Chapter 7

AURORA BRUCE POV:

Kassandra, her face a mixture of confusion and outrage, rounded on Josh. "What is he talking about, Josh? Pregnant? What was that about, you idiot? What other lies have you been telling?"

Josh, caught between the two women and the terrifying presence of my family, looked utterly lost. "Kassandra, darling, it's not the time, please..." he stammered, his eyes darting frantically.

"Oh, it's exactly the time, Josh!" I interjected, cutting him off, my voice sharp and clear. "The time for your lies to unravel. The time for the truth to come out." I looked directly at Josh, my gaze unwavering. "Tell her, Josh. Tell her what you just admitted to me. Tell her you never loved me. Not truly. Not the way I loved you."

Josh flinched. He swallowed hard, his eyes pleading with me. But I offered no reprieve. My father took a step forward, his jaw tight. I raised a hand, a silent command for him to wait. This was my moment. My reckoning.

Josh sighed, a defeated sound. He looked at Kassandra, then back at me, his shoulders slumping. "It's true, Kassandra," he mumbled, his voice barely audible. "Aurora was... a strategic alliance. A means to an end. Emotionally, it was... never meant to be anything more."

Kassandra gasped, a theatrical sound of betrayal. But I just watched, my face betraying no emotion. This was the brutal honesty I had craved, the final confirmation that would sever the last, lingering thread of hope.

My father, seeing Josh's admission, took another menacing step forward. "You used my daughter," he growled, his voice low and vibrating with dangerous fury.

Again, I raised my hand, stopping him. "No, Father. Let him finish. Let him dig his own grave." I turned back to Josh, my eyes like ice. "So, you used me. You drained my family's resources, my intellect, my loyalty, to build your career. And then, when a 'more presentable' option came along, you discarded me like trash. Is that about right, Josh?"

He squirmed under my gaze. "Discarded is a harsh word, Aurora. I was merely... evolving. And I was prepared to compensate you. Handsomely, even." He tried to sound magnanimous, but his voice was thin and reedy. "I'm offering you a position on my team, a comfortable salary, a generous severance package. Even some shares in Palmer Enterprises. You could be my... trusted advisor. My confidante. My... secret mistress."

The words hung in the air, a vile, repugnant offer. Kassandra, despite her own pain, let out a scornful laugh. "Secret mistress? Oh, that's rich, Josh! You think she's even good enough for that?"

My gaze remained fixed on Josh, unwavering. My eyes flickered to the trampled fragments of my mother's journal. "A secret mistress? And a few shares? You think that compensates for seven years of my life? For my mother's memory being desecrated? For the public humiliation you just inflicted upon me?"

Josh's face hardened with impatience. "Aurora, don't be dramatic. I' m being more than fair! What more do you want? Blood? You think your daddy and grandpa can just roll in here and change everything? I'm a Congressman! I'll be Senator! You can't touch me!"

"Dramatic?" I echoed, the word a venomous whisper. My hand, steady as a surgeon's, slid into the inner pocket of my torn dress. I pulled out a small, sleek satellite phone, its design unlike anything commercially available. It was a secure, encrypted device, a direct line to the heart of the Tyler network.

Josh's eyes widened, a flicker of genuine fear crossing his face. He thought it was a weapon. "What is that? Are you trying to threaten me? Put that away, Aurora!"

My lips curled into a cold, predatory smile. "Threaten you, Josh? No. This isn't a threat. This is the declaration of war."