CHAPTER 426: CHAPTER 426: NEGOTIATION

"I’m thinking they could hold the wedding somewhere near where you live."

Spencer’s expression changed, and he shook his head quickly.

"No. That’s not safe. Things here aren’t stable. There’s talk of an internal fight between two powerful groups. It’s better if the wedding happens somewhere far away."

Aurora pouted slightly. "I wish I had a Doraemon," she said. "Then I could use the Anywhere Door and come see you whenever I want."

Spencer chuckled. "And if I had a Doraemon," he said warmly, "I’d ask for a dimensional pocket so I could keep you close and take you everywhere."

Aurora laughed softly. "You’re such a smooth talker."

Spencer smiled. "Only for you."

They chatted for a while about random stuffs.

After the call ended, Aurora sat still for a moment, staring blankly at her laptop screen.

Her chest felt heavy. She missed him too...more than she wanted to admit. With a small sigh, she placed her phone beside her pillow and lay back on the bed.

The city lights filtered through the curtains, scattering faint patterns across her face as her eyes slowly drifted shut.

...............

When morning arrived, the first thing Aurora did was stretch her arms and glance at the laptop resting on her desk.

There was still work to be done and this time, it was personal.

After grabbing a quick breakfast, Aurora powered up her laptop and began typing furiously.

Her eyes darted between codes and encrypted files, her fingers moving with precision and purpose.

She had one goal: to uncover the secrets her so-called father’s family had buried... Uncle Milo, Hans, and her grandmother Lovely.

It took her two full days, barely leaving her desk, her hair tied messily as dark circles shadowed her bright eyes.

But when the final code broke and the files decrypted, the results froze her heart cold.

Her gaze sharpened as she scrolled through the evidence... transactions, recordings, and written correspondences.

Her hands trembled with fury. "Despicable," she muttered through clenched teeth, her jaw tight. "You people are beyond redemption."

The urge to confront them immediately burned hot in her veins.

She could almost picture her grandmother’s smug smile...the very image of sanctimonious affection masking greed and cruelty.

Aurora wanted to rip that façade apart and show her what her ’favorite son’ truly was: a thief and a hypocrite.

But then, she took a deep breath. No. She couldn’t act impulsively.

Her father needed to face them himself. She can’t be by his side all the time.

At most she can hand him the tools and let him decide how to use them.

Her plan was set. She would monitor the upcoming meeting between Adam and the old hag.

..............

That night, in a high-end restaurant, inside a private room decorated in muted gold and white, Adam sat stiffly across from his mother, Lovely.

She was already halfway through her meal, an expensive spread of seafood and caviar laid across the long table.

Beside her sat Uncle Milo and Hans, laughing quietly, drinking fine wine as if they were celebrating victory before the battle even began.

Mary sat next to Adam, her hands folded tightly on her lap. Her expression was calm, but her knuckles were white.

This "family dinner" wasn’t about reconciliation... everyone at that table knew it. It was about power and control.

Meanwhile, miles away, Aurora sat in the living room with Olivia, Lucas, Adriana, Theodore and Alex.

Her laptop was open, connected to a live audio feed hacked directly from Adam’s phone.

"Alright," Aurora whispered, eyes fixed on the screen. "We’re in."

A faint rustling came through the speakers, the sound of chairs scraping against the marble floor as Adam and Mary took their seats.

Olivia crossed her arms. "I can already feel the tension," she muttered.

Through the audio, they could hear Lovely’s loud chewing, followed by Hans’ amused voice.

"Uncle Adam," Hans said with a mocking sweetness, "you’re not angry about us ordering seafood, are you?"

Adam let out a dry chuckle, his tone dripping with sarcasm. "If you can find anyone who’d happily pay for a thousand-dollar dinner they didn’t order, let me know. I’d like to meet that saint."

The Waters siblings erupted in quiet outrage. Olivia slapped her knee. "A thousand dollars? Are they serious?"

Aurora’s eyes narrowed. "That bowl of caviar alone costs at least four grand."

Olivia looked ready to explode. "When I get my hands on that Hans, I’ll make him pay ten times that amount!"

Aurora smiled coldly. "No need. I have better ways to make them choke on every bite they took tonight."

Back in the private room, Lovely dabbed her mouth with a silk napkin before leaning back, her sharp eyes landing on Adam.

"I’ve heard things about you, Adam," she began coolly, her voice laced with false sympathy.

Adam didn’t flinch.

"And I’ve learned quite a few things about you, too, Mother and about Milo and Hans. So go ahead. Say what you came here to say."

Lovely ignored the bite in his tone. "I heard," she said slowly, "that Mary is a divorced woman."

The air went still. Adam’s face darkened instantly, fury flashing through his eyes.

"If you dare say one more word against her," he said, his voice low but trembling with rage, "this conversation ends here and we can continue it in court."

Lovely froze, her chopsticks mid-air. Milo and Hans exchanged uneasy looks.

They had expected Adam to cower, not to fight back.

"Oh, don’t take it that way," Lovely said quickly, forcing a sweet smile. "I was only confirming a rumor."

"Don’t insult my intelligence," Adam shot back. "I know exactly what you’re planning, Mother. I’ve been your son for sixteen years, I can smell manipulation when I see it."

Lovely’s smile faded. Her eyes hardened.

"Fine. If you want it that way, I’ll be direct. You owe us money, Adam. You stole from the family and never returned it. But we’re not unreasonable. One million dollars, and we’ll consider it settled."

Mary gasped. "One million?"

Lovely nodded calmly, folding her hands. "It’s fair. It includes your education costs, the household expenses you benefited from, and, of course, the items you took without permission."

Mary’s patience snapped.

"Even if you sent him to an Ivy League college, that doesn’t add up to a million dollars! And you stopped supporting him before he even graduated high school!"

Lovely waved dismissively. "The rest is interest."

"Interest?" Mary laughed bitterly. "What kind of interest are you applying? That’s absurd!"

Hans leaned forward smugly. "Thirty percent. It’s a fair rate... our money, our rules."

Aurora clenched her fists as she listened. "Thirty percent? Are they insane?"

Mary didn’t back down. "Thirty percent is loan shark behavior! No legitimate bank would charge that!"

Hans shrugged. "We’re not a bank. If you borrowed from us, we set the terms."

"Borrowed?" Mary shot back sharply. "You mean stole. You’re stealing from your own family under the guise of debt!"

Hans’ smirk widened. "If you don’t like the deal, you’re free to go to the police."

"Oh, I will," Mary said, standing abruptly. "And I’ll make sure your precious reputations go down with you. Let’s see how society reacts when they find out how a family can shamelessly extorts their own blood."

Hans looked unfazed. "Be my guest."

Aurora’s jaw tightened. "That smug bastard..."

But before she could finish, Lovely raised a hand, her tone suddenly soft.

"Alright, alright, let’s not be so hasty. Perhaps one million is too steep. How about nine hundred thousand? Think of it as... a retirement gift to your dear mother."

Mary stared at her, then let out a disbelieving laugh.

"A retirement gift? Why on earth would Adam pay you for abandoning him?"

Lovely’s eyes flashed with fury. "It’s called filial piety! A son should honor his mother..."

"By giving her hush money?" Mary interrupted coldly. "Don’t make me laugh. Here’s my offer, five hundred thousand. You hand over every document, every so-called proof, and this ends. Try to squeeze one penny more, and we’ll see you in court."

Lovely’s lips trembled, her jaw tight. She hadn’t expected Mary to stand her ground so fiercely.

Aurora, listening through the laptop, couldn’t help the proud smile that spread across her face.

"That’s my mom," she whispered softly.

Lucas grinned. "She’s handling them like a pro."

In the private room, silence hung thickly for a few moments.

Then, Hans forced a smile. "We can... negotiate," he said carefully.

"No need," Mary said firmly, turning to leave. "You’ve shown all the sincerity we need to see."

Lovely’s hand slammed against the table, rattling the dishes. "You’ll regret this!" she snapped.

Adam paused at the door and turned back. His voice was quiet, but each word hit like a hammer.

"I already regret wasting sixteen years trying to please you."

Lovely was furious and bellowed, "Adam if you dare to step out of the door, we will consider this negotiation as over...Make your choice wisely."

A trace of hesitation flashed in Adam’s eyes.