Billionaire’s Regret After Losing Her (Aurelia) novel Chapter 26

Chapter 26 I Really Underestimated You

Eleanor snapped, “What are you talking about? What trouble did we cause her?”

“No trouble?” Dominic said coolly. “Then why are all the things I gave her under your names?”

Eleanor and Lydia both fell silent.

They exchanged a glance. Eleanor was so angry she couldn’t even speak.

After all, taking things from a daughter–in–law was disgraceful.

Dominic hadn’t questioned it before, but now that he’d brought it up, the embarrassment was written all over her face.

Lydia hurried to salvage the situation. “Back when she married you, she said she wasn’t after money. Mom and I were just… helping you test her, right?”

Her voice grew quieter with every word.

Because by then, Dominic’s expression had turned completely cold.

“Well,” he said calmly, “now that the test is over, shouldn’t19:59

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what’s hers be returned to her?”

Lydia instinctively started to object. “But-”

The moment she met the icy look in Dominic’s eyes, she swallowed the rest of her words and fell silent.

Dominic turned to Eleanor. “Mom, what do you think?”

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Being questioned like this made Eleanor’s expression darken further. She snorted.

“Right now, the most important thing is suppressing public opinion.”

Dominic didn’t argue with her about that.

After all, the media situation did need to be handled.

But his thoughts drifted back to all the things he’d given Aurelia over the years.

He remembered her calm, almost indifferent expression every time she accepted one of his gifts.

Back then, he’d thought he just didn’t understand her tastes.

Now he realized the truth.

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It wasn’t that she didn’t like them.

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It was that she knew they were never really hers.

And that realization had hurt her far more than he’d ever

known.

Yet she’d never once said a word to him about it.

Dominic’s eyelids twitched slightly.

“Jason and the lawyers will draw up a list,” he said coldly. “Whatever you took, hand it all over to Jason.”

Each word landed hard–flat, final, and leaving no room for

argument.

“Then what about Bianca?” Eleanor snapped, barely holding back her fury.

Bianca’s health was fragile.

After seeing Lauren earlier that day, she’d already gone to the estate in the neighboring city to recover,

Fine. They could return the things.

But what about Bianca?

Did she have to give things back to Aurelia too?

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And did Aurelia really deserve that?

“I’ll prepare a separate set for Aurelia,” Dominic replied evenly. “To replace Grandma’s items.”

Eleanor and Lydia were stunned into silence.

So he would personally cover Bianca’s losses, and they were still expected to return everything?

The humiliation burned.

“Dominic,” Eleanor said tightly, “Lauren’s situation is the priority right now. If Bianca finds out you’re making such a big deal out of Aurelia, she won’t be happy.”

Neither Eleanor nor Lydia wanted to give anything back-

especially not when Aurelia was asking for a divorce.

But Dominic didn’t waver.

“Those are two separate issues,” he said flatly. “Don’t mix them up.”

******

Aurelia had just finished dinner with Chloe when her phone rang. It was Marilyn.

The moment she answered, Marilyn’s voice came through cold

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and tight with barely restrained rage.

“You little bitch. I really underestimated you.”

A nobody with nothing–and yet she’d managed to stir up this kind of chaos in a single day.

The public backlash had spiraled so badly that even Marilyn, working together with the Hawthorne family, couldn’t contain it anymore.

Aurelia let out a soft, disdainful laugh.

“For you to say you underestimated me, Ms. Drake,” she replied lightly, “I’d say that means I did a pretty good job this time. Don’t you think?”

That kind of contempt, delivered at a moment like this, was like a knife twisting in Marilyn’s chest.

Her voice turned dark. “There’s an old friend I think you’ll recognize.”

Aurelia’s blood went cold.

“Accept the friend request,” Marilyn said. “I’m sending you a video.”

Then the line went dead. 5/8

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Almost immediately, a friend request popped up on Aurelia’s phone. Her brows knitted together, but she accepted it.

A video followed.

The moment she opened it, Aurelia froze.

The footage was brutal.

“You handled the adoption,” a voice said coldly, “but not the education. Now that she’s caused trouble out there, shouldn’t you take responsibility?”

Onscreen, a woman covered in blood was tied to a chair.

Aurelia’s blood surged.

Her chest tightened, like she couldn’t breathe.

Then the scene cut again.

Flames flared to life–and what was burning was the Azure Dove Children’s Home.

The place where she had grown up.

Before Aurelia could react, the video vanished.

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No wonder Lauren loved deleting messages.

She’d learned it from Marilyn.

Her phone rang again almost immediately.

“Well?” Marilyn asked.

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The smug arrogance in her voice made Aurelia’s grip on the phone tighten.

“Lauren is my only precious daughter,” Marilyn continued. “You mess with her like this, you pay the price.”

Aurelia’s voice didn’t waver. “And what price are you asking

for?”

The tension crackled through the line.

Marilyn let out a cold laugh. “If you’re fast enough, you might still be able to save your dear Ms. Shaw.”

She paused, clearly enjoying herself.

“But Aurelia, you’ve got one hour. Come up with a convincing story and shut down the backlash against Lauren–publicly.”

Her voice dropped.

76therwise…”