***
Jasper leaned against the wall, favoring his injured foot, watching her frantically clean herself. The sight sent a chill through his drunken haze. She wasn't playing hard to get. She was disgusted by him.
He cleared his throat, trying to regain some dignity. "Look... about the past. I was wrong."
Aurora ignored him, still splashing water on her face.
"If you come back," Jasper continued, his voice taking on a bargaining tone, "I'll have finance double your allowance. No, I'll double your old salary. You can come back to Aether Life Sciences. I'll give you the entire R&D department to manage. Stop being stubborn. You need this job."
Aurora finally turned off the tap. She looked at her reflection, water dripping from her chin, and let out a sharp, incredulous laugh.
She turned to
