I woke to the sound of shuffling and whispers in my room. My eyes fluttered open, only to find both my mom and dad standing over me like two silent statues.
"Good morning, dear," Mom said sweetly, her tone just a little too sugary for my liking.
I narrowed my eyes at them. What are they doing here? My parents never entered my room without knocking—especially Dad.
Without saying much, Dad pulled a stack of documents from behind his back and placed them on my bed.
"Aurora, I need you to sign these," he said, sliding a pen toward me.
My brows knitted together. "What is this? And why do you need my signature?"
He smiled—that kind of smile that made my stomach twist. "Let's just say… you're inheriting everything I have. This will make it official."
I hesitated for a moment, my gut screaming that something wasn't right. But before I could overthink it, I sighed and took the pen from his hand. "Fine." Without even glancing through the papers, I scribbled my name on every page.
"Done," I said, handing them back.
His grin widened, almost unnervingly so, while Mom suddenly wrapped her arms tightly around me. It happened so fast I barely had time to hug her back.
"I'm so happy for you, dear," she whispered into my ear.
Before I could question them further, she stepped back and clapped her hands together. "Now, hurry and take your bath. After breakfast, the stylist will be arriving any minute."
Puzzled, I retreated to my bathroom and took a quick shower, letting the hot water run over me while my mind swirled with unanswered questions. I slipped into a simple floral straight dress and tied my hair into a messy bun. No makeup—I had to "reserve" my face for tonight, apparently.
When I walked into the dining room, my parents were already seated, waiting for me.
"Oh, here you are, Aurora. Come, have a seat," Dad said warmly, which only made my suspicion grow.
"Now," he continued as I sat down, "I want us to eat as one happy, peaceful family… who knows, this might be our last meal together."
My fork paused mid-air. "And why exactly would it be our last?"
"I might be traveling," he replied casually.
"So? You travel all the time. This isn't exactly new," I said, raising an eyebrow.
"Aurora, enough with your questions!" Dad snapped suddenly, his voice echoing off the walls.
I blinked, startled. "I was just asking because you made it sound… weird."
"Can we eat in silence now?" Mom interjected, her tone tense.
We ate without another word until Peter, our butler, stepped in. "Sir, Madam—the makeup artist has arrived."
Mom's face lit up as she stood and hurried to the entrance. "Bobbi! Darling!" she squealed, pulling the world-famous Bobbi Brown into a hug.
Bobbi's eyes landed on me, her lips curling into a friendly smile. "Hello, Aurora. How have you been?"
"I'm good, Bobbi," I replied politely.
I glanced behind her at the small army of assistants she had brought. "Uh… quite the entourage," I murmured.
Bobbi chuckled. "We'll be working in the garden, if that's okay."
"Of course," Mom said, almost beaming. "Aurora, you're in good hands. Bobbi's the best in the business."
Everyone knew that. Bobbi Brown wasn't just a makeup artist—she was the makeup artist. Celebrities fought for a slot in her schedule. I wouldn't be surprised if, after she finished with me, she dashed off to do Kim Kardashian's makeup.
"Uh, Mom," I said cautiously as we reached the garden, "isn't it a bit too early for Bobbi to be here? The event is tonight. She must have other high-profile clients to attend to."
Mom just smiled mysteriously. "Your father hired her for the entire day."
My mouth fell open. "What? We're talking millions here."
"You're absolutely right," Mom said matter-of-factly.
I stared at her. Why would Dad spend that much money on me? My stomach knotted. Something was definitely not right.