Chapter 204

Tessa deliberately paused at the end of her sentence. Anyone paying attention could read between the lines.

Grace let out a cold snort, her eyes turning toward Aurora in clear displeasure. “So, what are you implying? That Aurora’s proposal wasn’t solid enough?”

A flicker of hesitation passed through her. She truly didn’t know which way the scale should tip.

“That’s enough,” Aurora said firmly. “Whatever mistakes I’ve made, I’ll take responsibility for them.”

“Oh really?” Grace countered, placing the evidence right in front of her. “You’ve already made quite a few. These media outlets–each one carries real weight in the industry. How do you plan to handle this?”

Then, with carefully measured hesitation, Tessa added, “It’s already damaged the company’s image. Who knows how much more trouble it’ll bring…” She looked up at Grace with wide, concerned eyes, as if she were genuinely thinking only of her mother’s burdens.

Grace narrowed her gaze. Tessa had a point. The company’s reputation came before anything else, and as its leader, she couldn’t afford to make decisions based on emotion. She glanced at Aurora, who remained silent, and then at Tessa. In that moment, Grace couldn’t even pinpoint what she was feeling.

“That’s enough for today. We’ll leave it here,” she said, waving her hand tiredly. “In any case, handle the media issue immediately. I don’t want to see any more bad press.”

Aurora gave a faint “Alright,” then turned and walked out of the office without another word. She wasn’t sure what she was feeling, only that none of this had surprised her. Hadn’t she already known how it would end?

Behind her, Tessa watched her go, a triumphant smile tugging at her lips. “This is just the beginning, Aurora Walton. Soon, I’ll chip away at every ounce of trust Mour has in you. And when that happens, the company’s future will be mine to claim,” she thought.

She turned to Grace, her voice soft and full of warmth. “Mom, don’t let it upset you too much. Aurora’s still young–she just doesn’t see how much you’ve done for her.”

“It’s fine,” Grace sighed. “I don’t need her to understand. As long as the company runs as it should, that’s all I care about.”

Tessa gave a gentle smile and said nothing more.

After leaving the office, Aurora headed straight to...

Chapter 204

While waiting at a red light, her mind spiraled through a thousand thoughts. In the end, it all circled back to the moment her mother had officially appointed her as general manager. Her grip on the steering wheel tightened.

She didn’t even know what she was feeling anymore. Was it disappointment? No… hadn’t she seen this coming all along? Then what was she doing here, feeling sorry for herself?

“Pathetic,” she thought. “You’re actually pathetic, Aurora Walton.”

And yet, no matter how rational she tried to be, she couldn’t shut it off. She was her mother, after all. The doubts, the pain wouldn’t stop swirling in her head like a storm. She admitted it to herself: She cared more than she wanted to.

So, she picked up her phone and called Megan. The line barely rang once.

“Hey, babe, what’s up?”

“Are you busy?”

“For you? Never.”

On the other end, Megan was frantically waving off her instructor, silently mouthing for him to back off. She was on the phone with her girl–nothing else mattered. And the moment she heard Aurora’s voice, she knew something was off. She wasn’t about to leave her hanging.

Aurora forced a casual tone. “Come out. Drinks?”

“Hell yes. Usual spot?”

A small smirk tugged at Aurora’s lips. “Yeah. I’ll be there.”

They both set out immediately and met up at their usual place.

Chapter 205