Chapter <b>372 </b>
Aurora nodded. “She was having trouble breathing just now<b>, </b><b>so </b>I bought her the medication. Make sure she takes it.”
“Alright, I’ll bring it to her right away<b>.</b>”
Just as the assistant was about to leave, Aurora added, “<b>If </b>she refuses <b>to </b>take it… don’t tell her it came from me.”
Though confused, the assistant still nodded and went along with it.
“Aren’t they mother and daughter?” he thought. “Why be so secretive just to give her medicine? Shouldn’t something like this be done openly?<b>” </b>
Still, he didn’t ask questions<b>. </b>Maybe that’s <b>just </b>how their rtionship wasplicated and guarded.
He didn’t understand it, but he chose to respect it.
He was just an employee. There was no need to get involved in their family dynamics<b>. </b>
His job was to look after the Chairwoman.
And technically speaking, his direct superior was Grace, not Aurora.
That thought settled it for him–his only priority was <b>Grace’s </b>health. The rest wasn’t his concem.
When he entered the room, he found <b>Grace </b>clutching her chest<b>, </b>struggling to breathe. Her lips were pale, and her face was ashen.
It was immediately clear something was very wrong.
“Madam <b>Grace</b><b>!</b>” he eximed, panic tightening his <b>voice</b><b>. </b>“Are you alright? What happened?”
<b>Just </b>outside the door, Aurora heard his shout. Her heart dropped.
She took two hesitant <b>steps </b>toward the office.
But then she <b>stopped</b>.
Grace’s harsh <b>words </b>from earlier still echoed in her mind.
Grace <b>probably </b>didn’t want <b>to </b><b>see </b>her right <b>now </b>more than <b>anyone </b><b>else</b>.
That thought made Aurora <b>lower </b>her <b>eyes</b>.
<b>At </b>the <b>very </b><b>least</b><b>, </b>she had <b>enough </b><b>self</b><b>–</b>awareness <b>to </b>recognize that.
Rather than barging in and upsetting her mother further, it was better <b>to </b>wait outside and <b>stay </b><b>out </b>of the way.
Her <b>lips </b><b>pressed </b><b>tightly </b><b>together</b><b>, </b>her whole <b>body </b><b>was </b><b>so </b><b>tense </b>that <b>even </b><b>passersby </b>noticed.
<b>“</b><b>Are </b><b>you alright</b><b>, </b>Miss <b>Walton</b><b>?</b><b>” </b><b>someone </b>asked. “You <b>don’t </b>look <b>too </b><b>well</b><b>.</b>”
<b>Aurora </b>shook her head<b>. </b><b>“</b>I’m fine<b>. </b><b>Go </b><b>on </b><b>with </b><b>your </b>work. <b>Don’t </b><b>let </b><b>me </b>hold <b>you </b><b>up</b><b>.</b><b>” </b>
The employee nced <b>discreetly </b><b>toward </b>the Chairwoman’s office<b>. </b>
The door <b>was </b>shut <b>tight</b><b>. </b>
<b>Had </b>they gotten <b>into </b>another argument?
<b>Aurora </b><b>caught </b>the <b>look </b>in her <b>colleague’s </b><b>eyes</b><b>, </b>and <b>an </b>ache <b>settled </b>in her chest.
She and Grace were supposed to be the <b>closest </b><b>people </b>in the world. So how had things <b>ended </b><b>up </b>like this?
Even if they <b>were </b>mother <b>and </b><b>daughter</b><b>, </b>this <b>bitter</b><b>, </b>strained rtionship wasn’t <b>something </b>she ever <b>wanted</b>.
More <b>than </b>anything<b>, </b>she <b>didn’t </b>want things between them <b>to </b>reach this point.
They were supposed to be each other’s <b>safest </b>harbor.
And <b>yet </b><b>now</b><b>, </b>it felt like they were worlds apart.
Letting out a quiet sigh<b>, </b>Aurora decided it was better <b>not </b>to linger. The assistant was with her mother–her presence might only make things worse.
<b>What </b>she didn’t know was <b>that </b>after she <b>left</b><b>, </b>Grace’s condition suddenly deteriorated.
The assistant <b>began </b>to panic. <b>“</b>Madam <b>Grace</b><b>, </b><b>are </b>you okay? Why are <b>you </b>coughing so much?”
“… <b>abem</b>…. I’m fine<b>…</b>” Grace rasped.
<b>Just </b>speaking was exhausting.
The assistant grew increasingly rmed. <b>“</b>Madam Grace<b>, </b>this doesn’t look good, I think we should get you to <b>a </b>hospital. You look <b>too </b>pale,”