Born Into Villain's Family: I Have a 200\% Rebate System-Chapter 236: Torture

Adriana burst out laughing, her shoulders shaking as she hugged her bowl of noodles.

"STOP IT!" Theodore pointed at Olivia with wild eyes. "You! You started this!"

"You mean... I launched the Angry Birds?" Olivia grinned innocently.

Lucas clapped loudly. "10 points to Olivia! Winner of tonight’s roast battle!"

Theodore threw a pillow at him. "TRAITOR!"

Lucas dodged and tossed it back. "CRYBABY!"

"Gingerbread!" Olivia added.

"Red thunder!" Aurora shouted.

Theodore stood up with his hands on his hips. "That’s it. I’m getting a new family. One that appreciates true beauty!"

"But will they let you use all the hot water and sing off-key in the shower?" Adriana asked sweetly, finally joining in.

"Okay fine," Theodore muttered, slumping back on the couch, defeated. "I’ll stay..."

Everyone laughed again, the sound filling the whole living room.

........................................

In the dead of night.

Lucas stepped out of his room and walked toward Adriana’s room. They didn’t tell their parents about Adriana’s panic attack, and mysteriously, the live stream that was recorded in front of Adriana’s university was somehow blocked, and now no one can access it.

It eased Lucas’s concern, but at the same time, he was curious as to who had done that for them.

Soon, he reached Adriana’s room and knocked on the door.

Adriana, as if expecting his arrival, opened the door and let him in. Once inside, Lucas asked softly,

"How are you now?"

"Good," Adriana said softly, "Lucas, don’t worry much."

Lucas frowned, disapproval flashing in his eyes.

"How can I not worry, Adri?" he said, crossing his arms. "You were in trouble, serious trouble! You didn’t even call me. What if I hadn’t heard people talking about some commotion near your class? I might’ve never known you needed help!"

Adriana looked down, clutching her sleeves tightly. She didn’t say a word.

Lucas’s heart twisted when he saw her wronged little expression, lips pressed together, and eyes all quiet like she was being scolded too much.

He let out a big sigh, shoulders dropping. "Ahh... come on, don’t make that face, Adri."

After all, she was his twin sister. Even if she didn’t say anything, he knew when she was hurting. And he hated it when she looked like that. Deep down, Lucas was the type of guy who’d give Adriana the whole sky if she asked for it.

Yeah, he was a sis-con. A proud one.

He took a deep breath, calming down a little.

"Alright, alright. Just get rest, okay? I’ll head out."

He turned to leave, but right before opening the door, he paused, reached into his hoodie pocket, and pulled out a small, familiar silver-wrapped bar.

Adriana blinked, surprised.

"Wait... is that..."

Lucas smirked and handed it to her. "Your favorite. That dark chocolate raspberry thing you’re always hiding from Theodore."

Adriana looked at the chocolate in her hand. Her eyes sparkled, and her lips trembled just a bit.

"Lucas..." she whispered.

"You don’t need to worry about anything," he said softly. "I’ll handle it. All of it."

Her heart felt warm and full. Tears shimmered in her eyes, but this time, they were happy ones.

She looked up at him and smiled through the tears. "You worry too much."

Lucas chuckled. "Well, I have to. You’re the only smart sister I’ve got."

Adriana burst into laughter. "Oh please! If Olivia and Aurora hear that, they’ll call you a cheater and a liar."

Lucas chuckled louder, not even denying it. But in his heart, he already knew.

Three shadows were lined up outside the door like little spies, heads tilted toward the crack of the doorway.

Yeah, Olivia, Aurora, and probably Theodore too.

Lucas could practically feel their ears sticking to the wood.

But he didn’t say anything. He just gave Adriana a wink and opened the door.

"Goodnight, genius," he said, before slipping out.

The door clicked shut—and the second it did:

"EXCUSE ME?!" Olivia’s voice came in sharp, like a dagger. "Did you just call me dumb!?"

"You little fake angel!" Aurora added. "You could butter the floor and still not slip once, Lucas! Unbelievable!"

Lucas grinned, calm as ever. "Aww, come on. Don’t be jelly. You guys are smart, too. Just... not Adri-smart."

"UGH!"

"Guys, he bought her chocolate, and there was none for you both." Theodore tried to add flame to the fire. Who asked Lucas to always act as the eldest brother and take away all the limelight?

Lucas shot a bored glance to Theodore and calmly turned to Aurora and Olivia to explain them, when Olivia snorted,

"Oh, please. Adri needs chocolate. We? We don’t need it."

Aurora nodded. There was no sarcasm in their words.

For once, Lucas and Theodore both were surprised, chuckling. What to say? Their sisters had grown up.

Olivia clapped her hands to get everyone’s attention. "Okay, okay, enough chocolate drama. Let’s move to the living room."

Lucas yawned and stretched. "Fine by me."

Theodore lazily followed behind them, still mumbling about chocolate and a stolen spotlight. Once they all sat down, Olivia looked serious.

"So..." she said, eyes narrowing. "What exactly happened tonight?"

Lucas looked around, his voice lowering. "Wait. Not here. There’s a chance Mom or Dad might be awake and sneak in to listen."

Aurora raised an eyebrow. "You think so?"

"I know so," Lucas said firmly. "Let’s switch rooms."

"Then let’s go to Theodore’s," Olivia suggested quickly.

"No way!" Theodore almost jumped. "It’s a mess. Like... real messy. There’s a sandwich under my bed I’m too scared to look at."

Lucas facepalmed. "Why am I not surprised?" He sighed. "Alright, come on. My room."

Once they were all squeezed into Lucas’s room and the door was locked, the air turned more serious. Olivia crossed her arms.

"We couldn’t find Henry at all," she said slowly. "You two were supposed to grab him."

Lucas nodded grimly. "We tried. When we got to that abandoned farmhouse, there was almost no one. Empty. Quiet. It looked like someone had just left a few minutes before we got there."

Theodore added, "There were signs—cigarette butts, a broken cup, half-eaten chips. Henry was there, but somehow, someone tipped him off."

Aurora frowned deeply. "You’re sure?"

Lucas nodded. "Dead sure. Someone helped him escape. The question is—who?"

Aurora didn’t answer. She was fuming inside. She hated that Henry had gotten away. She wanted to find him, drag him out of whatever hole he was hiding in, and make him pay.

But she didn’t say that out loud.

Instead, she calmly asked, "So what’s our next move?"

Lucas looked down, thinking. Then he said slowly, "I want to continue the court case. The one we dropped. I’ll return the money those jerks gave Adriana and drag them to court for real this time."

Everyone went quiet.

Lucas had told them everything, and they got to know about the backstory of how and why Adriana was bullied in the first place.

Aurora’s eyes flickered. She didn’t like that. She had already made her own moves in the dark, and the last thing she wanted was for Lucas or anyone else to find out.

So she quickly said, "Maybe we should focus on finding Henry’s accomplice first. The person who warned him."

Lucas paused, then slowly nodded. "Yeah... maybe you’re right. We can’t let them slip away again."

Theodore agreed. "We find that rat first. Then we crush them all."

Just then, Theodore’s phone buzzed on the table.

He picked it up and frowned. "Jonah?"

He blinked, confused. "Why’s he calling me this late?"

"Maybe he’s bored and wants to prank call you," Olivia said.

Theodore waved her off and stepped into the corner of the room to answer. "Yo?"

They watched him as he stood silently, nodding, listening. His eyes slowly grew wider. "What? Are you serious? Like... really?"

Lucas raised a brow.

When Theodore came back, he looked like he had just been struck by lightning.

"What’s up with your face?" Olivia asked, scooting closer.

Theodore sat down slowly and whispered, "Jonah just told me... Dawn’s opening a studio. For me and him. Just us."

Everyone blinked.

"Wait. Dawn Dawn?" Lucas asked. "Investor Dawn?"

Theodore nodded slowly, still stunned.

Lucas’s mouth dropped. "No way. Dawn’s, like... she’s loaded. She’s got millions in crypto, stocks, fashion brands—everything. People say she’s gonna be a billionaire someday!"

Even Olivia gasped. "You’re serious?"

Theodore nodded again, eyes still round.

Aurora, however, just smiled slightly, like she already knew.

Lucas leaned back, impressed. "Dang, man. You’re leveling up."

Theodore finally smiled a little. "Yeah... I guess I am."

....................................

At the same time, in an abandoned warehouse.

A pain groan echoed; however, it was drowned by the command of the young man.

"Tone him down. He is irritating." Peter muttered as he lazed on the chair and looked at the man who was getting tortured. The man’s hair was getting plucked, while someone was trying to pluck out the man’s nails, too.

Seeing such a gruesome scene, Peter was calm and felt no remorse.

After all, the man was none other than...

Updat𝒆d fr𝒐m freew𝒆bnov𝒆l.c(o)m