Chapter 144
Chapter 144:
Aurora didn’t confirm or deny. “Rumors are often exaggerated p>
“Indeed. But my friend, Matriarch Kensington, has a condition. Chronic migraines. Debilitating. Western medicine has failed her. She is… traditional. She believes in the old ways. She is looking for a healer she calls The Phoenix p>
Aurora’s heart skipped a beat. Kensington. The name was heavy with power in New York. And Phoenix was the alias she used for her underground medical consultations.
“I’m not a licensed doctor,” Aurora said carefully.
“No. But you have the touch. I’ve seen your notes on herbal interactions in the library. You’re a prodigy.” Calloway leaned forward. “She pays well. Very well. And she is desperate p>
Aurora thought about her bank account. It was healthy, thanks to the shorting of Sterling’s stock, but she needed more capital for her next move against him.
“I can take a look,” Aurora said. “Consultation only p>
“Excellent.” Calloway picked up the phone. “I’ll call the estate p>
He dialed. He put it on speaker.
“Eleanor?” Calloway said. “It’s Calloway. I found someone for the Matriarch. I believe she is the one you are looking for p>
A woman’s voice answered. It was sharp, cold, dripping with disdain.
“A doctor? A specialist p>
“A student. A prodigy. Her name is Aurora Vance p>
There was a silence on the line. Then, a scoff.
“Vance?” Eleanor Kensington said. “That Vance? The one involved in the Sterling scandal? The one in the tabloids p>
Aurora flinched. The insults still had a way of finding the cracks in her armor.
“She is brilliant, Eleanor,” Calloway argued.
𝖒𝖔𝖗𝖊 𝓬𝓱𝓪𝓹𝓽𝓮𝓻𝓼 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 gⲁ𝗅𝗇𝗈ν𝖊𝗅𝘀⧴ℭ𝗈𝗺
“We do not need social climbers practicing voodoo on my aunt,” Eleanor snapped. “We have real doctors attending to Julian. We don’t need a scandal-magnet anywhere near this family. My daughter Vivian has already secured a specialist from Switzerland. Do not waste my time p>
Click.
Calloway looked at the phone, then at Aurora. He looked apologetic.
“I’m sorry, my dear. Politics. Eleanor is… protective of the family image p>
Aurora stood up. Her face was calm, but her eyes were cold.
“Their loss,” she said.
She walked out of the office.
Her phone buzzed.
Elias: I am currently at the estate in the Hamptons. I can deploy a driver to the city to collect you. The trains are unreliable.
Aurora looked at the text. She thought about Eleanor Kensington’s voice. Social climber. Scandal.
She needed a friend. She needed someone who saw her value.
But she also needed to prove she wasn’t dependent on anyone.
Aurora: The train is fine, Elias. But coffee when we get there? I’m buying.