CHAPTER 317: CHAPTER 317: MARY SUE

There was polite applause. Aurora kept her eyes on him, her instincts prickling.

Patrick gestured toward the side of the stage. "Please welcome a dear friend of mine, Victor Hawthorne."

The name made people straighten in their seats. Victor Hawthorne was a powerful man, and his reputation alone commanded respect.

Victor stepped onto the stage, his suit perfectly tailored, his expression calm but proud. He shook Patrick’s hand firmly before facing the audience.

"Tonight," Victor said, "I am pleased to announce a new partnership between my company and Dawson Enterprises. Together, we are aiming for a future of success."

The crowd broke into loud applause. Aurora clapped politely, but her attention sharpened when Victor spoke again.

"To make this partnership even stronger," Victor continued, "I have decided that my daughter, Isabella, will lead this project on my company’s behalf."

Aurora’s eyebrows rose slightly. Isabella. Of course. The pieces began to fit together in her mind.

She watched as Isabella Hawthorne walked gracefully onto the stage. Her dress shimmered under the lights, and her confident smile seemed almost rehearsed.

Aurora kept her expression neutral, though inside she felt the first hints of annoyance.

Isabella took the microphone from her father and looked out at the crowd. "Thank you," she began.

"Tonight is not just about a partnership. It is about the hard work and dedication that has brought us here. I know some people might think I am here only because of my father. And yes, I will admit, my father has given me the best education and the best opportunities."

She paused, tilting her head in a way that drew attention to her next words. "But I am here because of my own capabilities. Without my effort, without my dedication, none of this would be possible."

Aurora kept listening. Her instincts told her there was more coming.

Sure enough, Isabella’s lips curved into a small smirk. "In fact," she continued, "just a few days ago, I met certain people who claimed that everything I have achieved is only because of my father." Her eyes swept the room, and then they stopped. Squarely on Aurora.

The implication was clear. Murmurs spread through the crowd as curious eyes began to turn in Aurora’s direction.

Aurora felt the weight of those stares, but before she could even react, someone moved in front of her. A tall figure blocked her from view, his back straight and unyielding.

It was Alex.

He did not say a word at first, but the way he stood was enough to send a message. He was not going to let Aurora be the target of public judgment.

When he finally spoke, his voice carried clearly across the room. "Sometimes," he said calmly, "a person’s true capabilities are shown not by their education or the stage they stand on, but by how mature they are in their actions."

A quiet tension filled the air. The words were simple, but the meaning behind them was sharp.

Patrick’s polite smile flickered for the briefest second. Victor’s eyes narrowed slightly. Many in the crowd shifted uncomfortably, sensing the unspoken challenge.

Isabella, however, did not flinch. She stared at Alex with a sharp glare, her painted lips curling into a small laugh. "You are very protective of your half-sister," she said, drawing out the words deliberately.

Her voice was sweet, but the emphasis she placed on "half-sister" cut like a knife. The reminder of their family situation echoed across the room.

Several guests gasped softly. Others exchanged glances, their curiosity instantly piqued.

Alex did not react with anger. Instead, he gave a slow, controlled smile, one that did not reach his eyes.

"Family is not defined by the number of parents you share," he said evenly. "It is defined by who stands with you when it matters."

Gasps rippled through the room like a sudden gust of wind. People exchanged glances, some raising their eyebrows, others leaning closer to whisper.

Everyone here knew that Isabella, though the real daughter of Victor Hawthorne, had endured a difficult past.

The story was no secret in these circles. She had been overshadowed for years by the illegitimate child of Victor, a son from outside his marriage.

That alone told the crowd how weak the bond between father and daughter truly was.

If it had not been for Spencer, who struck a private deal with Isabella, no one knew if she would have even been allowed near the Hawthorne throne, let alone inherit it.

And while Victor now appeared to be the loving father, people here understood the truth.

The relationship between him and Isabella was still fragile, locked in a careful stalemate. It could crumble at any moment with the wrong move or the wrong word.

Alex’s statement had brought all those ugly truths back into the open. People were remembering, connecting dots, and quietly judging.

Victor kept his face calm, though his eyes fixed on Alex with a hard edge.

He did not love Isabella, the daughter he had with a political marriage, but he understood something important. The affairs of the throne family were not for outsiders to comment on. Alex should have kept silent.

Speaking like this, in front of so many eyes, was a direct challenge to the Hawthorne family’s dignity. And for Victor, that was enough to mark Alex as someone who needed to be removed.

Isabella’s gaze stayed locked on Alex. She studied him for a few seconds, then chuckled lightly. Her tone was playful on the surface, but the sharpness beneath it was clear.

"If I did not know better," she said, "I would think that half-siblings could act like real siblings."

The words were sweetly spoken, yet each syllable was aimed to wound.

She was reminding everyone that Alex was not Aurora’s true brother, and that reminder alone was meant to embarrass him.

But Alex’s composure did not falter. He gave a quiet chuckle, answering evenly,

"I cannot bear to throw my sister under the bus when she is completely innocent. She is not as scheming as others are."