Aurelia's brows furrowed, and her gaze finally landed on Clara, who shivered from the cold. The words she wanted to say were stuck in her throat, and nothing came out.
"I've been puzzled just now. You said the one million was demanded by Jovana and me. Is that what she told you?"
For some reason, despite the plain tone of the statement, Clara's throat tightened, unable to respond immediately. Her heart pounded anxiously, as if something bad was about to happen.
Clara sighed, "How could little Ruo tell me these things? Today, a friend from her school called me about this. I forced it out of her when she got home. Aurelia, if you really need money, you can talk to us directly. Your father and I would never treat you unfairly. Why do you always hide things from us and try to solve them on your own?"
Having fallen out with Aurelia already, Clara wasn't afraid of exposing anything in front of her.
More than anything, the thought of that one million made her heart ache as if it were bleeding.
"Only you and Jovana would take such note of a mere million," Aurelia laughed lightly, her crimson lips curling seductively, sparking Jovana's jealousy. "I'm now the Young Madam of the Nightshade Family. If I need money, I can just call Mason and get as much as I want. The shares and assets I have are worth far more than a million."
"Aunt Clara, you've been part of our family for so many years, yet how can your vision still be so narrow?"
That last comment struck a nerve in Clara; her expression shifted, clenching her teeth, but she forced a smile. Her made-up face looked even ghastlier than a ghost.
She turned her gaze to Balthazar Shaw. "Old Shaw, look at what Aurelia is saying..."
"You've said enough!" Balthazar shouted sternly, "This matter hasn't even been verified, and you're letting it escalate into a grave accusation. Jovana, what's going on? Is what your sister said true?"
Balthazar's stern gaze fell on Jovana, trembling in fear. Her eyes widened with fright, and tears fell from her eyes. "Dad, please believe little Ruo. I didn't do it, truly I didn't."
She shook her head, her hair cascading down, slightly disheveled, making her look more pitiful.
Little did she know, in this state, she appeared less like a noble lady and more like a maid wrongfully scolded by her master, capable only of shedding tears.
Jovana, with tearful eyes, looked at Aurelia. "Sister, why are you saying this? I've always said that I would help you with whatever you need. I just hope you won't hate me. Why can't you fulfill such a small wish of mine?"
Aurelia sneered coldly, unwilling to respond to her, and turned directly to ask Balthazar, her gaze sharp, embodying the demeanor of the family's eldest daughter, "Do you believe what she says?"
If Balthazar said he believed, then no matter how much she wished to maintain their father-daughter relationship, it could only go so far. She would still protect him, would still safeguard the Shaw Family, but that would be all. It might never return to the time when there was no estrangement between father and daughter.
Balthazar didn't speak immediately, instead fixedly staring at Aurelia, seemingly unaware of the turmoil in her heart.
Aurelia looked into his deep eyes, scoffing internally, before faintly looking away. Her crimson lips opened slightly, but before she could speak, Balthazar's voice rang out first.