CHAPTER 343: CHAPTER 343: LIE

Aurora’s expression did not change much, but her eyes grew slightly sharper. She raised her eyebrow with interest and swirled the wine in her glass slowly.

"That," Aurora said calmly, "is a very valuable piece of information." She paused and then added with a small smile. "I will keep it in mind before I make a decision."

Megan’s face lit up like someone who had just been told they won a prize. "Thank you, Ms. Dawn. Truly, thank you. I am so glad you are willing to consider this."

Aurora gave a small nod but stayed silent.

Megan hesitated for a moment and then spoke again, her voice hopeful. "May I have your phone number? I wish to stay in touch directly."

Aurora shook her head gently, her red hair brushing against her shoulders. "Not now. This is not the right time. My assistant will contact you instead."

Megan looked a little disappointed at first, but her excitement quickly returned.

She nodded repeatedly, almost too eagerly. "Yes, yes of course. That is more than enough. I will be waiting for the call."

With that, Megan smiled brightly, gave a small bow, and left the spot almost skipping with joy.

Emily, who had been standing near Aurora the whole time, frowned deeply.

She leaned closer and whispered, "She is truly strange. I do not understand her at all."

Aurora chuckled softly and sipped her wine again. "Strange? Maybe. But people like her are everywhere."

Emily crossed her arms.

"But what I do not understand is why she said your company had a mole. Aurora, in your software company, you are the only one who controls everything. You write most of the main code yourself. There is no team that could leak secrets. Why would she claim such a thing?"

Aurora’s lips curved into a knowing smile.

She shook her head slightly.

"It is because Megan assumed too much. She looked at me and thought I must have a big team working under me. Subconsciously, she convinced herself there must be a traitor, so she made up a story. She believed if she warned me about danger, she would gain my attention. And once she had my attention, she thought she could climb the ladder quickly. This is exactly how many people have been trying to approach me these past weeks."

Emily blinked in surprise. "So you are saying she just lied to you? Like that?"

Aurora gave a soft laugh.

"Not exactly lied, but twisted things to make them look more serious. People like Megan believe exaggeration is the best way to stand out. She thought by bringing up Victor’s name and warning me about danger, she would make herself seem important."

Emily shook her head in disbelief. "That is shameless."

Aurora only smiled faintly and did not reply. Instead, she placed her wine glass down on a nearby table and took out her phone. Her fingers moved quickly across the screen. Emily leaned closer curiously.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

Aurora did not look up.

"Checking something. I do not trust people who speak too much without proof. So let us see what Megan is really hiding."

Her fingers tapped with practiced speed. In just a few moments, she had hacked into a private set of files connected to Megan’s past work.

Aurora’s eyes scanned the screen carefully, and soon her lips curled into a cold smile.

"Ah," she said calmly. "So this is what she was hiding."

Emily’s curiosity grew stronger. "What is it? Tell me."

Aurora turned the phone so Emily could peek at the data.

"Megan was caught stealing money from her own company. Embezzlement. She shifted company funds into her personal accounts, and once her boss discovered it, she was kicked out."

Emily’s jaw dropped. "What? She was stealing? And she dared to stand here acting like some great businesswoman?"

Aurora nodded lightly.

"Exactly. And what makes it worse is that her boss was her own brother. The founder of VJ Rings. That is why no legal charges were pressed. He still cared about her reputation, so instead of throwing her into court, he just forced her out quietly."

Emily’s eyes widened.

"So everything she said about being blacklisted... it was because of her own crime, not because she was betrayed?"

Aurora chuckled softly.

"Yes. She painted herself as a victim. It makes her sound pitiful, and pitiful people sometimes gain sympathy. But the truth is very different. She dug her own grave, and now she is trying to climb out by using others."

Emily shook her head again, clearly stunned.

"I never thought someone could be so shameless. First, stealing money from her own company, and now trying to trick you with fake warnings about a traitor. How can she look so confident when lying?"

Aurora looked at Emily calmly.

"Because people like Megan convince themselves first. They tell the story so many times in their head that they start to believe their own lies. And when they speak, they sound confident. That is why it works on others. But not on me."

Emily felt a small chill run down her back. "That is dangerous. If you were not so sharp, you might have fallen for it."

Aurora placed her phone back into her small purse.

"That is why I always check things myself. Never trust words until you have proof."

Aurora had just finished speaking with Emily when a voice rose from behind her.

"Congratulations, Ms. Dawn."

Aurora slowly turned around, and the light smile on her face disappeared instantly. The veil covered most of her expression, but her aura shifted.

It grew colder, sharper, and Emily, who had been watching closely, immediately understood that Aurora did not welcome the newcomer at all.

The woman who stood before them was Isabella Hawthorne.

A polite smile sat on her lips, but Aurora’s eyes held no warmth for her.

"Congratulations," Isabella repeated warmly. "You have climbed into the ranks of billionaires. I was truly happy to hear the news."