Old Mr. Langston gave Aurora a disdainful glance.
Sh their ingratiating smiles, their cautious flattery—
Aurora stood there, straight-backed and steady, like a proud bamboo stalk in the snow.
Calm.
Unyielding.
"Tobias," Old Mr. Langston barked,
"come here.
Escort Miss Wilson to see the young master."
The message had made him realize—
he couldn't afford to be stubborn anymore.
Maybe this girl really could help.
Maybe that was why Everett had fallen for her in the first place.
Old Mr. Langston suddenly felt a sliver of hope—and curiosity.
He wanted to see just how far Aurora would go.
If she proved herself now, maybe, just maybe, he wouldn't stand in their way any longer.
⸻
Aurora exhaled quietly, a tight knot in her chest loosening slightly.
She reclaimed her phone from the table where Old Mr. Langston had dropped it.
Her fingers trembled slightly as she opened the message again.
