Truth be told, Tessa wasn’t the least bit surprised by the response. She’d known all along that Grace wouldn’t hand over any real power that easily.

She hadn’t said those words today expecting results; she just wanted to test the waters, to see where her mother truly stood. And now she had her answer. Grace may have hesitated, but she hadn’t outright refused. That meant there was still hope. With that realization, Tessa suddenly felt as if her whole future had opened up.

Meanwhile, back at home, Aurora had just walked through the door, only to realize she wasn’t the first to arrive. She was actually the last. Lucas and Wendy were already home.

Aurora merely raised a brow and said nothing, heading straight for the guest room. Seeing this, Lucas clenched his fists, unsure of what to say.

Wendy, however, let out a dramatic gasp. “Oh my, Aurora, why are you staying in the guest room?”

Aurora let out a cold laugh. “That’s my business. What does it have to do with you?”

“Oh, I know, I know,” Wendy said innocently. “But shouldn’t you be sharing a room with Lukey? Did you two have a fight or something?”

Aurora and Lucas locked eyes for a second, but it passed quickly.

Lucas frowned. “Where Aurora chooses to sleep is none of your concern. Worry about yourself.”

Hearing that, Aurora smiled and hooked her arm through his. “You heard him–mind your own business, Wendy. Actually, I’m in a pretty good mood today. I think I’ll sleep in the master bedroom tonight.”

Aurora had never bothered to accommodate Wendy’s nonsense. Without missing a beat, she pivoted and made her way toward the master bedroom.

Wendy stood frozen, fists clenched in frustration. That woman–what a witch! Why didn’t she just stick to the guest room? Why did she even have to open her mouth? Now Wendy was left stewing in regret. Some rejoiced, others stewed.

The moment Lucas heard Aurora say she’d be sleeping in the master bedroom, the curve at the corner of his lips gave away his lifted mood. He followed her to the room, sliding in right after her without hesitation.

“What do you think you’re doing?” Aurora asked, clearly annoyed.

“Rora, aren’t we sleeping together?” Lucas replied, looking at her with a pair of wide, innocent, puppy-like eyes.

Faced with that gaze, Aurora honestly didn’t know how to turn him down. But the thought of him and his so-called first love still made her uncomfortable deep down.

“We’ll see,” she said curtly, grabbing her clothes and heading to the bathroom.

Lucas, who hadn’t been directly rejected, allowed a smile to slowly spread across his face. As long as she didn’t say no, it meant there was still hope.

The two of them stayed in the room for quite a while, which drove Wendy into a full-blown frenzy outside. She paced anxiously, desperate to know what was going on behind that door. Why had everything gone quiet all of a sudden? Wendy grew more and more uneasy. She even pressed her ear to the door, trying to catch any hint of what they might be doing inside. They couldn’t be getting cozy behind her back, could they?

Just as she leaned in closer, the door was yanked open. Wendy lost her balance and fell flat on the floor.

Lucas stared down at her, puzzled. “What are you doing out here? Is this some kind of new cosplay?”

“Lukey, that really hurt… help me up, please,” Wendy whimpered, her voice trembling with tears. This time, the fall had genuinely hurt. On top of that, the embarrassment was unbearable–tears welled up and spilled down her cheeks.