CHAPTER 99: MY BIGGEST MISTAKE

Aurora’s lips pressed into a thin line as her thoughts tangled. "I don’t even know if I should be mad at you right now," she admitted, her voice low, almost tired. "Part of me wants to scream, to throw that money in your face and tell you I hate you for making me part of this mess. But another part..." She trailed off, shaking her head with a weak laugh. "Another part keeps whispering that you have your reason."

Daisy’s shoulders slumped as she walked toward Aurora. "I’m sorry... I really am... Aurora."

Aurora let out a shaky breath, staring at the floor for a long moment before lifting her gaze to Daisy. Her expression was conflicted, but the sharp edges of her anger had dulled. "You always were stubborn in the worst ways," she murmured, her lips tugging into the faintest, almost reluctant smile. "And somehow, I can’t even bring myself to hate you for it."

She rubbed her hands over her face, groaning softly. "God, Daisy... you make it so hard to stay mad."

Daisy suddenly closed the space between them, wrapping her arms tightly around Aurora. For a moment, Aurora stiffened, caught off guard, but then she let herself sink into the embrace. Just as quickly, she pulled back, her brows furrowing as she gave Daisy a mock glare, though her eyes betrayed the faintest sparkle.

"So, what should I do with the money?" she asked, tone caught between seriousness and teasing.

Daisy smiled, a little sheepishly but with conviction. "It’s your money, use it. Don’t return it. He has plenty... it didn’t even affect 0.01% of his income."

Aurora let out a dry chuckle, though it didn’t quite reach her eyes. "Still feels dirty, though," she muttered, rubbing her palms together as if the money itself had left a stain on her skin.

Daisy stepped closer again, her voice gentler this time. "Then don’t think of it as his money. Think of it as... the price he had to pay for what he asked for. You didn’t ask for it, Aurora. He gave it to you."

Aurora tilted her head, studying Daisy’s face for a long moment. Then, with a sigh, she shook her head and smirked faintly. "You’re annoyingly good at making excuses sound noble, you know that?"

Daisy grinned, relief flickering across her expression. "I’ll take that as a compliment."

Aurora’s half-smile faded as a thought struck her. She straightened, her eyes narrowing as they searched Daisy’s face.

"Wait..." Her voice cut through the air, sharper than before. "I think I caught it... the reason you’re running right now."

Daisy froze, her grin slipping away.

Aurora leaned forward slightly, her expression suddenly intense. "Did he..." she swallowed hard, her throat tight with unease, "did he catch the reason you approached him in the first place?"

For a moment, silence pressed between them. Daisy’s lips parted, but no sound came out. She looked down, her hands twisting together, the way she always did when her walls started to crack.

Aurora’s chest tightened, the anxious weight pressing heavier with every second Daisy stayed silent.

"Not really..." Daisy finally whispered, her throat dry. She swallowed hard, forcing the words out. "I believed... I believed he knew from the start."

Aurora’s eyes widened. "What?!"

Daisy nodded and forced a smile, but it was painful to look at, like it cost her more than she could afford. There was sadness tucked behind it, fragile and raw.

"Hmm... I realized that earlier," she admitted softly, "when I caught him following me at my father’s company building."

Aurora’s breath hitched. "He followed you?"

Daisy’s smile faltered completely this time, her gaze sinking to the floor. "Yeah. You know how bad I felt at that moment, once I realized? It was like someone pressed a heavy stone right on my heart."

Aurora immediately pulled her into her arms, holding her tight. "But Daisy, following you doesn’t mean he knew anything, right..." she tried to steady her voice, as though saying it aloud could make it true.

Daisy let out a small, broken laugh against her shoulder. "I wanted to believe that too. I told myself maybe he was just curious, maybe he was just... looking." She drew back slightly, her eyes glistening with unease. "But you know him, Aurora. He’s meticulous... he’d do a background check on an ant if it caught his attention."

Aurora froze, her arms still around Daisy. That sharp truth hit her like a cold wind. She knew Daisy wasn’t exaggerating. He wasn’t the type to let things slip once something or someone piqued his interest.

Aurora swallowed, her throat dry. "Then... if he really looked into you..." Her voice faltered, betraying the fear she felt.

Daisy nodded slowly. "Yup. That’s why I believed—" She stopped herself mid-sentence, her eyes widening as if the truth had just slammed into her. A shaky laugh slipped past her lips. "No... wait. Not believed. I think he already knew from the start... the real reason I approached him." Her voice dropped lower, heavy with resignation. "And he just played along."

Aurora’s stomach twisted, the words hitting harder than she expected.

The room fell into a heavy silence, both of them staring at the floor as if answers might appear in the cracks.

"You know what’s really funny about this moment..." Daisy finally broke the stillness, her lips curling into a fragile smile as she glanced at Aurora. "I keep thinking about his confession. Like... was he really meant what he said? Or was it just another move in his game?"

Aurora’s heart sank at the doubt in Daisy’s tone. She reached for her hand, squeezing it gently. "Daisy... Did you already fall for Theo Kingsley?"

Daisy froze. Her lips parted as if to deny it, but no words came out. Instead, her silence was heavy, almost louder than a confession.

"Aurora..." Her voice trembled, soft and uncertain. "I don’t really know what exactly my heart tells me... but I know this much..." she pressed a hand against her chest as if steadying the ache, "it hurt the moment I learned the truth. And it hurts just as much when I think... that my relationship with him might have already ended the moment I drove away earlier."

Aurora’s chest tightened at her words. "Daisy..." she whispered, her voice wavering with both sympathy and worry. She reached out, brushing Daisy’s hand with her thumb. "If it hurts this much... then maybe it means you already care about him more than you realized."

Daisy’s eyes glistened, torn between denial and the weight of Aurora’s words. "And that’s the worst part, Aurora," she whispered hoarsely, "because if I really do... then falling for him was my biggest mistake."