Chapter 41 So What?
The meaning of those words couldn’t have been clearer.
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Just because Aurora had endured hardship all her life, she was destined to be a pawn in this marriage arrangement, stuck suffering forever.
If Aurora had heard this, even though she had long given up on this family, being treated as a pawn would still make her furious and frustrated.
Celeste wiped away her tears and gently stroked Bertha’s hair. “Bertha, don’t be upset. You and Adolph are already engaged, so it’s impossible for you to marry into the Hawke family. Just focus on being Adolph’s fiancée. Once the eastside project. stabilizes, your dad and I will go meet with the Sherwood family to discuss your wedding.”
Bertha’s face flushed upon hearing this, a mix of shyness and anticipation building in her chest.
Joshua looked at the mother–daughter duo, their bond so sweet, and finally smiled. “Adolph’s out. You two go ahead and keep him company. I need to talk with Barnett.”
Celeste and Bertha left.
Barnett watched them leave and, thinking about Aurora being used in the marriage arrangement, felt a wave of unease rising
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Chapter 41 So What?
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within him. He wanted to say something but opened his mouth and ended up saying nothing.
Once they were gone, the study fell into a heavy silence.
Joshua sighed deeply, wearily sitting back in his chair and rubbing his forehead. “Barnett, I know you’re worried about Aurora, but there’s nothing we can do. The rise and fall of Elvador Group depends on this, we’re all trapped in this situation.”
“I know…” Barnett muttered.
Bertha looked toward the sofa but saw neither Adolph nor Aurora.
Confused, she waited, and soon, Adolph appeared from the end of the hallway.
She froze for a moment, puzzled. What was he doing down. there?
Then, it hit her.
The storage room at the end of the hallway was Aurora’s room. Could it be…
A surge of anger coursed through her as the realization dawned on her.
Chapter 41 So What?
“Aurora, you slut! Trying to seduce Adolph right under my nose? Looks like the lesson I gave you wasn’t enough.”
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Though these thoughts raced through her mind, Bertha smiled sweetly as she turned to Adolph. “Adolph, where did you go?”
Adolph nonchalantly responded, “Just took a walk. It’s getting late, I’ll head out now.” His face was calm, showing no signs of anything unusual.
Bertha, reluctant to let him go, said, “Why not stay for lunch?”
“No thanks.” With that, Adolph turned and left without another word.
Bertha’s gaze followed him, watching his figure until it disappeared from sight.
She then turned to the closed door at the end of the hallway, narrowing her eyes. Jealousy slithered through her like a venomous snake, winding around her heart.
She turned back to Celeste, smiling sweetly. “Mom, it’s almost time for dinner. I’ll go upstairs and call Aurora down.”
Celeste nodded with a pleased expression, watching her daughter bound up the stairs with affectionate eyes.
But Bertha’s main goal wasn’t to get Aurora to come down for dinner. She was determined to check Barnett’s bedroom and see if Aurora was really there.
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As expected, when she opened the door, Aurora wasn’t inside.
She looked around at the luxurious, princess–style decor in the room, her teeth gritted with anger.
Since Aurora was sent to the hospital, Barnett immediately started redecorating his room.
Bertha had underestimated Aurora–she had only been
home for a few days, and yet she had already stolen Barnett’s
attention.
A flash of malice crossed Bertha’s face. Since Aurora wasn’t in the bedroom, she must be in the storage room.
The thought of what might be happening between Aurora and Adolph in that storage room stoked her hatred to a boiling point. It was like wildfire, almost burning away her reason.
Barnett’s affection was hers.
Adolph was hers.
“Aurora, you shameless bitch. You’re trying to take what’s mine? You are dead,” she thought bitterly.
With a fierce resolve in her heart, Bertha made up her mind on
how to deal with Aurora.
She stomped downstairs.
Celeste, seeing that Bertha was alone, asked, “Bertha, where’s
Chapter 41 So What?
Aurora?”
Bertha looked disappointed. “Aurora wasn’t in Barnett’s bedroom. She must have gone back to her own room.”
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Celeste froze. She already knew that Aurora’s room was the storage room. When Barnett had shown her to it, her heart had broken.
She couldn’t imagine that Aurora had lived in that dark, damp, windowless storage room for three whole years.
That was why, when Barnett had decided to redecorate his bedroom for Aurora, hoping to surprise her, Celeste had fully supported it. She wanted to ease the tension between them as mother and daughter.
But from the moment Aurora woke up, there had been no thank–you, no signs of gratitude.
And now, after everything, she had gone back to the storage room. It was like rubbing salt in Celeste’s wounds, as if Aurora was doing it on purpose to make her miserable.
Celeste was hurt but also a little angry. She couldn’t understand why Aurora was so stubborn, so ungrateful.
Just as she was about to get up to go to the storage room, Bertha stopped her. “Mom, let me go. Aurora and I are closer in age, so it might be better if I talk to her.”
Celeste sat back down. Bertha was right. After all, Aurora was
Chapter 41 So What?
her daughter–why should she, as the mother, go begging to
her?
It was ridiculous.
With that, Celeste motioned for Bertha to go.
The moment Bertha turned around, her face shifted into something more sinister..
She walked toward the storage room, not bothering to knock, simply pushing the door open.
“Oh! Sleeping in broad daylight? You sure know how to live it
up.”
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Aurora immediately opened her eyes, her expression cold as ice. “Get out!”
Bertha looked at her as if hearing the biggest joke, sneering, “Get out? Who do you think you are, telling me to leave?”
She crossed her arms and looked at Aurora with utter disdain.
“Don’t think that just because you’re Mom and Dad’s biological daughter, you can act all high and mighty. You really think you’re the one they care about? So what if you’re the real daughter? You’re still nothing but an unloved bastard.”
With her chin held high, as if Aurora were the lowest of the low, she continued, “I’m warning you. Adolph is my man, not someone like you can even think about.”
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Aurora’s expression remained calm. Slowly, she sat up from the folding bed and stood in front of Bertha. “Your man? You can’t even keep him. If you could, why would Adolph be chasing me down to the storage room and not allowing me to marry the heir of the Hawke family?”
She leaned in slightly, teasing, “Wanna know what Adolph said to me?”
Bertha gritted her teeth. “What did Adolph say to you?”
“He said the heir of the Hawke family isn’t someone I can approach, but he’s okay with me approaching him.”
Bertha’s expression twisted in rage, her face turning into a snarl.
She raised her hand to slap Aurora across the face. “You shameless bitch!”
Aurora deftly dodged the attack and then countered with a slap of her own, delivering a harsh blow to Bertha’s cheek.
