Chapter 252
Tessa finally gave in, lowering her proud head. โI understand, Mom. Iโll handle it.โ
Aurora was a little surprised. She hadnโt expected Grace , who had always sided with Tessa, to actually scold her in front of her. But it all made sense now. People always prioritized their own interests. No matter the situation, nothing mattered more than personal gain. Once her interests were threatened, even someone like Tessa could be cast aside.
Aurora set down her fork and turned to Grace. โMom, Iโm done. Iโll head back to my room and rest.โ
โAlright, go rest. Your health comes first.โ
Aurora gave a faint smile and said nothing more. But that calm, almost indifferent demeanor only made Tessa seethe with anger. Who wouldโve thought Aurora had grown so arrogant?
Grace didnโt miss the resentment flashing in Tessaโs eyes. A flicker of doubt crossed her mind. Had Tessa always been like this? There was something offโsomething two-faced about her lately. Grace offered a light warning. โTessa, your sister doesnโt need your interference. Just focus on your own issues.โ She glanced at Tessa as she said it. That look carried weight. She had made her stance perfectly clear. All she wanted now was for Tessa to understand her place. She wasnโt expecting the two sisters to get along, but at the very least, they needed to keep up appearances. Grace had finally seen things for what they were.
Tessa lowered her eyes obediently. โYes, Mom. I understand.โ But her fists clenched tightly at her sides, her gaze shadowed with resentment. Of course, she understood exactly what Grace meant. Ever since Aurora had landed that overseas project, everything had changed. In Graceโs eyes, she was no longer the same old Aurora. And Tessa knew it better than anyone. In Graceโs eyes, the one who brought her the most benefit naturally held the higher ground. And between her and Aurora, it was obvious who held more value now. Tessa wasnโt blind to the shift. She knew exactly where she stood. So, rather than fight it, she decided it was better to lie low for a while. Once the storm passed, she could deal with Aurora in her own time. For now, Aurora was the golden child in Graceโs eyes. She was considered untouchable.
With that in mind, Tessa quietly returned to her room. Grace merely glanced up and said nothing.
Time passed quickly, and over the next few days, Aurora remained at the Walton estate. She barely had time to go home. Sometimes, she even stayed overnight at the office, fully focused on pushing the overseas project forward. Since no one had any faith in it, she was determined to prove them all wrong. Once it succeeded, those shareholders would have no room left to talk.
During this stretch, she and Lucas barely spoke. Seeing each other wasnโt even on the table. At first, Aurora found the silence strange. But gradually, she started to grow used to life without Lucas around. She even caught herself thinkingโmaybe without her at home, Lucas and his old flame were finally enjoying each otherโs company more freely. The thought made the corner of her lips curl into a mocking smile. If that was the case, why bother going back and disrupting them? With that, Aurora threw herself entirely into her work, focused only on accelerating the projectโs progress. But the more composed she remained, the more restless Lucas became.