Chapter 371

“I know this situation has affected the company, but it’s not all because of me. What about Julian Hayes? Doesn’t he bear any responsibility?”

She stood her ground, refusing to let Grace pin the entire fallout on her.

That would be completely unfair, especially considering how much she had contributed to the company.

Her words struck like a blade, slicing straight into Grace’s heart.

Grace shot up from the chair, eyes blazing. “He’s your brother-in-law! How dare you call him by name?

“What happened to the values I taught you? The decency, the respect? Did it all go to waste?”

Aurora clenched her jaw, meeting her mother’s fury head-on. “Brother-in-law? He has nothing to do with me!

“You saw who he really was back at the villa. And even now, you’re still refusing to acknowledge what kind of man he is?”

She turned her face away, voice ice-cold. “A man like him—he’s scum. Someone like that will never be my brother-in-law. I won’t acknowledge it.”

With a loud bang, Grace slammed her hand on the desk and stood up. “Aurora Walton, are you rebelling against me?”

“I did nothing wrong!” Aurora shouted back. “I secured the company’s two biggest projects. Yes, the stock is down, but that’s not all on me. So, why should I be the one to take the blame?”

Grace clutched her chest, her right hand trembling as she pointed at her daughter. “Ungrateful girl! Do you even hear yourself?”

“I hear myself just fine,” Aurora snapped. “And you’ve known all along. You just pretend not to see it.”

As soon as she said it, she noticed her mother pressing a hand against her chest, her expression unsteady.

A flicker of concern crossed Aurora’s face, and she quickly stepped forward to help.

But Grace shoved her away.

“If you’ve got such a temper, then don’t bother worrying about your mother’s well-being.

“You clearly don’t care anyway, do you?”

With that, Grace brushed past her and stormed toward the door.

Watching her mother’s retreating figure, Aurora faltered.

Had she truly gone too far?

Did it really all come down to her being in the wrong?

She had cared deeply, but did it all mean nothing?

And yet, wasn’t she entitled to all this? Didn’t she deserve it?

Aurora clenched her fists, and Lucas’s handsome face flashed through her mind.

He had once looked at her with that serious, steady gaze and said, “Rora, you have to believe in yourself. You can doubt anyone, but never doubt yourself.”

His deep, soothing voice echoed in her thoughts, and in that moment, everything snapped back into focus.

He was right. That had always been Lucas’s way of guiding her.

What he said made sense—she shouldn’t be questioning herself.

But still, Aurora couldn’t ignore the image of Grace earlier, clutching her chest.

Despite everything, she was still her mother, the one who had raised her.

Worried, Aurora chased after her. Then, without hesitation, she went to the pharmacy and bought the usual medication Grace often took.

She handed the bag to her mother’s assistant.

The assistant looked at the bag, puzzled at first.

But then, realizing what it was, she grew visibly anxious.

“Miss Walton, are these for the Chairwoman? Is something wrong with her?”

Her expression tightened with worry, concern for Grace’s health clearly growing.