Chapter 390: Chapter 390: Pizza For Help
"Aurora... why do you do so much for your siblings but never plan to tell them the truth? Why not just reveal who you are to them?"
Aurora blinked at the question. Emily rarely questioned her choices, so it surprised her.
But Aurora understood the concern behind it.
Emily had been with her for years and had seen her go to great lengths for her family.
Taking a slow breath, Aurora said in a thoughtful tone,
"I want to tell them. But there are too many mysteries around me. If they ask where I got my capital, how I earned so much at such a young age, what can I say? I don’t have answers they can accept."
She paused for a moment before continuing, her voice softer.
"If the family starts digging, they’ll begin with you, Emily. You’re my godmother in their eyes, supposedly a rich heiress. But the truth is... you never had that kind of background. And yet, you gave me gold bars the first time we met. That alone is enough to raise suspicion. Not to mention all the houses you own now, every single one bought by me. Imagine what my parents would think if they knew that at fourteen or fifteen, I was the one who made all that possible."
Emily stayed quiet, listening closely.
Aurora’s voice grew more serious as she added,
"If I tell them everything, how can I explain the source of my money? I can’t tell them it came from hacking. At that time, I wasn’t even known as a hacker, not the famous ’Light.’ No one would believe I earned that much money so fast and so young."
And then there’s the rebate system... She was restricted from talking about it. She couldn’t explain it to them even if she wanted to.
There was a long silence on the line. Emily finally sighed softly and said, "I understand."
Even Emily was curious about this source of money, but some things couldn’t be asked.
Then she took out her laptop and opened the airline website.
Her fingers moved quickly as she searched for flights.
Soon enough, she found one that would leave the next day.
Without hesitation, she booked the ticket.
When she saw the confirmation on the screen, she let out a small breath.
Her decision was final. She would go to see him no matter what.
But there was still a problem to solve.
Her parents would never let her go alone to another city, not without a good reason.
She needed a believable excuse. She sat for a while, tapping her fingers lightly on the table.
She thought of many excuses but rejected them one by one.
Then, suddenly, a thought came to her. She picked up her phone and decided to call Mia.
If Mia helped her, it would be easy to explain to her parents.
She dialed Mia’s number. The call connected after a few rings, but the voice that answered was not Mia’s.
It was soft and unfamiliar, yet somehow steady.
"Hello? Who is this?" the voice asked.
Aurora frowned. "This is Aurora. Is Mia there?"
There was a pause before the voice replied.
"I’m Selena. Mia is in the bathroom. Do you want me to tell her something?"
Aurora was surprised for a moment.
She had never known Mia to be close to Selena.
At school, they had always seemed distant, even slightly cold toward each other.
It felt strange that Selena was now answering Mia’s phone.
Aurora kept her voice even. "Just tell her to call me back when she’s done."
"Alright," Selena said after a short pause.
Aurora ended the call and sat there, her brows drawn together.
She stared at her phone as if it would give her answers.
The thought was strange. For a brief moment, she even wondered if Mia had made another best friend.
But then she shook her head. That did not sound like Mia at all. Mia would have told her if that were the case.
Aurora placed the phone aside, trying to calm her thoughts. She waited. Five minutes passed.
The phone remained silent. Just as she was about to call again, the screen lit up with Mia’s name. She answered right away.
From the other end came Mia’s cheerful voice. "Aurora! You called? I’m sorry, I was busy."
Aurora’s lips softened into a small smile. "I need your help."
Mia responded without a moment’s pause. "Of course. Just tell me what you need."
Aurora spoke in a soft tone.
"I’m going for a special training program in computer science. I can’t tell my parents yet. I want to surprise them when I’m done. I need you to help me by covering for me. Can you say I’m staying at your place for a sleepover?"
Mia’s response came quick and warm.
"Of course. I’ll tell them you’re with me. Don’t worry about it."
Hearing that, Aurora’s eyes brightened.
A bit of relief filled her chest. "Thank you, Mia. I really appreciate this."
Mia laughed lightly, her voice sincere. "You don’t have to thank me. I’ll do anything for you, Aurora."
Just as she finished speaking, Aurora heard a soft sigh from Mia’s end. The sound was faint, almost hidden.
Aurora’s brows furrowed. "What’s wrong, Mia? Did something happen?"
Mia quickly replied. "No, it’s nothing. Just a small ant bit me."
Aurora’s frown deepened. Her tone became calmer, but there was a hidden meaning in her words.
"Are you sure you’re alright? You’re not in any kind of danger, are you? If you are, you can call Pizza for help."
Before Mia could answer, another voice cut in. It was the same unfamiliar voice from earlier.
Selena’s voice carried a faint hint of amusement.
"I’d rather choose a burger than call for pizza," Selena said.
Aurora froze for a second, then realized the call was on speakerphone.
Her face turned cold.
"Selena, why are you with Mia? Are you bullying her?"
She couldn’t think about any other possibility.
Selena gave a short, light laugh.
"I don’t think so. At least from my point of view, Mia looks quite fine."
Aurora’s frown deepened.
Something about Selena’s tone made her uneasy.