No one else in that house seemed to care about him anymore. But hearing her call him “Arnold” again, so warm and familiar, rekindled a sense of belonging he hadn’t felt in a long time.

His eyes welled with tears as he looked at Aurora, his voice trembling. “Ah, I’m fine, Miss Aurora. Truly, I’m fine.”

But he clearly wasn’t fine.

Aurora could see it in his face, and concern flickered in her eyes. “Really? Are you feeling unwell? You’re not young anymore. You need to get your checkups regularly. If you don’t have anyone to go with you, call me. I’ll take you myself when I’m free.”

As she spoke, she pulled out her phone and asked earnestly, “Arnold, do you still have my number?”

“I do… I do,” he murmured, his voice growing quieter until he finally covered his face.

Tears slipped through the gaps between his fingers.

Aurora’s heart tightened at the sight.

She stepped closer and gently placed a hand on his back to comfort him, but before she could speak, Arnold gripped her hand and whispered, “Miss Aurora, you must be careful with Miss Tessa. She’s not what she seems.”

Aurora’s chest tightened. Meeting the weary look in his eyes, she finally understood – he must have been living under Tessa’s shadow for a long time, silenced by fear. That hesitation she noticed earlier was because Tessa had made sure he couldn’t speak.

So, it was true – Tessa wasn’t as simple as she appeared.

Aurora’s gaze flickered, then steadied. “I understand. Don’t worry, Arnold. I’ll take care of myself.”

He didn’t say another word. He didn’t need to. He knew Aurora would never betray him. She was too kind for that.

And he was right. Aurora had no intention of exposing him. She had her own plan.

If even Arnold could see through Tessa’s act, then Grace surely could too. And if she still refused to acknowledge it, that could only mean one thing. She didn’t want to. She chose to turn a blind eye to who her favorite daughter truly was. And if that was the case, Aurora would stop expecting anything different. There was an old saying: You can’t reason with someone who refuses to see the truth. If Grace chose to live in her own delusion, then what was the point of trying to reason with her?

After parting ways with Arnold, Aurora straightened her posture and walked toward the living room. The moment she stepped inside, she saw Grace sitting on the sofa, with Tessa right beside her, the two of them watching television as if nothing in the world could disturb their peace. At first glance, they looked like the perfect mother and daughter – warm, harmonious, and inseparable. The sight made something tighten in Aurora’s chest. In truth, they did make a fitting pair.

When Aurora entered, both of them turned at the sound of footsteps. Grace blinked in surprise, clearly not expecting her. But the first words out of her mouth weren’t a greeting.

They were, “Why are you back? Where’s Lucas? Did he come with you?”

Her tone carried a spark of excitement that was impossible to miss.

Aurora gave a cold, inward laugh. Of course, she’d overestimated her mother again.

This was exactly why she hadn’t let Lucas come with her.

With a family like this – what was the point of coming home at all?