Lucas stood at Aurora’s side, sensing her mood had dipped. “What’s wrong? Are these people making you uncomfortable?”

Aurora shook her head. “No. Let’s just go find my mother.”

She simply didn’t want to waste time here. Coming to a banquet only to be ogled like some spectacle–she couldn’t stand it, and it left her feeling strange. Rather than wasting energy on something so meaningless, she would rather spend her time on things that mattered, like negotiating more projects.

Lucas gave a small nod, showing he understood her point. But he lifted his gaze, silently committing every gossiping face in the room to memory.

One day, he would settle accounts with each of them. For now, this was her family’s territory. If he acted rashly, it could cast doubt on his own standing.

It seemed he needed to find a chance to tell Aurora the truth about who he really was. If he kept stalling, he feared he would lose the courage to say it at all. And if she found out from someone else, she would be even more upset. Right now, regret gnawed at him. Why had he ever chosen to hide it? It had been sheer stubbornness. And once he did, remorse came swiftly. If he could go back, he would never have done it. But at this point, saying more was pointless.

Walking beside Aurora, he followed her as she sought out her mother–only to find Grace holding a glass of wine, chatting cheerfully with others. With just one glance, Aurora understood this wasn’t the right time to approach. If she went over, she’d only disrupt her mother’s conversation, and she wouldn’t have anything useful to add.

But in the next instant, her eyes dimmed. The hand hanging at her side clenched tightly into a fist. She didn’t understand–why was Tessa here too?

Dressed in an elegant gown at her mother’s side–was it just to provoke her? Aurora stood still, quietly watching her mother and Tessa together. With her pink-and-white mermaid dress, Tessa looked the picture of a sweet, well-behaved daughter, all charm and innocence. But Aurora knew her well enough to see past the surface. She knew exactly how venomous Tessa’s heart was. No matter how pretty she appeared, inside she was nothing but darkness.

Lucas followed Aurora’s gaze and immediately understood why she had frozen. Clearly, she was unhappy that Grace had brought Tessa along. Truth be told, he was surprised himself. This banquet was supposed to be about announcing the termination of the Hayes contract and declaring Aurora as the rightful successor. That was it. Nothing at all concerned Tessa. So why bring her here?

Aurora had already explained everything to her mother–that her coma had been tied to this woman. And yet, her mother still chose to overlook it. The thought made Lucas ache for her. He hadn’t expected his dear mother-in-law to show such favoritism to another daughter, while the woman he cherished most, the treasure in his hands, was left unappreciated. It cut him to the core.

He slipped an arm around Aurora’s shoulders, holding her close, and whispered softly, “It’s alright, Rora. You still have me.”