Chapter 33
“Hey, what’s on your mind?” Maura neirled her hair and tilted her head to look at Aurora. Seeing Aurora ignore her, a strange sense of anger welled. up inside, her eyes turning red with frustration
Ddr Mom promise to teach her a lesson! Im already hack at school, and why is Aurora still perfectly fine! Was I just bullied by her for nothing! Maura complained inwardly.
Aurora shoved her hands into her pockets, her fingers brushing the small packet of powder she had. She closed her eyes as if to rest and responded in a cold tone. “Nothing”
Maura wasn’t ready to give up and kept pushing. “You haven’t had a proper look around Merrida yer, right? I can show you around this weekend”
Since when was Maura so chatty? Aurora thought. She usually doesn’t talk this
this much.
- ch. Why is the constantly finding topics to talk to me?
With that thought, Aurora opened her eyes and stared at Maura without a word. Her gaze seemed to be saying. “Shut up”
Under Aurora’s piercing gaze, it felt like all of Maura’s little schemes were laid bare. Her confidence faltered, and she quickly looked away.
Aurora let out a soft, mocking laugh and turned her attention to the
e window.
The wealthy district of Mereida sat on a hill, away from the noisy city center, which offered beautiful scenery, fresh air, and a quiet, winding mountain road. Right now, the car was traveling along that mountain road.
The dense forest on both sides blurred into streaks as the car sped by, with sunlight flickering in and out through the windows, casting shifting patterns of light and shadow on Aurora’s face. Her flawless skin seemed to glow in the changing light
Maura lowered her gaze to her hands, studying her palms and the backs of her hands. Waves of resentment surged through her heart. She thought bitterly. When Aurora first arrived, she was skinny and gaunt. But after just a few days, she’s somehow turned into this delicate beauty–premier
than me, even
Just then, the car came to a sudden, screeching halt, the tires squealing loudly as they skidded to a stop.
The two girls in the back seat lurched forward from the momentum, only to be yanked back by their seatbelts. They weren’t hurt, but the night pull on their waists left a sharp, lingering pain.
Leopold, what the hell Maura, nearly slamming into the front seat, snapped irritably.
Leopold turned back, his face showing apology. “Ms. Maura, it seems the car’s broken down.”
Broken down” Aurora thought. She instinctively glanced out the window. They were in a secluded mountain ravine, about halfway between Crawford Mansion and the city–basically in the middle of nowhere, “What a coincidence. Isn’t the car supposed to get regular maintenance? Is it a dip–up by the mechanics, or is the driver doing this on purpose?”
With that suspicion in mind. Aurora’s guard went up instantly.
Leopold unbuckled his seatbelt and popped the hood to check under it for a moment.
He u
then stuck his head back in through the window and said with a frown, “Ms. Aurora, Ms. Maura, the car’s really broken down. I’ll call the insurance company to send someone over for repairs.”
Since it would take time for them to arrive, Aurora and Maura had no choice but to get out of the car.
Standing outside of the car, Aurora kept her eyes on both the surroundings and Maura, her senses on high alert. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Leopold fiddling with his phone–looked like he was texting someone,
Aurora’s suspicion reached its peak. Without warning, she spoke up. “Didn’t you say y you were calling the insurance company? Why haven’t you made the call yet?”
Calling the insurance company? You’re more like tipping off Stacy Aurora thought to herself.
Leopold’s eyes flickered, but lie quickly came up with an excuse. “The car broke down on the road, so I was just letting my wife know I’ll be late for duner. I’ll call them right now.” After explaining, he began dialing
Aurora couldn’t hold back her smirk inwardly and had already sensed his game. She reached for her phone but realized it was in her backpack, whacheslar’d left in the car
Maura, standing nearby, also seemed in be empty–handed.
For a brief moment, Aurora hesitated and wondered. Should I go back to the car to grab my phone?
Maura, never missing an opportunity to play her role as the considerate and understanding one, chimed in. “Aurora, be patient. Leopold usually heads home right on time. It’s only natural that he’d send a quick message to his family since this is unexpected. Don’t be too harsh on him
Chapter 33
Id and unreadable.
Aurora didn’t bother responding, her face cold
Maura’s attempt to smooth things over fell flat, leaving her mildly irritated. With no one else around, she dropped the act and turned her back on Aurora, no longer interested in keeping up appearances.
Just then, the sound of a car horn echoed from the bend in the mountain road–another car was approaching.
Normally, passing cars wouldn’t alarm Aurora, given how common they were on this road, but it was Leopold’s reaction that set off alarm bells.
Standing near the hood of the car and pretending to work on it, Leopold called out, “Ms, Maura, could you grab the wrench from the trunk for me! I want to see if I can fix the issue myself.”
Maura’s face twisted in displeasure–she really didn’t want to move. She thought with a disdainful look. You’re just my driver, and now you’re asking me to do things for you”
But in front of others, Maura always played the kind, graceful role. So, even though she was mentally rolling her eyes, she forced a smile and walked toward the trunk to grab the wrench.
At that moment, the car that had honked earlier rounded the bend and came into view. It was a black van. The sun visor was down, blocking any clear view of the driver’s face. All Aurora could see from where she stood was a small part of the driver’s chest.
As the van got within 10 feet of them, Aurora noticed the side door sliding open. From it, a muscular arm shot out. The van didn’t slow down, and in just two seconds, it passed right by Maura, who was heading toward the trunk, and aimed straight for Aurora
Aurora’s instincts kicked in. She quickly stepped back and dodged the hand just in time, the fabric of her collar narrowly slipping out of its grasp.
Stacy really sent someone? She’s got guts, trying to pull off a kidnap in broad daylight on a busy road, Aurora thought.
A sharp inhale came from nearby. Maura stood there, eyes wide in disbelief, still shaken from witnessing the whole thing up close. But the next moment, she quickly masked her expression, though deep down, there was a flash of smug satisfaction. They hadn’t gone for her, so it was clear that they had gone straight for Aurora.
“Mom didn’t lie. She really hired people to get back at Aurora Aurora, you’re finished, Maura whispered inwardly with a
smile.
The van came to a sudden, screeching halt, and three hulking men jumped out: They didn’t waste a second and knew exactly who they were after. Without any hesitation, they marched straight toward Aurora.
Maura, meanwhile, turned to head back toward the trunk, wanting to get out of the way. She didn’t want Aurora’s inevitable struggle to mess up her clothes. But just as she started moving she let out a bloodcurdling scream as her body was yanked backward.
Aurora’s cold, low voice echoed in her car. “Maura, where are you going?”
Aurora had grabbed Maura by her hair and forcefully dragged her close. Her voice was icy, like a demon clawing its way out of hell. “Don’t worry, I’ll protect you!
