Chapter 144

The moment those words left Grace’s mouth, it hit Tessa like a bolt of lightning. How could she not understand what her mother truly meant?

It was obvious now that Grace had started to doubt her. She must have believed at least some of what had been said. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have handled her this way.

“No… no, please, Mom. I don’t want to rest… I just want to stay by your side,” Tessa pleaded, voice trembling, eyes filled with tears.

But Grace turned away, refusing to even look at her tear-streaked face. Aurora stood to the side, a faint, cold smile tugging at her lips as she watched the drama unfold.

On the surface, it looked like their mother had taken a stand and punished Tessa. But Aurora saw through it. This wasn’t justice—this was protection, plain and simple. If Grace truly wanted the truth, there would’ve been a proper investigation, not this quiet dismissal.

Aurora’s heart sank. Even now, even after everything, Grace was still shielding Tessa. Did she not count as her daughter too?

When Tessa’s sobs finally faded from the hall, Grace turned back around. Her gaze met Aurora’s cold, unreadable eyes, and for once, she hesitated. She understood what Aurora was thinking. But to preserve the Walton family’s image and keep the situation under control, this was the only way. She couldn’t let the rest of the world laugh at their expense.

Turning her eyes to Julian, Grace’s voice regained its composure. “You should go with Tessa. She’s not well.”

“Of course. I’ll go now,” Julian replied without hesitation, unaware of anything more behind her words, and followed after Tessa. Julian had seen the entire scene unfold clearly, and in his eyes, there was no question who came out on top. Obviously, his dear Tessa still held the upper hand. If that weren’t the case, Grace wouldn’t have asked him to go after her.

As he turned to leave, he cast a smug, taunting glance at Aurora. The meaning behind it was crystal clear: “So, this is all you’ve got? Turns out, your mother doesn’t really favor you.”

Aurora caught the look and understood it immediately, her fists clenching silently at her sides. She knew all along what kind of man Julian really was—a complete hypocrite.

But before the anger could swell any further, Lucas reached over and gently wrapped his hand around her tightened fist, calming her with a quiet whisper at her ear. “It’s alright. I’m here.”

Just those simple words softened the weight in her chest. The frustration began to ease.

Meanwhile, Grace returned to the guests, full of apologies and polite smiles. “So sorry for that little scene,” she said with practiced charm. “It’s just a bit of playful tension between sisters. Nothing serious.”

The guests all laughed it off politely, offering smiles and reassurances. No one contradicted her. They knew exactly what she was doing—asking them, in no uncertain terms, to keep quiet. These were all people of wealth and status. Every family had its mess. They understood perfectly—Grace was trying to keep the lid on hers.

Watching the performance, Aurora felt a wave of disinterest rise in her chest. She slipped away to a quiet corner, picked up a glass of red wine, and tipped it back in one go. She drank one after another.

Even with flawless makeup on her breathtakingly beautiful face, Aurora couldn’t hide the shadow of hurt beneath her expression. To say she wasn’t heartbroken would’ve been a lie. After all, it was her own mother.

Lucas reached out and took her wrist. Aurora, thinking he was about to stop her from drinking, shot him a glance, her tone sharp with irritation. “What? You’re going to stop me from having a drink too?”

“No,” he said calmly. “I’ll drink with you. It’s no fun drinking alone.”

She tilted her head, surprised by his response. That clearly wasn’t what she’d expected. Before she could say anything else, Lucas picked up a glass, tapped it lightly against hers with a crisp clink, then downed it in one smooth motion.

The sound and motion stirred something inside her. Aurora’s gaze followed the sharp lines of his profile, the elegant way his throat moved as he swallowed. And just like that, a strange heat rose quietly in her chest.