Chapter 1283

"Who else could it be if not you? And you still have the nerve to deny it." Grace slammed the table, her patience with Aurora completely gone.

She had thought, fine, maybe her daughter had flaws. But now she wouldn't take responsibility for anything. Out in the real world, if she screwed up, who was supposed to clean up the mess?

"You’re running your own studio now–you’re essentially your own boss. And when something happens, is this really how you handle it, by flat-out refusing to admit anything?"

Grace narrowed her eyes at Aurora. “Do you honestly think avoidance solves anything?”

Aurora was stunned. She hadn’t done a thing, yet suddenly she was being accused of stealing a project and lying on top of it. What she hated most was Grace’s way of jumping to conclusions.

Her mother never gave anyone the chance to explain. Once she decided something, that was it–case closed. In her eyes, any explanation was just an excuse. Realizing this, Aurora no longer bothered to defend herself.

“Think whatever you want.” She had lost all patience. She had thought being called out today meant Grace had finally softened, maybe even wanted to talk about something else. But clearly, she had been fooling herself. Grace was still Grace–unyielding and unwilling to change for anyone. If she really had changed, Aurora would have been shocked. She almost wondered if someone had swapped her mother out for another person with a different core. But no, Grace was exactly the same as ever, still the woman who forced everything on her.

“This is how you speak to me now?” Grace was furious all over again. It was as if, no matter what Aurora did, it would always be wrong in her eyes. Every move she made was treated as unnecessary. To this moment, Grace still believed Aurora was only pretending to be calm. “Even if you’re unhappy, I’m still your mother. Half the blood in your veins is mine, your life was given to you by me.”

Grace’s lips curved into a cold smile. “I won’t demand you return the project now. But if you truly feel guilty, then why don’t you bleed out half of what’s in you and give it back to me?”

Aurora’s eyes widened. She had been about to explain, but after hearing those words, she lost all will to say anything. She never imagined Grace could say something like that. So, did she actually regret giving birth to her? That thought flashed through Aurora’s mind, and she voiced it aloud.

Sure enough, Grace confirmed it. “Yes, you’re absolutely right. I’ve long regretted bringing you into this world.”

Grace’s tone was venomous. “If only I had given birth to your sister and not you, none of this would have happened. Not only do you defy me, but you steal my company’s projects. What do you take me for? Do you even see me as your mother?”

“I…”

Aurora stared at Grace in disbelief. Her eyes were full of malice, and the cruel words kept coming as though she had never wanted her daughter to exist at all. But even now, Aurora couldn’t understand what she had done wrong. Were some children just never meant to be loved by their parents?

Chapter 1284