Chapter 252
“Sorry, Aurora.” Cormac’s voice softened as he noticed the frightened look on his daughter’s face. He immediately regretted his harshness. “I was too quick to snap at you. That was my mistake.”
Aurora shook her head, her eyes downcast. “No, it’s my fault for upsetting you,” she said quietly. “You said you didn’t want to go, and I kept pushing. Of course, you’d be mad. I won’t bring it up again. We won’t go.”
Her sincere apology made Cormac feel even worse. He realized this wasn’t about the entertainment center—it was about him and Alaric. Aurora was just a kid, curious and eager to experience something fun. She didn’t deserve his frustration.
“Aurora,” he called, his voice softer as he followed her into the kitchen. “Do you really want to go to that entertainment center?”
Aurora quickly shook her head. “No, it’ll be too crowded on the free day, and it’s so hot. We wouldn’t have fun. I wasn’t thinking. It’s more comfortable here.”
Cormac’s heart softened at her maturity. Why was she so wise for her age? The more she tried to shield him from guilt, the more it weighed on him.
“If you really want to go,” Cormac said, his voice gentle, “we’ll go. I have a day off, so I can take you there.”
Aurora’s eyes brightened, but she quickly hesitated. “But, it’ll be really crowded with everyone going, right? I heard they’re limiting the number of people.”
Cormac chuckled. “I’ll stand in line at midnight, and you can join me in the morning.”
Aurora’s face lit up with excitement. “I want to line up with you! I won’t be able to sleep from excitement anyway!”
“You really want to go there that badly?” Cormac teased, a small smile playing on his lips.
“Yes!” Aurora said eagerly. “The pictures look amazing. I can learn new things and play with stuff I don’t usually get to. Of course, I’m excited.”
Aurora paused for a moment, a thoughtful expression crossing her face. “That place must’ve cost a fortune to build. The person who built it must be super rich—like a king.”
Cormac’s smile faltered as memories from the past surged forward. Back when the Nash and Knight families had been rivals, both families had been at their peak. But now, the Knight family had flourished, while the Nash family had fallen apart. He gave a bitter smile. “Aurora, you’re so good at studying. You’ll definitely be successful and make a lot of money someday.”
“If I make a lot of money,” Aurora said, her voice firm, “I’ll open a charity hospital so people who can’t afford treatment won’t lose their lives because they can’t pay.”
Cormac’s heart ached as he listened to her. Aurora had a heart as big as her intelligence—always transforming her pain into kindness. “It will definitely come true,” Cormac said, his voice filled with belief.
Meanwhile, the entertainment center was nearing its grand opening, and the final inspection was underway. Alaric had decided to personally oversee it. Today, the place was empty, with only Alaric, Ambrose, and a few inspectors present.
“Mr. Vale, you’re meticulous,” Alaric remarked, walking through the amusement park. “The project is flawless.”
Ambrose, ever the professional, nodded. “Mr. Knight, you said you’d personally inspect it. How could I slack off?”
Alaric smirked and kept walking, with Ambrose following closely.
“Once this inspection is over, our business here is done,” Alaric said flatly. “Leave Arizona, or face the consequences.”
Ambrose chuckled dryly. “Mr. Knight, you’re married to Stellan now. Why are you still so wary of me?”
Alaric’s expression hardened, his gaze turning cold. “Even if you have the evidence, so what? Do you really think I’m worried about you?”
Ambrose furrowed his brows, unsure of what Alaric meant. “I don’t understand…”
Alaric gave a short laugh, one that didn’t reach his eyes. “From the moment you met Stellan, she told me everything. She said she fell into the water, and you saved her. She wanted to repay you but couldn’t find you.”
Alaric paused and looked at Ambrose, his voice growing colder. “Later, you met her again at Brennan’s company, where you were a new employee at the Storm Group. Doesn’t this sound like a plot from a romance drama? A coincidence? Or was it more like you orchestrated every detail to get close to Stellan, make her fall for you?”
Ambrose’s face tightened, but he didn’t speak.
Alaric continued, his tone cutting. “Your goal was always to get close to Stellan. If you were just another employee trying to use her status to climb the ranks, that would be one thing. But you’re not just anyone. You’re an illegitimate child of the Vale family.”
Ambrose’s eyes flickered, but he remained silent.
Alaric’s voice grew even colder. “After the Storm family went bankrupt, you disappeared, only to reappear in the Vale family. Stuart Vale initially ignored you, but later admitted you into the Vale Group. Why the sudden change?”
Alaric’s expression darkened as he stepped closer. “Especially after you worked at the Storm Group, which later went under. You returned to the Vale family, and Stuart Vale finally accepted you. Does that make sense to you?”
Ambrose’s silence spoke volumes, but Alaric wasn’t finished.
“Unless you were sent by Stuart Vale on a mission. He sent you to the Storm family, and after you completed your task, he was so pleased that he accepted you.”
Alaric’s voice grew more biting. “That’s why you told me you and Stellan were forced to separate because the Storm family fell apart. You couldn’t stay in Arizona, so you had to leave to keep your secret safe. Right?”