Chapter 408

This time, it was her fault. She shouldn’t have been so willful and let things escalate to the point where her mother ended up hospitalized. Compared to everything else, her mother’s health should have come first. The Walton Corporation could survive without her, but not without Grace. That realization struck deep, and the guilt in Aurora’s eyes only grew heavier as she looked at her mother. She shouldn’t have pushed back so stubbornly.

She had been through so much lately, and perhaps she’d grown too jaded, too weary. But that was no excuse. Back then, she shouldn’t have talked back. If she hadn’t, maybe her mother wouldn’t be lying here like this. Aurora lowered her gaze, at a loss for words.

Standing beside her, Lucas noticed the shift in her expression. He quietly reached over and placed his hand over hers, his touch warm and steady. “You’re already here,” he said gently. “If you keep blaming yourself like this, and your mom sees it, it’ll only hurt her more.”

Aurora looked up at him, lips parting as if to speak, but in the end, she just nodded. She knew he was right. Lucas always said the right things, especially when it mattered. He was only trying to comfort her, especially here in the hospital, where everything felt too raw and fragile. But after everything she’d been through, Aurora could no longer shift the blame so easily, not even to fate.

“The Chairwoman’s awake!” Leonard suddenly exclaimed, drawing both their attention. Aurora instinctively turned toward the bed and met her mother’s eyes. Gone was the usual sharpness, the commanding presence that had once filled every room. In its place was a fragile woman, forcing herself to appear composed in front of her daughter. The sight hit Aurora straight in the chest. This was her mother, the woman who had ruled boardrooms with unwavering strength. And now, here she was… confined to a hospital bed, her world reduced to four walls and quiet beeping monitors.

Of course, Grace hated being in a place like this. Aurora realized, maybe she really had been overthinking things. “Mom… you’re finally awake.” Her voice trembled, catching in her throat before she even noticed. She’d thought she was strong enough and could handle it all without flinching. But living through it was different. And now, she realized… maybe she wasn’t as strong as she believed.

Grace looked at her daughter, eyes red-rimmed and filled with emotion. Her heart gave a sudden, tight pull. Clearly, her time unconscious had deeply shaken Aurora. “I’m alright. Don’t worry,” she said softly, voice hoarse and dry, her lips cracked from dehydration. Seeing that only made Aurora’s chest ache more.

She hurried to pour a glass of water. “It’s okay now, Mom. You’re awake. Just drink some water and stop worrying about everything else.” “I’m fine…” Grace insisted, trying to sit up. Aurora rushed to support her, slipping an arm behind her back with visible concern in her eyes. “If something’s wrong, just tell me,” she murmured. “I’m right here.”

“Alright. I know,” Grace said, her gaze full of warmth and something softer than usual—something maternal. Whether it was the illness or something else, Aurora noticed it too. Her mother’s tone had changed—gentler and less guarded. From the side, Lucas and Leonard stood awkwardly in the room, unsure whether they should stay or leave. Didn’t Aurora just say earlier that her mother’s illness had been largely triggered by her? But judging by this scene, Grace didn’t seem upset with her at all. In fact, she looked pleased and almost affectionate.

Chapter 409