Chapter 201
201 A Shift in Favor
Aurora clenched her teeth, unable to hold back any longer.
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That contract–she’d pulled every string she had to secure it. After winning the championship, she’d spent a fortune greasing palms and calling in favors just to make it happen.
And now, Scarlett was the one walking away with it.
She was so angry it felt like her chest might burst .
Scarlett blinked innocently and tilted her head. “Aurora, are you saying Grandma would throw me under the bus? That doesn’t sound like her. No matter what you think, I believe she truly loves me. She’d never do anything to hurt me.”
As her words landed, Susan’s expression shifted. For the first time, she looked at Aurora with clear disapproval.
Aurora’s heart sank.
Everything was already in motion. Nothing she said now would change the outcome.
If she kept talking, she’d only make things worse–and risk being pushed out of the Lane family entirely.
Sure, Scarlett had walked away with the contract.
But Súsan still called the shots in this house.
If Aurora played her cards right, she could still find another opening. There were other ways to get shares, other paths into the Research Institute.
But even as she tried to calm herself down…
Watching Scarlett confidently sign and stamp the contract made her stomach twist with resentment.
You didn’t need to ask–her fury was written all over her.
Scarlett handed the signed contract to Taylor with a sweet smile.
“Taylor, I don’t really understand all this. Honestly, Grandma should’ve handled it, but Aurora was right- it’s getting late, and we shouldn’t keep her up. I’ll help Grandma get to bed. Would you mind taking care of the rest for me?”
Taylor chuckled. “For a girl as thoughtful as you? I’ll stay up all night if I have to. You’ll have everything notarized by morning.”
Aurora went pale. Her heart turned to ice.
Scarlett didn’t answer Taylor. Instead, she turned to Susan, her expression full of gratitude.
“Thank you, Grandma.”
With Scarlett supporting her, Susan looked at the young woman’s grateful expression. That cold, hard knot she’d been holding in her chest quietly started to melt.
She remembered what it was like starting out. No one had believed in her when she married into the Lang
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201 A Shift in Favor
family. They all thought she was just a pretty face with no substance.
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If she hadn’t clawed her way up and carned her place in society, they would’ve torn her down years ago.
So when Aurora moved to town, Susan had worried the girl would end up the same way–isolated, helpless.
That’s why she’d brought Aurora under her wing–gave her the best of everything, cleared every path for her.
But now, thinking back… Wasn’t Scarlett just like she had been?
Confident. Independent. Sharp.
She’d built her own success and earned every ounce of it.
Looking at it now… she really had let her bias cloud her judgment.
“You’re a good kid,” Susan said softly.
Maybe letting go of those judgments really did something to her.
Her head, which had felt foggy for weeks, suddenly felt clearer. Her energy picked up. Her thoughts were sharp again.
And she found herself growing more and more fond of Scarlett.
When they reached the villa, Scarlett excused herself and left.
Susan didn’t go inside right away. Instead, she turned to Monroe, her longtime assistant.
“Get her birthdate and info. I want someone to take a closer look.”
Monroe blinked, clearly caught off guard.
It took her a moment to gather herself before she hesitantly asked, “You mean… Ms. Joyner?”
Everyone knew Susan was deeply spiritual. She visited the chapel every year for quiet prayer, followed a mostly plant–based diet, and kept her rituals private but consistent.
In the days before her birthday party, she’d even stayed at a retreat center for reflection.
Just before she came home, the priest had pulled her aside with a warning.
He said something dark was heading toward the Lane family. A shadow, a misfortune. Someone dangerous.
When she pressed for details, he shook his head and said only, Some truths aren’t meant to be spoken .
The warning had lingered in Susan’s mind, but with the birthday celebration coming up, she pushed it aside.
And suddenly, she wanted to know exactly who Scarlett was .
There was no mistaking it–Susan had begun to doubt.
“But from everything I’ve seen, Scarlett’s always been kind to you. Mr. Owen and Mrs. Sophia clearly adore her too. She doesn’t seem like…” The type who’d bring disaster .
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Susan’s face , warm just moments ago, turned cold in an instant.
Her eyes turned hard, sharp, and emotionless.
There wasn’t a trace of emotion left in them.
“You really didn’t notice anything strange about tonight?”
Monroe blinked, confused.
Then she started connecting the dots.
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“It started with Aurora and Samson complaining–saying someone was sabotaging the family. That’s how Scarlett got pulled into it. But after she said just a few things, everyone backed off. The suspicion disappeared. And then you gave her shares… and control of the investigation too.”
The more she spoke, the more shaken Monroe became.
She hadn’t questioned any of it in the moment.
But now, thinking it through–Scarlett had turned everything around with just a few words… and somehow walked away with power.
“Madam Susan… Someone like Scarlett, coming out of that kind of background… it makes sense she’d know how to play the game.” Monroe lowered her voice. “Look at Oliver–he’s been here trying to make amends, but he still can’t stay out of trouble. Who knows who he’s mixed up with this time?”
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