CHAPTER 304: CHAPTER 304: ISABELLA

Jules looked at Lucas with a puzzled gaze, her head tilted slightly. She was just about to ask him what he meant about his past when Lucas suddenly smiled and shook his head.

"Let’s not talk about depressing stuff," he said quickly, his voice light again. "We’ve already had enough of that. Let’s talk about something else."

Jules gave a small nod, still curious but choosing not to push further.

So, they started chatting about all kinds of random things, favorite books, movies, the weirdest coding bugs they’d ever seen. Lucas even made Jules laugh with a story about how he once crashed his whole system by missing a single semicolon.

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

Meanwhile, at the amusement park...

Aurora was holding Spencer’s hand tightly as they walked toward the park gate. Her cheeks were slightly red, and a silly grin was stuck on her face.

They had just finished watching a movie together, but honestly, Aurora couldn’t remember a single scene.

That’s because during the entire movie, Spencer kept finding new excuses to hold her hand, hug her, or sneak in a small kiss. She was so focused on him, she completely forgot the plot.

Now, under the warm lights of the amusement park, they strolled together like a couple out of a romance novel. The sound of laughter, music from the carousel, and the smell of popcorn filled the air.

They had already been on a few rides together and were having a great time. Aurora’s eyes suddenly landed on a small photo booth near a corner of the park.

"Oh! Spencer, let’s take pictures!" she said, tugging on his hand like an excited kid.

Spencer smiled. "Of course, anything you want."

Inside the booth, they made silly faces, serious poses, and even a couple of romantic shots where Spencer kissed her cheek and Aurora blushed.

When they looked at the printed pictures together, they both laughed, pointing at how goofy they looked in some of them.

Next, they headed toward more rides, one of which was the haunted house.

Aurora hesitated at the entrance. "Do we... have to go in there?"

Spencer gave her a teasing grin. "Scared?"

"No," Aurora said quickly, standing straighter. "Just... cautious."

But the moment they stepped inside, Aurora immediately grabbed Spencer’s arm. Loud sound effects, sudden flickering lights, and creepy ghost props made her jump every few steps.

She kept screaming through most of the haunted house. Spencer, on the other hand, was loving every second of it.

He chuckled every time Aurora clung to him tighter, and once, he even hugged her from behind when a ghost jumped out of a dark corner.

By the end of the ride, Aurora was breathless, red-faced, and clearly a little embarrassed.

Spencer just smiled at her and whispered, "You were adorable."

After leaving the amusement park, the sky had turned darker, and the clouds looked heavy with rain.

Spencer looked up. "We should find a restaurant. It might start raining soon."

Aurora nodded, still holding his hand, and they both made their way to a nearby fancy restaurant.

Inside, they asked the waiter for a private room.

"Just in time," the waiter said. "We have one left."

Aurora smiled and thanked him. But just as they were about to leave for their room, they heard a commotion behind them.

A group of five people had entered the restaurant, dressed stylishly and talking loudly. In the middle of the group was a very beautiful girl wearing a bright red, shapeless dress.

Her makeup was perfect, and her heels clicked sharply against the floor as she walked.

The group went straight to the counter.

"We need a private room," the girl in the red dress said confidently.

"I’m sorry," the waiter replied politely. "The last private room has already been booked by that couple over there." He nodded toward Aurora and Spencer.

The girl’s eyes followed his gesture and landed on Aurora.

"I’ll pay ten times more," she said casually. "Give the room to us instead."

The waiter looked uncomfortable. "I’m sorry, miss. I can’t do that unless they agree."

The girl’s eyes sparkled slightly as she smiled and turned toward Aurora.

"You heard that, right? I’m willing to pay a lot. Would you mind giving up the room?"

Aurora raised an eyebrow, calm and unbothered. "Yes, I heard. But no, I’m not giving up the room. We got it first. It’s our turn."

The girl tried again. "I’ll pay double what you paid. Just be generous."

But Aurora just shook her head. "It’s not about money. We booked it fair and square."

Spencer stood by her side quietly, his expression unreadable.

One of the girl’s friends suddenly spoke up loudly. "Seriously? What more does she want? We’re offering ten times the money!"

Another one chimed in, "Yeah, how shameless can you be?"

Aurora’s voice remained calm. "I don’t want more. I just want my room. That’s all."

Then she looked directly at the group and added sharply,

"I’ve met rude people before, but you all take it to a new level. You’re trying to steal something that doesn’t belong to you, and blaming me for it."

The girl in the red dress stepped closer, still smiling.

"We’re not here to humiliate you. We’re just tired. We came from a party and need a private space to rest."

Then, she opened her purse and pulled out a card. "Here’s my final offer. I’ll give you $20,000. Just let us have the room."

Her friends gasped dramatically. "Wow! She’s so generous!"

One of them muttered, "Now she should know her place."

Aurora stayed silent for a moment, then looked at the girl calmly. "Do you understand human language?"

The girl blinked. "Excuse me?"

"I said no. And no matter how much you offer," Aurora said, pointing at the door behind the waiter, "we’re still going to that room."

The girl in the red dress was about to respond when her eyes suddenly narrowed.

She looked at Spencer carefully... and her eyes widened.

"Wait..." she said slowly, "Aren’t you Spencer?"

Spencer raised an eyebrow, but didn’t reply. Instead, he slipped his arm around Aurora’s waist and gently pulled her close.

"We’re going," he said.

The girl’s smile faded for a second, but then she chuckled.

"Well, this is awkward," she said, looking straight at Aurora now. "Didn’t he tell you?"

"Tell me what?" Aurora asked.

The girl’s smile turned smug.

"Spencer is my fiancé," she said loudly. "And right now, you’re playing the role of a mistress."

Aurora paused and looked at the girl in the red dress. Her eyes then shifted to Spencer, whose face had turned pale. Before Aurora could even open her mouth, Spencer took a deep breath and said calmly, "She’s not my fiancée."

The girl in red, Isabella, gave a soft laugh, as if she had expected that answer. "He’s lying," she said simply.

Then, turning to Aurora with a strange look in her eyes, half proud, half hoping to see Aurora crumble, she said in a clear voice,

"My name is Isabella Hawthorne. I’m the daughter of Victor Hawthorne. So yes, I just happen to be Spencer’s fiancée too."

Aurora blinked. That name... Victor Hawthorne. Of course, she had heard it before. Wasn’t he the same man who had taken in Emily’s husband as his illegitimate child?

Her mind ran quickly, piecing the connections together. If this girl were Victor Hawthorne’s daughter, that meant she was born into a billionaire family. But something about the way she was acting didn’t feel right.

If Isabella was so rich and powerful... why was she begging for a restaurant room? Why was she arguing like a teenager? Something wasn’t adding up.

As Aurora stood there, thinking, Isabella smiled even wider. She mistook Aurora’s silence for fear.

"I don’t want to embarrass you," Isabella said sweetly, though her voice had a sharp edge.

"So I’ll give you a chance to leave with dignity. If you walk away now, I won’t post anything online. Otherwise..." she flipped her hair slightly,

"I’ll make sure the whole world sees what kind of girl you really are, someone willing to be a mistress just to get a man."

The words hung in the air like poison.

Spencer, who had been quiet, suddenly stepped forward.

"Enough," he snapped. "If you don’t leave right now, the deal is off."

Isabella’s smile slipped for just a second. Then she gave a short laugh. "Wow," she said. "You’re really attached to this little fling, huh?"

Spencer turned to face her fully now, his jaw tight. "She’s not a fling. And I don’t care who hears this now. The truth is simple."

He looked at Aurora and started explaining, his voice steady.

"I don’t even know Isabella that well. We made a deal, a fake engagement. She wanted to look good for her father and get control of more power in the Hawthorne family. I wanted to gain more respect in mine. That’s all. There were no feelings. No real relationship. Nothing."

He paused to glance at Isabella, whose face had gone from smug to pale.