She remembered that when she was young, she had never been the type to lose her head over a man. So why was Aurora defending one so fiercely now?

If that was the case, then there was no way she could ever trust the company in Aurora’s hands.

If Aurora had known what Grace was thinking, she would have scoffed. She already had her own studio, and as for Walton Corporation–she had no interest whatsoever. The only reason she had demanded her shares back in the first place was to claim what was rightfully hers. Beyond that, she truly wanted nothing more to do with Walton. Even if the entire company were handed over to Tessa, she wouldn’t care.

“Do you really have to speak to me like this?” Grace’s fists clenched, her own temper simmering. For her own daughter to side with a man against her–it was almost beyond belief.

But Aurora didn’t hesitate. She lifted her chin slightly, her voice steady. “The way you speak to Lucas is the way I’ll speak to you. At the very least, he doesn’t deserve to be dragged into this. He’s completely innocent.”

Hearing her stand up for him, Lucas felt a rush of emotion he couldn’t deny. In that moment, sitting in the café, all he could see was Aurora–her figure before him, shielding him with her words.

Once she had spoken, Aurora tried to pull Lucas with her to leave. “If there’s nothing else, we’ll be going. I have other things to do and can’t waste any more time here.”

Looking at her earnest expression, Grace knew she wasn’t joking. All she could do was sigh. “I didn’t ask you here to target you on purpose. I just want to understand—what exactly are you thinking with this project? At the start, you said it was for Walton Corporation. Now you’ve taken it for yourself. Do you think our company is easy to push around? Or were you just playing me from the beginning? Aurora, don’t forget–you’re my daughter. Doing this won’t benefit you in any way. Walton is tied to you, whether you like it or not.”

“Heh.” Aurora let out a cold laugh. Her mother’s words rooted her to the spot, stopping her from leaving the café. She stayed there at Lucas’ side, not even lifting her eyes to Grace as the sound rumbled from her chest. But Lucas, with her hand in his, could feel instantly how unsettled she really was. Her whole body trembled lightly, even the skin beneath his touch felt rigid.

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Lucas looked at Aurora with concern, but wisely kept silent, not interrupting her.

He knew she had her own thoughts and her own decisions to make. They were both adults–he couldn’t interfere too much. Sure enough, after a moment Aurora lifted her head. She had already gathered herself, a bright smile on her face. But Lucas, watching closely at her side, could see clearly that the smile never reached her eyes. Even Grace was unsettled by the look in Aurora’s gaze, stepping back before steadying herself again. Then she remembered–she was the mother here. What was there for her to fear?

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