Aurora smiled. "This is the amusing part. Angie constantly tells others that they shouldn't think novels are real, but then she does just that. She insults the female lead, the author, and readers with different opinions. She slanders people and has no sense of decency or intelligence. Angie's double standards are almost like severe schizophrenia. I want to take her to see a doctor, but she's very resistant."Theodore sighed. "She really isn't in a good mental state."While novels were fictional, the disgusting comments Angie posted were very real. One had to wonder how miserable her life must be for her to spew such filth online."Yeah, Angie's mindset is stuck in the feudal era. She's very much like those old women from a few hundred years ago. She can't stand modern women and thinks they're too loose. She believes that if they even look at other men, they deserve to be punished. Angie thinks that whenever a female lead in a book hugs another man, she's being immoral and promiscuous
Aurora took out her phone, scrolled on it, and then handed it to Theodore. "Here, this is the reply from the author.""Hahaha, Angie, you're like a mad dog, spewing filth. How pitiful. No one taught you manners when you were young, huh? You can't predict my plot, so you're getting frustrated? Good, that's what I want. You're nothing, always pretending to know the story better than the author and slandering others. The truth is, you're just a stupid fool. You find the story bad but continue reading it. How pathetic."Your mouth is so filthy, I bet your real life is just as miserable. The male lead cheated and betrayed the female lead, hugging and sleeping with different supporting characters, but you've never criticized him for being promiscuous. You only focus on insulting the female lead, calling her immoral, promiscuous, and a kind-hearted fool, while insulting the author."We're in the 21st century, and you gave the gall to insult women like that. You're a disgusting maggot with a b
In the author's mind, Angie was insignificant—nothing more than a minor nuisance. Readers with intelligence and discernment wouldn't lower themselves to her level.Angie, however, was deeply lonely. It seemed she lacked approval in real life, which drove her to seek validation online. Her thirst for attention was insatiable, and she often acted like a drama queen.However, Angie's attempts to stand out only revealed her limitations. Her vocabulary was meager, her mind barren, and her education lacking. As a result, she could only rely on the same tired arsenal of crude language to make her presence known. She paraded her filth in the hopes of earning recognition, forcing her thoughts on others. When ignored, she felt hollow, so she used her stench, metaphorical and otherwise, to demand attention.Perhaps the more Angie stirred up trouble, the more the author found amusement in her antics. After all, Angie had devoted an astonishing amount of time to obsessing over the author. Imagining
Ever since she arrived, Angie had been pestering Theodore and trying to talk to him.Theodore, out of respect for Aurora, responded from time to time. He found it a bit annoying, so he went to the backyard to smoke alone. He didn't have a strong smoking habit, only smoking a couple of cigarettes when he was frustrated.Suddenly, he saw a figure walking into the garden. He quickly threw the cigarette away and walked over. "Grandma."Hearing the noise, Rebecca turned around and saw Theodore. She froze for a moment, then asked, "Who are you calling Grandma? Who are you?""I'm Theodore.""Theodore?" Rebecca thought for a long while, then asked, "Oh, Theo, you've grown up! Where's Rose?""She's upstairs." Theodore gently supported her. "Grandma, I'll take you upstairs to find her.""She's not upstairs." Rebecca frowned. "There are two strange girls upstairs. I don't know them. Are they your friends?"Theodore knew his grandmother's condition was intermittent—sometimes clear-headed, sometim
Aurora was greatly shocked. "Grandma, don't you recognize me? I'm Rose.""Rose?" Rebecca stepped forward and sized Aurora up. "No, you're not! Do you think I'm getting old and losing my sight?"Angie ran over as well. "What's going on? Why is there so much noise?""Grandma," Theodore explained, "she hasn't finished speaking. What she meant is that she's Rose's friend."Theodore gave Aurora a look.Aurora immediately understood that the old lady might be confused again, so she quickly said, "Grandma, I'm Rose's friend. Rose asked me to come.""Rose asked you to come? Then where is she? If you all say so, then where is she?"Theodore took out his phone again, intending to call her a few more times. Just then, the phone rang. The caller ID displayed Rosalie's name.Theodore immediately said to Rebecca, "Grandma, look, Rose's calling. I'll answer it now."He quickly answered the phone. "Rose?""What's wrong? I didn't hear the phone ring because I was in the bathroom.""Grandma wants to see
On the other end of the phone, Rosalie had agreed to come.After hanging up, Rebecca immediately said to Theodore, "Hurry up and go pick up Rose."Theodore's eyes sparkled with uncontrollable excitement. "Alright, I'll go pick her up now."He grabbed his phone and was about to leave, but Aurora quickly stepped forward and said, "Theo, let me go with you.""There's no need. You stay here and keep your cousin company. I'll drive there myself."Aurora grabbed his arm. "Why don't we bring my cousin along? We can all go pick up Rosalie together. It'll be lively, and this way, it won't be awkward for you two to be alone."Theodore furrowed his brows slightly. "Aurora, let go."His voice wasn't harsh, but it carried a sense of distance. Aurora's heart skipped a beat, and she slowly released her grip.At that moment, Rebecca walked over. "Theo, what are you waiting for? Hurry up and go! The two girls will stay here to accompany me. There's no need to go with you."Rebecca seemed unusually clea
After a while, Theodore came back with a bouquet of lilies.He got into the car and presented the bouquet to Rosalie, asking, "Does it look nice?"Seeing Theodore full of smiles made Rosalie furrow her brows. "Not bad. I'm sure Aurora will like it."The smile on Theodore's face froze.Then, he said rather disappointedly, "This is for you and the baby, not for her."Rosalie sat stunned for a while. "What did you say?""Lilies are your favorite flowers. These are for you."Theodore was worried she might misinterpret his words, so he made himself very clear.Rosalie looked at him, all confused. "Why are you giving me lilies?""Because you like them. Also, I walked past a florist and wanted to buy you a bouquet. Don't you like it?"Rosalie didn't know what to say and smiled awkwardly. "It's not good of you to suddenly give me flowers. If Aurora sees it, she'll be upset. Give her these flowers.""But I want to give them to you.""Why bother? Giving me flowers for no reason, you'
"Sure, I'll grab it right away."Theodore turned to walk to the car without any hesitation, seemingly very obedient to Rosalie. Their interactions felt very natural, just like that of a couple married for a long time.Aurora's brows furrowed at the sight before her.Why was Theodore being so attentive to Rosalie? He went immediately after she told him to.Theodore grabbed the bouquet of lilies from the car and presented it to Rosalie. "Rose, let me take the baby. Give this bouquet to Grandma."Rosalie was about to refuse, but the thought of Theodore being Steve's biological father made her decide that he did have the right to carry Steve.She did feel some guilt over Theodore thinking that the baby was Sebastian's, and that she never told him the truth. In fact, everyone was hiding the truth from him. She was very conflicted about it.Things between them were so complicated, the issue couldn't be worked out in a matter of just a few words.Eventually, she nodded. "Alright. Than
Theodore lay on the bed, unable to fall asleep. He felt a fire burning in his heart, his mind unable to stop thinking about Rosalie.Whether his eyes were opened or closed, all he could see was her.Frustrated, he flipped to his side to pull out a drawer and retrieve a bottle of pills. He couldn't calm himself down without medication.Just then, his phone rang. Theodore picked it up and saw the name on his phone screen—it was Aurora.He flung his phone aside.It kept ringing, irritating him greatly. Eventually, he answered the call. "What do you want?""Theo, save me! Save me, quick!"Shock registered on Theodore's face. "What happened?""He's chasing after me… Can I go find you? I really have nowhere else to go! I'm so scared!""Who's chasing after you? Where are you right now?""I…I'm now at… It's so dark, I can't tell. I'm hiding in a small alleyway right now. As I came here, I think I walked past a bar called Endless. I took a right turn and ended up in this alleyway. I'm
Aurora collapsed on the ground, overwhelmed by the sudden force. Her head was pounding and she cupped her red, hot cheeks with her hands. "What…what did you do? Why did you slap me?" she asked, stunned. Yerick looked down upon her, his towering figure dark and frightening in the night. "Are you taking me as your hitman, ordering me around as you like?"It was enough that she ordered him to kill another. How dare she ask him to kill Rosalie?! She was digging her grave!"I didn't mean that," Aurora said agitatedly. "I'm just so scared! We're on the same boat, so we should help each other out.""Help each other out?" Yerick crouched down and pinched her chin. "Tell me, then. What have you helped me with so far? Why do you think I arranged for you to be by Theodore's side and allowed you to get to know him? What do you think is my motive?""I…I don't know!" Aurora said with trembling lips. The man before her was way too frightening, his eyes ghostly as he chuckled. "But I'll do wha
Justin brought the baby home and saw Rosalie spacing out before the kitchen counter. She didn't even realize they were home."Mama," Steve called out to her.Rosalie heard him and turned to look at them. "You're back."She took Steve from Justin's hands and held him in her arms."Rose, are you alright? What did Theodore tell you?" Justin asked. "Aurora felt guilty and made Angie her scapegoat. Angie has been nabbed by the police," Rosalie replied.Justin frowned. "Angie surely wouldn't be a sitting duck. She'll expose Aurora.""That's not wrong," Rosalie said. "The problem is, Aurora is too good at putting up a facade. Theodore doesn't trust Angie and he said he'll investigate things and find out if Aurora was involved. At the end of the day, he refuses to believe that Aurora is capable of something like that. He subconsciously thinks that Angie was solely responsible.""That sounds like something he would do," Justin concluded. "Last time, I could tell he's very protective of
Theodore turned around. "Is there something else?"Justin walked over. "Do you want to hold him? He seems eager to hug you."Theodore paused. Then, he gave a helpless smile at the corner of his mouth."No, you take him upstairs." The more he held Steve, the harder it would be to let go. He didn't even know why he felt such strong emotions for Steve. Perhaps it was because Steve was Rosalie's child, and thus, he couldn't help but care for the baby.Seeing this, Justin didn't insist. He was about to leave when suddenly, Steve started crying in his arms. Steve stretched out his hands toward Theodore, trying to reach him.Hearing the cries, Theodore's heart tightened. He turned around and saw Justin trying to soothe the child."Steve, what's wrong? Are you hungry? I'll take you back right away."Steve continued crying, louder and louder, and Theodore felt as if his heart were being squeezed. His feet felt like they were nailed to the ground, and he couldn't move.Justin took a few steps b
"And what about you?" Theodore countered. "Rose, when will you finally see what kind of people are around you? Sebastian's two-faced, pretentious, and full of lies. Justin has blood on his hands, with numerous enemies. He's like a ticking time bomb, and both of them will only bring you disaster."Rosalie sneered. "And how much disaster have you brought me? Do you think the mental torment you've caused me isn't enough?"Theodore gave a bitter smile. "Rose, do you want me to die to make up for the harm I've caused you?""No, I just hope you won't bother me anymore. I have my own life now. Whether it's good or bad, it has nothing to do with you. Once upon a time, Grandma was the last connection between us, but now that she's gone, we have nothing left."She avoided Theodore's gaze. "You should go now."Theodore clenched his fists. "If this is what you want, then I understand. I'll stay away from you in the future and won't bother you again, because, as you said, we have nothing left."Wi
Theodore was about to speak, but then he remembered he had important matters to discuss today and couldn't be sidetracked by Justin."Rose, I have something important to tell you. Let's talk privately.""If you have something to say, just say it," Rosalie replied. She knew he wanted Justin to leave, but she didn't mind if Justin knew what was going on.Theodore gave Justin a cold glance before continuing, "This matter concerns Grandma. I don't want anyone else around. It's something that should only be discussed between the two of us.""He's not an outsider," Rosalie replied without hesitation. "He can know about Grandma's matters too."Seeing the two of them about to argue, Justin immediately said, "I'll take Steve out for a walk and come back later."With that, Justin left.Rosalie quickly said, "Justin, you don't need to…""It's fine," he interrupted her. "I'll take him downstairs for a walk."With that, Justin left with Steve.Rosalie took a step back and said to Theodore, "Come in
Aurora looked incredibly sorrowful, completely unlike someone who was acting. Theodore, for a moment, didn't know whether he should believe her or not.When Rosalie had first told him, he had only defended Aurora, completely ignoring Angie.Now, with Aurora telling him that it was Angie who killed Rebecca, Theodore couldn't be 100% certain that Aurora was not involved in this matter.It felt like a layer of mist had been added, blurring his vision and preventing him from seeing clearly.After a long while, Theodore released Aurora."Get better first," he said, turning to leave.Suddenly, he heard some movement behind him. Turning around, he saw Aurora stumbling toward the window in the ward. She forcefully pulled open the window and jumped straight down.Theodore's brows tightened, and with rocket-like speed, he rushed forward. He grabbed her from behind and pulled her back from the window ledge. "What are you doing?!""Theo, let me die! I don't want to live anymore. Just pretend I kil
Theodore took out his phone and called Aurora, but she didn't answer the phone.He turned to the bodyguard and asked, "When you took Angie, was Aurora not at home?"The bodyguard nodded. "Yes, only Angie was at home. Aurora wasn't there."Theodore furrowed his brow. Was Angie telling the truth? Had Aurora fled in fear of being caught? He clenched his fists, his knuckles cracking.Could Aurora really be this kind of person? Had he misjudged her character all along?"Find her. I want to know where she went."A few hours later, Theodore's subordinates brought news of Aurora's whereabouts. She had booked a hotel room.Theodore led a group of people to her hotel room and knocked on the door forcefully, but there was no response.The staff member opened the door with a room key, and the group entered. Aurora was indeed in the room, and she was lying on the bed.Theodore strode over."Aurora!" he shouted, but as he got closer, he noticed that she was motionless. An empty pill bottle was on th
Hearing the recording on the phone, Angie was horrified and nearly fainted."No, that's not how it is! It's not like that!" she cried in fear.Angie tried to get up from the floor, but the two men behind her pressed her down firmly, keeping her kneeling on the ground."It's not like that!" Angie shouted. "Aurora's framing me! She's setting me up!""She's framing you?" Theodore sneered. "Didn't you admit that you killed my grandmother?""I… It wasn't me!" Angie's agitation intensified. "Aurora is clearly using me as a scapegoat! She tricked me into saying those things! This is all fake!"Angie finally realized that Aurora had planned to make her the scapegoat from the very beginning, wanting to rid herself of any involvement. It was so sinister—recording conversations and twisting the facts. How despicable!"Fake?" Theodore seized her face with one hand, gripping it so tightly that her face nearly contorted. He gritted his teeth and harshly demanded, "Are you saying Aurora did this?""Y