CHAPTER 415: CHAPTER 415: GIFT

Adeline blinked, taken aback. She did not expect the conversation to go in this direction.

It had started from something casual, and now he was asking her to take on such an important role.

Her mouth opened slightly, but no words came out immediately.

Alex saw her hesitation and quickly added, "I am ready to offer a salary of one million dollars."

Adeline’s eyes widened in disbelief. She wanted to say yes, to accept immediately, but her mind was spinning. She tried to speak, but before she could, Alex gave her a small, sad smile.

"It is completely alright if you do not want to," he said softly. "I have had very bad luck since childhood. I have never been proposed to by any girl. I understand if I am not good enough."

Adeline felt her heart tighten at his words. She could see that he was not being arrogant or boastful.

He was being honest, sharing a part of himself that very few people would know.

She wanted to comfort him, and she immediately said, "You are good-looking. Really."

Alex paused and looked at her seriously. "Are you telling the truth?" he asked, his gaze steady and sincere.

Adeline nodded firmly. "Yes, I am telling the truth," she said.

Alex’s expression softened. "Then... can you become my friend?" he asked quietly.

Adeline immediately nodded. "Yes, I can," she said softly.

Alex smiled, his eyes reflecting a mixture of relief and hope.

"In my whole life, I have never had a friend," he said. "If you can become one, I will truly feel honored."

Adeline nodded again, though a small feeling of confusion lingered in her mind.

Something about the conversation felt unusual, but she could not put her finger on it. She tried to focus on the present, on supporting him and being there as a friend.

Alex, on the other hand, was thinking ahead. He was already imagining how things could develop between them.

He wanted to guide her, to bring her closer, and maybe, over time, she would become more than just a friend.

He smiled and leaned slightly closer. "If that is the case," he said softly, "then it would be convenient for me to pick you up and drop you off whenever needed."

Adeline froze. Slowly, it began to dawn on her that Alex might be trying to flirt with her.

She felt her face heat up, and she quickly said, "That is fine. But we are only friends."

Alex smiled, a small, knowing smile.

"Yes, only friends," he said. In his mind, he was confident that in time, they would move beyond that. For now, he would let things happen naturally and continue guiding her closer.

Adeline felt flustered but tried her best to remain calm.

She kept her posture composed, resisting the strange pull of excitement that Alex’s presence brought.

She reminded herself constantly that they were just friends, even if his words and actions suggested otherwise.

At that moment, a waiter arrived with a plate of fried rice.

"Eat it." Alex motioned while serving her the food.

"You are not going to eat?" she asked, curious when she saw him not serving himself any.

Alex shook his head slightly. "I have a slight stomachache. It is better if I do not eat anything," he said softly.

Adeline frowned slightly, thinking he was strange, but she did not press further.

Aurora, who had heard everything through her mobile phone, sat quietly on her bed.

She had connected Alex’s phone to hers earlier, and now she was listening to every word of the conversation between Alex and Adeline.

As the call ended, she leaned back against the wall, a small, proud smile forming on her face.

Honestly, she was very impressed by her half brother. He had handled the entire situation perfectly.

From the start, he had planned everything so well. He had managed to make Adeline open up to him, gain her trust, and even secure a reason to stay connected to her after her work with his company ended.

Aurora knew that Adeline’s position in Alex’s company was temporary.

Once the project ended, she would have no reason to stay in touch with Alex. But her clever brother had already thought ahead.

He had offered her the position of personal health expert.

That way, even after Adeline left the company, he could still keep seeing her.

The title was just an excuse, but it was a smart and harmless one. Aurora couldn’t help but admire Alex’s cleverness. She chuckled softly and shook her head.

In her mind, she thought,

’If anyone among us siblings is going to get married first, it’s definitely going to be Alex. He had charm, confidence, and brains. He could make anyone fall for him if he wanted to.’

But what Aurora didn’t know was that she was soon going to be proven wrong.

After ending the call, she smirked and shut down her laptop.

Then, with a swift motion, she started working on her own project.

She opened her programming software and began typing rapidly.

She wanted to launch it before the end of the year, and now the deadline was getting closer.

As she worked, her thoughts wandered for a moment. She remembered that Mary’s birthday was coming up in two weeks.

She smiled to herself, already thinking about what to do.

Time passed quickly, and in the blink of an eye, two days were gone.

Aurora had been attending her school, working long hours, sleeping little, and managing several things at once. Just then, her phone rang. It was Emily.

When Aurora picked up, Emily’s cheerful voice came from the other end. "Aurora, the studio is ready."

Hearing those words, Aurora stopped typing and smiled widely. "That’s good," she said. "It’s time to give Olivia a huge surprise."

After ending the call, she stretched her arms and looked toward the window, where sunlight was peeking through the curtains. She felt excited just thinking about Olivia’s reaction.

With that thought, Aurora left her room and walked down the hallway. She stopped in front of Olivia’s door and knocked gently.

Since it was Thursday, Aurora knew Olivia was most likely home.

Olivia often took Thursdays off to rest.

A moment later, the door opened, and Olivia appeared, wearing a light spaghetti top and shorts. Her hair was tied loosely, and she looked relaxed.

She raised her eyebrows, looking at Aurora with slight confusion. "What do you need?" she asked.

Aurora blinked and tilted her head. "Can’t I come to see you without needing something?"

Olivia crossed her arms and gave her a teasing smile. "Knowing you, that’s rare. So what kind of plan are you thinking this time?"

Aurora chuckled softly. "It’s going to be amazing," she said. "Just get ready. You’ll know soon."

Olivia looked surprised. "You’re taking me somewhere?"

Aurora nodded.

Olivia hesitated for a second, then said, "Alright, give me five minutes. I’ll get ready."

Aurora smiled and waited outside the room. Exactly five minutes later, Olivia came out, dressed casually but neatly.

Aurora nodded in approval and gestured for her to follow.

They left the apartment together. The drive wasn’t long, just ten minutes, but Olivia kept glancing at Aurora now and then, curious about where they were going.

When they finally arrived, Olivia’s eyes widened.

Right in front of her stood a beautiful glass-front building made of black wood and shining glass panels. On the top, in elegant white letters, was written Olivia Studio.

The moment Olivia saw the name, she froze. Her heart started to beat faster, but she quickly told herself she was imagining things.

She didn’t want to assume anything too soon.

Before she could say anything, Aurora took her hand gently and led her toward the building.

Olivia felt nervous as they walked closer. "Aurora," she asked, her voice uncertain, "what’s going on?"

Aurora smiled calmly. "You’ll know soon," she said.

When they reached the entrance, Aurora pushed open the glass door and led Olivia inside.

The first floor was a large open hall, bright and airy. The walls were decorated beautifully, though there were no photos or paintings yet. It looked like an art gallery... clean, elegant, and full of potential.

Olivia looked around in awe. "This place..." she murmured.

Aurora smiled and guided her toward the stairs. "Come," she said.

They went up to the second floor, and when Olivia stepped inside, she gasped.

The room was beautifully designed. At the center stood a large canvas on a sturdy easel, surrounded by shelves filled with different kinds of paints and brushes.

There were colors Olivia had only dreamed of having...shades she had never even seen in stores. Some of them looked very rare and expensive.

For a long moment, Olivia couldn’t move. Her hands trembled slightly as she turned to Aurora.

"What... what is this?" she asked in a shaky voice.

Aurora’s lips curved into a soft smirk. "This," she said gently, "is my gift to you."

Olivia’s eyes widened even more. "Gift?" she repeated, disbelief in her tone.

Aurora nodded. "Yes. By the time I woke up from my coma, your birthday had passed. So, this is my belated birthday gift."

Then, stepping forward, Aurora wrapped her arms around Olivia and said softly, "Happy Birthday."