A mocking smile touched Leonard''s lips. "Trying to stir up trouble again."


    He was ready to dismiss it, but then a suspicion dawned: what if Joshua was unting his happiness, deliberately rubbing in how well Ste treated him?


    As if possessed by a strange impulse, Leonard picked up the phone. The message was a video. The camera was pointed at the floor, but the distinct pattern of the tiles identified the location as the Williams estate. Soon, Israel''s arrogant voice filled the air.


    "Regardless, Aurora was the one who was wronged in this situation, so Leonard bears some responsibility. He needs to figure out how to shut these people up. He also has topensate Aurora for her losses. He may have been ousted, but he''s still thergest shareholder in The Lerman Group. Aspensation for the damage to her reputation, he should transfer one percent of his shares to Aurora. He can''t just benefit from this and get away scot-free."


    Leonard''s expression remained impassive. Even when he heard Israel call him apdog, not a flicker of emotion crossed his face.


    Suddenly, the study door burst open, and Simone stormed in, furious. "After all these years, after all the benefits the Williams family has taken from us, they have the nerve to call you apdog behind your back? And Aurora just sits there and lets her brother say that without defending you?"


    Simone no longer saw Aurora as a friend; she saw her as an enemy. Ever since she discovered Aurora had been secretly meeting with Joshua behind her back, she had despised her. Being backstabbed by a close friend was always more disgusting than being attacked by an open enemy.


    She had known about the rumors circting in their social circles for a while.


    Actually, she''s the one who started that nasty rumor about Aurora sleeping around. Otherwise, it never would''ve blown up so fast or gotten so out of hand. She''s been waiting for this day forever.


    Simone had seeretly supplied


    photos of Aurora having meals with various men. It didn''t matter if


    anything had happened betwe ?


    them all that mattered was that people believed it had. If it hadn''t been for Joshua, she never would have let Aurora off so easily by letting her end up with Leonard. Her original n was for Aurora to suffer the same fate she had, being


    vited by different men.


    But Aurora was insatiable. And now she had the gall to nder Leonard, calling him apdog.


    "The Williams family and Aurora have taken so much from you over the years, Simone fumed. "Even if she married you, we''d still be getting the short end of the stick. They don''t want her to marry you, but they still have the audacity to demand your shares? Are they ying as for fools?"


    The audio clip was long, and nearly every member of the Williams family had spoken, except for Ste. Even Skyler hadn''t objected. Although Jonathan suggested only holding Leonard responsible for the rumors and not demanding shares, he still seemed to agree that Leonard owed Aurora.


    Simone''s angry voice rose again. "They''re so self-righteous, acting as if liking Aurora means you''re automatically in her debt. Do they really think she''s some goddess descended to earth? They''ve been setting that image for so long they''ve started to believe it themselves. In reality, she''s not even as good as that second-hand Ste. From her looks to her talent on the violin Ste is far superior. Even joining. The Williams Group as a novice, she''s more capable than that pretender who relies on men to secure deals. I guess the apple


    doesn''t fall far from the tree."