<b>Chapter </b>347
“Madam Grace, you really are a master of burning bridges<b>,</b><b>” </b>Aurora said with <b>a </b>coldugh<b>. </b>
<b>“</b>All this time<b>, </b>whatever you asked of me, I did it. I never once pushed back. And now<b>, </b>this <b>is </b>what I <b>get </b>in return?
<b>“</b><b>You’re </b>a Walton <b>too</b>. Don’t forget that.”
Grace couldn’t help but snap back. <b>“</b>If thepany thrives<b>, </b>that benefits <b>you </b>too.
<b>“</b><b>Don’t </b>make it sound like I’ve done everything purely for Walton Corporation. Let’s be honest<b>, </b>you think I’m only doing this for myself.”
That was the final blow. Aurora looked at her mother<b>, </b>utterly disillusioned.
She had never imagined that all her hard work, her devotion to thepany<b>, </b>would be twisted into selfish ambition<b>. </b>
“Mother, do <b>you </b>really mean what <b>you </b><b>just </b>said?”
She deliberately switched back <b>to </b>calling her <b>“</b>Mother<b>,</b>” hoping it would snap her out of it.
<b>But </b>Grace didn’t <b>even </b>flinch.
She had hesitated for a moment when she looked at Aurora’s face–there was a flicker of doubt–but whatever crossed her mind hardened her again.
<b>“</b><b>I’m </b>giving <b>you </b>three days. Clean up this <b>mess</b><b>. </b><b>If </b><b>you </b>can’t shut down the rumors<b>, </b>then <b>you </b>won’t be able to keep <b>your </b>position.<b>” </b>
With that, Grace flung her sleeve and turned <b>away</b><b>, </b>unwilling to hear another word.
Seeing this<b>, </b>Aurora didn’t bother forcing anything more<b>. </b>
She already understood <b>exactly </b>where her mother stood – there <b>was </b><b>no </b>point in staying.
“Fine. I <b>understand</b>.”
With that<b>, </b>she turned and walked <b>out </b>the door.
Grace watched her daughter’s figure disappear into the hall and sank into silence.
<b>In </b>the end, she said nothing <b>more</b><b>. </b>
Maybe<b>, </b><b>this </b>really <b>was </b>her own fault.
She should take responsibility<b>–</b>why would she <b>expect </b>someone else to bear the <b>consequences </b>for her?
Besides, after <b>serving </b><b>as </b>general manager of Walton Corporation for this long, was she really going <b>to </b><b>cower </b>behind her mother the moment <b>something </b><b>happened</b><b>? </b>
Grace thought <b>to </b>herself <b>that </b><b>this </b><b>couldn’t </b><b>go </b><b>on</b><b>. </b>
Aurora needed <b>to </b>handle <b>it on </b>her <b>own</b><b>, </b><b>especially </b>since <b>the </b>situation had <b>started </b>with her in the first <b>ce</b>.
With that, her resolve <b>only </b>grew <b>stronger</b><b>. </b>
When <b>it </b>came to Aurora<b>, </b><b>Grace </b><b>didn’t </b><b>think </b>she had <b>made </b>the <b>wrong </b><b>call</b>.
Meanwhile, outside the office<b>, </b>Aurora pulled <b>out </b><b>her </b>phone <b>to </b><b>see </b><b>just </b>what <b>was </b><b>going </b><b>on </b>online<b>. </b>
<b>Why </b>hadn’t she heard <b>about </b><b>any </b>of this sooner<b>? </b>
After <b>that </b>banquet<b>, </b>she had assumed the entire <b>situation </b>had <be </b><b>to </b><b>a </b><b>close</b><b>. </b>
She <b>hadn’t </b>expected there would be an aftershock
The thought gave her <b>a </b>headache. <b>She’d </b>believed <b>it </b>was all <b>settled</b><b>, </b><b>yet </b><b>here </b><b>came </b>another <b>wave </b>of mess <b>to </b>deal <b>with</b>.
She tapped into the trending video and watched <b>carefully</b>.
As she studied <b>it</b><b>, </b>she realized it was just footage from the <b>banquet</b><b>, </b><b>only </b>edited <b>to </b><b>cut </b><b>out </b>context, framing the events in <b>a </b><bpletely </b><b>twisted </b>way.
Aurora narrowed her <b>eyes</b><b>. </b><b>The </b>moment she saw <b>it</b><b>, </b>she knew <b>exactly </b>who had done it.
Clearly<b>, </b>her dear sister couldn’t wait <b>to </b>dump <b>all </b>the me on her<b>. </b>
It had only been <b>a </b>few <b>days</b><b>, </b>and she already couldn’t hold back<b>? </b>
<b>Aurora’s </b>lips curled into a smile<i>. </i>
Just because she hadn’t made a move against her “good sister<b>” </b>didn’t mean she hadn’t been paying attention to everything going on behind the scenes.
<b>“</b><b>If </b>she’s got so much free time while she’s ‘recovering<b>,</b><b>‘ </b>let’s give her something to keep her <b>busy</b>.<b>” </b>
Her <b>smile </b>widened, but it never <b>reached </b>her eyes.
<b>Anyone </b>who truly knew Aurora would <b>recognize </b><b>it </b>immediately that this <b>was </b>the calm before her storm. She <b>was </b>ready to strike back.