Born Into Villain's Family: I Have a 200\% Rebate System-Chapter 516: University Days

Theodore pushed her back lightly and wiped his eyes with the back of his hand. "It's a misunderstanding," he muttered. "I'm not crying."

Lucas stepped in, his gaze stern yet heavy with concern. "You don't need to hide it. We understand. You're being retaliated against. Leave it to Father. He'll handle it."

Theodore waved his hand dismissively. "I said it's a misunderstanding."

Olivia cut in sharply, her eyes cold. "I'll take care of every bastard behind this scandal."

Theodore let out a long sigh, his shoulders sagging. "I was crying because..."

"Because of them... " Lucas began.

Aurora raised her hand and shook her head, silently stopping him. She looked at Theodore steadily, giving him space.

Theodore straightened slowly, realizing that for the first time, his family was actually listening. He wiped his eyes again and took a breath.

"It was the series," he said quietly. "The daughter-in-law finally killed the mother-in-law…"

They blinked.

"Her husband started to chase her," he continued, his voice uneven. "Just when the couple was about to reunite, the mother-in-law appeared. She revealed that she always knew her son knew the daughter-in-law was alive. She had been watching her the entire time… waiting for her return."

He swallowed hard.

"And then," he finished softly, "she killed the daughter-in-law."

The moment his words settled, the room fell into complete silence.

Olivia finally couldn't hold it back and slapped Theodore's hand away.

The sharp sound echoed briefly in the room, startling everyone.

Theodore flinched instantly, his shoulders jerking as if struck by lightning, then he exaggeratedly clutched his hand and began rubbing it, his brows knitting together as though he were the one wronged.

'Does it really hurt that much?' Olivia scoffed, rolling her eyes. "If I didn't know any better, I'd think you were crying because of the scandal."

Theodore waved her off dismissively, then used the back of his fingers to wipe away the moisture still clinging to the corner of his eyes.

His voice turned lazy, almost bored. "Relax. Whoever's behind this will pay for it sooner or later." A devilish smirk slowly curved his lips, dark and deliberate.

Olivia narrowed her eyes, her instincts prickling. 'You're hiding something, aren't you?'

For a brief moment, Theodore paused. The room felt heavier, as if even the walls were listening.

Then he smiled faintly. "I believe in karma." With that, he chose silence, leaning back as though the matter no longer concerned him.

Olivia frowned, unease creeping into her chest. 'Something feels off,' she thought, but she let it go, turning her attention elsewhere.

Just as she was about to comment on his nonchalant attitude, Theodore glanced at the others and casually added, "By the way, what are you all doing here?"

The group stiffened. Their original thoughts resurfaced all at once, and almost instinctively, they hid the gifts they had prepared.

They had been genuinely worried, embattled by the idea that Theodore might have been shaken by the situation.

Yet it turned out he was completely fine... perhaps too fine.

Aurora, unlike the others, was straightforward. She stepped forward, her voice calm but sincere.

"I'm here because I wanted to make sure you're not letting this whole scandal anchor itself in your heart." 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝕨𝕖𝗯𝚗𝚘𝕧𝕖𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝕞

Theodore's smile softened slightly. "I know," he replied.

"After all, your godmother's a fairy angel, isn't she. Of course, she'd make sure I'm protected." He even winked at her, mischief dancing in his eyes.

Seeing that, Olivia rolled her eyes dramatically. Adriana smiled helplessly, unable to stop herself.

Lucas shook his head lightly, while Aurora returned the moment with a mysterious smile that revealed nothing of her thoughts.

The siblings chatted for a while longer, the tension slowly dissolving, before everyone returned to their respective tasks.

Not long after, Aurora joined a university, one of the most prestigious institutions, University T, renowned throughout New York City.

When she was accepted, her parents had nearly thrown a celebration.

However, they held back when Aurora declined all special arrangements and chose to attend her university days as normally as possible.

In between classes, she often met Mia and Selena, and life at the university remained relatively simple for her.

Aurora was younger than most of her peers, and because she joined nearly a month late, groups and cliques had already formed.

Hardly anyone approached her, and those who did rarely stayed long.

There was one group, however, that persistently tried to recruit her. Aurora ignored them completely.

The reason was simple: their leader, a woman named Jessica, carried herself as though she needed to suppress everyone around her.

Whenever someone tried to voice an opinion, Jessica would shut them down, twisting facts until her own decisions seemed superior, even when those choices harmed others.

Aurora felt an instinctive dislike toward that group.

Still, Jessica repeatedly attempted to recruit her, purely because Aurora came from a wealthy family.

Her looks were striking, and her academic scores impeccable.

Jessica wanted Aurora as a foil... someone brilliant standing beside her so others would subconsciously believe Jessica herself was even more outstanding.

Despite the repeated attempts, Aurora calmly ignored them all.

There was, however, one person in that group who caught Aurora's attention, a woman named Lily.

Lily had an uncanny eye for luxury items, effortlessly distinguishing authentic pieces from fakes.

More than once, Aurora wondered if Lily herself came from a wealthy background.

Yet Lily always behaved like an ordinary college student, quiet and unassuming, so Aurora never pursued the thought further.

Just like today, after the lectures ended, Jessica approached Aurora again with a bright smile. "Are you free for a movie?" she asked sweetly.

Aurora began packing her bag without looking up. "I have work to do."

Jessica frowned and reached out, gripping Aurora's wrist to stop her.

Aurora's gaze lifted slowly, cold and sharp. Jessica, meeting her eyes, smirked inwardly.

'A child is still a child,' she thought. 'How could she ever think of crossing us?'

Outwardly, Jessica smiled gently.

"I'm only trying to help you get along with everyone. If you keep isolating yourself, when you really need help, no one will be there for you."

Aurora calmly snatched her hand back, the contact leaving an unpleasant warmth on her skin.

She smirked.

"If that's the case, then so be it. I'd like to see who's audacious enough to ignore me when I actually need help. And secondly," her voice hardened slightly, "I won't need anyone's help."

She finished packing and walked toward the entrance without another glance.

Jessica clenched her jaw, watching her leave. Then she turned sharply toward Lily, who sat buried in a book, seemingly detached from everything around her.

Jessica had noticed before, but Aurora had shown resistance to everyone in the group... except Lily.

Without hesitation, Jessica marched over and spoke in a saccharine voice. "Aurora's left."

Lily didn't look up, her eyes still trained on the pages. But if someone paid close attention, they would notice the faint tension in her posture, the way her focus sharpened, as though she had heard every single word.

Jessica clicked her tongue softly, her impatience barely concealed. "You still haven't taken any action," she confessed lightly, her tone deceptively gentle.

"Go chase after Aurora. She seems very shy. As long as you act as a bridge between us, we'll have a new member, and you'll have a new lackey."

Her lips curved into a knowing smile as she finished.

Lily frowned, the fluorescent lights reflecting off her lenses as she adjusted her spectacles.

She looked straight at Jessica, displeasure evident in her eyes. "You're being too harsh," she replied quietly. "You shouldn't talk about Aurora like that."

Without waiting for a response, Lily stood up, the chair legs scraping softly against the floor, and walked after Aurora's retreating figure.

Jessica rolled her eyes, irritation flickering across her face. 'As long as Lily recruits her,' she thought smugly, 'I'll have more to show off… maybe even mooch off her like before.'

Lily soon caught up to Aurora, who was walking briskly down the corridor, her footsteps echoing faintly. Lily smiled, slightly breathless.

"Hey, what happened?" she asked. "Are you angry with Jessica? You shouldn't take her too seriously. She's just… like that."

Aurora slowed her pace and glanced sideways at Lily. Her gaze was calm, but there was a sharpness beneath it.

"From what I know," she said evenly, "you don't seem like someone who enjoys playing the role of a lackey. So why are you still following Jessica?"

Lily fell silent. The hum of distant chatter filled the space between them.

After a moment, she spoke in a soft voice, "It's for personal reasons."

She paused, then added, "Anyway, you should try to get along with our group. As long as you stay with us, you'll discover many more beautiful things in life."

Aurora frowned slightly, studying Lily's expression. "Why does it feel," she asked, "like you're a recruiter sent by that group?"

Lily couldn't help but laugh. Her eyes drifted unconsciously toward the car parked nearby, its polished surface reflecting the afternoon light.

"Do you usually drive that?" she asked calmly.