Chapter 1422

“They’d probably come with their own little plans already laid out,” Grace thought, watching the two of them.

“What’s the rush? Must you really leave right after dinner?” she asked, her tone half-pleading, half-irritated she hadn’t even gotten to the real reason for inviting them yet.

Aurora met her gaze evenly. “We have work to do. It’s not like we live far. Why can’t we go home after eating?”

That sharp, assessing look in Aurora’s eyes made Grace’s temper flare.

“Why do you always assume the worst of me? I just wanted to spend more time with you. You’re always busy, and now that you’re finally home, can’t you at least stay and keep your mother company?”

Aurora hesitated. Maybe she was being too harsh.

Grace’s words did sound reasonable on the surface. She turned toward Lucas, silently asking for his opinion – she didn’t want to make the decision alone, especially knowing how tight his schedule was.

Lucas caught her meaning immediately.

“It’s fine,” he said calmly. “If you want to stay the night, I can work from here.”

Before Aurora could respond, Grace’s face lit up. “Exactly! You hear that? Your husband doesn’t mind at all. Then it’s settled. You’re both staying.”

Tessa joined in with a bright, sugary smile. “She’s right, Sister. Since you’ve left the company, you have no idea how difficult things have been for me. I’ve been wanting to ask you for advice.”

Aurora arched a brow, her tone laced with mockery. “Advice? Weren’t you the one who always claimed to be better than me? You spent years trying to outdo me. Why stop now just because I’m gone?”

Tessa’s smile didn’t falter, but her voice softened with false humility.

“You must be joking. Everyone knows you were the company’s top talent. We’ve all seen the results you brought in. Mom even told me I should learn from you.”

Aurora waved a hand dismissively. “No need. You’re doing perfectly fine on your own. What could you possibly learn from me?”

The color drained from Tessa’s face, then flushed back in waves. Every word Aurora spoke felt like a deliberate slap, each one cutting deeper than the last.

Her voice trembled slightly. “Sister, do you really have to talk to me like that?”

Aurora gave a cold, humorless laugh. “Why not? You keep calling me ‘sister’ so sweetly. It’s starting to make my stomach turn. If you can pretend, why can’t I be honest?”

Tessa glanced at Grace’s expression, quickly gauging the situation before lowering her head with a subdued nod.

“It’s nothing. I overthought it. If it bothers you that much, I won’t call you that anymore. Your comfort matters more.”

Aurora frowned slightly, something about Tessa’s sudden meekness feeling off. She shot a glance at Lucas and caught the faint crease in his brow.

He was thinking the same thing.

“Alright then,” Aurora said after a pause, her tone calm but guarded. “We’ll stay tonight.”

Grace’s face brightened at once. “Perfect! I knew you’d come around. I already had your room tidied up this morning.”

Both Aurora and Lucas exchanged a quiet look, suspicion flickering in their eyes.

They had only just decided to stay, so how was the room already prepared?