CHAPTER 394: CHAPTER 394: NEW AURORA

Ryan immediately showed a flattering smile; gone was his sly self.

He nodded and said in a light, obedient tone,

"I understand. I will not speak a word about this to anyone."

Isabella gave him a long to make sure he was telling the truth.

When she saw the nervousness in his eyes, she felt satisfied.

Her lips curved in a faint smile, and she turned to leave.

But just as she reached the door, she paused.

A thought struck her. Slowly, she turned back and fixed her cold gaze on Ryan.

"Does anyone know about this meeting?" she asked, her voice calm.

Her mind was spinning other possibilities, like... how he may have stationed some kind of publicity and what he had said till now was a part of his plan to gain a marriage alliance.

Ryan shook his head quickly.

"No one knows. I came here quietly, and I made sure I was not followed."

Isabella studied his face for a moment as if gauging how true his words were.

When she saw no sign of deceit, she relaxed and said in a nonchalant tone, "Good. Keep it that way."

Without another glance, she opened the door and strode out of the presidential suite with her light steps.

What Isabella did not know was that the moment she left the suite, the phone in her handbag gave a faint blink.

It was a sign that someone had accessed it.

Aurora, who had been sitting in the hotel lobby, had used her skills to hack into Isabella’s phone.

She had acted as fast as she could, but the security on Isabella’s phone had slowed her down.

By the time she managed to get through, the meeting between Ryan and Isabella was already halfway over.

Even so, the information she captured was enough.

Aurora’s fingers tapped on her own phone as she recalled all the key points.

A cold glint appeared in her eyes as she pieced the details together.

The core of their plan was to use the old SIM card to create false traces of Spencer’s activities.

They intended to make it appear as if Spencer had fallen deep into debt and hence was depressed, that creditors were after him, and that he had run away or ended his own life because of the pressure.

Their original idea had been to take loans using Spencer’s name, but since they had no access to his bank accounts, all they could do was fabricate stories, create fake creditors, and leave behind false digital trails.

She heard that after forming their so-called master plan, Ryan and Isabella had also worked to fill in loopholes in the story so that the false traces would appear believable.

At the end, they had even carried out a secret transaction.

The idea was cruel but also foolish in Aurora’s eyes.

Her grip on the phone tightened.

She had made up her mind.

First, she would warn Spencer immediately so that he would be on his guard.

The second thing she would do was get her hands on that SIM card and destroy their plan before it could harm Spencer.

She typed a quick message to Spencer. After pressing send, she stared at her phone, waiting.

The reply came sooner than she expected.

When she read Spencer’s response, her heart skipped a beat.

His words were short and calm: ’It is all part of the plan.’

Aurora stared at the text for a moment, her eyes wide.

Her lips parted slightly in surprise.

Now she understood why Spencer had left the old SIM card behind.

It had never been a careless mistake.

He had laid a trap all along, waiting patiently for his half-brother to step into it.

Ryan had finally done exactly what Spencer had hoped.

Relief washed over Aurora.

She lowered the phone and let out a soft breath. "So it’s under control," she murmured to herself.

A small, proud smile touched her lips as she whispered, "That man is always three steps ahead."

Feeling reassured, she turned off her phone and slipped it into her pocket.

She left the hotel and stepped into the cool night air. After hailing a cab and returning to her apartment, she lay on her bed to rest.

Then she packed a small suitcase, choosing only the essentials.

Once the suitcase was ready, she sat at her desk and went over the routine she had planned.

Every step, from the time she left her home to the airport and from the airport to her destination and then back to her city, was mapped out clearly in her mind.

She closed the notebook with a satisfied nod.

The thought of surprising Spencer made her feel thrilled.

She decided she would not approach him openly at first.

Knowing him, he would be on high alert, worried that his enemies might sense her presence.

So she would keep herself hidden and disguise herself well until the right time came.

With that thought, she stretched out on her bed.

Soon, she drifted into a light, dreamless sleep.

The next morning dawned with a pale sky.

Aurora rose early and prepared herself as if it were an ordinary school day.

Before leaving home, she stopped by the living room, where her parents, Mary and Adam, were having breakfast.

"Mom, Dad," she said lightly, "I’ll be sleeping over at Mia’s place tonight. Don’t wait for me."

Mary looked up from her tea, a hint of worry in her eyes.

"So suddenly? Are you sure it’s safe?"

Adam gave her a steady look. "Do you really need to go?"

Aurora nodded with quiet insistence.

"It’s fine. Mia invited me, and I already promised. I’ll be careful."

Her determined tone left them with no room to argue.

Though still uneasy, Mary and Adam exchanged a look and decided to trust her.

They told her to call if anything happened.

Aurora smiled warmly and thanked them before stepping out.

Once at school she attended her lectures, listened carefully, and took notes as if nothing unusual lay beneath the surface.

After the last lecture ended, Aurora glanced at her watch.

There were three hours left before her flight. Her steps were measured as she walked toward the school’s main entrance.

Just as she was about to leave, she noticed Betsy standing near the gates.

Betsy was handing out flyers to students who passed by, her face set in an eager expression.

When she spotted Aurora, her eyes lit up and she hurried over.

"I gave you an invitation yesterday," Betsy said, offering her a flyer again. "I don’t know if you’ve decided yet, but I really hope you’ll come."

Aurora shook her head with a polite smile. "I’m sorry, but I can’t. I’m not feeling very well."

She turned slightly, ready to leave, but Betsy’s voice rose behind her, laced with sorrow yet loud enough for the nearby students to hear.

"You’re still holding a grudge against me because I once liked Spencer, aren’t you?"

Aurora’s brows arched in surprise.

Feeling many pairs of eyes on her, Aurora understood what games Betsy was playing.

Slowly, she turned back to face Betsy.

"That’s not the case," she said. "You shouldn’t jump to such assumptions."

But Betsy, her cheeks flushed, went on, her voice trembling.

"I’m truly sorry for everything. If you want, I can even kneel and apologize right here."

Aurora laughed. Since someone wanted to commit social suicide, she won’t stop them.

"If you think that will help, go ahead," she said.

"I was never angry because you were attracted to Spencer. People can’t control their feelings. I was disappointed because you already had a boyfriend, yet you still entertained thoughts about another man. That’s what I found strange."

Her calm words, laced with mockery, caused an uproar.

The onlookers began to whisper among themselves, and the glances directed at Betsy turned disapproving.

Betsy’s face drained of color.

She clenched the flyer in her hand.

"At that time," she said with a shaky voice, "my relationship with my boyfriend was already on and off. I had told him long ago that I had a crush on Spencer. It wasn’t as wrong as you think."

Aurora gave her a small nod.

"If that’s the case, then I have no reason to interfere in your personal choices."

Without another word, she turned and continued on her way.

This time Betsy did not stop her.

She knew in her heart that she had lost miserably and no one could help her this time.

Aurora walked out of the school gates with her usual calm face.

Only when she was out of sight did she relax a little.

She made her way back to her apartment.

After making sure no one had followed her or noticed anything unusual, she quickly changed into a different outfit and prepared her disguise.

Gone was the bright-haired Aurora that everyone recognized.

In her place stood a young woman with straight black hair falling over her shoulders, large glasses framing her eyes, and a mask covering the lower half of her face.

Aurora was sure that no one... not even her parents would have recognized her easily.