Grace had decided to hand the matter over to Aurora entirely, without asking further questions.The best way to truly train a child was to entrust her with what you believed was important, without interfering too much—that was the most effective form of growth.Grace was about to return to preparations for the banquet, but Aurora didn’t leave right away. Instead, she stood there, watching her mother work.At first, Grace didn’t think much of it, but after a while, she began to feel something was off.Looking up, she saw Aurora still standing there.“Why are you still here?” she asked with a frown. “Don’t you have things of your own to do?”Aurora nodded seriously. “Of course I do, but I want to know what Madam Grace is doing.“Of course, I don’t mean anything by it. I’m just curious.”It was rare for Grace to see Aurora take on such a girlish demeanor, and the sight softened her heart.“I’m not doing much, just drafting the guest list for the banquet this weekend,” she explained. “That
Aurora wasn’t the least bit surprised by Grace’s response.After all, she had prepared all of this herself—she knew exactly what she was capable of.If she wanted her plan to pass her mother’s review, it wouldn’t be difficult at all.“Madam Grace, you can leave the Hunts to me.”Aurora smiled faintly, already set on fully taking over the task of dealing with Joseph.Since he hadn’t shown her any courtesy, why should she spare him any either?Grace nodded, showing no objections.“I trust the decisions you make. You don’t need to consult me on everything.”But Aurora insisted on her own principle. “Madam Grace, this is a matter of principle. I still need to let you know.“For small things, I’ll decide on my own, but for something like this, I have to come to you first.”Seeing Aurora so serious and earnest, Grace couldn’t help but feel a touch of emotion.Was this what it meant to have a good daughter?After all, her daughter was capable, beautiful, and deeply respectful toward her elder
Aurora glanced down at the documents in her hand, wondering if she should find another excuse later to ask her mother what exactly they were hiding from her.She curved her lips into a faint smile and walked toward the Grace’s office.Raising her hand, she knocked on the door, and upon hearing a response from inside, she stepped in.Grace was busy with matters for the banquet, scrolling through online discussions about the Walton Corporation, keeping a close watch for any new developments.Lately, there had been plenty of talk online about both the Hayes and Walton families.Some were even speculating whether the two families would never work together again.It had to be said—netizens’ powers of observation were impressively sharp.Even the smallest incident could be blown out of proportion.And they always seemed able to catch subtle hints that others missed—there was no doubting that.In the end, what they said often turned out to be true.That was why Grace was checking online now,
If that was the case, then what about all the harm Aurora had suffered before?Could everything from before just be brushed aside, as if it meant nothing?Of course not. That was simply impossible.So even now, Jason still didn’t understand Grace’s actions.While he was arranging this matter, he happened to run into Aurora walking toward the Grace’s office at the corner.Feeling guilty, Jason avoided her gaze.Aurora noticed and took the initiative to greet him. “Jason, where are you off to?”Jason froze mid-step, his face awkward.Why couldn’t she just pretend she hadn’t seen him?Why did she have to greet him at this moment?He truly didn’t know what to say.With no choice, he slowly turned around, forcing an official smile back onto his face.“What a coincidence, Miss Aurora.”But Aurora wasn’t buying it and kept to the original topic. “It is quite a coincidence.”“So, Jason, what exactly are you doing?”Her half-smile lingered as she fixed her gaze on him.Her expression was calm,
She bit down on her lip, glancing around with sharp, restless eyes.A bead of tension ran through her, and she silently prayed everything would go smoothly this time.As for Julian, he had to play his part.Otherwise, this move she’d made would be nothing but a mistake.Her brothers and sisters were all watching, waiting for a chance to pounce.Lily’s palm curled into a tight fist—this was not a gamble she could take, nor one she dared to.So much time had passed, and she had no idea what the state of the royal family was now.It was all unknown, which meant she had to tread even more carefully.As long as she was alive, anything was possible.And because Julian had truly saved her life, she chose not to hold the past against him.If not for him, she would likely have died in that remote mountain, her death unnoticed by the world.In those early days, when she knew nothing, hating him had been only natural.But now that she understood the full story, the hate had dissolved entirely.A
So even if Lily were to do something to him now, he could understand.But clearly, she had no such intention.Seeing how happy she was, not even sparing him a thought, Julian felt an odd sense of relief.It meant she truly didn’t see him as important.And in his mind, that was a good thing—at least it meant she wasn’t holding on to what had happened before.That thought allowed him to breathe easier.“So, what’s our next move?”When Lily stayed lost in her own thoughts, he couldn’t help but ask again.After all, when it came to something that could help him rise to the top, he had plenty of patience.As long as she could help him, he wouldn’t have to worry about making a comeback.Whether it was Aurora or his spineless parents, he’d make sure they each paid the price.Lily looked at him as he stood, and though he was more disheveled than before, the essence of him hadn’t changed.She could still see the ambition in his gaze, the hunger in his eyes.That pleased her.As long as the hard