At the mention of Aurora Sterling, the butler looked troubled. "The young miss... she should be back soon..."
Seeing that the butler lacked conviction in his own words, Mrs. Sterling sighed in resignation. "Did you call her?"
The butler hesitated for a moment before nodding. "I did, but there was no answer..."
Mrs. Sterling's expression soured instantly. She slammed her palm on the coffee table. "You see? This is the daughter Timothy spoiled rotten. The older she gets, the more unruly she becomes. Haven't you heard what people are saying about her? Ignorant, arrogant, ill-mannered, shallow, childish—they say all this and more. There are things even nastier that I'm too ashamed to repeat! I, Gloria Grant, have spent my entire life with my head held high, admired by all. But now, in my old age, I've become a laughingstock because of that Aurora Sterling! When other families host banquets, they're accompanied by their daughters-in-law and granddaughters. But look at me!"
The butler couldn't find any words to defend Aurora Sterling. The young miss had indeed grown increasingly unreasonable over the years. The Chairman and his wife originally had twin daughters. Ever since the elder daughter's accidental death, the Chairman's wife had poured all her love into the younger one, allowing her to develop many bad habits. It had been manageable before; although the young miss was a bit willful and short-tempered, she generally stayed within bounds. But after the Chairman's wife passed away unexpectedly last year, she had become more and more out of line.
"Ma'am, the young miss is just being a bit wild. She'll mature once she's a little older," the butler defended weakly.
"A little older? How much older can she get?" Mrs. Sterling was furious. "She's already twenty years old! Don't forget, our family has a marriage arrangement with the Valerius family. Even though it's with their fourth son, he's still a young master from the esteemed Valerius line. Look at the state Aurora is in now. How could she possibly marry into their family? Her reputation is already in tatters. If the Valerius family breaks off the engagement, what will become of her then!"
Seeing Mrs. Sterling getting angrier, the butler rushed to placate her. "Please, don't be upset, Ma'am. Even if the young miss can't accompany you, you still have Miss Sharon, don't you? Today's luncheon was organized by Miss Sharon. Why not have her stay by your side in a little while? It's been like this for all the banquets in recent years, anyway. Miss Sharon is already familiar with all the proceedings."
Mrs. Sterling glanced at the butler and sighed once more in resignation. "Thank goodness we have Sharon. You know, Aurora and Sharon are about the same age, and I've watched them both grow up. If only Aurora were half as wonderful as Sharon, I would be content."
Mrs. Sterling's words left the butler at a loss. After all, everyone hopes for their own granddaughter to be exceptional and close to them. But the matriarch had to rely on a child from another family. It was a sad state of affairs.
The young miss was also to blame, though. She often ran off to party, staying out for days on end without returning home. So, when she suddenly disappeared for a few days this time, the Sterling family simply assumed she was out having fun as usual.
"Grandma, I'm your own granddaughter! How could you say such things about me!" a girl's pouting voice suddenly called out.
Aurora Sterling came down the stairs in a charming pink dress, an expression of girlish hurt on her face. She went straight for Mrs. Sterling, sat down beside her, took the matriarch's arm, and began to wheedle.
"Grandma, do you dislike me that much?"
Aurora Sterling's sudden appearance was startling enough, but what was even more shocking was her affectionate behavior toward Mrs. Sterling.