Aurora was still a little sleepy. She rubbed her eyes and waited for the video to finish downloading on her phone.
Two minutes later, it was done. She opened it—and imdiately raised her eyebrows, her expression turning colder by the second.
The video showed Autumn and Caroline sneaking up while she was asleep. First, they taped her mouth shut, then carried her off. They clearly took her far away and tied her to the base of a tree.
Aurora was furious. She had treated Autumn like a friend, but this is how she was repaid?
After tying her up, the two covered her with dry branches.
"This idiot didn’t even wake up in a situation like this. Ha!" Caroline sneered, her voice full of contempt.
Aurora gripped her phone tightly, her lips pressed into a hard line.
How did Everett get this footage?
Did soone on his team film it? Or was it soone else in the group who secretly recorded it, then sent it to Everett anonymously so they wouldn’t get involved?
"Let’s go. You marked the trail, right?"
Autumn gave a low chuckle. "She deserves it. She thought she was being kind giving a shot, but I can’t stand that smug look on her face. Makes sick."
"Exactly. She’s about to get famous and still stepped all over you," Caroline said, then blinked. "Too bad she didn’t die when I shoved her last ti."
"You can’t be so reckless. What if soone had found out?" Autumn replied with a smile—no trace of bla in her tone.
Aurora’s heart turned cold. She’d been so naive. How could she ever trust people like them?
She knew Autumn was a little jealous, but since they all ca from the sa competition and usually got along, she hadn’t thought much of it.
Back when neither of them was popular, Autumn never acted out. Things had changed now—or maybe she’d never really known the real Autumn.
"Let’s go. Just leave her here. If she’s lucky, soone will find her. No one will know it was us anyway," Autumn said smugly.
"Yeah. No caras, no witnesses. I’ve wanted her dead for a long ti," Caroline added darkly as the two walked off, growing smaller in the video.
Aurora let out a cold laugh. So she’d been the fool all along. She ant well, but in their eyes, she was just showing off.
Autumn might’ve been pretty, but her voice didn’t stand out. She’d never gotten much attention. Aurora only wanted to help a friend share the spotlight—but that’s not how they saw it.
No good deed goes unpunished, huh?
Aurora was shaking with anger. She didn’t know if she could let this go, so she jumped out of bed and ran to find Eleanor.
It was past 8 p.m. Eleanor and Dominic were watching TV downstairs. When they saw Aurora coming down, they looked surprised.
"You’re not asleep? Did sothing happen?" Eleanor asked.
"Eleanor, soone just sent evidence. I know who did this to ," Aurora said coldly, her face icy.
Eleanor didn’t look surprised. "I already know. I had Dominic call the police earlier. They said Everett had already reported it and submitted the evidence."
Aurora froze. She hadn’t expected Everett to act so quickly.
Dominic gave her a sidelong glance and smiled knowingly. "He probably figured you’d be too soft on Autumn and Caroline, so he went ahead and did it for you. Those two bitches will probably be in a police station by tomorrow."
Aurora looked down. "I... you guys are getting the wrong idea. Nothing happened between and him..."
Eleanor smiled knowingly. "You don’t need to explain anything to us. Whatever’s going on between you and him, it’s none of our business. Just follow your heart."
Aurora walked over and sat down. Dressed in her pajamas, she had a lazy, sultry vibe.
Dominic started peeling an apple for her. "Aurora, is your fever any better?"
"It’s gone..." Aurora touched her forehead. She was feeling much better.
Eleanor also reached out to check her temperature. Once she confird the fever was gone, she finally relaxed.
Dominic finished peeling the apple and handed it to Aurora. "Aurora, if Everett hadn’t handled it, would you have called the cops?"
Aurora took the apple and thanked him, but a cold glint flashed in her eyes.
"I wouldn’t have let her off. If Everett and the others hadn’t found , I would’ve died there—starved, frozen, or dehydrated. I’m not so saint. There’s no way I’d give them a second chance."
Eleanor nodded with a serious look. "That’s the right call. Autumn is cruel enough to do sothing like this. If you let her go this ti, she’ll just try again. You’re too bright—too hard to ignore."
Aurora took a bite of the apple. It was sweet and crisp, but it tasted bitter in her mouth. She never thought she had treated people unfairly.
So why, in Autumn’s eyes, was she this vicious woman who stepped on others?
"Why do they see as such a horrible person?" Aurora said, frustrated.
"Because that’s who they are. They judge you through the lens of their own twisted minds," Eleanor replied. It was the most accurate explanation.
Aurora couldn’t rember ever doing anything to offend Autumn. Maybe it was just that she stood out too much, drew too much attention, and sparked Autumn’s jealousy.
After Autumn and Caroline got ho, Autumn took a bath and slept straight through until 7 p.m. Then the two of them had dinner together.
They were all smiles during dinner, laughing and joking.
"I bet that bitch Aurora is losing her mind," Caroline said with a smirk. "She went through all that and still couldn’t figure out who did it. If it sses with her head so much she can’t sing anymore, that’d be perfect."
Autumn raised her eyebrows slightly and didn’t respond. "Cousin, don’t be so loud and reckless. If I really make it big, I’m not planning on switching assistants. I’ll make sure you get so chances to shine, too."
Autumn and Caroline were cousins, but they kept that fact to themselves around others.
Caroline nodded. "Yeah, yeah, I get it. You’re so naggy!"
Autumn smiled faintly. If she really beca famous, it would be a dream. No more being a nobody singer, no more getting side-eyed by big-na stars everywhere she went.
"I really think you’ll make it this ti," Caroline said. "Even the director said you nailed it! I thought your performance was amazing. If you blow up, that ans tons of cash—cha-ching! Then I won’t have to worry about my future anymore!"
Her long, sharp face twisted into a smile, but with soone as dark-hearted as her, it never looked truly bright.
Autumn chuckled quietly, full of pride. Aurora might be more talented, but this ti, Autumn was sure she’d win.
Suddenly, her phone started vibrating nonstop. Within seconds, her ssaging app blew up with dozens of notifications!
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