Born Into Villain's Family: I Have a 200\% Rebate System-Chapter 519: Success

The more he thought about it, the more uneasy he felt, a cold pressure creeping into his chest.

’I need to find Jerry,’ he thought urgently.

But by the time he turned around, Jerry had already left his side, his back disappearing down the corridor as he headed toward his workplace.

Just as Nick was about to follow, hurried footsteps echoed behind him.

His assistant rushed over, face pale and breathing uneven, panic written all over his expression.

"Something terrible has happened."

Nick’s brows knitted together. "What happened?"

The assistant swallowed hard.

"All the remaining confidential files... they’ve been stolen. They’re already being released to the media."

Nick’s eyes widened, disbelief flashing through them.

A sharp ringing filled his ears as the assistant continued listing details, one after another.

’Damn it,’ he thought, his jaw tightening, an almost violent urge rising within him.

He suddenly understood one thing very clearly. ’Maya isn’t capable of pulling this off.’

His fingers curled into fists. ’This isn’t her.’

His mind raced, and a single name surfaced. ’The Waters family.’

More precisely... ’Lucas.’

Nick ground his teeth.

"Lucas really knows how to play dirty," he muttered under his breath. "No manners at all."

The assistant, standing beside him, heard the low mumbling and couldn’t help but sneer inwardly. 𝐟𝚛𝕖𝚎𝕨𝗲𝐛𝚗𝐨𝐯𝐞𝕝.𝐜𝗼𝗺

’Hypocrite,’ he thought silently, though his face remained carefully neutral.

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

Far away from that suffocating tension, the Waters family residence was filled with warmth, laughter, and the rich aroma of home-cooked food.

They had thrown a grand banquet for Theodore, inviting neighbors and the few relatives they were still on good terms with.

They didn’t have many relatives to begin with, so colleagues they trusted and cherished had also been invited, treated no differently than family.

Seeing the familiar faces gathered under one roof, smiles of pride lit up their faces.

After all, their son had truly made it somewhere most people could only dream of reaching.

Theodore himself was in unusually high spirits.

Each time someone congratulated him, he tried to maintain a calm expression.

"It’s nothing special," he would say lightly.

But anyone watching closely could see the smug sparkle in his eyes, the corners of his lips lifting ever so slightly.

Even Aurora noticed it. His smile was brighter than she had ever seen, so radiant that she almost went over to tease him.

But when she remembered the secret he had once shared with her, about how close he had come to giving up on his dreams, her teasing urge softened into something warmer. Pride.

She quietly took a photo of him, capturing that unguarded joy, and sent it to a private chat.

That chat belonged to Jacqueline.

In many ways, Jacqueline had been one of the silent forces behind Theodore’s rise.

She wasn’t a famous blogger on the surface.

Instead, she was known as an SEO expert, someone skilled at writing articles that seemed diverse and harmless but always managed to strike at the heart of a celebrity’s real issues.

To outsiders, her blogs appeared obscure, barely noticed.

But Aurora, who had done her homework and more knew better.

After hacking into Jacqueline’s phone, Aurora discovered that she was, in fact, a highly influential critic, especially in film.

Time and again, it had been Jacqueline’s subtle pressure that ensured Theodore’s scenes were never cut.

Jacqueline had grown up in the entertainment industry.

With both parents working as critics, she had gained a sharp understanding of the field by the age of ten.

At thirteen, she wrote a book that quietly gained recognition.

At fifteen, she directed a play.

By seventeen, she had adapted her own book into a drama and achieved massive success, already having two hit dramas under her belt.

She had accomplished more than most ever would, yet hardly anyone knew what she looked like.

She hid behind her pen name... Bianca.

The more Aurora thought about her, the more convinced she became.

’She’s perfect for my second brother,’ she mused.

Then she shook her head slightly. ’But matchmaking isn’t my job. Theodore should always have choices.’

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

Meanwhile, Theodore was completely immersed in the celebration.

Praise poured in from all sides, and he couldn’t stop grinning, his smile wide and bright like a sunflower in full bloom.

When Olivia spotted him, she smirked and walked over.

Theodore noticed immediately and chuckled. "Look at that," he said teasingly. "I’ve got so many admirer today."

Olivia rolled her eyes.

She almost smiled, almost congratulated him, but stopped herself.

’If I do that, I’ll feel too sentimental,’ she thought. Instead, she tilted her head and smirked.

"Anyone can become an overnight sensation. Only those who stay in people’s minds for a lifetime truly make a name for themselves."

Theodore laughed easily. "I don’t care about that," he replied.

"Right now, all I know is that it’s time to celebrate."

Olivia fell silent for a moment, then looked at him with a softer expression. "Congratulations."

Theodore smiled, his gaze drifting instinctively toward Aurora.

"The real congratulations should go to someone else," he said quietly.

He watched her standing there, clapping along with everyone else, looking as though she had done nothing at all.

Taking a deep breath, he turned back to Olivia. "Thank you."

The sincerity in his voice startled her.

Before she could react, Theodore leaned in and wrapped his arms around her in a gentle hug.

"I went through the scrapbook you hid under your bed," he added casually.

Olivia’s eyes widened in shock. She immediately shoved him away, glaring.

"You’re unbelievably sneaky," she snapped, heat rushing to her face.

Theodore chuckled softly, the sound warm and unguarded. "I wasn’t even trying to read that scrapbook," he admitted.

"I was looking for my old handwritten diary... the one I wrote when I was thirteen. Somehow, I stumbled across it instead."

His eyes softened as he spoke.

"And honestly, I was thrilled when I saw it."

Olivia rolled her eyes, crossing her arms. "It’s not even written by me," she replied lightly.

"It was made by one of my friends who admired you. That’s all."

Theodore laughed again, shaking his head, and the two of them slowly recalled the scrapbook together.

It was filled with every minor role he had ever played, every small line of dialogue he had spoken.

On one side of each page was a photograph of Theodore from each film or drama, and on the other side were the lines he had delivered on screen.

As he flipped through it, a strange warmth spread through his chest.

Those roles that once felt insignificant suddenly carried weight.

’So they mattered to someone,’ he thought. ’Even the smallest parts.’

When his thoughts drifted to what Adriana, Lucas, Adam, and Mary had done for him, a quiet smile curved his lips.

Today’s celebration might have been centered on him, but it was built on the efforts and love of many people.

And that realization thrilled him far more than the applause ever could.

’Success isn’t just about being celebrated,’ he reflected. ’It’s about the people you gain along the way.’

True wealth was never money or fame.

It was measured by how many people loved you and genuinely cared for you.

With that kind of love, everything else felt secondary.

Soon, Theodore was pulled into conversations with guests, laughter and voices filling the space.

Time slipped by unnoticed. When the banquet finally ended, everyone returned to their respective hotels.

Theodore, however, was the last to arrive back.

The moment he stepped inside, everyone noticed the tension on his face.

His brows were furrowed, his shoulders stiff.

"What happened?" someone asked, concern creeping into their voice.

Theodore sank into a chair, running a hand through his hair.

"Just because I’ve become a little more handsome and a little more famous," he scoffed, "does that mean people have the right to follow me in such a disgusting way?"

Curiosity rippled through the room. Theodore exhaled sharply.

"Just a while I was returning with my driver, a woman suddenly jumped in front of the car."

A hush fell over everyone.

"When I got out to check on her," he continued, his jaw tightening, "she grabbed my leg and started begging. She said that if I didn’t give her a lift, she would die."

At first, he had assumed she was just another unhinged fan.

But then his expression darkened.

"She asked for financial support," he added, "and then she asked me to become a stripper."

The room turned grim instantly.

But Theodore’s next words made everyone even more exasperated.

"She didn’t even offer to pay me," he complained. "She just expected it."

Aurora stared at him in disbelief.

"That’s completely inappropriate," she said. "Didn’t that make you uncomfortable?"

Theodore waved his hand dismissively.

"It’s not like I would strip in front of her. I would’ve told her to strip first, then pretended there were people around watching. I’m a good actor. I could’ve made her believe others were staring at her. She would’ve panicked and run away."

Olivia looked at him with pure disappointment.

"You truly deserve to only watch those dramas where the mother-in-law is the killer," she snapped.

"You have absolutely no sense."