Chapter 644

This wasn’t like her at all. It was not like the Tessa Grace knew.

Grace sighed. No matter what, this was the child she had doted on since she was little. How could she not feel a soft spot?

So, when she picked up the call, her tone was gentle. “What is it, sweetheart?”

But Tessa’s voice wavered with hesitation. “Mom, I heard… about Aurora.”

Grace’s heart skipped a beat, but she forced herself to stay composed. “Who told you that?” She hadn’t mentioned anything to Tessa, so how had she found out? And why bring it up now, acting so deliberately?

Something felt off. Still, Grace held back her doubts and waited patiently for Tessa to continue.

But Tessa hesitated again. “Mom, never mind how I found out. The point is, I know something now.”

“What is it?” Grace tensed at her tone, her nerves tightening with every pause. She wasn’t young anymore. Being dragged through this back and forth was wearing on her patience. It felt like Tessa was doing it on purpose, dangling words without saying anything meaningful. She’d always been calm, but even that calm had its limits.

“Tessa, if you have something to say, then say it already,” she said, her voice turning sharp. “Don’t beat around the bush. If you’re not willing to speak up, then forget it. I’ll look into it myself.”

Grace had once been a force to be reckoned with. She might be older now, but she wasn’t someone who could be played. Tessa’s little tricks? She’d seen them all before. There was a time she’d gone toe to toe with much tougher players than this. In front of Grace, Tessa had always been like a child–never truly threatening and difficult to manage.

But this constant hesitation and drawn–out indecisiveness were starting to wear thin. Grace couldn’t recall ever raising her daughter to be so timid.

Almost instinctively, her thoughts drifted to Aurora. Aurora had always stood tall in front of her, proud and unyielding, never one to bow her head easily. Tessa, on the other hand, had always leaned toward softness, more prone to acting spoiled than standing her ground. And beyond that, Grace couldn’t think of much else.

That realization brought a strange heaviness to her chest. It was a slow and creeping frustration. She found herself missing Aurora more than ever. She was such a brilliant daughter. How had she ended up like this? Had fate simply decided her life had gone too smoothly for too long? The thought tightened painfully in her chest, like something was hollowing her out from the inside.

On the other end of the line, Tessa was still fumbling for the right words. She’d planned it all out–stall a little, let Grace ask questions, then gently reveal what she needed to say. But Grace wasn’t following that script. It was like speaking to a different person altogether. Tessa couldn’t understand it. Why was Grace being so cold? She hadn’t done anything wrong. And those last few sharp sentences left her completely thrown. Her mind blanked. She didn’t even know how to react.

Back on Grace’s side, the silence stretched, testing the limits of her patience. Irritation flared in her chest. “That’s enough. I’m hanging up. I’ll investigate it myself.”

“Wait! Mom, don’t hang up! I’ll tell you!” The moment Tessa heard the word “hang up,” something snapped her out of her fog. Her mind clicked back into place, and suddenly, her voice returned.