NovelEnglishLeopold gently pinched her chin, "Aunt Harriet has her own views, you know. If she wants to turn a blind eye, let's not burst her
bubble and save her the embarrassment."
"I get it." Aurelia shrugged, a playful smirk dancing on her lips, "I just think the men in the Stirling clan are a heartless bunch. Any
woman who marries into your family is signing up for a rough ride."
Leopold rolled his eyes, retorting, "Hey, honey, countout of that generalization."
Aurelia shot him a sideways glance, her gaze carrying a mixture of amusement and challenge, "I'll decide whether you're an
exception based on your behavior."
Leopold wrapped an arm around her shoulder and leaned in for a light, teasing kiss, "So, how am | doing right now?"
"Not too bad," she beamed, wrapping her arms around his neck. After all, his looks were something out of a Greek myth, drop-dead
gorgeous.
"Fancy sfruit?" Leopold asked, adoration evident in the way he caressed her hair.
She nodded, and he went off to prepare a fruit plate.
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She sat up, slipped into her clothes, and stepped out onto the balcony.
Down in the yard, Skyler was chasing the kids around, and little Nova was there too, scampering across a massive playmat,
keeping up with her older siblings in a gof tag.
Leopold cout with a plate of fruit, setting it on the table before settling next to Aurelia.
He picked up a grape and popped it into Aurelia's mouth, his eyes sweeping over the children below, lingering on William.
"Honey, can you tellthe truth?" he asked quietly.
"About what?" Aurelia raised an eyebrow, intrigued.
Leopold took a sip of lemonade, his voice deep and serious, "Is William really your and Arnold's child?"
Aurelia choked slightly, coughing softly. "What are you talking about?"
There was a moment's silence as Leopold peeled another grape for her, "Back then, weren't you injured and undergoing
treatment? How could you have gotten pregnant?"
Aurelia was at a loss for words. She didn't want to deceive him any longer, but neither did she want to reveal the truth with Arnold
injured. Exposing William's paternity now would be like kicking Arnold when he was down.
How could she be so heartlessly ungrateful?
"Arnold is William's dad, and William really cares for him, just like he does for William."
The tartness of the lemonade filled Leopold's mouth, its bitterness spreading through him.
"There are no more secrets between us, right?" he pressed.
Aurelia's grip on her glass tightened, and she playfully glared at him, saying, "How would | know? You're the one with secrets, not
me.
"I have nothing left to hide from you," Leopold declared without hesitation.
"Okay," she replied, noncommittally.
"What about you? Do you have any secrets?" His gaze was unblinking, sharp like a hawk's as if trying to peer into her soul and
expose every little secret she harbored.
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Aurelia instinctively lowered her lashes, her thick eyelashes acting as a curtain over her flickering eyes, afraid they might betray
her.
"I have no secrets. I'm as transparent as crystal with you."
Leopold clasped her hand firmly, "Good, | believe you. Just don't letdown."
Her fingers trembled involuntarily, her heart twisting in that moment.
She was afraid she was going to disappoint him.
If the day cwhen he learned the truth, would he be furious, unforgiving?
"You could consider being William's dad," she suggested tentatively, "If you're kind to him, and he grows fond of you, maybe he'll
accept you as his dad."
Leopold snorted softly, "I'm not interested in being his father. | have my own sons. Why would | compete with someone else for a
child?"
Aurelia was at a loss for words, "But he's my boy, and that makes him part of your family too."
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