Jonathan cleared his throat softly and said, "We know what happened. Aurora was there because she epted an invitation from Simone. The rumors may not havee from you, but you and your sister are not entirely meless in this matter. Leonard, it was your sister who did this. It''s not unreasonable to hold you responsible."


    It was clear that a hardline approach wasn''t working. Since force had failed, Jonathan changed tactics, with Israel having served his purpose as the initial battering ram to test Leonard''s attitude.


    At this, Leonard nced up at Joshua and Ste, a cryptic smile ying on his lips. "Simone doesn''t have the brains or the nerve to plot against both me and Aurora. Someone must have been pulling her strings."


    He was obviously referring to Joshua and Ste. Even if Simone hadn''t confessed, it wouldn''t be difficult for Leonard to uncover the mastermind. After all, Simone and Joshua had met recently. But Joshua''s reason for the meeting had been perfectly usible, leaving Leonard with no leverage. The Williams family had also tried to investigate the source of the rumors but had found no useful leads. Online gossip could be traced, but these rumors had spread through private conversations, making it nearly impossible to find the origin.


    And now, even if the Williams family knew Joshua was responsible, they couldn''t admit it. They had to pin the me on Leonard to have any ground for negotiation. Jonathan''s words were far more reasonable than Israel''s. "Leonard, you must understand that regardless of whether Simone was manipted or had other motives, she was the one who lured Aurora out. If Aurora hadn''t trusted her, she never would have agreed to meet and her reputation wouldn''t be in ruins. I know Simone has gone through a lot recently and her mindset has changed, but Aurora has always treated her like a sister and has never done anything to wrong her. You know how much we value Aurora. If this isn''t resolved properly... Leonard, I''m sorry, but there will be consequences."


    Jonathan paused, letting the threat hang in the air. "We invited you here today because of the good rtionship you and your sister once had with Aurora. If it were anyone else, we wouldn''t be this civil."


    It was a masterful use of the carrot and the stick, befitting the future heir of The Williams Group.


    Leonard finally fell silent. After a long moment, he asked, "How do you want to resolve it?"


    Coleman, who had been quiet until now, spoke up. "The rumors have -stop. Leonard, with your resources that should be manageable.


    "I can stop the rumors," Leonard conceded, "but I can''t restore her reputation."


    Israel chimed in again. "If you can''t


    restore it, then you have to


    Before Israet could continue his tirade, Leonard cut him off. "I canpensate Aurora with three percent of The Lerman Group''s shares for the damage to her reputation:


    All sound in the room ceased. Leonard reached into his briefcase and pulled out a


    file folder.