Chapter 1470

Tessa knew all too well that her mother despised internal conflict more than anything. Grace had always believed that her two daughters shared a close bond and that sisters should never turn against each other.

That was why anything that happened between her and Aurora had to stay buried in the dark. If Grace ever found out, it could jeopardize both her standing in the company and her place in her mother’s heart. She wasn’t ready to leave Walton Corporation yet, so for now, everything she did had to follow Grace’s lead.

Grace studied her daughter’s expression, finding no trace of deceit, and asked again, “You really don’t know what’s been happening online?”

Tessa blinked innocently. “Mom, are you saying there’s something I should know?” Her tone carried just the right amount of curiosity and confusion. She truly seemed unaware of what Grace was hinting at.

Seeing that, Grace didn’t press further. Instead, she calmly explained everything that had been circulating online about Aurora.

Tessa covered her mouth in apparent shock. “Someone’s targeting my sister like that? That’s awful. How could anyone be so cruel to her?”

Grace watched her closely, studying every flicker of her expression. In the end, she concluded that she’d been overthinking. Tessa’s reaction seemed completely genuine–the shock in her eyes didn’t look staged at all.

“Arnold just saw it online and told me about it,” Grace said in a more relaxed tone. “It’s hard to say whether this is good or bad news. Either way, Aurora is still part of this family. We all know about her marriage, but I didn’t expect it to become public so soon.” She paused for a moment before adding, her voice thoughtful, “To be honest, I’ve been wondering if Aurora’s studio managed to take off because of Lucas‘ help.”

Tessa was momentarily stunned. She hadn’t expected her mother to share the same doubts she’d been harboring all along. Tessa had always believed that her mother genuinely cared for Aurora, or at least favored her deep down, no matter how strict she might appear on the surface. But after today, that belief began to crumble. Grace’s attitude toward Aurora seemed far colder than she’d ever imagined. In fact, she almost sounded like she was siding with her instead.

What was going on?

“Mom, don’t you think my sister’s being treated unfairly?” Tessa asked carefully, testing the waters to see where Grace truly stood. If her mother really wasn’t on Aurora’s side, then there was nothing left for her to worry about, not even the question of inheritance.

Grace looked at her with mild confusion. “Why should I think she’s being treated unfairly?”

“Because of what people are saying online…”

Grace let out a faint, dismissive scoff. “And are they wrong? Her husband is Lucas Carter–a very capable man. If her studio took off because of his influence, then what’s so unfair about people saying so?”

“But…” Tessa tried to interject, only for Grace to cut her off.

“It doesn’t matter. I just need to know this isn’t your doing. If someone else started it, then it has nothing to do with you.”

Tessa fell silent, unsure how to respond.

For the first time, she realized she couldn’t read her mother at all. Was Grace truly indifferent toward Aurora now, or was she just pretending not to care?