Chapter 45
Jaxon’s face grew grimmer and he spat out angrily, “How dare you speak to your mother like that, you brat? Stacy is my legal wife, which makes her your mother. If you don’t acknowledge her, then get the hell out of Crawford Manor.”
In an instant, the atmosphere in the dining room plummeted to freezing point. Every servant held their breath, not daring to make the slightest
sound.
Emma frantically signaled to Aurora with her eyes, urging Aurora to apologize to Jaxon and not go head–to–head with him.
Meanwhile, a smug look flashed across Stacy’s eyes as she thought, ‘Humph. This little brat thinks she can go up against me? Once Jaxon kicks her out. I’ll get my revenge soon enough.‘
Aurora acted as if she were oblivious, her eyes locking straight onto Jaxon’s without a trace of fear. “What kind of mother would call her own daughter a bitch?”
As soon as Aurora said that, the servants standing in the living room exchanged glances, quietly sneaking peeks at Stacy’s face, trying to see if she really treated Aurora like her own daughter, as she claimed earlier.
Stacy realized she had misspoken, her face alternating between red and pale–a spectacle all on its own.
Jaxon was speechless, only regaining his voice after a long moment. “Your mother was just anxious. You put Maura in such a state, and she’s still lying in a hospital bed. Stacy was worried…”
As he mentioned this, his anger flared again, saying, “Aurora, what have I taught you all these years? I brought you back from the countryside, gave you food, clothes–whatever you wanted, you got.
“Has Maura ever treated you poorly? She always thinks of you in everything. And yet, you could be so cruel to her! She’s your sister, for crying out loud, and you still–still had the heart to do such a terrible thing to her!”
Talking about Maura, a flicker of real hurt passed through Jaxon’s eyes as his anger deepened.
Stacy then didn’t feel like crying anymore. She glared at Aurora with pure hatred, as if she wanted to tear her apart. “You’re the reason Maura ended up in the hospital, the reason she was in surgery for ten hours, the reason she’s in the ICU now. Someone as heartless as you doesn’t deserve to live with us. Get out of Crawford Manor!”
With that, Stacy reached out to shove Aurora, attempting to push her out.
But Aurora swung her arm, the force behind it so strong that Stacy lost her balance and nearly fell.
Seeing this, Jaxon flew into a rage, raising his hand to strike Aurora. “Are you rebelling against me now?”
Just like with Stacy earlier, Aurora caught him by the wrist in one swift motion, her head tilted up as she stared him down calmly. Reflected in her eyes was a man whose nostrils flared with fury, yet inside, she couldn’t stop the waves of hurt that began to swell.
Aurora mused, “This is my father, my biological father.
‘Stacy sent people to take me away, and he didn’t care. I was out all night, and he didn’t say a word or ask a single question. Stacy cursed me out like I was nothing, and he still took her side…
‘One thing after another shows that, in his heart, his own daughter is nothing more than a useless weed, not worth a damn!‘
“You ungrateful brat!” Jaxon’s face turned red with rage, veins bulging from his neck.
“Looks like we can’t keep you here anymore. Get out of my house now!” He fumed, jabbing his finger toward the door, clearly demanding that Aurora leave immediately.
She stared at Jaxon for a long while before chuckling, “Crawford Manor belongs to my mother. The one who should leave is someone else, don’t you think?”
Aurora thought mockingly, ‘Does he really think I’m dumb enough to give up what my mother left me just because I’m angry?‘
When Jaxon heard that, his eyes flickered with uncertainty, and he wondered, ‘How could she know that? She shouldn’t have any idea. Could Victoria have secretly contacted her? No, that’s impossible. If they were in touch, Aurora wouldn’t still be here!
With that thought in mind, he pressed his fingers to his brow, trying to suppress his temper. Still, he decided Aurora needed a lesson before she
became even more rebellious and dared to harm Maura.
“You’re talking nonsense. This is Crawford Manor. Everything here was earned by me. If I want someone gone, they’re gone. Now, get out of here!” Jaxon barked.
1/2
1:39 AM
Chapter 45
Stacy, standing off to the side, looked smug, watching Aurora as if she were a stray dog.
“Fine.” Aurora swung her backpack over her shoulder and strutted toward the door, her voice dripping with indifference. “I’ll be back tomorrow with someone from the notary office. We’ll see who really owns this place.”
Jaxon’s heart skipped a beat, and his hands clenched tightly at his sides as he glared at her retreating figure. His eyes were filled with a murderous intensity as if he could devour her alive. It had been so many years since anyone had backed him into a corner like this.
Standing beside him, Stacy also glared at Aurora’s retreating figure, her expression far from kind. She pressed her nails into her palm and, reluctantly, played the role of peacemaker. “Honey, calm down. Aurora is your daughter, Why are you so angry with her? There’s no such thing as a lasting grudge between father and daughter.”
Stacy knew that if Aurora really brought someone from the notary office and reclaimed the property, both she and Jaxon would lose face. And Stacy could only imagine how the other families in Mereida would look down on them.
It was obvious that Jaxon had thought of this as well. He took the opportunity Stacy offered and grumbled, “Look at her! What kind of behavior is this? As her father, I can’t even say a few words to her without her talking back and threatening to leave home. Clearly, I’ve failed as a parent!”
Stacy was even more furious than he was, but she had no choice but to swallow her anger, forcing a smile as she quickened her pace and grabbed hold of Aurora’s backpack. Even though Stacy was choking with frustration inside, she put on a smile.
Then she said, “Aurora, look at you. You’re too hot–headed. Your dad was only looking out for you. He said a couple of things, and now you’re running away from home? You’re really breaking his heart.”
Aurora, however, didn’t turn around, thinking to herself, ‘Stacy’s always dodging the point. That wasn’t just a couple of angry words. He pointed at my nose and told me to get lost. How did it turn into me being the one making a scene and leaving home?‘
In the end, Stacy couldn’t help but let a bit of resentment slip through, saying, “You put Maura in the hospital. The doctor said she could only have liquid food for the next three days. No matter what, Maura was raised by your dad. He says a couple of things, and you can’t handle it?
“Maura is your sister too. If she did something to wrong you, you should’ve told me, and I would’ve taken care of it. But you…couldn’t have gone so far as to hurt her like that!”
.
By the time Stacy got to the last sentence, her tears were streaming down her face, her voice choking with sobs. Her performance was flawless, completely misleading everyone around. The moment she finished speaking, the servants standing in the dining room began casting strange looks at Aurora.
One of the servants thought, ‘Last night, Mr. Crawford and Mrs. Crawford rushed to the hospital and only just now came back, looking exhausted. And what a coincidence–Ms. Crawford and Ms. Maura Crawford weren’t home last night. Did Ms. Crawford really do something to Ms. Maura Crawford?‘
Stacy noticed the shift and felt secretly pleased. She knew a few of the servants had loose tongues. Even if she couldn’t do anything to Aurora right now, she could still ruin her reputation.
Stacy figured that once Aurora’s reputation was in tatters, no one would believe anything she said. Then, she’d deal with Aurora properly. Aurora scoffed, “Mrs. Crawford, if you’re going to accuse me of something, you’d better have proof. What did I do?”
