But Grace acted as if she hadn’t seen any of it, pulling the chin-lifted Tessa into the car without a glance back.

Seeing this, Arnold could no longer contain his emotions. He rushed forward and called out at the door, “Ma’am, what about Miss Aurora?”

“She’s still a child, and her studies are important. She also has a…” Before he could finish the word ‘competition,’ Grace cut him off.

She said impatiently, “Alright, didn’t I already say someone will come pick her up later? Arnold, just do your job. Don’t concern yourself with things that aren’t yours to manage.”

“But Miss Aurora also has her own responsibilities,” Arnold tried again, still wanting to speak up for Aurora. After all, he had promised himself to protect her as much as he could, to stay by her side.

But the moment the words left his mouth, Grace rolled her eyes and ordered the driver to go. The driver, although he wanted to help Aurora, was still Grace’s employee. Naturally, his loyalty was with her. He knew who signed his paycheck, and that was enough to make the choice clear. Even if he wanted to help Aurora, she wasn’t his child–there was nothing he could really do for her. Besides, she was the daughter of a wealthy family. What did any of this have to do with him? Better to mind his own business. With that, the driver started the car without hesitation.

Tessa leaned into Grace’s arms, her eyes flickering with triumph and provocation, but her face showed a trace of concern. “Mom, is it really okay to treat my sister like this? What if she ends up hating us?”

Her expression was sincere, as if she genuinely worried about Aurora’s feelings. Grace pulled Tessa closer and gently comforted her. “Alright, Tessa, you’re just too kind. Don’t worry, didn’t I say we’d send someone to pick her up later? You don’t need to worry about it.”

Tessa finally nodded, wearing her usual obedient and gentle look. “Alright then, I’ll listen to you, Mom.”

Only then did Grace smile. “Good. Don’t stress too much about school. Your health comes first–staying healthy is the most important thing. Even if you don’t do well in your studies, it’s fine. I can support you.”

At first, those words didn’t sound like anything special, but to Tessa’s ears, they carried a very different meaning. So, Grace placed such high expectations on Aurora because she wanted her to study hard and eventually take over the company, and for her, it didn’t matter if she did well in school? Did that mean Grace intended to raise her to be useless? That way, no one would be competing with Aurora for the inheritance. The thought gave Tessa a jolt of fear.

Chapter 730

How had she not seen through Grace before? At this moment, looking at the smile on Grace’s face, it suddenly felt unfamiliar. But she didn’t say anything–she simply nodded with a look of gratitude. Even if she’d seen through Grace’s intentions now, what good did that do? She was still too weak, and Nicholas had his own family. While he supported her financially, he would only step in if absolutely necessary. For most things, Tessa had always handled them herself and never once hesitated.