Chapter 70

“You’re looking for the Walton younger… what business do you have with me?”

Tessa’s tone was casual, almost uninterested.

Joseph, however, was thrilled.

See? No woman could resist his charm. Not even the renowned Walton younger heiress.

He flashed a confident smile. “I heard that Miss Walton is not only breathtakingly beautiful but also elegant and incredibly capable. With such a reputation, how could I not want to get to know you?”

As he spoke, he even threw in a flirtatious wink.

Tessa barely resisted the urge to shudder.

Her entire body tensed with revulsion.

“Just here to make friends?” she asked, her voice laced with mock curiosity.

Joseph’s expression turned suggestive. “Well, we could take things further. Spend some more time together, get to know each other better.”

Tessa’s sharp eyes narrowed slightly.

Talking to this clown for even one more second is going to kill my brain cells.

And to think that he had spent all this time running around trying to find Aurora?

What did that make the three years Aurora had wasted on him?

The sheer absurdity of it all was almost comical.

With an expression of pure amusement, she tilted her head. “No wonder your brain doesn’t work properly–your eyes clearly don’t either. Guess you’re just really passionate about making friends.”

With that cryptic remark, Tessa walked past him and stepped into the elevator, leaving him standing there, completely baffled.

Joseph frowned, watching her retreating figure.

“What the hell was that supposed to mean?”

Behind the front desk, the receptionist let out an uncontrollable snicker.

His gaze snapped to her. “What are you laughing at?”

She quickly straightened, schooling her features into a mask of innocence. “Oh, nothing at all.”

Joseph eyed her suspiciously, but with no answers, he had no choice but to leave.

Sticking around any longer seemed pointless.

Meanwhile, upstairs, Tessa arrived at her mother’s office, shaking her head at the absolute joke she had just witnessed.

Hearing the knock on the door, Grace didn’t even lift her head. “Come in.”

When she saw it was Tessa, her usually stern expression softened slightly. “Tessa, what brings you here?”

“Mom, I noticed you’ve been working too hard, so I made some black chicken soup for you.”

Tessa lifted the insulated container, shaking it slightly with a gentle, sweet smile.

Grace paused, finally setting down her pen. “That’s very thoughtful of you.”

“Mom, you don’t have to be so formal with me.” Tessa walked over, looping her arm through Grace’s and resting her head lightly on her shoulder.

“Your health is what matters most. I know you work hard every day, and there’s not much I can do, but if you’re happy, then I’m happy too.”

“Alright, alright, my thoughtful girl,” Grace chuckled, her demeanor entirely different from the strict tone she often carried with Aurora.

Tessa straightened up, grabbed a bowl, and ladled out a serving of soup, placing it in front of her mother.

“Try it, Mom. I even had the cook simmer it a little longer for you.”

Grace took a sip. The rich, savory flavor spread across her tongue, warm and comforting. “Not bad.”

Seeing her mother satisfied, Tessa smiled brightly.

But then, as if suddenly remembering something, she hesitated before speaking.

“Mom, there’s something I’m not sure if I should mention.”

Grace set the bowl down, her expression turning attentive. “Go ahead.”

Tessa bit her lip slightly, her face filled with apparent hesitation. “I just saw Joseph Hunt downstairs in the lobby.”

“Joseph Hunt? That Joseph? The one Aurora was with for three years?”

Grace’s tone immediately dropped several degrees, her expression hardening as her brows furrowed in displeasure.

“What was he doing here?”

Tessa sighed, looking troubled, as if reluctant to speak. “I don’t know exactly… but he seemed to be looking for my sister. He kept asking for the Walton younger heiress downstairs.”

She hesitated before adding in a softer voice, “Could it be that she still hasn’t let go of him?”

Her expression carried just the right amount of disappointment, like she truly felt sorry for Aurora.