Chapter 27 Tit for Tat
"Isn't Kevin too stupid? What's so good about Aurora?" Nicole didn't understand either. "Our Emily is a hundred times better than Aurora. If anyone should be adopted, it should be Emily."
"You two are the ones with problems." Dean's anger erupted. He wasfilled with regret. "How could I have listened to you two and severed the father-daughter relationship with Aurora? That's the Robinson family! If we could connect with the Robinson family, our White family could leap into the upper circles of Silvercrest City, and our status would be completely different."
Dean was truly regretful.
With the Robinson family's help, what kind of company problem couldn't be solved?
Now, not only had they missed the chance to climb higher, but they might have also offended Kevin. Dean was filled with regret.
Seeing Dean's fury, Emily knew how much regret and anger he felt at that moment and quickly tried to soothe him. "Dad, missing out on the Robinson family isn't the end of the world. We can still connect with the Harris family. I've married into the Taylor family, and Uncle Harris will surely help us."
Emily almost let something slip but quickly caught herself.
Nicole gritted her teeth and said bitterly, "Now that we've offended Aurora, we've offended the Robinson family. To secure support from the Robinson family is impossible. But we still have the Harris family, so what's there to fear? Besides, I don't believe Kevin will really adopt Aurora as his daughter; he's just saying that."
At this point, Dean could only pin his hopes on the Harris family.
Otherwise, he couldn't bear the humiliation of his wife's infidelity.
Aurora left the White Villa and handed the mahogany box to Jack, asking him to return to the hospital first.
She had more to discuss with Kevin.
They found a quiet place and parked the car.
Aurora, puzzled, asked, "Mr. Kevin Robinson, are you really not going to pursue last night's incident? And you want to adopt me as your daughter?"
Kevin smiled kindly. "That's right. Last night's incident wasn't entirely your fault. I know my son well. I warned him last time, but that rascal didn't learn his lesson. This time, I had to swallow my pride and personally apologize to you, Miss White. I hope you can forgive him."
Aurora saw no deceit in Kevin's eyes.
But she knew it wasn't that simple, though she couldn't pinpoint what was wrong.
Could it be, as John said, that the Robinson family was reasonable?
Last night's incident was indeed started by Leo.
Regardless, as long as they didn't pursue it, she and John would be fine.
Aurora felt relieved. "Mr. Kevin Robinson, could you tell me the real reason why you want to adopt me as your daughter? You saw that I have no connection with the White family anymore. As someone with no background and no benefit to the Robinson family, I doubt a businessman like you would make a losing deal."
Hearing this, Kevin smiled and looked at Aurora with a bit of admiration.
"Miss White, you'reindeed smart." Kevin's tone was regretful. "It's a pity you're not my daughter. If I had a daughter as smart and beautiful as you, that would be wonderful."
"Mr. Kevin Robinson, I appreciate your compliments." Aurora smiled lightly. "I prefer the truth over a polite lie."
Kevin laughed heartily. "Miss White, I like your straightforwardness. Let's be honest then. My son has taken a liking to you. I assume you wouldn't want to marry into the Robinson family, so I can only make you the Robinson family's adopted daughter to quash my son's thoughts. Secondly, I genuinely feel a sense of kinship with you."
Kevin wasn't lying about these two points.
Aurora frowned. "And the third?"
Kevin was taken aback, then laughed even more. "You really can't be fooled, Miss White. There is indeed a third reason, but it's not the right time to say it. When the time comes, you will understand. But rest assured, I have no intention of harming you. I sincerely want to adopt you as my daughter."
Kevin was straightforward, laying everything on the table, and Aurora couldn't find any falsehood.
"Miss White, being the adopted daughter of the Robinson family could also benefit you. This is a mutually beneficial arrangement." Kevin promised. "As my adopted daughter, you won't be mistreated. I noticed your brother isn't in good health. I can hire the best doctors to treat him."
Aurora pondered for a moment, then smiled. "It is indeed a good deal. This business can be done."
Not to mention anything else, just thinking about the look on Emily and Nicole's faces made her feel delighted.
"Miss White, you're straightforward." Kevin laughed. "I'll call you Aurora from now on. I'll have someone prepare the adoption ceremony and pick an auspicious date."
"Alright."
Aurora agreed readily; she had nothing to lose anyway.
After the discussion, Aurora got out of the car at the company entrance. She had only taken half a day off and, despite her back pain, went to work.
What had just happened felt like a dream.
Regardless of whether it was real or not, the matter was resolved, and Aurora felt at ease.
As Aurora walked towards the company entrance, she took out her phone, thinking of calling John. Before she could dial, a distinguished-looking woman enthusiastically approached her.
"You must be Aurora. You're so beautiful; my son has good taste." Helen looked Aurora up and down, clearly satisfied.
Aurora was puzzled and asked, "Excuse me, who are you?"
Helen blurted out, "I'm your husband-to-be's mother."
As soon as she said it, Helen quickly covered her mouth and thought, 'Oh, no! I had let it slip. Would this ruin John's plans?'
Aurora was even more confused.
"Ma'am, you must have mistaken me for someone else."
"No mistake." Helen waved her hand dismissively. Since she had already said it, she decided to go with it. "Are you dating my son?"
Aurora's eyes widened. "You're John's mother?"
"Yes." Helen nodded eagerly, smiling. "Aurora, this is a gift from me. Take it. If my son ever bullies you, feel free to bully him back. Don't be afraid; I'll back you up."
With that, Helen took out a jewelry box containing a bracelet worth millions of dollars.
She was generous to send a gift to Aurora.
Even though Aurora couldn't tell the exact value of the bracelet, she could see it was very expensive.
Helen was very enthusiastic and liked Aurora more and more, her face beaming with kindness.
Aurora steadied herself and took a step back. "Ma'am, I can't accept this."
Although she and John were in love, this gift was too premature.
"Why not? It's a gift from me; you should accept it." Helen pretended to be hurt. "Aurora, if you don't accept it, does that mean you don't like my son? Or you don't like me?"
Helen's eyes seemed to well up with tears.
Aurora was at a loss. She had never dealt with her boyfriend's mother before and was caught off guard.
Daniel's mother had never liked Aurora, always speaking sarcastically and implying Aurora wasn't good enough for Daniel.
The term "mother-in-law" made Aurora very apprehensive. She had wondered if John's mother would be easy to get along with, but she hadn't expected Helen to be so enthusiastic, which left her defenseless.
"Ma'am, you've misunderstood. I like you very much."
It's hard to be rude to someone with a smiling face. Helen's cheerful demeanor made her seem easy to get along with, so Aurora naturally liked her.
"Then there's no problem. Take it." Helen insisted, pushing the bracelet into Aurora's hands. "It's a tradition in our family to give a gift to sons' girlfriends."
Hearing it was a tradition, Aurora felt troubled.
Not wanting to upset Helen, Aurora decided to accept it for now, planning to return it to John later.
"Alright, I'll accept it then."
Just as Aurora finished speaking, a stern voice came from the side.
"Aurora, what are you doing here? Get back to work."
Without turning around, Aurora knew who it was.
Since the bracelet incident, Aurora and Joe had been at odds.
Unfortunately, he was her superior. Aurora put on a smile. "Manager Green, I took a half-day off. It's only eleven-thirty; I'm still on leave."
Joe sneered. "Who approved your leave? Without my signature, it doesn't count. You're absent without leave for half a day, so your bonus for this month is gone."
Aurora could tolerate being targeted, but that did not mean she could allow Joe to have her pay docked.
"Manager Green, it's wise to leave some room for future encounters. Making things too difficult benefits no one." Aurora's tone was calm but firm. "Holding grudges is petty. If the big boss hears that his daughter, Nancy, is dating someone like you, your dream of marrying Nancy will be shattered."
"Aurora, are you threatening me?" Joe turned livid when he pointed at Aurora. "Who do you think you are?"
"I am threatening you." Aurora stared at Joe. "We're all working to make a living. I've tolerated you many times, but I'm not someone to be trifled with."
The commotion attracted a lot of attention. It was almost lunchtime, and many employees were coming out to eat. Seeing Aurora and Joe arguing, they stopped to watch.
Joe's targeting of Aurora was well-known in the company.
Everyone was guessing when Aurora would be kicked out of the company. It seemed like it would be soon.
Donna, who was also heading out for lunch, saw Aurora and Joe arguing and quickly came over to mediate. "Manager Green, don't be angry. Aurora has been under a lot of pressure lately and is speaking nonsense. Don't take it to heart."
Turning to Aurora, Donna said, "Aurora, do you want to lose your job? Apologize to Manager Green. You can't afford to be at odds with money."
Joe sneered. "Donna, don't bother. Aurora has found herself a rich backer. She's speaking with confidence now, looking down on everyone. Our small company can't accommodate such a big shot."
It was clear he was trying to force Aurora to resign.
Helen, seeing Aurora being bullied, couldn't stand it. She pulled Aurora aside and said, "Aurora, you don't need to stay in this lousy company."
Joe mocked. "Oh, Aurora brought backup. Yes, hurry up and resign. We can't serve a princess like you in our small company."
"You don't have the authority to fire me." Aurora's eyes grew colder. She was truly angry now. She stepped forward, facing Joe's despicable face, and said, "I haven't done anything wrong. The company has no right to fire me. Do you have that authority?"
"Aurora." Joe was furious, his face turning livid. "You were absent without leave, causing the loss of an important client. The company lost millions. You should feel grateful that you have the right to submit resignation; otherwise, you'd be kicked out."
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