Devil's Prisoner of Love by Prefer

The opportunists who had been wavering immediately sided with Mr. Grant when they heard his words.

"Miss Aurora, you're new here and don't understand the family's dynamics. We'll

pretend we didn't hear anything. Everything stays the same. You're still the head of the family."

"Yes, Miss Aurora, our ancestors followed these traditions. Why can't you continue them?"

Aurora found their accusations laughable. It wasn't tradition they were defending but their own interests.

Their actions weren't for her or the family's benefit. It was all about their profits.

Before this, Aurora hadn't fully grasped their true faces and had hesitated in making a decision. But now, seeing their hypocrisy, she felt more determined than ever.

"Everyone, I think you've misunderstood me," she said calmly. "My mother is right- we're family. How could I ever harm my own relatives?"

The crowd assumed Aurora had come to her senses and cheered up instantly. "Miss Aurora, it's wise of you to think this way. We're all one big family, after all."

But Aurora's next words sent shockwaves through the room.

"Since we're family, we should care for one another. But this is the 21st century- hereditary systems should be abolished.

Effort should be rewarded. I understand that in this family, newborns automatically receive shares from both their parents and the family.

Even though only one child per family can inherit shares, over time, these shares are diluted among more and more people.

If these children contribute to the family business, then, of course, they deserve the shares. But based on my investigation, hardly any of your children are working for the company.

In other words, they do nothing all year yet collect millions in dividends just for carrying the family name. Isn't that ridiculous?

on the street know they need to put in the effort to receive money. Your children, on

had another absurd rule: whenever someone had a child, 1% of the head of the family's

a result, the head of the family held fewer and fewer shares while the extended relatives

head of the family, after suffering emotional setbacks, had been crushed under the weight of these absurd expectations and set

relatives feared that if the family head had a man, the family might gradually shift toward a patriarchal

they were unwilling to change. Aurora's mere suggestion of reform had

worse than beggars? We're family!

that, in any ordinary household, would be the worst kind- always trying to take advantage, petty,

tone steady. "Listen to me. I said I consider you

on, women over the age of 45 and men over the age of 50 can continue to hold their shares without any

work at the company. There will also be performance evaluations-those

"What?!"

going too far! You can't just cancel annual dividends like that!" Most of the attendees were elders who doted on their children. Aurora's new policy was a direct attack on their children's

like mother hens protecting their

leadership just for herself. If it were only for her own benefit,

considered excessive? While we work hard every day, your children sit at home counting money. My mother worked herself to exhaustion. There's

be proportional

one more change: children in this family

surname.

the mother's surname, they can. If they want to take the father's surname, that's fine

will be treated equally at birth,

sparked unanimous

was stunned. These were changes she had dreamed of but never had

had grown up in this

disadvantaged background, with his parents deceased and

women, while men, even if they joined, were relegated

had risen to the position of vice president was