She had helped Alex by arranging silent investnts in his company. She had opened an entertainnt company to give Theodore a real platform to stand on.
She had invested in Lucas’s ambitious projects. She had given Olivia a studio and even ten million in funds. And for Adriana, she was planning to open a fashion studio.
She had done more than any of them knew.... and she had no intention of telling them.
They had all done so much for her in their own ways, so of which she still didn’t even know about. So, in her eyes, this was simply... balance.
Across the table, Alex watched her quietly, eyes narrowed slightly.
The others might be oblivious, but he wasn’t.
He knew about Emily.
He knew that the mysterious investor who had funded him early on had done so because of Aurora.
His mind drifted back to the previous evening.
He and Adeline had gone out for a business dinner. On their way out of the restaurant, they bumped into Emily, who was leaving with a child. The woman had waved at them warmly.
Alex had rushed over. He respected Emily deeply, not just because she was successful, but because she was Aurora’s godmother... and the person who had secretly invested in his company when no one else would.
After weeks of digging, he had finally traced the investnt source back to her. But he still hadn’t understood why she chose him.
That night, Emily smiled gently at him, then glanced at Adeline with a teasing glint in her eyes.
"Going to dinner with your girlfriend?" she asked.
Alex, caught off guard, had blushed furiously. "W-we’re just here for business," he stamred.
Adeline had quickly waved her hands. "You’re overthinking," she told Emily.
But Emily only chuckled and lifted a hand. "Alright, alright. I won’t disturb your date, or your ’business discussion,’" she said with a playful emphasis.
Just as Emily was about to leave, Adeline tugged lightly on Alex’s sleeve. With her eyes lowered and voice soft, she whispered, "Who was that woman?"
Alex stiffened.
He hadn’t expected the question so soon. His mind scrambled to find a neutral explanation, but his mouth moved faster than his brain.
"She’s the... investor."
The mont the word slipped out, Alex instantly regretted it. His eyes squeezed shut, and he wanted nothing more than to slam his head into the nearest wall.
’Idiot. Idiot. Idiot. You weren’t supposed to say that.’
Footsteps paused.
Emily turned back sharply, her expression freezing for a split second. The disbelief in her eyes was impossible to miss.
Alex flinched.
He felt like he had just exposed a secret he wasn’t supposed to know.
Emily slowly approached him again, her gaze sharp yet unreadable. "Alex," she said, her tone calm but firm, "I would like to talk to you."
Alex waved a hand imdiately. "I’m busy right now...."
"It’s very important," Emily interrupted softly. "If you refuse now, you’ll regret not hearing the truth behind the investnt."
He froze.
The truth behind the investnt?
For years, he had wondered why soone like Emily had invested in a no-na young man like him when his startup was nothing more than a fragile blueprint.
It had always felt too convenient. Too charitable. Too mysterious.
And now Emily was offering answers.
How could he refuse?
After a few seconds of contemplation, Alex nodded.
Adeline sensed the seriousness of the situation and quietly stepped away. With a gentle smile, she took little rvick’s hand, guiding him toward a nearby bench. The child obediently followed, sensing his mother needed space.
From a distance, Adeline watched with concerned eyes while Alex and Emily moved a little farther.
Alex turned to Emily. "What did you want to tell ?"
Emily took a slow breath, her expression softening into sothing almost nostalgic. "I want to tell you the real reason behind the investnt."
Alex blinked. "You an... why you helped ?"
Emily shook her head. "Alex, the truth is... I didn’t make that investnt."
He stared, confused. "What? But your na..."
"The money wasn’t mine," Emily said gently. "The person who gave the money... was Aurora."
Alex’s mind went blank.
"...Aurora?"
Emily nodded.
"She ca to , asked to invest in your company on her behalf, and insisted her na must never be ntioned. She said she didn’t want you to feel burdened or feel like you owed her."
Alex’s lips parted, but no sound ca out.
His throat tightened painfully.
Emily reached into her bag and took out her phone. "I figured you wouldn’t believe just words. So here is the proof."
She opened transaction records in her phone, ti stamps, and instructions.
Then she played an audio clip.
A familiar young voice echoed from the phone, soft but unwavering.
"Emily, please invest this money for Alex. And please... don’t ever tell him it ca from . I want him to rise without worrying about ."
Alex’s heart shattered.
He listened again as if the audio would change if he repeated the action enough number of tis.
Every repeated word dug deeper into him.
He pressed a trembling hand over his mouth. His chest felt tight, and his eyes burned.
’All this ti... I thought no one supported . I thought everyone looked down on . I thought I had to fight alone...’
But the truth was the opposite.
Soone had silently been behind him. Soone younger than him.
Soone who should have been carefree, focusing on school and friends... Yet instead had worked, saved, and given everything she had.
Aurora.
He swallowed harshly. "I... I thought everyone owed . I thought the world owed . But all along... soone... soone in my own family was helping ."
His voice cracked.
Emily placed a gentle hand on his shoulder.
"She didn’t want you to feel pressured. She didn’t want you to feel ashad or obligated. She just wanted you to succeed."
Alex wanted to cry. He truly did.
But he held it back with clenched fists.
"How... how did she even have that much money?" he whispered. "She was fifteen..."
Emily hesitated only a mont before saying, "Aurora has been doing hacking gigs since she was fourteen. Legal ones and under-the-table ones. She saved every cent."
Alex’s breathing hitched.
A fourteen-year-old. Working endlessly.
Saving money that other kids would’ve spent on clothes, food, phones, comfort, and dreams.
And she invested it into him.
A nobody. A half-brother who barely spoke to her back then.
He felt an overwhelming desire to run to Aurora and hug her tightly, to thank her, to apologize, and to tell her he would never forget this.
But then a different feeling washed over him.
Heartache. Deep, painful heartache.
’She was just a kid... Why did she have to work so hard? Why didn’t she spend anything on herself?’
Emily studied his expression and added,
"She made promise not to tell you. But... after seeing her do so much for all of you in secret, I couldn’t just watch anymore. That little girl deserved recognition... deserved at least soone knowing the truth."
Alex understood what Emily didn’t say.
She was talking about Olivia’s studio apartnt or the ten million Aurora had contributed.
Emily, however, was talking about Aurora’s Miss Dawn identity. She believed it was Aurora’s right to share when she felt ready.
After finishing, Emily offered a faint smile. "Take care of her, Alex. She’s done far more than you know."
Then she turned and walked away.
..............
Alex snapped out of his daze and looked at Aurora.
So unaware of how much her sacrifices affected him.
His heart twisted again.
For a mont, he almost blurted out, "I know."
He almost hugged her. Almost thanked her. Almost broke down completely.
But then she looked up and smiled at him... softly, simply, without expecting anything.
And he realized... She didn’t want recognition. She wanted to help quietly. She wanted him to rise without carrying any weight.
So he swallowed his confession.
If she wanted to hide it, he would let her hide it.
But he would never forget.
Not ever.
He stared at her with a gentleness he had never shown before. A gentleness Aurora completely missed as she returned her attention to her siblings.
She didn’t know that half her secrets were already in Alex’s hands.
She didn’t know he was already close to discovering her hidden identity.
anwhile, the siblings eventually left the eting. They walked away with a sense of relief... finally confident that they had enough evidence to drag Hans, Milo, and Lovely into court.
For the first ti in a long while, they didn’t feel helpless.
A huge burden had finally lightened.
But elsewhere, trouble brewed.
Adam and Mary sat inside a dim, sparsely furnished living room. They had been called by Lovely, Hans, and Milo for a "private eting," and despite their hesitation, they ca.
They didn’t know about the evidence their children had gathered. They didn’t know a trap had been set for them. They didn’t know they were walking into danger disguised as desperation.
Lovely sat on the opposite couch, looking weary and irritated.
"We need more money," she said bluntly.
User Comments
0 comments from readers