But now, with the Lerman family''s influence waning, Aurora was openly trying to steal him away. If it had been anyone else, it would have been one thing. But this was Aurora, her best friend for years! How could she be so thoughtless?


    In that moment, Simone''s hatred boiled over. Aurora''s life had always been too easy. They were both illegitimate daughters, but Aurora had grown up in the spotlight, celebrated and admired. Meanwhile, she and Leonard had been forced to hide in the shadows like rats, ridiculed and shamed, never daring to show their faces in front of the legitimate heirs. They were both born to be scorned, so what right did Aurora have to be treated like a goddess?


    Right now, her hatred for Ste seemed insignificant. The betrayal of a close friend cut deeper than the animosity of any enemy.


    Taking a deep breath, Simone forced down the corrosive hatred in her heart and managed a smile. "Of course. No one knows what Aurora likes better than I do."


    "Thank you, Miss Lerman," Joshua said with a warm smile. "Today''s coffee is on me."


    After they finished, they went to a nearby luxury shopping center. Simone didn''t choose a gift she knew Aurora would dislike; that would be too amateurish. Instead, she picked something Aurora secretly adored, a preference known only to her. "Joshua, Aurora will love this," she said. "It was a little secret between us. Even my brother doesn''t know about it."


    At the mention of Leonard, Joshua asked, "Miss Lerman, are you... still trying to set your brother up with her?"


    A flicker of coldness passed through Simone''s eyes before she replied with a bitter smile. "My brother has lost his influence and suffered a terrible injury. He''s no longer worthy of Aurora. She''s an exceptional woman; she deserves better."


    "Without your brother''s... protection, I imagine all the young men who were interested in Aurora will start making their moves again," Joshuamented.


    Simone watched his expression, trying to decipher the meaning behind his words.


    As if sensing her thoughts, Joshua said, "To be honest, if your brother and Aurora were still that close, I


    probably wouldn''t have agreed to her invitation or spent time with her." He nced at her. "I may have had my disagreements with your brother, but you and I are friends, Miss Lerman. I wouldn''t want to put you in an awkward position."


    A sharp breath caught in Simone''s throat. Her heart, which had sunk to the depths, slowly began to float


    back up Tears welled in heremet


    Joshua cared about her feelings after all. Even though they hadn''t made any real progress and were still just friends, the fact that he was considerate of her was enough to give her hope.


    After parting ways with Joshua, Simone''s mind raced. She knew Aurora''s true nature better than


    anyone. To put it nicely, she was


    ambitious and drawn to power To put it bluntly, she was opportunistic and ruthless. With Leonard''s position unstable and his body broken, and with Sellers-a man every bit as powerful as her brother-pursuing her, the chances of Aurora choosing Leonard were slim.


    But... it wasn''t impossible.


    A dark light glinted in Simone''s eyes. Since Aurora had been heartless to her, she shouldn''t be med for being ruthless in return.


    Just then, her phone rang. Seeing the caller ID, a chilling smile touched her lips. She answered. "Aurora, what''s up?"