?Chapter 1037:


    He understood men, perhaps too well.


    Even he, her father, couldn’t promise her happiness entirely. How could someone else?


    Everyone said Dunn was a good boy. But so what?


    People were like rivers—always changing, always shifting. Each phase of life added new currents, new twists, and turns, and no one could promise that things would remain the same.


    Adrian had faith in love, but the only love he truly believed in was the one he shared with Joelle.


    “Then tell me, Aurora. What makes you so determined to be with him?”


    Aurora felt a surge of defiance rise within her. She lifted her head and said, “I like him.”


    Adrian let out a bitterugh, amusementced with disbelief. “Tell me, what does ‘like’ even mean?”


    “I can’t exin it.” Aurora’s gaze was fearless. “But I think love is like the kind you and Mom have. Even when you’re busy, you make time for each other. You go out, but you worry about the other person. You prioritize them above everything. We, your daughters, might not fully understand all of it, but Mom does. You and Mom are true soul mates, meant to walk this life side by side. Dunn and I aren’t there yet, but if I have to choose who I want to spend the rest of my life with, I want to give him that chance. From elementary school to middle school, high school, and now university, I’ve followed him. Not because I had to, but because I wanted to. There’s no other exnation. ‘Like’ is the only thing that makes sense. Dad, it wasn’t Dunn who was chasing after me—no, it was me who chose him from all the other options. Knowing you wouldn’t approve, knowing it would be hard, I still wanted to try.”


    Adrian stood there, frozen for a moment, his mind nking out as the weight of her words settled over him. He didn’t even hear the rest of what she said. All he could focus on was the determination that had filled her voice.


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    “You said you followed him every step of the way through school?” Adrian’s fists clenched.


    That boy! He had won her heart so many years ago.


    Joelle couldn’t help herself. She stood up, the shock evident in her voice. “Aurora, do you really like him that much?”


    Though the weight of her father’s fury hung over her, Aurora still managed to nod. “At first, I just wanted to outdo Dunn. But over time, he’s be an integral part of my life.”


    Adrian’s anger red like wildfire, but Joelle grabbed his arm in time. “Don’t explode just yet. Let’s hear what Dunn has to say first.”


    “I don’t care what he says!” Adrian snapped, his finger pointing sharply toward Aurora’s room upstairs. “You march up there right now. No school, no more seeing him until this is sorted!”


    Aurora felt the first cracks in herposure. She had hoped that honesty could smooth things over, but it seemed to be challenging her parents’ authority.


    Molly, sensing the impending eruption, quickly pulled Aurora upstairs. “Don’t worry. We’ll figure this out. There’s always a way.”


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