It was graduation season, and Class 6 of the senior year was in the midst of frantic preparations for their graduation ceremony performance.
This was a graduation tradition at Kingsford No. 1 High School, held on the very last day of school for every graduating senior class.
On that day, students didn’t have to wear their school uniforms; everyone was required to attend in formal attire.
The morning consisted of speeches from the school administration and a pep rally for the college entrance exams, while the afternoon was dedicated to the seniors’ graduation celebration.
Every class had to prepare a performance. Even the teachers had to put on a group act as a final farewell.
As the publicity officer for Class 6, Luna Jennings had been driven nearly mad with work these past few days, organizing her classmates for choir rehearsals every day.
Especially during breaks, she also had to give Aurora Sinclair private coaching sessions.
"Aurora, even if you don’t make a sound, your lip-syncing has to match the other students. So you have to keep up with the rhythm of the music..."
Luna Jennings patted Aurora Sinclair’s shoulder and lectured her earnestly, nagging like a mother hen.
It was the first ti she had ever t soone who could sing so... uniquely. Every single note was off-key, and her timing and rhythm were a complete ss. No matter how much she taught her, she just couldn’t sing in tune.
After several consecutive morning exercise breaks spent teaching her, Luna Jennings finally gave up. She deleted her internet search history for "how to sing in tune" and searched for new terms.
How to lip-sync?
How to match mouth movents?
How to lip-sync without getting caught?
...
"Luna, since Aurora Sinclair really can’t sing, just don’t let her be in the performance. It’ll save her from dragging our class down."
Luna Jennings didn’t like hearing that. Her tone grew serious. "This is a group activity. Everyone has to participate."
"I don’t rember the school having that requirent. Besides, this is our class’s last group activity. Shouldn’t we try to shine in front of the whole grade?"
Luna Jennings was getting annoyed. "Mr. Barron said so. If you don’t believe , go ask him—"
’Mona Lowell and her group are so annoying. We’re about to graduate, and they’re still trying to cause trouble for Aurora.’
The girl who had spoken was left speechless, her face flushing red. She looked at Mona Lowell and said, "Mona, look at her..."
Mona Lowell smiled and comforted her with a few words, then turned to remind Luna Jennings, "Yara is just looking out for Aurora Sinclair’s own good. The school is going to record our performance for a commorative album that everyone will get. If Sinclair sses up her lip-syncing that day, she’ll be humiliated in front of the entire school..."
"She won’t. Aurora will definitely get the lip-syncing right. Right, Aurora?"
Having been cued, Aurora Sinclair stared at her blankly for a mont before nodding in cooperation.
The smile on Mona Lowell’s face froze. She pursed her lips and said no more, but Yara, next to her, added, "That’s right! If you’re shaless enough, of course you won’t be afraid of humiliation..."
"Hey, you..."
"Aurora—" A strange voice suddenly called out.
Aurora Sinclair looked toward the sound and was surprised to see her uncle, Linton Sinclair.
The noise in Class 6 died down a little as everyone’s curious gazes turned to the handso, middle-aged man at the door.
Linton Sinclair looked a lot like a younger Master Sinclair. He had thick eyebrows, large eyes, and distinct features. With his deep-set eyes and high nose bridge, he had a very masculine look.
Back in the day, Hailey Gordon had been so captivated by his good looks that she had insisted on marrying him and no one else.
Today, he was also wearing a pricy black suit with a tie, exuding the aura of a successful man from head to toe.
A trace of confusion appeared in Aurora Sinclair’s eyes. She called out, "Uncle," and then slowly walked out of the classroom.
The eyes of the young girls in Class 6 lit up with envy. After Aurora Sinclair left, the buzz of conversation shifted to Linton Sinclair.
"Oh my god, is he the president of the Sinclair Group?"
"Of course he is. Aurora Sinclair just called him ’Uncle.’"
"Mr. Sinclair is so handso, right? He’s way more handso in person than on TV. The Sinclair family has amazing genes..."
Mona Lowell’s expression darkened slightly. She snuck a glance at Ethan Lowell in the back row and, seeing that he was still staring at his phone and playing a ga, secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
Just then, one of Ethan Lowell’s lackeys suddenly asked curiously, "Boss, do you guys from the Great Families care about looks when you’re looking for a partner?"
"Duh—" Ethan Lowell replied without even thinking.
"I’m dood. The Sinclair family would never approve of ..." the boy lanted, his face falling in disappointnt.
Alex Warren, who was next to him, leaned over and teased, "Didn’t know you had it in you, kid. Harboring thoughts like that?"
The boy scratched his head and grinned slyly. "Aurora is beautiful and kind. Who wouldn’t like her? Are you telling you don’t have any unrealistic fantasies about her?"
Alex Warren’s chubby face instantly flushed red. He glanced at Ethan Lowell and bopped the other boy on the head. "We have a pure friendship between a man and a woman! Besides, the only kind of guy worthy of Aurora is a young master from a Great Family, like our boss..."
The boy rolled his eyes at the blatant ass-kissing, but unexpectedly, Ethan Lowell looked up, a smile playing on his lips as he nodded. "Fatty, you’ve got so self-awareness after all."
His voice wasn’t loud, but it was enough for Mona Lowell to hear. Her heart leaped in alarm, and her fingers involuntarily tightened on the hem of her pants, her knuckles turning white.
’Ethan Lowell is about to choose a fiancée...’
***
anwhile, Linton Sinclair led Aurora Sinclair to a relatively quiet place.
The Gordon Family’s lawyer sized her up for a long ti. Before Linton Sinclair could even provide any preamble, the lawyer got straight to business. "Miss Sinclair, here are three contracts. Please sign them!"
Linton Sinclair’s expression changed, and he shot the lawyer a warning glance. The Gordon Family’s lawyer suppressed his dissatisfaction, took a few steps to the side, and fell silent.
Linton Sinclair forced an awkward smile. "Aurora, are you interested in the Sinclair family’s business?"
Aurora Sinclair looked at him for a mont and shook her head.
"Then do you know that your father left you an inheritance?"
Aurora Sinclair nodded.
"Your uncle would like to buy a portion of it from you, is that alright?"
The Gordon Family’s lawyer’s brows knitted together. With a stern face, he interjected, "Mr. Sinclair, that is not in the agreent!"
Linton Sinclair flared up instantly, retorting in a harsh tone, "This is sothing I’m offering Aurora personally. Is that not allowed?"
The Gordon Family’s lawyer nodded and fell silent again, but a hint of derision flickered in his eyes.
’Misplaced compassion!’
"Aurora, sign these, and Uncle will give you 10 million."
Before the words had even left his mouth, a figure suddenly rushed in.
"Aurora, don’t sign it—" Zeke Quincy, his face ashen with anger, glared at Linton Sinclair and demanded, "Uncle, what are you doing?"
Linton Sinclair’s smile froze. He said awkwardly, "It’s nothing..."
"Are you trying to make Aurora give up the shares Second Uncle left her?"
Seeing that he’d been exposed, Linton Sinclair’s face flushed red, and he was too embarrassed to speak for a long mont.
The Gordon Family’s lawyer shot Linton Sinclair a look of sheer disappointnt before saying sternly, "Young Master Quincy, this is a Sinclair family matter. It would be best if the Quincy family stayed out of it."
"You..."
The Gordon Family’s lawyer ignored him and looked directly at Aurora Sinclair, speaking bluntly, "Miss Sinclair, although these shares belonged to your father, Mr. Sinclair has painstakingly managed the business for twelve years. He expanded the company to five or six tis its previous size, and its value has increased more than tenfold. So, Miss Sinclair, you should have so decency and not be greedy for things you don’t deserve..."
Zeke Quincy was absolutely infuriated by the lawyer’s words. He grabbed Aurora Sinclair’s arm and started to pull her away. "Fine! Then you can co and explain it to my maternal grandfather!"
Seeing him about to leave with Aurora Sinclair, the Gordon Family’s lawyer imdiately blocked their path. "Young Master Quincy, the worst thing a person can be is a busybody. I take it your family doesn’t want its shipnt anymore, is that right?"
Zeke Quincy instantly thought of the Lockwood Family. He was so angry his fists clenched tightly, his chest heaving. He stared at Linton Sinclair, his gaze like a torch. "Uncle, is this what Aunt wants?"
Linton Sinclair didn’t dare to look at him. The Gordon Family’s lawyer spoke again. "Miss Sinclair, don’t be too greedy. Signing the contracts is a good thing for both of us. If you sign, the Gordon Family promises to have Renee Gordon personally apologize to your junior. How about it?"
As soon as he finished speaking, Aurora Sinclair asked, "When?"
"Right now—"
Aurora Sinclair nodded in agreent.
Linton Sinclair and Zeke Quincy stared at her in disbelief.
Trading assets worth hundreds of millions for a single apology?
Was Aurora Sinclair a fool?
However, when they saw Leigh Miles happily accept Renee Gordon’s public apology, a smile blooming on her face like a flower, their feelings were complicated.
’Perhaps so people truly don’t care about the things they themselves hold so dear!’
Before leaving, Linton Sinclair made an excuse to have the Gordon Family’s lawyer leave first, while he himself doubled back to the school to find Aurora Sinclair.
He called her over to a remote corner and carefully took a black leather-bound journal and a plain Black Card from his briefcase.
"Aurora, this is sothing your father once entrusted to for safekeeping. I’m giving it to you now. Rember, don’t let anyone find out what’s inside."
Aurora Sinclair didn’t quite understand, but she nodded anyway.
Linton Sinclair looked at her face, which so closely resembled Thomas Sinclair’s, and a bitter feeling rose in his heart, the tip of his nose stinging.
"Aurora, don’t bla the Sinclair family..."
***
VIP hospital room.
Master Sinclair looked at the photo of the contract that Hailey Gordon had sent him and let out a soft sigh.
"Forrest, what’s going to happen to Aurora now?"
Butler Sinclair tucked the blanket in around his back and comforted him, "Family Head, the younger generation will find their own way. The Second Miss’s path does not lie with the Sinclair family."
"She’s too much like the second son..."
Butler Sinclair thought he was talking about her appearance and nodded in agreent. "The Second Miss does resemble the Second Master. Their eyes are almost identical."
Master Sinclair turned his head and silently watched the sparrows outside the window, his gaze unfocused.
It was as if he could see his second son’s high-spirited, smiling face before him.
"Dad, if it weren’t for the Sinclair family, I might have beco a wandering artist, traveling the world to paint all its prosperity and its ruin..."
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