Chapter 1245

That Ian could say such words was completely beyond Aurora’s expectations.

She never thought of herself as the kind of person he described. At times, she even wanted to ask him – was all of this really worth it?

Grace, too, hadn’t expected that someone would be so determined to stand by Aurora’s side.

When she failed to sway Ian, she turned her fire back on Aurora.

Pointing at her, Grace snapped, “So this is the kind of employee you bring up? Just to stand against Walton Corporation?”

“Mom, this isn’t my doing.”

Aurora smiled faintly. “Like Ian just said, he’s an adult. Whatever decisions he makes, he’s capable of owning them. Even if I tried to force him, it wouldn’t work. Instead of questioning me here, maybe you should think about who is truly suited to be general manager, or better yet, how many projects the company can actually land these days.”

Seeing the half-smile on Aurora’s face, Grace realized clearly – her daughter was deliberately standing against her.

“You speak to me like this – do you still see me as your elder at all?”

Aurora showed no fear.

She shot back boldly, “Just like Megan said earlier, if you want me to respect you, then act like an elder. If you can’t even do that, then what exactly am I supposed to respect?”

Tessa patted Grace’s chest, speaking to Aurora with a look of disapproval.

“Sister, how can you speak this way? No matter what, she’s our mother. Talking to her like this – do you even hold her in your heart?”

Her face was full of reproach, her tone pained as if scolding Aurora for being unfilial.

Aurora, hearing this, barked back without hesitation, showing no mercy. “You shut your mouth too!”

Her words left everyone present stunned.

Chapter 1245

Megan looked at Aurora with stars in her eyes. Could it be that this time she was truly rising up?

If she really severed ties with Grace in one stroke, Megan thought she would have to go home and light incense in gratitude.

After all, with someone like Grace, Megan truly couldn’t understand – how could there be a mother like her? And when she was younger, whenever she went to Aurora’s house, Grace had never been this way.

“Right now, I’m speaking with my mother. Since when was it your place to interrupt?”

Aurora stepped closer to Tessa. “You’d better recognize your place and stop trying to make yourself relevant here.”

“You, you…” Tessa stammered but couldn’t form a single proper sentence.

Aurora cut her off sharply. “If you don’t know what to say, then shut your mouth. Don’t speak here. Do you think you’re helping me? Or just speaking for Mom? You’re nothing more than a meddler – so keep your mouth tightly shut.”

This time, Aurora had truly torn her mask off with Tessa.

When she had been bedridden for over a month, Grace hadn’t punished Tessa in any way.

But Aurora had never forgotten.

After all, that month had cost her precious time and nearly her life.

How was she supposed to make up for that lost time?

With nothing more than a careless apology? Or by shifting all the blame onto Julian?

Chapter 1246

Thinking of this, Aurora found it all absurd.

Grace prided herself on being fair, but when it came to her two daughters, she had never once been fair.

Grace’s face hardened. “She’s your sister. Do you really have to speak to her like that?”

“Sister?” Aurora let out a mocking laugh. “If I don’t even want a mother, why would I need a sister?"

“If you have nothing else to say, then leave. You’re not welcome here.”

Aurora turned away, not wanting to look at them any longer.

Seeing her so cold, it was Grace who broke first.

She clutched her chest in anguish. “Aurora, we’re mother and daughter. Do you really have to speak to me this way?

“I believe I wasn’t unkind to you when you were in the company. I even thought of giving you the successor’s position. All of this – you were the one who chose to give it up.

“But now, hearing the things you say to me, how can you claim you’ve done right by me? What have I done to wrong you? On the contrary, it’s you who has repeatedly challenged my limits, isn’t it?”

Aurora closed her eyes.

Hearing these words, she felt her mother was beyond saving. Even now, she refused to see her own mistakes.

Since that was the case, there was no point in arguing anymore.

As the saying went, you could never wake someone who pretended to be asleep.

“Well, that’s quite something to hear from a mother-in-law.”

A lazy, unhurried male voice rang out.

Everyone turned at once toward the speaker.

Aurora’s eyes flickered in surprise. “Lucas, why are you here?”

By right, shouldn’t he be at work right now?

Chapter 1246

Lucas didn’t answer her question.

Instead, he came to her side, slipped an arm around hers, and looked at Grace. “If I hadn’t shown up, wouldn’t they have bullied you to death already?”

Grace and Tessa were speechless.

Tessa’s gaze lingered on the man’s handsome, dignified face, her heart fluttering despite herself. But what he had just said was indeed too much.

Covering her face with one hand, she began to cry. “Lucas, how could you speak of Mom and me that way?

“We only came here out of concern for my sister, to make sure she isn’t taken advantage of by someone with ulterior motives. We’re only thinking of her.”

Megan snapped, “Why don’t you try saying that more clearly? What do you mean by ‘someone with ulterior motives’?”

“Tessa, I never meant you,” Tessa quickly shifted the topic.

“It’s just that lately my sister’s ideas have been too out of line, so of course we started looking at the people around her.

“What if someone else led her astray? But of course, I didn’t mean you, Megan.”

Lucas found it amusing. “She’s just starting a business of her own, opening a dream studio with her friend – how does that count as being led astray?”

He turned to Grace and asked, “I really want to know, in your eyes, what wouldn’t count as being led astray?

“Aurora is simply opening a studio. She hasn’t done anything criminal or immoral, so how is that being corrupted? Isn’t she just pursuing her dream?”

Before Grace or Tessa could answer, he spoke again as if answering himself.

“Ah, I get it. Maybe it’s because my wife isn’t in Walton Corporation anymore, creating value for you, letting you exploit her, right?”