Chapter 30
“My brother’s calling. I’ll step out to take this,” Stacy said, pushing open the door and leaving.
As soon as Stacy left, Aurora, bored with staying in the room, decided to go home and rest. “No need to come by tomorrow,” Jason said, walking Aurora to the door and fussing over her. “Stacy will take care of Maura.”
People passing by admired the father’s attentiveness. Since Aurora had just accepted his bank card, she decided to play the dutiful daughter, at least for show. “I see,” she replied with a sweet smile, waving goodbye. The moment she turned away, her smile vanished, and she casually tossed the card from hand to hand, her eyes gleaming with amusement.
“Excuse me, young lady, could you tell me how to get to Room 1A?” an elderly woman asked, interrupting her.
Aurora led her down the hall, pointing to a door. “Just straight ahead, third door on the left.”
This hospital, the largest private one in Mereida, was massive; it was easy to get lost. After guiding the woman, Aurora left, not dwelling on the encounter. It was Saturday, and she’d already visited Maura. It was time to go home and examine her mother’s medical book.
Just as she passed the fire escape, she overheard a familiar voice. “Why don’t you just come inside, but call me instead?”
Through the stairwell door’s glass panel, Aurora saw Stacy, clearly engrossed in conversation. Aurora had no interest in eavesdropping, but Stacy’s next words made her pause. “You ran into Aurora? What’s that got to do with me? As Maura’s uncle, you don’t even stop by to check on her while you’re at the hospital…”
Oh, are they talking about me? Aurora wondered.
She leaned against the wall, listening carefully, her eyes on the slightly ajar stairwell door. She couldn’t hear the other side of the conversation, but Stacy’s voice was loud enough to catch most of it.
“Well, looks like you finally used your brain for once. If Maura knows how much her uncle cares about her, she won’t hold it against you. And make sure you do a clean job. That little brat’s sharp. I don’t want to be stuck cleaning up your mess later,” Stacy said into the phone.
Aurora pieced it together. So, the man who took my picture earlier was Maura’s uncle. No wonder he looks familiar. Letting Maura reap what she sowed hasn’t taught them a lesson after all. No surprise there—they have bigger problems.
When Aurora died in her previous life, the rebranded Crawford Group had become a pharmaceutical leader. Even Beatrix, the illegitimate daughter, had been accepted into the Newton family, thanks to Josh and Maura’s marriage. All the Crawford family’s glory had been built on what Aurora’s mother had left her.
Back at Mercida High School, Class F students worked diligently, determined to outperform Class A. No matter the time, they were buried in their books.
Aurora sat on the podium, reading while the students below took their test. She had prepared it based on last week’s lessons. The school bell rang, signaling the end of the day. “That’s it for today’s test,” Aurora said. “Make sure to review the material carefully.”
Margaret packed her bag, bouncing up to the podium with a bright smile and hopeful eyes. “Aurora, let’s go.”
Aurora nodded. “Let me pack up my things.”
With Maura still in the hospital, Stacy had been personally delivering Emma’s homemade soups daily. She even had the driver who usually took Aurora and Maura to school pick up and drop off Emma instead.
After Stacy and her brother’s plan on Saturday, Aurora, worried about encountering danger alone, asked Margaret’s driver for a lift.
Ever since Aurora had chased off the thugs bothering Margaret, Margaret practically idolized her. When Aurora asked, Margaret didn’t hesitate.
At the school gate, Margaret’s family driver, Dylan, leaned against the car, smoking. When he spotted Margaret, he quickly stubbed it out and sprayed air freshener. By the time they reached him, there was no trace of the smell.
“Thanks, Dylan,” Aurora said politely.
Dylan waved her off. “No problem at all. Since you helped Miss McLean last time, Mr. McLean’s been talking about treating you to dinner to thank you properly.”
After some small talk, the three got into the car.
Meanwhile, around the corner, a group of shady men lurked, watching them from a distance.
Seeing Aurora get into the McLeans’ car, one man panicked. “Caleb, what do we do! She’s in their car again, and I heard the driver’s a retired boxer. Rushing in would be suicide!”
It was their third day staking out Aurora. For the past two days, Aurora had also used the McLeans’ car, and knowing the driver’s toughness, they hadn’t dared approach.
Rocco had already wired them the money. If they didn’t complete the job, their reputation would plummet. Caleb narrowed his eyes, watching the car drive off.
His henchman’s whining annoyed him. He snapped, “What’s the rush? Are you in a hurry to get to your grave? When we kidnapped the Lloyds’ youngest son, we staked him out for three months before making a move. It’s only been three days, and you’re already impatient?”
Tom hung his head, muttering, “That’s not the same. That boy was the Lloyds’ golden child, constantly surrounded by security. The price for that job was high for the risk involved, so they were more patient then.”
But Aurora was different. The Crawford family barely cared about her. With no bodyguards or driver, she was an easy target. Of course, they wanted to finish the job quickly.
“Enough,” Caleb said, irritation clear in his voice. “We’ll be back tomorrow. I don’t believe she’ll ride in the same car forever.”
He pocketed his phone; the screen displayed Aurora’s picture—the one taken at the hospital.
The sunset burned, lighting half the sky. Aurora’s shadow stretched long as she said goodbye to Margaret by the car window. Her smile was innocent, her eyes gleaming slightly in the golden rays, which cast a soft halo over her hair.
Everything was softened by the glow, making the environment seem gentle and peaceful.
But as Maura stepped out of the car, that peaceful scene was the first thing she saw, and her smile faded. Her good mood vanished. Didn’t Mom say she’d take revenge for me? Why is Aurora still here, perfectly fine? She’s such an eyesore.