CHAPTER 444: CHAPTER 444: THRILLED PETER

Aurora leaned back and clicked her tongue.

’If only I had a power that could tell me where gold and diamond mountains are hidden. My life would’ve been so easy...’

She sighed.

’If I could choose again, maybe I shouldn’t have asked for the rebate system. Maybe I should have asked for something that lets me see the future, stock prices, resources, major business shifts... Then I’d become rich effortlessly.’

But that was just wishful thinking.

Not to mention, now she already had a good business acumen.

After Aurora finished memorizing every detail about the newly discovered gold-and-diamond mountains, she closed the article with a thoughtful sigh.

The information kept circling her mind, but she pushed it aside and continued browsing through her computer.

As she scrolled, another headline caught her attention, one far more dramatic than the first.

At first glance, it appeared devastating, but as soon as she opened the article, Aurora’s lips curled into a slow, satisfied smile.

From her perspective, it was not devastating at all. In fact, it was deeply gratifying.

The article revealed the downfall of the very people who had tormented her sister years ago.

The three boys who had once made Adriana’s school life miserable were now begging for mercy. Their dark deeds, every instance of bullying, manipulation, humiliation... had been exposed publicly.

And it wasn’t just the boys. Several girls who had participated in the bullying were also facing backlash, losing opportunities, and being shunned for their cruelty.

Aurora leaned back in her chair with a satisfied exhale.

’Finally... they’re paying for what they did. Adriana should feel relieved now.’

But as soon as the thought crossed her mind, Aurora paused.

’Relieved? Or will she feel sad again? Will the old memories resurface? What if seeing their downfall brings back her trauma instead of healing it?’

The more Aurora thought about it, the more an uneasy guilt settled in her stomach. She regretted assuming how Adriana would feel without checking on her first.

’I should look at her tomorrow... just to make sure she’s okay.’

At the same time she wondered who had exposed these bullies’s deeds.

The next morning, Aurora did exactly that.

She quietly peeked into Adriana’s room and blinked in surprise. Far from appearing distressed, Adriana was smiling ear to ear as she typed rapidly on her phone, her cheeks flushed with happiness.

She looked radiant, completely unaffected by the online storm surrounding her former bullies.

Aurora almost laughed in relief.

’She’s moved on... she’s really moved on. Whoever helped her heal deserves a reward.’

With that thought, Aurora returned to her room and swiftly hacked into Adriana’s home security feed.

She didn’t intend to pry too deeply, just enough to see who Adriana was texting.

When she finally located the feed showing her phone screen, Aurora froze for half a second before letting out a low chuckle.

It was Peter.

’So it was him... That fool finally did something useful.’

Feeling generous, Aurora immediately checked the pending cooperation request from Peter’s corporation and approved it without hesitation.

She didn’t stop there; she transferred $100 million into Peter’s company account.

Meanwhile, Peter was in the middle of a morning meeting at his office. His expression was cold and stern as always, keeping every employee on edge.

Suddenly, his phone chimed. Normally, he ignored all notifications during meetings, but that specific tone, soft, melodic, and unmistakably unique, was reserved only for one person.

Adriana.

Without meaning to, Peter’s entire demeanor softened. His eyes lit up as he unlocked his phone and saw her cheerful "Good morning" message.

A foolish smile spread across his face, so bright and warm that the entire meeting room went silent.

His employees exchanged stunned glances.

They had never seen their ruthless CEO look like this. Not even once.

A few of them wanted to take pictures and share such a rare moment online, but their survival instincts kicked in. They pretended not to notice anything.

Peter typed a warm reply back to Adriana, his fingers moving quickly. He was ready to continue chatting when his assistant hurried inside with urgent steps.

"Sir, a major update from Ms. Dawn’s side," the assistant announced breathlessly.

Peter’s smile faded slightly, and he sat up straight. "Did she reject the proposal?"

The assistant blinked. "N-No, sir! That’s not it."

Peter’s heart dropped. He had been expecting a rejection. Most big investors mocked his idea, his attempt to build a company focused on "vibe coding," a system that relied more on using AI than traditional coding structure.

His father had dismissed him. His siblings had ridiculed him. Investors laughed behind closed doors.

Yet... he believed in it. So he sent proposals to everyone he could.

Ms. Dawn was the last person he expected a response from, let alone a positive one.

Peter swallowed and whispered, "Then what did she say?"

The assistant took a deep breath. "Ms. Dawn accepted. And... she transferred a substantial amount to the company account."

Peter jerked upright. "Show me."

He immediately opened the company account. When the numbers popped up on the screen, he froze.

Then he stared. Then he counted again. And again. And again.

One hundred million dollars.

One. Hundred. Million.

For a long moment, Peter couldn’t speak. His assistant watched him nervously, wondering if he was overwhelmed or about to faint.

Finally, Peter stood up abruptly.

"Cancel all other proposals. Every single one. We won’t be entertaining other investors."

"Eh? But... "

Peter was already gathering his things. The assistant sighed. He didn’t understand his boss’s sudden decision, but he could guess the reason.

Whatever Ms. Dawn had invested clearly covered the entire funding Peter had been struggling to acquire.

The assistant felt a wave of gratitude toward Ms. Dawn. His boss hadn’t been sleeping well for weeks, pressured from every direction, desperate for support. And now, finally... someone believed in him.

Meanwhile, Peter typed another message to Adriana, suddenly worried.

"Was something bothering you recently? Did anything make you upset?"

Adriana blinked at her phone when she received the message. Confused, she thought for a moment before replying honestly.

She told him about the news regarding her old school bullies and how it reminded her of the trauma they caused. But she also added a final line:

"But since I started talking to you... I feel much better now."

When Peter saw the faint gratitude in her words, he went completely still. He remembered the sadness she carried a few days ago, the way her voice trembled, the pain hiding behind her smiles.

He remembered taking her to a café, asking repeatedly what she wanted to do, and eventually taking her to the amusement park. She laughed. She glowed. She thanked him softly that day.

For the first time, he had seen her truly happy.

Now he felt something click.

’So Ms. Dawn must’ve seen that. She must have rewarded me because I helped Adriana...’

He shook his head with disbelief.

"The thoughts of the wealthy... I will never understand them."

While Peter was absorbing the surreal shift in his life, someone else’s world was about to crumble.

Across the city, Jules sat at her desk, coding as usual. The steady clicking of her keyboard filled her cozy apartment. She was accustomed to quiet work sessions like these, and she expected today to be no different, until her doorbell rang.

Ding-dong.

Jules blinked. ’Oh, maybe my delivery arrived early.’

She stretched her stiff fingers and walked toward the door. But something made her pause. A faint instinct.

Slowly, she leaned toward the peephole.

And froze. A cold wave shot down her spine.

Standing outside was the last person she ever wanted to see.

Her mother, Annie.

Jules stepped back instinctively, her hands trembling. She pressed her lips together, trying to stay calm. She didn’t move. She didn’t make a sound.

But Annie grew impatient. The bell rang again, louder and faster.

Still, Jules stayed silent.

Annie finally seemed to realize the truth. She spoke through the door, voice dripping with venom.

"So, you already know your mother is standing here? Is that why you’re hiding like a coward?"

Jules clenched her fists.

She pressed the speaker button. "Leave, Annie. Go home."

"Jules! I’m your mother! You have no right to ignore me! Come out right now!"

"This is my home, and this country respects personal decisions," Jules said coldly. "If you don’t leave, I’ll call the police."

Annie’s voice twisted with rage.

"You’re going too far! If you want to marry into the Waters family, you’d better act sensibly and come out."

Jules felt her stomach twist.

She took a deep breath. "I will still marry Lucas. No matter how you try to threaten me, your fantasies will never come true."

Her calm defiance shocked Annie. For a moment, there was silence.

Then Annie hissed, loud enough for the hallway to hear:

"If that’s the case, Lucas will be ashamed to marry a girl who went to jail a second time."

Jules froze. "What do you mean?"

A chilling smile spread across Annie’s face.

"I’ve obtained new evidence. Proof that you killed my daughter. Once I submit it to the court, they’ll arrest you again. And this time... you’ll stay in prison for a long, long time."