Aurelia continued, "There must be someone behind them giving orders. Did you find out anything?" Mason Nightshade turned his eyes away guiltily, not looking at her, and shoved another apple slice into her mouth. Aurelia instantly realized he was hiding something from her. After thinking for a moment, she widened her eyes, "Did you kill them all?!" "They touched someone they shouldn't have." Mason showed no regret. This was the first time he acted so impulsively; just yesterday, Adrian Cooper had called him incessantly over this matter. Aurelia rubbed her aching forehead, slightly doubting whether this was the Mason she knew. When did he become so impulsive? "Did they approach you before? Do you remember anything?" she asked Balthazar Shaw. Balthazar's face stiffened, his gaze subtly shifting to Mason Nightshade, and he lowered his head guiltily, evading eye contact, clenching his fingers tightly. How could this escape Mason's sharp eyes? His eyes narrowed coldly, "Best to speak clearly now, in front of Aurelia, and I will let bygones be bygones. But if I find out..." Balthazar suddenly shivered. Aurelia slightly frowned in displeasure but did not stop Mason. "Indeed, a while ago, some people contacted me." Balthazar paused for a moment, then sighed, knowing he couldn't hide this matter, "I don't know their identities, nor how they got my contact information. They said they had a batch of goods and wanted to use my ship to transport it. The freight would be quite substantial." He glanced at Mason Nightshade, "I knew something was off, so I didn't agree to their terms. Afterwards, they disappeared, and I thought they had given up, but I didn't expect they would target Aurelia to threaten me into agreeing!" Balthazar clenched his fingers in anger, "It's all my fault." Mason smirked mockingly, "Didn't agree? Did you really not agree or just fail to negotiate the terms with them?" "Mason!" Aurelia gave him a stern look. ɴᴇᴡ ɴᴏᴠᴇʟ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀʀᴇ ᴘᴜʙʟɪsʜᴇᴅ ᴏɴ 𝚗𝚘𝚟𝚎𝚕·𝚏𝚒𝚛𝚎·𝚗𝚎𝚝 He lowered his eyes and remained silent, regretting: Why didn't he control himself and say those things in front of her? She seemed aloof but actually cared deeply about her family. "You didn't do anything wrong, and this matter isn't your fault." Aurelia said calmly, "If you had truly agreed to their terms, then I could never forgive you." His face changed at being struck in a sore spot, and Balthazar bowed his head in guilt. Jovana Shaw's gaze flickered between the two, speaking softly, "Sister, back then, father had no choice in that matter, it was an accident. So many years have passed, can you still not forgive him?" "Jovana, stop talking!" Balthazar shouted fiercely and glanced at Aurelia apprehensively. Aurelia curled her lips into a mocking cold smile, "Are you referring to that matter? When my mother died, not even a month went by before you and your mother couldn't wait to move in. Back then, I actually believed your deceit and thought your mother was just a hired servant!" Although this was true, Jovana's face still changed. Her origins would never change; she used glamorous, luxurious clothes to disguise herself, blending into high society. But she couldn't change the fact that she was an illegitimate child, nor could she change the fact that her mother had once served as a maid for this woman! Even if she later became the mistress, this was an indelible fact, one that made her resentful, wanting to destroy this woman, forever wishing to erase the memory!