If others’ words counted for little, then Grandpa Montgomery’s words now served as the final verdict. Perhaps not everyone knew Anne, but Aurora’s name was certainly familiar, prompting all eyes to turn towards the two of them.
Aurora and Magnus shared a noticeable resemblance; why hadn’t anyone thought of this before? They had even gone so far as to call a board meeting, and now, everyone’s faces turned red with embarrassment.
Previously, some shareholders had planned to ask Magnus to resign voluntarily. Fortunately, they hadn’t spoken up yet, or they would have truly made fools of themselves.
“Aurora, I remember now, I was in line for your eighteenth birthday party, but I only caught a glimpse of you before you disappeared,” someone recalled.
“That’s right, it was you! I held you when you were little,” another added.
“You used to come to my house, and my Husky chased you up the cherry tree. You were too scared to come down, and by the time we found you, you had been eating cherries all day,” chuckled another.
With these memories, everyone finally recalled that Aurora was the delicate porcelain doll they remembered from their past, whom they had completely forgotten due to the long absence.
“So you finally remember me. Just moments ago, you were scrutinizing me as if I were a criminal,” Aurora noted, aware that these people weren’t bad, just somewhat conservative.
Moreover, everyone is prone to preconceived notions, easily swayed by the information found online, believing it to be true.
Aurora understood this was human nature. The blame lay solely with the person who had spread the rumors; the others were merely misled.
“It’s our fault. We saw all those overwhelming messages online and thought they were true. We got a bit angry. Little girl, please don’t hold it against us,” they apologized.
“How could I? Now that everything’s been explained, it’s all right,” Aurora replied with a slight smile.
“Little girl, since this was all a misunderstanding, the person who posted those messages clearly had a motive. Who do you think would do such a thing to target you?” the others realized someone had intentionally framed Aurora.
It was foolish to involve both Aurora and Magnus in this scheme.
Aurora glanced nonchalantly at Paul, who was sweating profusely, too frightened to even lift his head.
“I don’t know. If I did, I wouldn’t have let this happen,” Aurora’s response allowed Paul to breathe a sigh of relief.
“It’s outrageous. If we find out who did this, we won’t let them get away with it! But letting this situation continue could harm Aurora and the president. It looks like we need to reveal your identity. Montgomery Group will personally clarify this for you, little girl. I’m afraid your identity will have to be exposed,” they concluded.
“There’s no other way. I wanted to learn something as an ordinary employee, but at this critical juncture, this is the only solution. I hope my job won’t change too much,” Aurora said, somewhat helplessly.
“I’ve heard about your recent efforts. You’ve been working very diligently, always the last to leave, and I heard you’ve reviewed the company’s reports for the past two years,” Grandpa Montgomery expressed his satisfaction, now truly convinced of Aurora’s efforts in establishing a company.
“That’s what I should do,” Aurora smiled.
“Well then, now that this matter is resolved, the rest is up to you all,” Grandpa Montgomery addressed everyone.
“Don’t worry, we know what to do.”
“Let’s conclude today’s meeting here. Aurora, stay back; I have something to ask you.”
“Yes, Grandpa.”
As everyone obediently left the room, only Aurora and Grandpa Montgomery remained. Once the door was closed, Grandpa Montgomery began:
“Aurora, do you really not know who is trying to harm you, or are you pretending not to know?” Grandpa Montgomery surprisingly asked her this.
Aurora responded with a mischievous smile, “What do you think, Grandpa? Do you believe I truly don’t know, or that I’m pretending?”
“You sly girl, I noticed you glanced at Paul just before you claimed ignorance. Could this matter be related to him?” The old man had observed very carefully.
“Indeed, I can’t hide anything from you, Grandpa. To be honest, this matter is not directly related to Uncle Paul, but there is an indirect connection.”
Aurora didn’t elaborate further, for revealing now that her father had been cuckolded would make her fear that Grandpa Montgomery might immediately take his walking stick to confront Paul.
“Oh? What do you mean by that?”
“It was someone related to Uncle Paul who did this. Grandpa, do you believe me?” Aurora’s expression suddenly turned very serious.
“You silly girl, you’re my own granddaughter. If I don’t trust you, who would I trust?” Grandpa Montgomery chuckled.
“Grandpa, there’s something I can’t tell you yet. When the time is right, I will definitely tell you. But there’s something I need to do now, and I hope you’ll agree.”
“What are you planning to do?” Grandpa Montgomery sensed that whatever Aurora intended to do was no small matter, otherwise she wouldn’t be so serious.
“I need to remove the obstacles in my path.” Aurora did not hide her ambition.
Although she did not specify, Grandpa Montgomery understood, “Good! You truly are my granddaughter; whatever you plan to do, I support you!”
“Thank you, Grandpa. Rest assured, I will do nothing to disgrace the Montgomery family. What I do is for the good of the Montgomery family and the company. Due to some reasons, I cannot reveal the truth to you just yet, but when the truth comes out, you will understand,” Aurora spoke with determination.
Grandpa Montgomery, though unaware of her exact plans, felt she was like a lone ranger, carrying a heavy burden, moving forward on her own.
“I believe you will do very well,” Grandpa Montgomery patted her shoulder.
“Then, Grandpa, you might as well go back first. Leave the company matters to me; you needn’t worry.” Aurora knew that Grandpa Montgomery’s presence was mostly for her sake.
He feared others might slander her, but seeing her stronger than he had imagined, he now felt reassured.
“Alright.”
“I’ll help you.”
“I don’t want to take the elevator; I haven’t been to the company in a long time. Help me go around,” Grandpa Montgomery intended to dispel any rumors with his action.
“Alright.” Knowing his intentions, how could Aurora refuse, even though she felt fully capable of handling the situation herself.
She assisted the old man as they inspected each floor, making many employees nervous, fearing any negligence in their work.
But seeing him alongside the scandal-ridden woman was even more astonishing; the old chairman usually disliked women close to him, and his secretaries were all men. How could this woman, enveloped in scandals, be walking with him today?
“Mr. Montgomery,” the general manager hurriedly came out to greet him.
“Carry on with your work; don’t mind me. I’m just looking around with my granddaughter.”
“Granddaughter!!!” Everyone looked perplexed.