Chapter 4

"Grandpa, can I attend your birthday feast?" Aurora asked.

The old man furrowed his brows, seemingly reluctant to see such a plump girl at a high-class banquet. He didn't want to hurt her self-esteem, so he appeared somewhat troubled.

"Aurora, don't make Grandpa uncomfortable. When people ask who this chubby girl belongs to, should Grandpa say she's from the Pendleton family? Do you want others to make fun of the Pendletons at Grandpa's birthday feast?" Sophia taunted.

"Yeah, Aurora, you always stayed in your room during Pendleton family gatherings before. Just skip it this time too," Madeline chimed in.

"Grandpa, if I can lose weight successfully in half a month, can I attend your birthday feast?" Aurora asked again.

The old man looked into Aurora's sincere eyes and finally gave in, saying, "Alright, come see me in half a month."

Aurora knew that Grandpa had agreed.

For her, the most important person to win over in the entire Pendleton family was Grandpa.

Forty-five percent of the Pendleton Group's shares were in the old man's hands, five percent in Sebastian's, and ten percent in Maxwell's. These three granddaughters had none, so the real decision-maker in the Pendleton family was the old man.

Aurora wanted to secure her position in the Pendleton family and break into high society to get close to Isabella Whitmore. Winning over Grandpa was the first step.

Sophia glared at her angrily, but Aurora ignored the rage in her eyes, standing up and saying, "I won't eat dinner from now on. Don't call me."

She changed into running shoes and went out for a jog, Sophia sneering behind her back, "Still a slob, no matter what."

Over the past week, she had set higher goals for herself every day. Now she could run two kilometers. She had to regain her strength quickly and seize power to have enough capital to face Isabella Whitmore.

Thinking of little Mike, with his vacant eyes, falling silently to the ground, Aurora's heart filled with hatred. She had knelt and kowtowed, but nothing had changed the outcome. And Dominic Ashcroft, who had made a promise but let her die horribly, she had to take revenge!

She gathered her strength and started running again.

By the roadside, inside a black Audi, a man looked impatiently at the documents in his hand, asking, "How much longer?"

Assistant Kieran Ashford wiped his sweat nervously, saying, "Sorry, sir, the car broke down. I've already called the branch in the city to send a new one."

Heath Fairbank pinched his brow and looked out the window. The chubby girl passed in front of his car again, this time stopping to stare at the window for a long time.

Aurora couldn't see anyone inside the car. It had been parked by the roadside for half an hour, unmoving, so she subconsciously thought it was empty.

Heath Fairbank sat inside, watching the girl stare at him for a full ten seconds.

Her eyes were delicate and beautiful, but her face's plumpness hid her beauty.

Just as Kieran was about to get out of the car to shoo her away, Aurora suddenly yelled at the window, "You're so fat!"

Heath was startled, then amused. He thought the girl was looking at him inside the car, only to realize she was using the window as a mirror.

"Aurora! Please lose weight! There's no time!" she pleaded with herself.

She had to constantly remind herself of her past life's hatred to push herself faster, to quickly return to Olivia's state. Otherwise, by the time Isabella married Dominic, with so many assassins in the Abyss Group, she wouldn't be able to break in alone.

Thinking of her friends who had fought and died together, Aurora remembered Isabella's words about uprooting her loyal forces in the Abyss Group.

She had grown up with Dominic Ashcroft, watching him strengthen the Abyss Group step by step, becoming his right-hand woman, and even cultivating her own loyal followers. Those people were like her family.

She had to secure her footing quickly to protect the others.

Isabella was right about one thing: she was just a knife in Dominic Ashcroft's hand, and they, the assassins, could be sacrificed as pawns at any time.

But Isabella had the entire Whitmore family behind her, and Dominic Ashcroft would never abandon her.

Heath watched the girl outside the car window, her eyes filled with determination and endless hatred. He laughed, thinking, what could a high school girl possibly hate so much?

Aurora didn't notice the man in the car and continued to run faster.

The car from the branch office arrived, and Heath left the street. Such a trivial matter was hardly worth his attention.