CHAPTER 410: CHAPTER 410: SALARY

"...I am not your friend. Hence, I don’t have any kind of obligation to help you or tell you anything in advance."

Sabrina gazed at Aurora for a long time.

"I haven’t seen someone as evil as you, Aurora," she said bitterly.

Aurora looked at her quietly and replied with a calm smile, "I can say the same thing for you, Sabrina."

Those words made Sabrina’s face twist with fury. Her pride burned, and her voice shook as she muttered helplessly,

"You will regret this one day."

Aurora didn’t answer. She simply turned to Kaylee and said,

"Let’s go." The two of them walked away, leaving Sabrina and her group behind.

For a moment, Sabrina stood there in silence. She clenched her fists, her face pale and her lips trembling.

Part of her wanted to chase after Aurora, to demand an explanation, to do something that could save her family’s reputation.

But deep down, she knew it was meaningless.

The bankruptcy was already connected to a powerful software company, and even if she wanted to fight it, she couldn’t.

Sabrina frowned, her mind racing. What kind of connection could Aurora have with that company?

No matter how much she thought about it, she couldn’t find the answer. But suddenly, something clicked in her mind. She remembered something that had happened months ago.

Aurora had once created a program, a grand code that amazed even Blake Hansley.

It was a software that could solve problems on its own, something that no one else in the class could even understand. Back then, everyone had thought it was just a project, a piece of creativity. But now, Sabrina’s heart started to race.

Her eyes widened as the thought formed in her mind. "No way... it can’t be..." she whispered.

"Maybe Aurora wasn’t just a random student. Maybe she was actually the developer behind that software company...or at least had a connection with its founder. That would explain everything. That was why the software company reacted so quickly. That was why my father’s corporation was blacklisted in minutes."

Sabrina’s heart pounded. "It’s impossible..." she muttered to herself. "But if that’s true, then... Aurora is much more dangerous than I thought."

Diana, who had been standing nearby, heard every single word. Her eyes darkened, and she clenched her fists tightly.

She had always known that Aurora was powerful. She knew Aurora was smart, calm, and could handle any situation.

But this level of influence was far beyond what she had imagined.

For the first time, Diana felt a strange sense of unease.

’What if Aurora decides to bankrupt my family next?’

The thought flashed through her mind like lightning. Her heart raced, but then she quickly calmed herself.

Her parents were billionaires. Their company was one of the strongest in the country.

There was no way even someone like Aurora could bring them down that easily.

Thinking that, Diana sighed softly, letting out the tension she didn’t realize she had been holding.

"It doesn’t matter," she muttered under her breath.

Just as she was about to walk away, Sabrina, who was still sitting weakly on the ground, looked up at her.

"Diana... where are you going? Aren’t you going to help me?" she asked in a trembling voice.

Diana stopped walking and turned around slowly. Her eyes were cold and calm. "I can’t help much," she said flatly.

Hearing those words, Sabrina felt her heart drop.

It was like the ground had disappeared from under her feet.

"What do you mean?" she asked weakly. "I’m with you, Diana! You can’t just throw me away like this!"

Diana looked at her for a long moment, then said quietly,

"I’m not throwing anyone away. I’m only letting go of those who were too arrogant."

Sabrina’s eyes widened in disbelief. "Too arrogant? I did everything because you told me to!" she shouted.

Diana chuckled lightly, though her smile didn’t reach her eyes. "And if I told you to jump into a well, would you do it too?"

The group around them fell silent. No one spoke. The sound of the wind brushing against the parking lot was the only thing they could hear.

Diana crossed her arms and looked at each of them.

"You should learn to think for yourselves sometimes. Don’t just follow me blindly. You should know when to back off and when not to pick fights with people stronger than you. Even I have my limits." Her tone was calm, but her words cut deep.

She glanced at Sabrina again and said, "Did you really didn’t think Aurora couldn’t outsmart me?"

Sabrina didn’t reply. Her lips trembled, but no sound came out.

The others lowered their heads too, realizing that Diana was right. They had followed her blindly without thinking of the consequences.

One by one, they looked at Diana as if they were seeing her for the first time.

They had always believed she was their protector, their leader.

But now, her calm and cold attitude made them realize something frightening...Diana wasn’t as safe as they thought.

She could throw anyone under the bus if it benefited her. She could walk away from anyone once they lost their usefulness.

For the first time, her followers started to doubt her.

They exchanged glances with each other, a silent understanding passing between them.

If Diana could betray Sabrina today, what would stop her from betraying them tomorrow?

But none of them said it aloud. They couldn’t.

Because deep down, they knew that Diana had power over their families and corporations.

If they dared to go against her, their parents would soon hear about it...and the consequences would be worse than anything Aurora could do.

Still, they made a silent promise among themselves. This incident would not be forgotten.

They would report it to their parents and let them know what kind of person Diana truly was.

Their parents still believed she was a loyal, responsible leader. But now, they needed to change that image.

Meanwhile, Aurora and Kaylee had already left.

They got into a cab, and the air between them was quiet for a moment.

Kaylee looked out the window, her mind still filled with everything that had happened. After a while, she turned to Aurora and spoke softly.

"Thank you," she said.

Aurora paused, slightly surprised. She waved her hand lightly. "It’s nothing. It’s what I should have done."

Kaylee looked at her with genuine admiration. For the first time, she smiled faintly.

"I don’t know why you did so much for me," she said. "But I’m really grateful."

Aurora looked at her for a moment and then replied, "Because it was the right thing to do."

Kaylee smiled again and nodded slowly. Then she looked down, thinking deeply about something.

After a few seconds, she chuckled softly. "You’re really something, Aurora. You don’t say much, but when you do, it always surprises me."

Aurora laughed lightly. "Is that so?"

Kaylee nodded, then hesitated for a moment before saying,

"I won’t ask you for help again. I won’t bother you with my problems or ask you to fund me as a fashion designer or anything like that."

Aurora looked at her curiously. "Why not?"

Kaylee smiled shyly. "Because you’ve already done enough. But... I do have one question."

Aurora nodded. "Go ahead."

Kaylee looked at her directly. "How did you know I wanted to become a fashion designer?"

Aurora chuckled softly. "Instinct," she said simply.

Kaylee blinked, surprised. "Instinct? That’s all?"

Aurora nodded.

"I didn’t know you before today. But I can tell you have the eyes of someone who sees beauty in small details."

Kaylee stared at her in shock. "That’s something I never told anyone. Not even my mother knows."

Aurora smiled faintly. "Sometimes, you don’t need to say it. It’s written in your eyes."

Kaylee looked out the window again, her voice low.

"I always dreamed of becoming a designer, but... I don’t think I’ll ever make it. Maybe one day, my children will."

Before she could say more, Aurora interrupted her gently.

"I was serious when I said I’ll help you open your own fashion brand."

Kaylee turned to her in surprise. "You mean it?"

Aurora nodded. "But it’s based on one condition."

Kaylee laughed lightly.

"You don’t even have one million dollars saved. How are you going to help someone open a business?"

Aurora smiled calmly.

"To open a business, you don’t need a million dollars. To start a fashion brand, you need around one to two hundred thousand dollars, not more."

Kaylee’s eyes widened. "Then... do you even have that much?"

Aurora nodded confidently.

"I have at least one million in savings. So yes, I can help you. But the brand won’t be owned solely by you."

Kaylee didn’t even hesitate.

"That’s fine. As long as I can work as a designer, it doesn’t matter who owns it. I don’t even care if I earn much."

Aurora chuckled.

"You don’t have to worry about that. I’m ready to pay you one million dollars every year as your salary. All you need to do is stay with the brand for the rest of your life."

Kaylee’s eyes went wide in horror. "One million dollars? Every year?"

Aurora nodded calmly.