Chapter 701
When Aurora was a child, she always did well in school–something everyone clearly saw. She also tried hard to please Grace, but Grace never gave any reaction. Thinking of this, Aurora standing outside the screen felt exhausted. She even wanted to step into that screen and tell her younger self that it wasn’t necessary to seek Grace’s approval; what mattered most was living her own life well. But all of that would’ve been pointless. As long as she wasn’t starved or thrown into a madhouse, Aurora was already content and grateful. She had slowly come to terms with everything that followed.
As she continued walking forward, she began to sense something was off. Though Grace had always been around, she still treated Tessa with the same unchanging kindness, so much so that it hadn’t changed one bit. Tessa had grown into a beautiful young woman, and by this time, Grace’s favoritism wasn’t as blatant as it used to be. Without her father’s protection, young Aurora did everything she could to fade into the background in that household. She knew that if she wanted to survive, she had to depend on the Walton family, and now, Grace was the one with the most authority in the Waltons. Aurora couldn’t afford to stir trouble or upset her. This was something she had learned thoroughly after William’s death. That was why she had grown so good at reading the room and staying quiet.
As for Tessa, after observing so many things, Aurora realized Tessa probably didn’t know the truth between the two of them yet. Back then, right after William passed away, she was still unaware. But Aurora couldn’t help her curiosity–when exactly did Tessa find out? And why hadn’t she noticed anything before?
Still, despite her curiosity, time kept moving forward through the tunnel. Aurora couldn’t afford to linger here any longer. Even if she had figured it out, it must’ve been sometime later. Aurora carefully went through everything, one detail at a time. Only then did she realize she had truly overlooked a lot, including many voices from the outside. Grace hadn’t had it easy either. She had lived in her office for quite some time.
In the early days, Grace also visited the homes of various shareholders to deliver gifts. Otherwise, that board meeting wouldn’t have gone so smoothly. And more than that… Right now, Grace seemed like a child who loved to share. She knew what girls liked most, so whenever she bought something for Tessa, she would also get something for Aurora. In the footage, little Aurora didn’t know it was what her sister had left behind–she thought her mother had finally changed her mind. But the Aurora watching from outside saw the truth clearly. She turned away, not wanting to watch this part any longer.
In her heart, Grace could no longer be compared to her father. It had been one thing not to know before, but now, looking back, it was clear her father had always been the one who truly cared for her. If it weren’t for that trust fund, would she even be alive today? Everything she had now was what her father had left for her.
Still, Aurora standing outside couldn’t help but wonder–why hadn’t Grace sent her away? Why had she been allowed to live her life safely until now? That alone was surprising. So, were she and Tessa not real sisters? Was Grace really her biological mother? If that were true, Aurora honestly didn’t know how to accept it.