Rebirth: A Second chance at life-Chapter 135: A Condition..

The car glided smoothly through the city streets, blending into the flow of traffic. Inside, silence reigned.

Bishop glanced at the rearview mirror.

His boss—Luna, now living in Aurora’s body—was gazing out of the window.

To anyone else, she would look calm, almost detached, as if she were simply admiring the cityscape passing by.

But Bishop knew better.

That stillness wasn’t peace. It was the silence before a storm.

The calm, calculated look in her eyes told a far more dangerous story.

Beneath that composed exterior, she was raging.

Planning. Measuring every move.

"Will you go meet them today?" Bishop asked quietly.

For a brief second, something sharp and dangerous flickered in Aurora’s eyes. She nodded once.

Bishop let out a slow breath and said nothing more.

He knew this subject cut deep. Whoever had dared to play such a large game—touching her past, her family, her territory—had crossed a line that could never be undone.

They’d better have a very good reason, Bishop thought grimly. Because once she moves... begging for death won’t mean she’ll be granted one.

Across the city, Alexander stood in his office, fury coiled tightly beneath his skin.

The room was deathly quiet, yet the pressure inside it felt suffocating.

A murderous aura radiated from him, heavy and unrestrained.

The executives lined up in front of his desk were shaking visibly.

Some wiped sweat from their brows; others stared at the floor, afraid to meet his eyes.

The silence stretched until it became unbearable.

"There’s a serious issue," one of them finally said, his voice barely steady. "Several of our major partners have pulled out without warning.

The stock is dropping rapidly."

Alexander’s fingers tightened around the edge of his desk. "Why?" he demanded.

The man swallowed hard.

"It appears... a foreign company is deliberately targeting us."

Alexander’s eyes darkened. Derek warned me, he recalled sharply.

His frustration deepened. The morning had already been a disaster—Aurora was nowhere to be found, and now the Brown Group itself was under attack.

The timing was too precise to be coincidence.

"Why now?" he said coldly. "Why is the Brown Group being targeted all of a sudden?"

He turned toward Derek, his gaze sharp enough to cut. "Find out who owns that foreign company.

I want names, backgrounds—everything." He paused, then added, "Arrange travel immediately if needed.

We’re meeting them face to face."

Derek nodded without hesitation. "I’ll handle it."

Alexander then faced the executives again. "You," he said, voice low and commanding.

"Go back to your departments.

Cross-check every transaction, every account, every financial detail.

I want nothing out of place. If there’s even the smallest discrepancy, report it immediately."

"Yes, sir," they replied in unison, relief and fear mingling as they rushed to comply.

"Maya," Alexander called out.

She straightened instantly. "Yes, Mr. Brown?"

"Contact Ms. Smith," he ordered. "Tell her to arrange the meeting with Dr. Lia. We are not postponing it."

Maya hesitated. "Sir... earlier today, Dr. Lia’s team requested a delay. They mentioned some complications."

Alexander’s expression hardened. "That’s no longer acceptable."

He leaned forward slightly, his voice calm but edged with steel. "The press conference will proceed as scheduled.

We cannot afford delays—not now."

The room fell silent once more as he concluded, "The Brown Group stays on track.

No mistakes. No excuses."

The car halted near the college gate, and Aurora stepped out, straightening her coat before striding toward the principal’s office.

The moment she passed through the gates, heads turned.

Whispers rippled across the campus.

"Is that really her?"

"The fat country bumpkin?"

"I heard she caused a huge uproar last semester."

Some of the juniors stared openly, curiosity and disbelief written on their faces.

The seniors—those who had studied with the old Aurora and were now in their final year—didn’t bother to hide their disdain.

Smirks, side glances, and low laughter followed her path.

Gossip bloomed again like wildfire.

Aurora ignored it all. She didn’t slow her pace, didn’t look left or right.

Her heels clicked calmly against the stone floor as she walked straight to the principal’s office.

She raised her hand and knocked gently.

"Come in," a stern but authoritative voice answered.

Aurora pushed the door open and stepped inside.

The principal looked up—and froze.

"M-Ms. Smith?" he stammered, rising halfway from his chair.

"How... how come you’re here today?"

He knew she was no ordinary student.

And then there were her results.

When he had gone through her test papers, he had been stunned by the clarity of thought, the precision.

A genius, he had concluded. Someone the university could not afford to lose.

For a brief moment, his mind drifted—imagining headlines, rankings, prestige. She could take this university to the top.

Aurora noticed the greedy gleam in his eyes but chose not to comment. S

he walked in and sat down calmly.

"As you’ve seen my results," she said evenly, "I trust you have no doubts about my capability."

The principal nodded quickly. "Of course. None at all."

"I want to skip directly to my final year and sit for the exams," Aurora continued, her voice steady.

"After that, I intend to apply for PhD programs."

The principal blinked, stunned by her bluntness.

He hesitated, then reminded himself—geniuses are different. He leaned back, thinking carefully.

After a moment, he nodded. "Very well. Academically, you qualify." He paused. "But I have one condition."

Aurora’s gaze darkened slightly. The temperature in the room seemed to drop. The principal swallowed but pushed on, pulling out a form from his drawer.

"Apply for this competition," he said, sliding it across the desk. "It will be very beneficial—for you."

Aurora picked up the form and glanced at it once. She looked back at him, waiting.

The principal cleared his throat hastily. "And... it would be good for our university as well."

Aurora let out a soft chuckle, amused. She rose from the sofa, placing the form back on the desk neatly. "I see."

She met his gaze calmly. "I hope there isn’t anything else required from me."

The principal shook his head quickly. "No. Nothing else."

Aurora nodded once and turned toward the door, her presence lingering even after she left the room.

Top of Form

Bottom of Form

As Aurora neared her car, a slim figure suddenly darted toward her, reaching out to grab her hand.

Aurora reacted instantly.

She dodged the incoming hand at lightning speed, stepping aside as if she had already anticipated the move.

Veronica froze, shock flashing across her face.

She quickly regained her composure, lowering her head slightly as her voice turned soft and pitiful.

"Sister..." she said meekly. "Why haven’t you come home? Do you know how much Mother has missed you?" Her eyes shimmered as if on the verge of tears.

"The Smith family has fallen into such a terrible situation. Please... come home with me, sister."

She played her role well—helpless, worried, wronged.

Anyone watching would think she and her family were victims, desperately waiting for Aurora’s return.

But beneath the words, the message was clear: Aurora was shameless, ungrateful, freeloading on others, and failing in her duty as a daughter.

The onlookers around them began to whisper.

"See how pretentious she is."

"Her poor mother..."

"If she were my daughter, I’d have strangled her long ago."

Aurora heard every word.

She sneered inwardly at Veronica’s performance and took a slow step forward. Then another.

Veronica’s breath caught as Aurora closed the distance between them.

What is this psycho doing now? Veronica thought, an uneasy shiver running down her spine.

Aurora stopped right in front of her. Slowly, deliberately, she lifted her arms and pulled Veronica into a hug.

Veronica stiffened in shock. Aurora leaned closer and whispered something into her ear—so softly that no one else could hear.

Veronica’s face drained of color instantly. Her body went rigid, as if frozen in place.

Aurora released her, turned without another glance, and walked toward the car.

After sitting down, she calmly pulled out a napkin and wiped her hands clean, as though she had touched something dirty.

The door closed, the engine started, and the car disappeared down the road.

Veronica remained rooted to the spot, her mind blank.

Her followers rushed over. "Ver... are you okay?" one asked anxiously. "Did she say something again? Stop being so kind to that bitch!"

Veronica jolted back to reality. Her heart pounded violently in her chest.

"How is that possible..." she whispered, voice shaking.

Fear crept into her eyes. "I—I need to go home."

She turned abruptly and left, panic written all over her face. If anyone looked closely, they would notice her hands trembling uncontrollably.

The car headed toward a serene mountain road, forests stretching endlessly on both sides.

Tall trees blurred past the windows, their shadows flickering across the interior. The quiet of the drive felt deceptive—too calm.

Bishop’s phone buzzed. He answered it briefly, his voice low and controlled.

After ending the call, he placed the phone aside and glanced at the rearview mirror, his eyes meeting Aurora’s reflection.

Feeling his gaze, Aurora spoke without turning her head. "Speak up."

Bishop hesitated for a moment, choosing his words carefully.

"We’re finding it difficult to take down the Brown Group," he said finally. "It seems... someone powerful is protecting them.

There isn’t a single trace of fraud. Their records are clean—too clean."

A chilling flash passed through Aurora’s eyes.

Her lips curved slightly, but there was no warmth in the expression. "It seems we underestimated him," she muttered.

She turned her gaze toward the passing forest.

"Find out who’s backing him," she said coldly. "Anyone who dares to play games with me..." She let out a soft scoff. "Huh. They have a death wish." 𝚏𝐫𝚎𝗲𝕨𝐞𝐛𝕟𝚘𝐯𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝗺

A shiver ran down Bishop’s spine. He tightened his grip on the steering wheel, keeping his expression neutral. Inwardly, he sighed.

Still the same, he thought. Arrogant. Ruthless.