharing a similar philosophy about protecting one's family and children. As the men settled into comfortable talks, Nikolaev took on the role of elder to impart parenting wisdom to Logan and Aurora.
Adam, forced to entertain himself, continued watching the crowd slowly shift around them. In his wanderings, he found an older man staring in their direction. He brushed it off at first, but whenever his gaze travelled the room, he found the man was still looking intensely in their direction. The boy glanced behind, and finding no one but the wait staff, he looked back at the man who was now approaching them with an ever-widening smile on his face. He walked right up to the group and cut off Logan, who was speaking.
"Ms. Aurora, it is a pleasure to meet you again." The man said, giving a short bow.
The man's thick accent reminded the boy of the way his mother had read the Coyote's lines from his bedtime story.
Aurora froze at his words and turned pale when she saw him. "Assistant Morbidelli..."
"It honours me that you remember an old man such as myself. It is very reassuring to find you in good health. This must be your son, the future of Baggio." The man grabbed Adam by the chin and leaned down, looking into his eyes.
Adam couldn't take his eyes off the man, who, despite his gentle smile, was rough as he turned Adam's face left and right. Adam glared at the man; he didn't know him, but the man's presence frightened his mother. Assistant Morbidelli inspected him closely and nodded affirmatively.
"What brings you here?" Aurora inquired as she pulled Adam protectively behind her.
"Your father asked me to deliver your invitation to the family summer gathering." The man reached into his jacket and pulled out an ash-coloured envelope with gold borders and a red wax seal. "He very much looks forward to meeting the young heir." He smiled.
Before he retreated, Assistant Morbidelli looked around at the group. He ignored Logan and Rochelle but greeted the Russian with a crafty grin on his face.
"Mr. Nikolaev."
"Mr. Morbidelli." Nikolaev watched the other man from the corner of his eye, then took a sip of his drink.
Seeing the two men exchange less than civil greetings, Aurora swiftly turned to Logan and mouthed, "I'm sorry."
Before Logan or Aurora could speak, Nikolaev raised his glass to the couple. "Thank you." He then finished the contents and held it upside down in the air before walking away.
"I'm so sorry," Aurora apologised, her voice cracking.
"It's okay." Logan said, gently rubbing her back.
Aurora squeezed the envelope in her hand. "I'm sorry."
"It wasn't your fault."
Aurora shook her head. "For everything that happens after tonight."
She looked down at the envelope in her hand. Adam watched his mother; she looked drained and older since meeting Assistant Morbidelli. Her posture was also different; she was not confident like he knew her to be. Her shoulders and eyes drooped. The image of cold, lifeless eyes flashed before Adam's eyes, and he shook his head to dispel the memory.
Logan wrapped his arm around Aurora, and at the same time, Adam grabbed her hand. But their comforting gestures could not reach her.
"I want a divorce."
"Aurora, talk to me."
"I want a divorce!" She raised her voice, glaring at him.
"You can rest in my office." Rochelle offered.
"We'll take her home." Sophia said sternly when she approached the group.
159Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP1wuLdYeL8
The family returned home in a deafening silence that was amplified in the quiet of their home. Sophia helped Aurora into the living room, where she collapsed onto the couch, her eyes still locked on the envelope.
Waves of varying emotions crossed Aurora's face as she traced the gold border. Sophia checked her patient, and while she was able to do her readings, Aurora did not answer any of her questions. She simply sat in the chair, unresponsive to everyone and everything around her.
Frustrated by his wife's withdrawn demeanour, Logan snatched the envelope from her, snapping her out of her trance.
Aurora looked at Logan, and tears immediately flowed from her eyes. "You have to divorce me, my love." She pleaded.
"Why? Because of this?" He held the envelope up, half crumpling it.
Suddenly, Sophia hugged Aurora and whispered something in her ear. Whatever Sophia whispered calmed Aurora a little. Logan watched his wife hard, waiting for an answer.
Aurora finally explained that Assistant Morbidelli was her father's right-hand man and held the same level of control over everyone in both the business and the family as her father. The man was wholly loyal to her father and often did whatever was necessary to accomplish his orders.
"What does this have to do with us getting a divorce? It's only an invitation to a party."
"It's an order to attend the meeting where my son will be announced as the next head of the Baggio family."
"Okay, so it's a family reunion. We'll go and come back. Why do we have to get divorced?"
"You aren't invited. My father does not recognise our marriage."
"This is an invitation for you and your family to attend the reunion, isn't it? Besides, we're legally married; he has no choice but to accept it."
"Go ahead, open it."
Logan opened the envelope and read the contents. His brow twitched and furrowed as he read. Finally, he threw the papers to the ground, enraged. "He has no right! I am your husband!"
"Logan..."
"I refuse to divorce you, and as your husband, I order you to obey me."
Aurora shook her head. "We can hardly fight Nicholas..." she said softly.
Aurora closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She turned her attention to Adam, who was sitting next to her. As she caressed his cheek, her tears flowed heavier.
"I'm so sorry, Adam. I wanted to be a good mother to you." She hesitated, gritting her teeth. "You need to run away. Tonight. Don't look back. You can only use the card once, after you leave. Draw out your maximum. I know, I promised to pay you."
She pulled off one of her rings. It was a silver ring with three rows of diamonds at the top. Aurora placed the ring in Adam's palm and closed her hands around his.
"This isn't silver; it's white gold. It's worth five thousand. Pawn it, but don't take less than two thousand." She said staring fiercely at him.
Adam stared at his mother, confused. Since they met that Morbidelli man at the exhibition, everything seemed to be spiralling out of control. He finally found a home, and now everything was falling apart faster than he could process.
"Why are you sending me away? I thought you were going to adopt me? I thought you wanted me?"
"I do want you, Adam." Aurora said hugging him tightly. "But more than anything, I want to protect you. My father has declared you as his heir. He will take you from us."
"Aurora, Adam isn't our son. He can't take him away from us or out of this country. Why not just tell him that Adam isn't ours, so he leaves us alone?"
"He will still force me to divorce you. How do you think my father found me when he didn't before?"
"Nicholas..."
Logan sat on the couch next to his wife. "I am your husband."
"You always will be; you are my love." Aurora leaned her head on her husband's shoulder.
Aurora hugged her husband and son. "I wish we could have been a family."
"I don't want to leave you, mom." Adam said, tears streaming down his face.
"You have to, Adam. It's the only way you can stay safe."
"I don't care about safe! I want to stay with you guys!" The boy shouted as he pushed his way out of his mother's arm. "I finally have you guys. I...I finally have parents who want me... A home! I can't go back to the streets."
ns 15.158.61.8da2
