Done Hiding as Your Backup Plaything I'm Shining Golden as a Queen - Chapter 17: Chapter 17

Luigi exploded into motion, charging toward them like a man possessed.
"Aurelia, what the fuck is going on here? Who is this guy?"
A devastating thought crashed through his mind—Aurelia had vanished because of this man. This was why she'd abandoned their future together.
It was the only explanation that made sense. They'd been so in love, so connected. There was no way she'd just stopped caring and run off to the desert alone.
Aurelia's face went stone-cold as Luigi blocked her path again.
The guy beside her looked completely lost. "Aurelia, who's this?"
Aurelia's voice was flat and professional: "Luigi Maggiore, one of Professor Xavier's graduate students. The professor is at a conference in Boston, so I'm temporarily covering his seminars."
"Who is he to you?" Luigi's voice was raw with desperation, his eyes wild like a man watching his world burn.
"That's not your concern." Aurelia tried to step around him.
"Did you come here for him?" Luigi's voice cracked completely. "Were you already fucking someone else when you ghosted me? Is that why you left?"
The accusation hung in the air like poison.
Isaac didn't fully understand what was happening, but he could sense the emotional carnage unfolding.
He stepped forward diplomatically: "I'm Isaac Orlando, Aurelia's research partner. We collaborate on experiments regularly. We didn't even meet until her junior year."
Isaac explained how he and Aurelia had connected through lab work, how her brilliant mind had earned her early admission to graduate research, and how her expertise had led to her teaching assistant position.
But Luigi was too consumed with jealous rage to process any rational explanation.
"What's your relationship with her NOW?" Luigi's voice was dangerous, his hands clenched into fists.
Isaac realized he was witnessing a complete meltdown.
He opened his mouth to respond, but Aurelia cut him off with surgical precision.
"Our relationship is absolutely none of your fucking business, considering you're a complete stranger to me."
She grabbed Isaac's arm. "Let's go."
Looking at Luigi's possessive fury, Aurelia felt a wave of revulsion wash over her.
He was acting like she was his property, like every man in her life required his approval and investigation.
It was exactly the same controlling bullshit from high school—he could chase after other girls, but God forbid she have a normal conversation with a male colleague.
The hypocrisy made her sick.
They'd never even been a real couple back then, and Luigi sure as hell had no right to police her life now.
Luigi chased after them, his desperation palpable. Aurelia whipped around to face him with deadly calm.
"Mr. Maggiore, if you continue stalking me and demanding personal information, I'll report you to campus security as a potential threat. They take espionage concerns very seriously here, and I'm sure they'd love to thoroughly investigate your background before considering expulsion."
The threat hit Luigi like a physical blow, stopping him dead in his tracks.
All he could do was watch the woman he'd sacrificed everything for walk away with another man.
His chest felt like it was caving in, panic clawing at his throat as he struggled to breathe.
Isaac barely waited until they were out of Luigi's sight before the questions started pouring out.
"Holy shit, Aurelia. You know that psycho? Please tell me he's not your ex-boyfriend."
Aurelia's expression went completely blank. She and Luigi had been together for two years, but it had been their dirty little secret.
She'd never been his girlfriend—just a convenient practice partner for him to perfect his technique before moving on to his real target.
The words came out flat and emotionless, like she was discussing the weather.
"No. Just a one-night stand. Friends with benefits."