Chapter 23

The sound of a charging mouse startled Maura. She couldn't admit she'd been the one to initiate the incident. "Yeah, I slipped," she stammered. "I just wanted Aurora to grab my hand, but somehow..." Her mind raced, but she continued trying to wriggle out of it.

Alison chuckled and slid an arm around Maura's shoulders. "Maura, you're freezing," she murmured, her right hand slowly tracing Maura's neck, then up to the back of her head, fingers combing through her hair. Leaning in close, she whispered, "Maybe you should head to the hospital? You wouldn't want to catch a cold."

Aurora's hand moved, and her voice, lingering, brought back the suffocating memory of being forced underwater. Maura's breath hitched in panic, and without thinking, she stepped away from Aurora's hand, covering her head and shuddering. "Don't touch me!"

Aurora let go and coldly watched as Maura took a couple of steps back, trembling against the desk. Already cracking, my dear sister! Aurora thought. This is just a warm-up. Compared to what you did to me in my past life, this is nothing!

Alison pointed an accusing finger at Aurora. "What did you do to Maura? You've scared her half to death! Did you pinch her or...?" Alison was convinced Maura wasn't that fragile—she knew Maura could swim. For Maura to freak out like this, something had to have happened in that pool, something Maura did to her. And Aurora's ability to slip through their fingers only strengthened Alison's suspicions.

Aurora raised both hands innocently and flashed a soft smile at Maura and Alison. "I was just comforting her. If I had any bad intentions, I wouldn't have jumped in to save her, would I?"

Alison choked on her words. She couldn't argue with the footage; the evidence was irrefutable. This round was a loss for them. "You think you've covered all your tracks, huh? One day, I'll figure out the truth," Alison shot back, her voice firm.

Aurora wasn't as innocent as she seemed, and Alison was certain of it. Ever since the Lloyd's banquet, Alison suspected Aurora had done something to Maura.

Damon, eyes full of concern, reached out to comfort Maura, but before his hand even neared her, Erik, watching like a hawk, cut him off with a sarcastic remark. "Damon, Maura is Josh's fiancée. Why are you bending over backwards for her? If the Newtons find out, they'll have your head."

Damon's hand froze, his face twisting in shock and anger. "Why's your mind always in the gutter? I'm just concerned about her as a classmate, and that's all. Maybe you should read more books and clean out those filthy thoughts in your head."

Erik shrugged. "Well, whatever you say, man."

Aurora's gaze slid past Alison and locked onto Maura. "Maura, now that the truth's out, I'm not even holding it against you for wanting to push me into the water. I pulled you out, and not a single thank you? Really?"

Maura's face flushed, then paled, as she struggled to control her expression. Thank you! she cursed inwardly. After you dunked my head underwater three times and made me choke, you even have the nerve to ask for gratitude! I just can't wait to strangle you!

If looks could kill, Aurora would already be lying in a bloody heap.

Erik chimed in, "Yeah, Aurora is Maura's sister, so maybe no grand gift is needed, but a single thank you isn't asking much."

"Right, right, it was a life-saving moment," someone echoed. Another student added, "I saw the footage. Aurora didn't even hesitate before jumping in to save her. Saying thanks is the decent thing to do." Those who'd previously accused Aurora were now the loudest in her defense, as if trying to distance themselves from the earlier accusations.

Maura found herself in a terrible predicament. Her hands twisted her soaked clothes, water dripping to the floor. Her fury threatened to consume her. It was Aurora's fault to begin with. Why should I thank the one who hurt me? If I thank Aurora, I'll be admitting she saved my life, putting her in the position of my savior. I'll be beneath her forever, and that's something I can never tolerate. How can I get out of this?

Maura felt trapped, wishing the ground would open up and swallow her whole.

Aurora offered a sly, almost amused smile, mimicking Maura's usual magnanimity. "Forget it, let's not force her. After all, we're family. No need to get all distant over a simple thank you?"

At this point, whether Maura thanked her or not, her perfect image was already cracking. Whispers filled the room, Maura's manipulative tactics finally backfiring. "It's just a thank you. Is that really that hard to say?" one student whispered. "Maybe there's bad blood between the sisters? But hasn't Maura always talked about Aurora like they were close?" another replied. "Well, Maura's not the real Crawford heiress, right! Now that the rightful one's back, how could she not care?" someone else pointed out.

Erik, seemingly chatting casually with Aurora, aimed his words at Damon and the others. "Aurora, you're way too nice. You saved someone and didn't even get a thank you. On top of that, you got blamed for everything. If it were me, I'd lose it."

Aurora sighed dramatically, raising her voice. "Well, Maura's my sister. Even if we're not blood-related, we still live under the same roof. How could I not save her?"

Their conversation felt like a series of sharp slaps across Maura's face, leaving her with no escape. She couldn't bear the thought of Aurora flaunting the title of her "savior," but at the same time, she didn't want to destroy the image she'd carefully cultivated.

Alison stepped in front of Maura and glared at Aurora. "Aurora, can you swear you didn't do anything to Maura in the..."

Before Aurora could respond, Maura made up her mind. She stepped forward, taking a deep breath, and forcing a smile. "Aurora, thank you for saving me."

Aurora patted Maura's shoulder, her voice dripping with satisfaction. "No sweat. It's what I had to do."

Who would've thought that using Maura's own tactics against her would feel this sweet? Aurora thought with a smile. In my past life, Maura always drove me into isolation and turned everyone against me. But today, I finally got to make Maura have a taste of her own medicine.

The bell rang, mercifully ending the tension and pulling Maura from the uncomfortable moment. Aurora, clearly pleased, walked out of the security room, leaving behind a heavy silence, quickly shattered by a loud crash, followed by panicked voices. "Maura? What's wrong? Wake up?"