CHAPTER 325: CHAPTER 325: BOYTOY

What they didn’t know was that someone else had been listening. A red-haired girl was standing in the shadows at the end of the hallway, hidden by the dim light. It was none other than Aurora.

Her face was pale from her fever, and her body was weak, but her eyes were sharp as she heard every word that her brothers and sisters said inside the dining room.

She pressed a hand to the wall to steady herself. At first, she had only been curious about what her family was talking about, but as she listened, her expression turned gloomy.

"How dare Isabella and her family do this?" Aurora thought, her fingers clenching into a fist at her side. She had no doubt that the Hawthorne family was involved. After all, nobody else in the city had the power or influence to create so many problems for the Waters family in such a short time.

Yet, she also knew she could not just jump to conclusions.

Aurora’s mind worked differently from her siblings. Where they were quick to anger or fear, she liked to make sure she had proof.

So she decided that no matter what she thought, she had to investigate.

When the voices in the dining room grew quiet, Aurora turned and slowly walked back to her room. She closed the door behind her and sat at her desk. Her laptop was waiting.

Even though her body was weak and her forehead was hot with fever, she forced herself to open the computer and start digging.

Hours passed. Her room was quiet except for the soft clicking of the keys. Her tea on the table grew cold. Finally, Aurora found what she was looking for. The truth made her stomach twist.

It was not just the Hawthorne family. The Lancaster family had also been moving in the shadows. They had held a private meeting with Isabella two weeks before the big party. That explained everything.

Aurora leaned back in her chair, closing her tired eyes for a moment. "So that is why they wanted us at the party," she whispered.

The Lancaster family had been used as a tool. Isabella had asked them to make sure the Waters family attended. Isabella’s plan was clear now.

She had wanted to embarrass Aurora and her siblings in front of the entire high society. If the Waters family had been insulted that night and turned into a laughingstock, the whole business circle would have treated them as public enemies.

Once that happened, Isabella could crush them completely. She could even destroy Aurora’s reputation and life.

But the plan had not gone the way Isabella wanted. Instead of being shamed, the Waters family had come out stronger. Isabella’s pride had been hurt, and now she was pushing the Lancaster family to retaliate against them.

She was using them as her shield, making sure that if anyone searched for proof, the blame would fall on the Lancasters.

Aurora’s lips curved into a cold smile.

"She is smart, I will admit that. Too smart. She made sure there was no direct evidence, and even the transactions were all in cash. But even if she thinks she can hide forever, she is wrong."

For now, Aurora could not release anything. She had only bits and pieces, and if she moved too early, Isabella and the Lancasters would cover it up.

She had to collect more evidence and wait for the right time. When she did, she would release it all anonymously and raise suspicion in the right places.

Then, she would deal with the Lancaster family herself.

Her red hair fell over her shoulders as she leaned forward, her pale face glowing in the blue light of the laptop. "Since they want to die so much," she whispered, "I will make sure they die a bad death."

She reached for her phone and dialed a number. After a few seconds, the call connected.

"Emily," Aurora said, her voice calm but carrying weight, "spread the word. Whoever does business with the Lancaster family will be considered Ms. Dawn’s enemy."

On the other side of the line, Emily froze for a moment before answering. "Understood. But... are you alright? Your voice doesn’t sound good."

"It’s nothing," Aurora replied lightly. "Just a common cold."

Emily hesitated, then sighed. "Please take care of yourself."

Aurora ended the call without saying more. A few minutes later, Emily’s statement was out, and the business world trembled.

The name "Ms. Dawn" carried fear and power. Everyone knew that going against Ms. Dawn was like signing your own death note.

What shocked everyone even more was that Spencer’s family released the same warning. With the Waters and Spencer families standing together, the Lancaster family was pushed into a corner.

Business partners began cutting ties immediately, afraid to become enemies of Ms. Dawn.

While chaos spread through the city, far away, inside a luxurious mansion, the Lancaster family was celebrating.

Rose Lancaster sat on a velvet chair with a glass of red wine in her hand. She laughed and chatted with her friends who sat around the table. The candles flickered, and the air smelled of expensive perfume and liquor.

"Olivia and her family are finished," Rose said, her lips curling into a cruel smile. "They are destined to die."

Her friends looked at each other nervously. One of them finally spoke, "But Rose, what if someone traces the attacks back to your family?"

Rose waved her hand dismissively.

"Don’t be stupid. Isabella already promised me that she would cover everything. She has done it before, and she will do it again. No one will ever know that it was the Lancaster family pulling the strings."

She took another sip of wine, her eyes glittering.

"And when this is all over, the Waters family will be nothing but stray dogs. I will make sure every one of those siblings either dies or ends up in my hands. Once they fall, I will torture each of them with my own hands."

Her friends gasped softly.