"Aurora''s mother was an ambitious one. Her daughter was illegitimate, but she managed to get her raised in the Williams family as if she were the rightful heir, trying to outshine the legitimate wife and daughter at every turn. But you can''t fight gics. No matter how much they invested in her, she could never measure up to Ste. If you hadn''t ruined Ste''s hands, Aurora would have beenpletely crushed by her."


    Simone''s resentment and jealousy toward Aurora finally erupted.


    They were both illegitimate children, yet what a world of difference there was between the lives she and Leonard had lived and Aurora''s. It wasn''t evenparable. Far from receiving any support from the Lerman family, they had been systematically suppressed at every opportunity.


    But what could they do? Theycked a rightful name or position. Why should Aurora get to live in the spotlight? An illegitimate daughter, dreaming of inheriting the family business. What right did she have?


    Leonard remained silent long after the recording ended. Having vented her anger, Simone finally calmed down. As much as she didn''t want Aurora as her sister-inw, she knew Leonard loved her. And knowing Leonard''s personality, once they were married, he would never allow Aurora to continue ying the field.


    She looked at him and said, "Brother, they want your shares, right? We can negotiate. If Aurora agrees to marry you, we can offer her one percent."


    Leonard, however, seemed lost in thought.


    "Brother," Simone pressed, "the Williams family will contact you soon. This is destroying Aurora''s reputation. The rumors are so bad that even Sellers probably wouldn''t dare marry her now. Marrying you is the best option for them. I think we have a lot of room to maneuver here."


    Leonard remained silent, his gaze lowered, and Simone couldn''t tell if he had heard her. He had been furious with her after thest incident, so she didn''t dare say more.


    ...


    The next day, as expected, Leonard received a call from Jonathan. "Leonard, we


    need to meet and discuss these rumors."


    "Fine," Leonard replied without hesitation.


    "Let''s meet at..." Jonathan began.


    "Williams Manor," Leonard cut in.


    Jonathan was taken aback.


    Although they had promised Ste they would never let Leonard set


    foot in their home again, this was a pressing matter. He and Skyler had already discussed it; if there was no other way, they would have to consider the marriage. Leonard was a useful tool, and if he remained devoted to Aurora, the alliance wasn''t uneptable. The situation had escted too far to worry about promises.


    Jonathan quickly agreed.


    For the Williams family, this scandal was even more serious than Israel''s incident. Everyone cleared their schedules, preparing to confront. Leonard as a united front. As a member of the family, Ste was expected to be there.


    Fortunately, Skyler, fearing she


    might cause trouble, had spoken to


    her beforehand, even hinting that she didn t have to stay if she didn''t want to. But Ste had a natural curiosity for drama and she wasn''t. about to miss the show starring Leonard and Aurora. She chose to stay.


    When the appointed time arrived, Ste watched from an upper window as the butler greeted Leonard at the door. To her surprise, he led Leonard not to the meeting room, but toward the back garden.


    Ste frowned. What was he ying at? Was he so giddy about finally getting Aurora that he felt like taking a stroll first?