Chapter 72 Matilda's Shield
Aurora's POV
They all knew I loved dolls. I'd made sure of it over the years, carefully cultivating that image of myself as the sweet sister who enjoyed crafting beautiful gifts for the people she cared about. I'd given custom dolls to all the brothers and sisters I was close with, spent hours selecting designs that matched their personalities and preferences, building connections through those thoughtful gestures that made them see me as generous and caring.
But now that innocent hobby was being turned against me, twisted into evidence of something far more sinister than gift-giving.
Matilda's sharp voice cut through the tension immediately, her protective instincts kicking in exactly. "James! Don't talk nonsense! How can you accuse Aurora like this?"
But Elara's voice came next, calm and measured in a way that made it impossible to dismiss as emotional overreaction or sibling rivalry. "I heard that my brother found a doll made with dead person's hair in your dressing room before?"
The color drained from my face in a rush that left me feeling genuinely lightheaded, my carefully prepared denials sticking in my throat as panic clawed its way up my chest. My hands trembled visibly where they gripped the wheelchair handles, and I forced my expression into something that looked utterly bewildered and terrified.
"I didn't know that doll's hair was from a dead person." The words came out shaky and desperate, exactly the way an innocent person wrongly accused would sound, my voice breaking slightly on the last syllable as I let tears well up in my eyes.
The tears came easily enough, hot and genuine as they spilled down my cheeks in fat drops that I didn't bother to wipe away, letting them track down my face while I turned my desperate gaze toward my grandmother. "Grandmother, I really didn't know there was anything wrong with that doll. I would never... how could I possibly..."
My voice broke completely on a sob. I let my shoulders shake with each breath, my chest heaving as the tears continued to fall in a steady stream that I knew would tug at grandmother's protective instincts.
Matilda's face softened immediately, her wrinkled hand reaching out to pat mine with gentle reassurance that sent relief flooding through my system. "Aurora, don't cry. I believe you, of course I believe you."
I let myself sob harder for a moment, pressing my face against her shoulder while my mind raced through calculations and contingency plans behind the cover of my tears.
Bringing grandmother home today had been a strategic necessity, not just a sentimental gesture. She was the only person in this entire family who could truly protect me when the walls started closing in, the only one whose authority could override even Alpha Sebastian's when it came to matters involving me.
Her love for me was unconditional in a way that no one else's in this house could ever be, built on years of careful cultivation and genuine moments that had created bonds too strong for even Elara's accusations to break easily.
The problem was that I'd drained too much energy from Nolan in too short a time, desperate to build up my reserves after the failed possession attempt with James had left me dangerously depleted and vulnerable. The combination of those two incidents happening so close together had created patterns that someone with Elara's abilities could detect far too easily, leaving traces that I hadn't had time to properly cover or disguise.
Elara's POV
The scene playing out in front of me was almost identical to what had happened when I'd first returned to the Sterling family, the déjà vu so strong it made my jaw clench with anger that I forced myself to keep hidden behind a neutral expression.
Matilda waved her hand dismissively, her voice sharp with irritation that was clearly directed more at me than at the actual situation we were discussing. "Just got home and already making the family uncomfortable! Making my head hurt with all this fuss. Everyone disperse, just disperse!"
Her impatient gaze landed on me with clear disapproval, the unspoken accusation in her eyes saying that I was the one causing problems and disrupting the family peace with my inconvenient questions and uncomfortable truths.
It was exactly like that first day when I'd refused to give up my room for Sophie, when everyone had looked at me with that same expression and accused me of making trouble and refusing to get along with my little cousin.
The way she'd dismissed my feelings and my rights without a second thought because Aurora's comfort had always mattered more than mine ever could.
But before I could formulate a response that wouldn't make things worse, Sebastian's voice cut through the tension with unexpected sharpness that made everyone in the room freeze. "Mother, things need to be made clear. Elara raised concerns from her professional perspective. How does that constitute making trouble?"
His tone carried an edge of anger that I'd rarely heard directed at his own mother, his usually respectful demeanor cracking to reveal genuine frustration underneath. "When something happens in this family, shouldn't we ask for clarity? Can crying just make everything go away and be forgotten?"
The shock that rippled through the room was almost visible, faces turning toward Sebastian with expressions of disbelief because this was the first time he'd ever shown open dissatisfaction with Aurora in front of the entire family.
Even I felt surprise flash through me, not having expected my father to take such a strong stance when grandmother's protective instincts were so clearly engaged and ready to defend Aurora against any criticism. Sebastian had always been diplomatic to a fault, preferring to smooth over conflicts rather than confront them directly, which made his current anger all the more striking and significant.
Aurora's entire body went rigid where she stood beside the wheelchair, her fake tears stopping abruptly as genuine fear replaced her calculated performance. She didn't dare continue her sobbing act when Sebastian's anger was so clearly directed at the manipulation she'd been attempting, her hands frozen on grandmother's shoulder as if she'd been turned to stone.
The silence that followed was thick with tension, everyone holding their breath to see how grandmother would respond to being challenged so directly by her own son.
Matilda stared at her eldest son with an expression of hurt betrayal, her hand rising to press against her chest as if his words had physically wounded her. "Sebastian! Are you blaming me?!"
Her voice trembled with genuine shock and pain, her fingers shaking where they clutched at the fabric of her dress. The disbelief on her face was profound, as if she'd never imagined that her beloved eldest son would ever contradict her so publicly and with such obvious disapproval.
Damian's voice came next, quieter than Sebastian's but carrying its own weight of subtle accusation that was somehow more cutting for its restraint. "Grandmother, you know your health requires rest and quiet. Yet for such a small matter, you were brought back home."
The implication was clear without being stated outright, that Aurora had deliberately manipulated grandmother into returning specifically to use her as a shield against exactly this kind of questioning.
Matilda opened her mouth to defend both Aurora and Nolan, her protective instincts clearly overriding any logical consideration of the situation, but Aurora's hand pressed down on her shoulder with enough force to stop the words before they could emerge.
"Since Elara and James both think there's something wrong with my dolls," Aurora said, her voice coming out strained and difficult as if each word was being dragged from her throat against her will, "I'll dispose of all the dolls in the house. All of them."
The statement was clearly meant to sound noble and self-sacrificing, a generous gesture to ease everyone's concerns even though she was being unfairly accused.
But Nolan's reaction was immediate and emotional, his eyes turning red with tears that threatened to spill over as his voice came out choked and defensive. "Aurora! Your things are yours to keep if you want them! You don't have to throw anything away!"
His desperate need to defend her was almost painful to watch, the way he couldn't see past his own feelings to recognize the manipulation happening right in front of his face.
Matilda's anger finally found its full voice, her words coming out heavy with disappointment and accusation that made the air feel thick and oppressive. "I'd like to see any of you try to dispose of Aurora's belongings!"
Her glare fixed on Damian with particular intensity, years of favoritism and affection turning into weapons aimed at her own grandson. "Damian, I know that now you've found your real sister, you look down on Aurora who we raised all these years."
But Matilda wasn't finished, her voice rising with finality that brooked no argument or further discussion. "Aurora has been raised by this family for so many years. I won't allow you to bully her like this!"