After dropping Kaylee at the hospital, Aurora calmly told the driver her ho address.
The city passed by quietly outside the window.
The lights of the buildings flickered past as if nothing had happened.
Once she reached ho, she entered without a word and closed the door behind her.
She set her bag down and imdiately turned to her laptop.
Her fingers moved quickly and with purpose, opening her software project and continuing the work she had left off the night before.
She had deadlines to et, coding to complete, and updates to implent.
Her mind slipped naturally into focus. Lines of code filled the screen.
The sun moved across the sky, changing light to shadow. Aurora didn’t notice the ti. She was entirely imrsed in her work.
By evening, she finished a video call with Spencer.
They chatted about casual topics, and a smile ford on their faces by the end of the conversation.
The next morning, Aurora’s routine resud just like any other day.
She attended her classes, completed her schoolwork, and continued refining her software product.
Her life seed ordinary from the outside, but beneath it, there was a careful precision guiding every action.
Nothing was left to chance. She had a plan for everything she cared about, and nothing would derail her focus.
However, she didn’t forget the matter of the fashion studio. She picked up her phone and called Emily.
"Emily," she said calmly, "I need you to acquire a fashion studio."
There was a brief pause on the other end. Emily’s voice ca with a hint of surprise.
"Aurora, are you... Opening your own fashion line?"
Aurora shook her head, even though Emily couldn’t see it. "No, that’s not the plan. This is for my sister."
Emily blinked, startled. "Your sister? Which one?"
"Adriana. She is about to graduate, and I want to help her start her own fashion brand. She shouldn’t have to struggle like we have. She deserves a proper start." Aurora’s voice was calm but firm.
There was a silence. Emily could not hide her admiration. "I’ve hardly seen siblings who care for each other like that."
Aurora chuckled softly, a little mischievously.
"I’m planning to take a small percentage of shares in return. Just to keep things in order. But it’s mostly for her. She won’t even need to worry about finances or investors. I’ll handle that."
Emily shook her head, laughing softly. "I’ve never t a sister like you, Aurora."
Aurora smiled and closed her eyes for a mont, thinking of her family.
"My family... they sacrificed everything for when I was sick. Now, it’s my turn to return what I owe them. They deserve everything I can give."
Emily stayed quiet, letting the words sink in.
She knew so of Aurora’s dical history, and hearing this, she understood why Aurora worked so hard, why she carried so much on her shoulders.
The following week passed quietly. Aurora focused on school, on her software project, and on planning Adriana’s fashion brand.
Occasionally, she spoke to Spencer, missing him in silence at tis.
She would look out the window and wonder how fast ti could pass so she could see him again.
At the sa ti, a small worry lingered in her mind...her family, her siblings, and their storyline. She kept a tab on them to ensure that nothing was going in a wrong direction.
Soon it was Sunday.
The Waters family gathered at ho as usual.
Laughter filled the air, the sounds of conversation blending with the gentle hum of the household.
Alex had co over to spend ti with them.
Suddenly, the doorbell rang. Aurora felt a prickling unease in her chest, a sense that sothing was off.
Her instincts scread at her, but she couldn’t identify exactly why. Before she could react, Lucas had opened the door.
Outside stood Eleanor. A huge smile spread across her face as she entered without hesitation.
Aurora’s hand clenched into a fist.
What was Eleanor doing here? Wasn’t she supposed to be with that trash bag, Mateo? Why was she acting as though she had any right to enter?
Eleanor walked confidently up to Theodore and wrapped him in a hug.
Her tone was soft but urgent. "I truly like you, Theodore. I’m sorry for ignoring you before. I feel terrible about it. I was wrong."
Theodore froze. His eyes widened slightly, caught off guard by Eleanor’s sudden honesty.
Olivia, standing nearby, felt a surge of fury. Without a word, she strode forward, grabbed Eleanor, and slapped her hard across the face.
Eleanor stumbled back, the sound sharp in the room.
Theodore stepped forward, unsure what to do. "Olivia, wait! What are you doing?" he asked, trying to intervene.
Eleanor turned toward Olivia with sincerity in her eyes.
"I understand why you’re angry. I know I hurt you before, but I won’t make excuses. I just want you to see that I am sincere now."
Olivia’s face was red with anger.
"Sincere? You were with Mateo, acting like you were in love with him! Now you suddenly co here and tell you like Theodore? Do you even understand what you’ve done?"
Eleanor’s blonde hair swayed slightly as she held Olivia’s gaze.
Her sapphire blue eyes shimred with moisture.
"I understand. Mateo wasn’t right for . Theodore... now I realize he is who I should have been with. I regret rejecting his confession before. If I could go back, I would accept him imdiately."
The room fell silent. Everyone stared at Eleanor in disbelief.
Alex’s mouth opened slightly, stunned. Theodore’s face was a mixture of shock and confusion.
The sudden shift in Eleanor’s attitude and her boldness had everyone frozen.
Eleanor looked at Theodore with soft determination.
"Please, help . I need you now. I’ve learned from my mistakes. I know I was wrong, but I want to make it right."
Theodore’s mind went back to the past.
He rembered those days when everyone was caught up in their own problems.
It hadn’t been entirely the Waters family’s fault. The world revolved around Aurora, who had been in a coma.
During those tis, Theodore had been humiliated repeatedly by directors. He had almost lost hope countless tis.
He had cried secretly. He had nearly given up on his own dreams. But Eleanor had been there.
She had given him encouragent and motivated him when no one else did. He had been touched, even if she was just stringing him along...
But despite that, Theodore’s voice was soft but firm. "I can’t accept your confession, Eleanor. I’m sorry."
Aurora, who had been quietly observing from the side, hid slightly behind him.
But she heard a chanical voice in her mind.
[Theodore’s favorability had reached 90%.]
Her eyes widened in horror. How could Theodore still like soone who had toyed with him before? How could he still care for Eleanor?
Aurora clenched her fists, her mind racing.
She couldn’t understand it. The more she thought, the angrier she beca.
She turned her gaze sharply toward her brother, her disappointnt plain.
Theodore remained calm. "It’s better if you leave, Eleanor."
Eleanor looked at him, her voice soft but firm.
"I will leave, Theodore, but I won’t stop trying. For three years, I have liked you. Now that I truly understand, I want to prove to you that my earlier mistakes were just that...mistakes. You are the one I want, and I will show you that."
Aurora heard the chanical voice again.
[Theodore’s favorability had increased to 93%.]
Her hands clenched even tighter.
She shouted in frustration, her voice echoing across the room.
"If Mateo was a mistake, then what if in the future you suddenly change your mind and say that Theodore was a mistake too?"
Everyone turned to look at Aurora. Her anger was fierce, her expression dark.
She walked up to Eleanor, glaring at her. "Why are you here? I saw you with Mateo. Kissing him. Do you think we are fools?"
The mont Aurora ntioned Eleanor kissing Mateo,
The familiar chanical voice echoed in Aurora’s mind.
[Theodore’s favorability dropped to 67%]
Aurora felt a rush of relief. Her fists unclenched slightly.
At least her brother wasn’t a lost case!
’Keep on going, Aurora! Just a few more words and this bitch will be completely out of the family!’
She looked at Eleanor with cold clarity.
"If you are really innocent, then Mateo truly was a mistake. How can you only realize it now, after being physically involved with him?"
Eleanor’s smile wavered. She lowered her head, silent for a mont,
"Aurora, why do you hate so much? I understand that my reaction is strange, but... I truly can’t continue to hold my feelings."
Tears shimred in her eyes as she stared at Aurora,
"I tried to hold my feelings for him, I really did! In the past 3 weeks, I have been staring at Theodore from far away and didn’t dare to approach him because of sha... but now... now I truly couldn’t hold back!"
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