Chapter 640: Lost
The moment she heard those words, Mira’s expression darkened.
"If you dare use those pictures inappropriately, just wait and see how I deal with you."
Hearing her threat, Mr. Davis remained completely unmoved. Instead, a smug smile spread across his face.
"Oh, really? Then go ahead and show me how you’re going to make me regret it."
He stepped closer, invading her personal space.
The faint smell of cigarette smoke and cheap cologne lingered around him, making Mira instinctively want to take a step back.
"But remember this. If you fail to make me regret it, then I’ll make sure you regret crossing me."
His smile widened into something cruel.
"I’ll plaster those pictures all over the university walls. Let’s see whether the principal will still allow you to study in this prestigious university once everyone learns about your past."
Mira’s fingers curled tightly into fists. She simply glared at him for several long seconds before turning around and walking away.
Seeing her leave, Mr. Davis made no attempt to chase after her.
There was no need. He knew he still had plenty of time.
After all, ever since childhood, he had only ever managed to control Mira whenever he possessed leverage over her. As long as he held something she feared, she would remain trapped.
Thinking of that, his eyes flickered with satisfaction. He pulled out his phone and made a call.
The moment the call connected, he spoke. "Your niece seems determined to live a good life these days. What should I do?"
A woman’s voice soon echoed from the other end of the line. "Don’t let her live a good life."
Her tone was cold and merciless.
"I’ve already warned you. If she manages to live happily, I’ll make sure your orphanage is shut down. I’ll hand over all the information I have."
Mr. Davis’s expression immediately changed. "I called because I need help, not threats!"
The woman chuckled softly. "Fine. I’ll send you more photos."
A second later, his phone vibrated. Several new photographs appeared on his screen.
As he looked through them, a vicious grin slowly spread across his face.
He lifted his gaze toward Mira’s retreating figure in the distance.
"Just wait."
His eyes narrowed maliciously. "If I don’t clip your wings, then my name isn’t Davis."
.............
Meanwhile, Mira returned home. Throughout the entire day, she remained distracted. Her mind was elsewhere, and the Waters family had noticed it long ago.
Everyone showed concern. Especially Mary.
During dinner, Mary carefully tried to start a conversation. She intentionally avoided mentioning the bullying incidents directly, hoping not to pressure Mira.
"Mira, did something happen at university today?"
Mira immediately understood what Mary was trying to do.
A helpless feeling rose within her chest. ’They’re worried about me again.’
She forced a small smile. "It’s nothing. I’m just a little tired Aunt."
Mary clearly did not believe her. Even so, she did not continue pressing the matter.
The moment Mira addressed her as "Aunt" instead of Mom, everyone knew that something was going on with her.
Aurora quietly observed Mira from the side. Unlike the others, she remained silent.
She simply watched.Later that evening, Mary invited Mira to sit with her privately.
"Mira, are you sure everything is fine?"
"I’m fine, Mom."
"Did someone bother you?"
"No."
"Are you having problems at university?"
"No."
Only after receiving the same answer several times did Mary finally sigh and give up.
However, deep inside, she had already made up her mind. Tomorrow, she would personally visit the university if necessary.
She needed to know what was happening to Mira.
.............
Meanwhile, Aurora found Mira standing alone near the balcony.
Aurora looked at her for a moment before asking, "What happened?"
Mira remained silent. Aurora tilted her head slightly.
"Did Mr. Davis approach you again?"
The moment she heard that name, Mira’s eyes widened slightly.
She turned toward Aurora. "How do you know?"
Aurora chuckled. "Because he’s the only person capable of making you look this miserable."
Mira laughed bitterly. "I really do look pathetic right now, don’t I?"
Aurora shrugged. "A little."
Mira leaned against the railing. "In fact, I want to fight back. But I know I can’t."
Aurora frowned. "Why can’t you?"
"It’s because..."
Mira froze. The words almost escaped her mouth. ’Because I’m all alone.’
The sentence reached her throat before stopping. That had once been true. She had been an orphan. She had fought every battle alone.
But now... now she had the Waters family. Now she had people willing to stand beside her.
Realizing that, she bit her lip. Her voice eventually changed. "It’s because I don’t want to drag the Waters family into my problems."
Aurora blinked. Then she crossed her arms. "So you’re saying you’re capable of dealing with him alone?"
Mira immediately choked on her words. Aurora continued before she could answer. "Mira, if someone is willing to help you, then accept that help."
Her tone became unusually serious. "You can repay them in the future."
Mira lowered her head. Aurora’s voice softened slightly.
"Right now, you might not be strong enough. But someday you’ll become strong enough to help others too."
The words struck directly at Mira’s heart. She clenched her fists. After a long moment, she forced out a weak smile. "I’ll think about it."
With that, she turned and entered her room. Aurora watched her leave.
From the bottom of her heart, she knew exactly what kind of person Mira was.
Proud. Mira hated taking advantage of anyone. Whenever the Waters family bought groceries, she would insist on contributing money.
Whenever they spent anything on her, she would secretly try to repay it.
Sometimes she even attempted to pay rent despite repeatedly being refused.
It was almost as if she was constantly trying to compensate for every bit of kindness she received.
The Waters family had assumed she would eventually become comfortable accepting their care.
But now Aurora understood the truth. After surviving alone for so many years, Mira had developed an overwhelming sense of independence.
Changing that mindset would take time. Perhaps a very long time.Still, Mr. Davis’s actions might eventually force her to lean on others.
For that reason, Aurora decided not to pressure her further.
..............
At the same time, Adriana was having a meeting with the other siblings.
Everyone sat around the large table, their attention focused on her.
Ever since Aurora had revealed her identity as Ms. Dawn to Adriana, Adriana had been waiting for something to happen.
She was certain Aurora had a reason for revealing such an important secret. Yet, to her surprise, Aurora acted as though nothing had happened afterward.
Day after day passed. One week became two.
Aurora never mentioned it again. She behaved exactly as she always had.
Eventually, even Adriana began doubting herself.
’Did I really see Aurora that day? Was it actually her? Could I have imagined everything?’
The thought sounded ridiculous.
However, she had no choice but to ask Peter about it. To her surprise, Peter confirmed everything.
"It was indeed Aurora. She revealed her identity in front of us."
The confirmation left Adriana completely speechless.
After thinking about it for an entire day, she finally decided to call for an emergency meeting with all of her siblings.
Adriana looked at each of them before speaking. "We all have known about Aurora’s identity for a long time. But until now, all of us have been pretending not to know. We were waiting for her to tell us herself."
She paused briefly. "Now she openly revealed her identity as Ms. Dawn. What exactly is she thinking?"
Lucas leaned back in his chair and thought for a moment.
"I think there’s a high possibility that she’s planning to reveal everything to us soon."
Hearing that, Olivia nodded. "I agree."
A smile appeared on her face. "Maybe she’s finally willing to trust us completely."
However, Theodore shook his head. His expression remained serious. "But what if she already knew that we knew?"
The smile on Olivia’s face instantly disappeared. Theodore continued calmly.
"What if she has known all along that we’ve already figured out her identity? Maybe that’s why she’s no longer bothering to hide it."
The moment those words left his mouth, the room became silent.
Because that possibility was exactly what they feared the most.
Seeing everyone’s reactions, Theodore shrugged. "I’m just stating a possibility."
He crossed his arms. "You can ignore me if you want."
Adriana sighed. "Regardless, we need to talk to Aurora."
She looked around the room before finally landing on Lucas. "Since you’re closest to her, you should be the one to confront her."
Lucas nearly jumped out of his chair. "No."
He shook his head vigorously. "Absolutely not."
His refusal came so quickly that everyone stared at him. Lucas pointed directly at Theodore. "It should be him."
Theodore immediately pointed at Olivia. Olivia blinked before bursting into laughter.
"Why are all of you trying to sacrifice one another?"
Then she suddenly smiled. "Besides..."
Her smile widened.
"Don’t we have someone much better for this job?"