CHAPTER 349: CHAPTER 349: ONION

It was so regular that it almost felt like a routine, like a part of him he did not want to let go of. That little routine gave Aurora a strange warmth.

Even if he could not talk much, at least it showed he was safe. Nothing bad had happened to him.

She hugged her pillow close and whispered, "At least he’s alright."

With that thought, her heavy eyelids closed, and she drifted off into peaceful sleep.

A week passed quietly. Aurora’s days were filled with work. She poured her energy into building her company, making sure it stood strong among competitors. Every meeting, every decision, every late-night plan was made with one goal in mind.

She wanted her software company to break into the international rankings. She wanted it to be among the top fifty in the world. Her reasons were not only about money or success.

Deep inside, she knew that time was moving forward, and the story she had been preparing for was close.

She would soon turn eighteen. She remembered what was supposed to happen. She remembered the girl who would appear, the real daughter of a rich family, the one she was pretending to be.

That girl would expose her. People would hate her. And in the end, she would be pushed down the stairs and die.

Aurora’s hands clenched into fists every time she thought of it.

She had lived too long and fought too hard to end like that. So she worked, and she built, and she strengthened herself.

She was determined that when that day came, she would not be a victim.

..........................

Meanwhile someone was feeling despair. Olivia sat alone at a large table in the library. Books and notes were spread around her as she finished her study. Her pencil tapped lightly against the paper as she worked through her last problem.

The library was quiet, filled with the soft sound of pages turning and the faint humming of the air conditioner. For once, Olivia felt at peace.

But peace never lasted long.

A shadow fell across her table, and when she looked up, her heart sank. Mateo and Eleanor were standing there, holding hands as usual. Both of them wore smug smiles on their faces. Without asking, they sat down right across from her.

Olivia closed her eyes for a second in pure dismay.

She already knew what was coming. This pair of lovers seemed to take joy in disturbing her peace. They were like a storm that appeared just when the sky was clear.

She let out a quiet sigh and muttered under her breath, "Not again..."

Eleanor tapped her fingers loudly against the table, trying to get Olivia’s attention. The sound echoed in the quiet library, but Olivia didn’t even flinch. She simply turned a page of her book and kept reading like they weren’t even there.

Eleanor pouted and leaned closer. "Olivia, you’re really cold, you know? I don’t get why you always ignore me. I consider you such a good friend."

Olivia finally had enough. Her hands slammed her book shut with a loud thud. She looked up, her eyes sharp and filled with irritation.

"A good friend?" Olivia repeated, her voice calm but icy. "I would rather not have any friend at all than be connected with you."

The words hit Eleanor like a slap. Her lips trembled, and her eyes watered instantly. She sniffled as tears started rolling down her cheeks.

"Mateo..." she whimpered, leaning toward him.

Mateo’s expression hardened as he quickly pulled out a handkerchief from his pocket. He pressed it gently to Eleanor’s cheek. "Don’t cry, darling. Please don’t. If you cry, my heart will ache. And I can’t bear to see you sad."

Olivia rolled her eyes so hard it almost hurt. She closed her own eyes and muttered under her breath, "If only his kidney aches instead of his heart, then maybe he’d die before he could continue to disgust me."

Mateo’s ears perked up. He frowned and leaned forward. "What did you just mumble, Olivia?"

Olivia didn’t even look at him. She calmly picked up her pen, tucked it into her notebook, and said flatly, "I don’t have time to waste on you. It would be better if you just leave me alone."

Mateo shook his head with a smug grin. "You’re just too proudful. Why don’t you just admit it already? You’re in love with me."

Olivia’s head snapped toward him, her eyes burning with disbelief. Her voice was sharp, but steady.

"You should really go get yourself checked in a hospital, Mateo. Because after all this time with humans, you still can’t understand simple human language."

Mateo smirked and leaned back in his chair. "Keep acting proud, Olivia. But if you continue like this, you’ll end up single. And when that happens, don’t expect me to even take you as my mistress."

Olivia chuckled darkly, her lips curling into a mocking smile. "Mistress? Don’t make me laugh. I would never, ever want to be a mistress. Especially not for someone like you, Mateo, whose body reeks of onions."

The library went silent. Mateo’s eyes widened in shock, while Eleanor stiffened instantly.

The words "onion smell" rang inside Eleanor’s head like a bell. Her mind flashed back to last night, when she had been close with Mateo. She had thought she imagined the strong onion odor that clung to him. It had made her stomach turn, but she pushed it away at the time.

Now, hearing Olivia say it so confidently, Eleanor’s face turned pale. Was it not her imagination? Did Mateo actually smell like onions?

She turned slowly to look at him, her eyes filled with suspicion.

Mateo’s face reddened with embarrassment and anger. He frowned deeply. "Olivia, your words are too harsh!"

Olivia slammed her book shut again and stood up. Her teeth clenched as she glared at him. "Too harsh? It’s the truth."

Eleanor opened her mouth quickly. "Nonsense! Olivia is just making things up!" But her shaky voice betrayed her. She could feel Mateo’s eyes on her, sharp and questioning.

For a brief second, Eleanor wanted to jump out of her chair. She knew very well what Olivia said wasn’t a complete lie.

This idiot didn’t even know that sometimes his breath and sweat reeked of onions. Couldn’t he at least chew gum or shower properly before touching her?

Her heart pounded with guilt and disgust.

Meanwhile, Olivia calmly collected her notebook and book from the table. She slung her bag over her shoulder and looked at them with a cold expression. "I’m done here."

Without another glance, she walked away. Her shoes clicked softly against the library floor as she made her way toward the door.

But the moment she stepped out, a rough hand shot out and grabbed her wrist. She gasped as she was yanked toward a side room.

Her instincts kicked in instantly. With a sharp twist, Olivia swung her elbow back and struck hard. The man grunted in pain, stumbling as she shoved him off balance. He fell onto the floor with a loud thud.

Olivia looked down, breathing hard, and froze.

It was Mateo.

He groaned, clutching his side, glaring up at her.

"You... You shouldn’t act so arrogant, Olivia. Don’t forget, your family is going bankrupt soon. And when that happens, no one will protect you."

Olivia paused, her brows furrowing in confusion. She crossed her arms and glared.

"And what makes you so sure about that, Mateo? Do you even investigate before you spout such nonsense?"

Mateo chuckled darkly and pushed himself up onto his knees.

"Of course I know. I have the best investigation team. And they tell me clearly that your family is about to collapse."

Olivia’s blood boiled. Her fists clenched tight, and she opened her mouth to retort...

But before she could speak, Mateo suddenly screamed.

A strong kick slammed into his side, sending him flying across the hall and crashing into the wall with a painful bang. He slid down to the floor, groaning in agony.

Olivia’s eyes widened in shock. Her heart pounded as she looked up toward the one who had delivered the blow.

Standing there casually, hands in his pockets, was Louis.

He smirked, his dark eyes glinting with amusement. "Hey, Olivia."

Olivia blinked, stunned. "Louis? What... what are you doing here? Weren’t you supposed to be away with your family?"

Louis chuckled softly, walking toward her with calm steps.

"I was. But I was missing my girlfriend too much. And then I heard some disgusting onion-smelling bug was crawling around my Olivia. So of course, I had to come back early. Someone has to protect you, after all."

Olivia was stunned.

For a moment, she forgot about Mateo groaning on the floor. All she could see was Louis, standing there like her shield, smiling as if the world belonged to him.

Mateo tried to push himself up again, but Louis didn’t even spare him a glance.