Chapter 57
Sunrise Pharmaceuticals had takert a serious hit thanks to Caspian, and their relationship with Whitaker Medical Center was hanging by a thread. It was only natural that Whitaker would want to terminate the contract.
Aurora stayed silent for a moment before saying, “You set a time I want to try saving the situation.”
Giles had been thinking the same. He picked up the calendar sitting on the table and asked, “How about we set it for next week?
“Next week’s no good. I’ve got finals. We’ll have to push it back another week.”
“Alright.”
Giles didn’t underestimate Aurora just because she was still in school. After interacting with her a few times, he’d come to realize that she handled things thoroughly and calmly, always getting straight to the point. She was nothing like an ordinary high school student.
After putting up with Caspian’s nonsense, Giles was more than satisfied to work with someone who didn’t second–guess or micromanage. He valued this dynamic.
Aurora said, “Stay a bit longer at the office this Friday. I’ll come by after school.” Giles nodded in response.
“If there’s nothing else, let’s call it a day. With that, Aurora leaned forward to shut down her computer.
Wait. Giles stopped her. Meeting her curious gaze, he pressed his dry lips together, looking a bit embarrassed. “Actually this is a personal matter.”
Aurora raised an eyebrow. “You need time off? She knew Giles and Irene had a good relationship, and since Irene was still in. the hospital, it wouldn’t be surprising if he wanted some time to care for her.
He hesitated before continuing, “No. I wanted to ask you something, Ms. Crawford. Back when Mr. Gray called you Ms. Whitaker… How reliable is this “Ms. Whitaker“?”
Giles thought that this “Ms. Whitaker” was someone Aurora had brought in to act as a major shareholder. He was worried about potential conflicts over shares down the road.
Aurora responded calmly, “Whitaker is my mother’s surname. In a few months, when I turn eighteen, I’ll be changing my last name to Whitaker.”
Jaxon was completely fixated on the two kids Stacy had given birth to, so Aurora figured, why bother keeping his last name?
Aurora’s mother had left Aurora a large fortune through Woodside Capital Management, and planned out everything for her, so it was worth the name change.
“Oh, I see,” Giles replied. Seeing Aurora’s expression turn somber, he realized he might’ve touched on a sensitive topic and felt a bit uneasy.
Their conversation ended there as Aurora shut off her computer
Afterward, she pulled open the drawer, took out the prescription, and her gaze finally settled on one of the formulas. She planned to prepare, this medicine first, then use it to convince Whitaker Medical Center.
As Aurora copied the prescription, she heard a burst of cheers from downstairs. Peeking out, she saw the house staff all dressed in matching uniforms, holding flowers and balloons, singing and dancing around Maura. Two of the staff members were even wearing giant mascot costumes, performing silly moves to entertain her.
It turned out they were throwing a small welcome party for Maura Jaxon and Stacy stood off to the side, smiling as they
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watched Maura in the centecof the crowd..
Stacy sure put in some effort, Aurora scoffed, then got up and pulled the curtains tight, not wanting to see their happy little family any longer.
After finishing the transcription, she crawled under the bed and carefully placed two books inside a box nailed to the back of the bed frame. Then, she tidied up the room and made sure nothing looked out of place before slowly heading downstairs.
Aurora walked into the living room, leaning against the pillar in the hallway. She smiled as she looked at the noticeably thinner Maura in the crowd, and in a familiar, affectionate tone, he said, “Welcome bark, Maura!”
Maura’s smile froze the moment she saw Aurora, and her legs began to tremble uncontrollably, her face turning as pale as a ghost.
Maura would never forget that night, how Aurora had dragged her by the hair from the wilderness into the warehouse, nor would she ever forget the agony she suffered every time her addiction flared up or the torment she endured in the hospital
You were sick for such a long time. I missed you so much,” Aurce said, spreading her arms wide as if offering a hug.
The moment Maura saw her approaching, she crouched down, cutching her head and screaming, “Don’t come near me! Stay away! Get away from mel
Now, just seeing Aurora’s face or hearing her voice filled Maura with fear.
Seeing this, the servants who had been singing around Maura went quiet for a moment, not understanding why she was reacting so strongly. After all, it was just Aurora, not some terrifying monster.
Stacy gritted her teeth, cursing inwardly, “Why couldn’t she just say upstairs and mind her own business? Why not break her. legs while she’s at it!‘
“What’s wrong, Maura?” Aurora pushed through the crowd, standing directly in front of Maura, who was still crouched on the floor. Aurora then deliberately lowered her voice, asking, “Are you not feeling well? Tell me and I’ll protect you.”
With that, Aurora reached out to touch Maura’s head. Maura’s body trembled violently, and now that Aurora was close enough, she could even hear Maura’s teeth chattering.
Knowing full well that Maura was terrified, Aurora’s smile deepened, her tone even softer. “Maura, what are you so afraid
of…”
Before Aurora’s hand could touch Maura, Stacy rushed over and grabbed Aurora’s wrist just in time. Stacy gripped it tightly, her hand curling around Aurora’s wrist as a wave of old and new grudges rushed up inside her, wishing she could crush it.
“Ow! That hurts!” Aurora yanked her hand away, showing everyone the red mark on her wrist. Mimicking Maura’s earlier sugary tone perfectly, she said, “Mrs. Crawford, I was only worried about my sister. Why did you have to grab me so hard? Maura might not be Dad’s biological daughter, but I’ve always treated her like my real sister.”
Stacy’s eyes widened in fury as she stood there, panting heavily, atching to tear Aurora’s mouth apart. ‘You little witch, Stacy grumbled inwardly. ‘Let’s see how long you can keep this up!
“Dad, look at her!” Aurora turned to Jaxon, her expression growing cold. Just the other day, Mrs. Crawford was saying how she treats me like her own daughter. Is this how you treat your own child with such a heavy hand?”
As Jaxon shot Stacy a disapproving look, she slowly closed her eyes, feeling her face flush with heat. She pinched her thigh hard to suppress the rising anger.
Afterward, she forced a strained smile. “You’re right. It was my fault. Maura’s sudden condition made me anxious, and I didn’t realize how hard I grabbed.”
Aurora, however, wasn’t about to let Stacy off so easily. Aurora rubbed her wrist again, making sure everyone could see the
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red marks. “Mrs. Crawford–after living a pampered life for so many years, you still have so much strength. You must have had a really rough time before you married Dad, huh?”
Stacy was fuming. She had always prided herself as a wealthy lady, constantly looking down on Aurora, who had just been brought back from the countryside. Now, with Aurora’s words dipping with implication, it was clear what she was really saying that Stacy was nothing but a rough, uncultured woman
Stacy thought furiously. Aurora nearly ruined Maura, and I’ve been gracious enough not to go after Aurora for it. But this little snake just won’t stop stirring the pot. She’s infuriating!”
Aurora enjoyed watching Stacy seethe with rage, unable to lash out. Aurora then cast a casual glance at Maura. “Maura, what’s wrong with you? You’re not losing your mind, are you?”
Aurora thought that if Maura really did get scared into a mental breakdown, she might just be willing to let Maura off the hook for now,
