Born Into Villain's Family: I Have a 200\% Rebate System-Chapter 181: Diana

Silence.

Pindrop silence.

Before Adriana burst into laughter.

Theodore, undeterred by the startled silence his previous comment had caused, simply shrugged, his mouth curving into a mischievous grin.

"Or better yet," he continued, deadpan,

"I’ll print his face on flyers and post them around the city. ’Beware: Gold-Digging Gremlin on the Loose.’ Might even start a charity to help other victims like Ana here."

Olivia snorted, unable to hold back a chuckle, and even Lucas’s lips twitched at the corner despite the stormy look in his eyes.

Adriana laughed harder this time, a genuine, belly-deep laugh that seemed to chase some of the shadows from her heart.

Theodore winked at her, clearly satisfied with himself for lightening the mood.

After a few more teasing remarks from Theodore — involving plans for t-shirts, a fake arrest warrant, and even a puppet reenactment of "Henry the Heartbreaker" — the atmosphere in the room finally felt less suffocating.

Once Adriana felt better, everyone decided to give her space and retreated to their own room.

Aurora felt lighter, as if a heavy stone had been lifted from her chest.

One less worry to carry.

Now, she could turn her attention fully to more pressing matters — specifically, Eleanor, the second "bug" she needed to deal with.

With a rare sense of peace, Aurora booted up her laptop and sank into her chair.

The room filled with the soft hum of the computer as her fingers danced across the keyboard.

She practiced hacking for hours, slipping in and out of encrypted systems with ease, refining her techniques.

It has been quite a few days since she developed this new hobby of hers.

Somewhere deep inside, she knew: if she wanted to, she could probably breach the state’s system and walk away with confidential files without leaving a trace.

But she refrained.

She wasn’t a criminal.

Only mystery was...why did she keep on feeling as if she knew hacking all along. As if it were etched in her brain.

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

The next morning, the sun spilled over the campus in golden sheets, casting a warm glow over the bustling courtyard.

Aurora walked into school, her backpack slung casually over one shoulder, feeling strangely at ease.

However, the moment she stepped through the main entrance, she noticed the atmosphere was different — electric, almost feverish.

Students clustered together in animated groups, their voices buzzing with excitement.

Frowning slightly, Aurora weaved through the crowded hallway. Just as she was wondering what had set everyone off, a familiar figure barreled toward her.

"Aurora!" Mia called out, waving both arms dramatically.

Aurora halted, raising an eyebrow as her friend skidded to a stop in front of her.

"Do you know what’s happening after two weeks?!" Mia demanded, practically bouncing on the balls of her feet.

Aurora shook her head, amused by Mia’s enthusiasm,

"No."

Mia leaned in conspiratorially, her eyes sparkling. "Homecoming dance! It’s officially announced!"

Aurora blinked, her expression cool but curious. "Homecoming dance?"

Mia nodded eagerly.

"Yes! You know, it’s a huge deal in elite schools like ours. It’s not just a dance — it’s a whole week of events!

Spirit Week, dress-up days, the football game, the dance itself... It’s basically like the Academy Awards but for high school."

Aurora’s lips quirked upward slightly. "Sounds... chaotic."

"It’s glorious chaos," Mia corrected.

"Everyone dresses up super fancy — like gowns and tuxedos, not just pretty dresses. Plus, there’s a Homecoming Court. They nominate the most popular students to be King and Queen."

Aurora raised an eyebrow at that. "Popularity contest?"

Mia shrugged.

"Basically. But the dance itself is beautiful. They are renting out the ballroom at the Grand Orchid Hotel this year. There’s a red carpet, photographers, live music, even a mini buffet."

Mia paused mid-sentence as a new wave of excitement rippled through the hallway.

She turned toward the source of the commotion, her smile fading into a flat, unimpressed line.

At the center of the fuss stood a girl who seemed to emit a glow of effortless superiority.

Her name was Diana: a vision of polished perfection, with cascading golden hair that looked spun from sunlight and ocean-blue eyes framed by lashes so thick they seemed almost unreal.

Mia exhaled loudly, rolling her eyes so hard it was a miracle they didn’t get stuck.

Aurora, catching the dramatic reaction, tilted her head slightly and asked dryly, "Friend of yours?"

Mia snorted.

"That," she said with heavy sarcasm, "is Diana. Our Queen Bee. She’s been winning Homecoming Queen since freshman year, like it’s her birthright or something."

Aurora’s gaze lingered on Diana for a moment, taking in the way the crowd naturally parted for her, the way her laughter seemed to command attention rather than merely invite it.

"Did you two have bad blood?" Aurora asked, curious at Mia’s visceral disdain.

Mia’s bright expression faltered, and she bit her lower lip, hesitating.

Finally, she said in a low voice, "It’s... complicated. Once, back in freshman year, I—well, I had a crush on her. I actually confessed."

She gave a short, humorless laugh.

"And she didn’t just reject me. She humiliated me. Mocked me in front of everyone and made nasty jokes about my sexuality."

Mia shrugged, trying to make it look like it didn’t bother her, but the flash of hurt in her eyes betrayed her.

"Since then," she added lightly, "very few people have wanted to stay close to me. Guilt by association, I guess."

Aurora’s chest tightened at the casual cruelty behind the story.

Without hesitation, she reached out and patted Mia’s back reassuringly.

"Forget her," Aurora said quietly but firmly. "Some people’s opinions aren’t worth remembering."

Mia offered a small, grateful smile, and together they walked into their classroom.

The room was already half-full, the buzz of conversation mingling with the scrape of chairs and the thud of backpacks hitting the floor.

Aurora made her way toward her usual seat, but before she could sit down, a familiar figure blocked her path.

Diana.

With a slight toss of her golden hair and a condescending tilt of her chin, Diana stepped closer, her perfectly manicured hand resting casually on the desk.

"This is my seat," Aurora said coolly, meeting Diana’s gaze without flinching.

Diana gave a small, insufferably amused laugh, as if speaking to a child who didn’t understand how the world worked.

Her voice dripped with syrupy condescension as she replied,

"I know you’re new, sweetheart. But maybe no one explained how things are done here."

Aurora raised an eyebrow, unimpressed.

Diana leaned in slightly, her perfume — something expensively floral — filling the air between them.

"Spencer sits beside this desk, doesn’t he?"

Aurora nodded slowly, suspicious of where this was going.

Diana’s smile sharpened, predatory and smug.

"Spencer is my soon-to-be fiancé," she said, as if announcing the coronation of a royal heir.

"And all seats near him are, naturally, mine."

Soon-to-be-fiancé?

Aurora felt her mind buzzing.

So she was right all along?

Was it all a game to Spencer?

Ah...maybe Spencer was doing timepass with her.

Aurora should have felt relieved that she was right all along, but she didn’t feel any joy, only a sting in her heart.

If Spencer had a fiancée, why did he even try to be close with her?

Disgusting!

She simply looked Diana up and down — the designer dress, the gleaming hair, the calculating smile — and then said in a voice as smooth and lethal as a blade wrapped in velvet,

"I didn’t realize desks came with property rights. I guess you learn something new every day."

For a moment, Diana’s perfect facade cracked, her eyes narrowing ever so slightly.

But she recovered quickly, plastering a patronizing smile onto her face.

"No need to make this a thing," she said sweetly. "You can have... one of the back seats."

Mia looked ready to explode, but Aurora raised a hand slightly, signaling her to stay put.

With a calm that bordered on unnerving, Aurora took a slow step forward, reducing the distance between her and Diana to mere inches.

"I’ll be keeping my seat," she said quietly but firmly, her voice carrying an undeniable authority.

"Feel free to find another one."

"This Aurora is crazy! Is she seriously battling against Diana? Does she even know which family Diana belongs to?"

"Guess not! Otherwise, she would have tucked her tail in between her legs and would have run away."

"Crazy! People like her are destined to die first in a horror movie."

The classmates supported Diana more.

The sole reason was, Diana was the queen bee, the trend setter as well as the crush of many boys.

A charged silence fell between them — a battle of wills — before Diana gave a soft, disbelieving chuckle,

"What is your name, newbie? Don’t tell me, you have fallen for Spencer’s charm and hence don’t want to move away?"

Then she snapped her finger in for Aurora and said in an arrogant voice,

"If you don’t know, Spencer likes me, and if he knows that you are trying to occupy my seat, he would be furious!"

"I don’t think so." A velvety, deep voice said.

Everyone turned in the direction, only to find...Spencer standing at the entrance.