Born Into Villain's Family: I Have a 200\% Rebate System-Chapter 222: Twist

Aurora was stunned.

Valerie’s confession hit her like a sudden downpour. For a moment, she couldn’t even process the words.

The security team head? A proposal? The thought swirled in her head like a storm.

But Valerie wasn’t finished.

With a soft sigh, Valerie pulled her phone from her pocket and opened a folder, her fingers moving with practiced ease. She tapped on a few photos, then slid the phone into Aurora’s view.

Aurora squinted, unsure of what she was about to see.

The first photo was of Valerie and a middle-aged man, the head of the security team, standing close together.

The man was smiling awkwardly, but there was something in his eyes—a kind of admiration that couldn’t be denied.

The next photo showed him down on one knee, proposing to Valerie with a small box in his hand.

Aurora’s stomach dropped. This wasn’t just a random act. There was something deeper here—something she hadn’t even considered.

Valerie swiped to the next video.

It was shaky, obviously taken with a hidden camera.

In it, the security team head was seen at his desk, erasing footage, glancing around as if making sure no one was watching.

Aurora stood frozen, her hand tightening on her phone. The world around her seemed to slow down, her thoughts battling between disbelief and clarity.

"You’re... telling the truth?" she asked, her voice low and cautious.

Valerie nodded, her face softening.

"Yes, I am. I do have my connections. But I’m not the one who’s been hacking. I’ve never had any hacker friends."

Aurora couldn’t respond immediately. She was too caught up in the flood of confusion, the uncertainty about Valerie’s story.

Her mind reeled, but before she could say anything, Valerie continued.

"Please," Valerie’s voice wavered, but there was a deep sincerity in her tone.

"I didn’t want to deceive you. I never did. I only wanted to protect myself, and I did retaliate sometimes. But that was in self-defense.

I don’t want you to misunderstand. I never wanted you to be my pawn. I just... I just wanted to protect myself, and I didn’t want you to think badly of me. That’s all."

Aurora’s chest tightened. She hadn’t expected this—hadn’t expected Valerie to open up like this. It was confusing, raw.

For a second, she almost felt guilty for doubting her.

Valerie’s face softened, and with a slight bow, she added,

"You’re the third person in my life who’s ever taken a stand for me, Aurora. And for that... I’ll always be grateful."

Aurora’s eyes widened, her emotions clashing inside her.

She had expected so much more hostility, so much more manipulation.

But this? This was different. It was too genuine. Too real.

Her voice came out soft, almost hesitant, as she finally replied,

"Wait... You’ve... you’ve had two others?"

Valerie’s smile faltered, and she nodded slowly.

"Yes. A long time ago, there were people who stood by me when the world didn’t."

Aurora turned silent before nodding,

"Alright then. I am sorry for doubting you. And since you can fight your own battle, I won’t interfere."

Before she could leave, Valerie’s voice called out, just above a whisper.

"Aurora?"

She turned back to face her, finding Valerie looking at her with a newfound sincerity.

"Thank you. For everything."

Aurora gave her a small, tight-lipped smile before walking away with Mia by her side.

As they left the store, Mia shot her a confused look. "You know how to hack?"

"Basic," Aurora replied modestly.

Mia paused before he eyes widened and she pointed at Aurora,

"You... you... You were the one who had uploaded the post against Caroline?"

Aurora couldn’t help but smile, a hint of mischief in her eyes as she turned to Mia.

"Yes, I posted it. You could say I was feeling a little... annoyed," she admitted casually. Her voice was light, but there was a small satisfaction behind her words.

Mia blinked, her eyes widening. She clearly wasn’t expecting that.

Aurora shrugged, her smile still present. "Thought someone needed to give her a little wake-up call."

Mia laughed softly, shaking her head. "Well, that explains why it went viral so fast. I mean, that post was everywhere."

Aurora gave a side eye to Mia and asked,

"But now that you know this whole hacking thing, what do you think? Would you like me to break off the friendship with you, knowing I’ve been hiding all these truths from me?"

Mia shook her head almost immediately, her expression thoughtful.

"No way. Caroline kinda deserved what happened, honestly. I wanted her to cry for a long time."

She grinned as though the thought of Caroline being upset brought her a bit of satisfaction.

"Besides, now that I know your secret, I have to get closer to you, right?"

Aurora blinked, a little surprised. "Closer? Why?"

Mia’s grin widened, her eyes mischievous.

"You’re the owner of Harmony Mall, aren’t you? That means you’re practically a billionaire now. I should stick around and enjoy the benefits.

Why else would anyone hang out with a billionaire, huh?"

Aurora couldn’t help but laugh, the sound light and amused.

"Oh, I see. So now you’re just going to be my friend because I’m rich, huh?"

Mia shrugged innocently, her smirk never faltering.

"Why not? It’s not every day you get a chance to ride the high life. Besides, you can’t expect me to break off the friendship now.

Who else is going to help you keep an eye on all those annoying people who want your money?"

Aurora laughed again, her eyes sparkling with amusement.

"You’re sounding like a gold digger."

Mia gave her a mock offended look.

"Gold digger? Me? I prefer ’smart investor,’ thank you very much."

Aurora shook her head, clearly enjoying the banter.

"I think you’re a little too transparent with your intentions."

Mia leaned closer, her eyes gleaming playfully.

"Well, if I were a gold digger, you’d have to accept it, right? What’s the point of being a billionaire if you can’t enjoy it?"

Aurora raised a teasing eyebrow. "And what if I said I’m going to break off the friendship then?"

Mia’s eyes widened in dramatic surprise.

"What?! You can’t do that! My fantasy of being friends with a billionaire had finally come true!"

"Millionaire." Aurora corrected.

"Oh, come on! You are not that far!" Mia waved her hand and chuckled.

"Mia?" A voice called out.

Mia froze, her face visibly darkening as she turned her head slowly.

Aurora followed her gaze and immediately noticed the pair approaching.

A woman with fiery red hair and another woman with sleek black hair walked toward them, looking overly confident.

The red-haired woman’s expression was a mix of smugness and disdain, while the black-haired woman seemed more neutral, as if trying to remain in the background.

Aurora turned to Mia, sensing the sudden shift in her friend’s mood.

"Do you know her?" she asked, her voice curious, though she could already feel the tension building in the air.

Mia’s lips pressed into a tight line. Her eyes were hard, her body stiff, and she barely looked at the approaching women.

"No, I don’t," she replied flatly, her tone colder than before. "Let’s just go."

But it was too late. The red-haired woman had already closed the distance between them, a smirk tugging at the corners of her lips.

She stopped a few feet away, her gaze flicking between Mia and Aurora with an unmistakable glint of triumph in her eyes.

"Well, well, Mia," the red-haired woman drawled, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

"What are you doing at a place like this? With this low-class person?" She raised an eyebrow and looked down at Aurora with a sneer, clearly unimpressed.

Aurora raised an eyebrow in response, her curiosity piqued.

"And what’s this supposed to mean?" she asked, her voice cool but laced with an underlying edge of annoyance.

The red-haired woman’s smile faltered, her eyes narrowing at the tone of Aurora’s response.

"Excuse me?" she snapped, offended. "Who do you think you’re talking to?"

Aurora stood her ground, unfazed. But it wasn’t her she was concerned about. She turned her gaze to Mia, her curiosity growing.

"Mia," she began, her voice now filled with genuine confusion. "Who is this red-haired stupid bitch?"

The red-haired woman’s face flushed with anger, and she shot Aurora a venomous glare, as if ready to start a fight.

But before she could unleash whatever scathing words she had in mind, Mia stepped forward, positioning herself protectively in front of Aurora.

"Don’t talk to her like that," Mia said, her voice hard and cutting. "And don’t you dare try to start something with us."

The red-haired woman’s eyes flickered with surprise, but the edge of her anger quickly returned. She sneered.

"Oh? You’re protecting her now? Look at you. Such a good little girl you’ve become. How cute." Her voice dripped with condescension.

"I guess your new chick must be special to you."

Mia’s eyes narrowed at the term ’chick.’ Her lips curled into a cold, almost predatory smile.

"You don’t get to talk to her like that, not when you’re the one who cheated on me."

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