Born Into Villain's Family: I Have a 200% Rebate System

Her hair was neatly tied up, and her face was calm, though her eyes betrayed nervousness.

The others turned to look at her. For a moment, silence filled the hallway. Then soft chuckles broke out.

Olivia, always quick with her tongue, grinned. "Wow, you look so beautiful that even if you hired male models to walk beside you, they'd end up paying you instead."

Mary blinked, caught off guard by the teasing. A faint flush colored her cheeks.

Adam, however, frowned. His face darkened as he turned sharply toward Olivia. "Don't say things like that."

Olivia raised her brows, her lips curving into a mischievous smile. "What? Are you jealous?"

Adam rolled his eyes, his voice stiff with irritation. "I'll make sure to file a complaint against any male model who even tries."

The hallway erupted in soft laughter. Even Aurora's lips curved faintly, though she said nothing.

Soon, the Waters family left the apartment and arrived at a relatively simple yet luxurious apartment. This apartment wasn't decorated at all.

Instead, it looked plain and neat. The walls were painted in soft colors, and the furniture was simple but elegant. There were no expensive decorations or fancy items.

Everything seemed carefully placed, as if the owner preferred things to be useful rather than showy.

Inside, Alex sat at a small desk near the window.

His eyes were focused on a stack of documents in front of him. He flipped through each paper slowly, his face serious.

The light from the window cast a soft glow over his face, making the quiet atmosphere feel even more somber.

He had canceled the banquet. After hearing that Ms. Dawn wouldn't come, Alex thought it was better not to hold a celebration at all.

In fact, he had sent a message to everyone, saying the birthday party was canceled. Even for Aurora, he had sent the message.

But Aurora, strong-willed as always, didn't care about his message.

She was determined to make sure that Alex's birthday wouldn't pass by without being celebrated. She insisted that the whole family come to his apartment.

A soft ring of the doorbell broke the silence. Alex frowned but slowly stood up. He walked to the door and opened it.

Standing there were the Waters family members... Olivia, Aurora, Mary, Adam, Lucas, Adriana and Theodore.

For a moment, Alex froze. He didn't know how to react. His eyes scanned each face carefully.

Aurora, standing at the front with a slight chuckle, broke the silence. "Alex," she said playfully, "aren't you going to invite us in?"

Alex blinked, as if coming back to reality. He quickly stepped aside and gestured, "Please, come in."

They all entered quietly. The apartment still looked plain, but it suddenly didn't feel empty. Their presence filled it with something warm.

Before Alex could say anything, Aurora continued in a calm tone. "I came here because I got your invitation." She smiled slightly, "As for the message you sent, I ignored it completely. You should get ready now. I already booked a venue for you, and you're coming with us."

Alex's face changed immediately. He looked stunned. "A venue?" His voice was low and confused.

"Aurora, are you saying… you want to celebrate my birthday?"

Aurora nodded with a gentle smile. "Yes, of course. You don't have to do it alone."

Alex swallowed hard. His lips trembled a little. In the past few years, he had never celebrated his birthday. His real father never cared enough to do so, and his life had been filled with silence.

But now, his half-sister was standing in front of him, and he realized it wasn't just her plan. The other Waters siblings were there too. Even his mother had come.

His heart swelled. He wanted to cry, but he held it back.

"I don't want to celebrate my birthday," Alex said softly, his voice steady but gentle.

He glanced at Mary, who stood silently nearby. Mary's eyes avoided his gaze, looking elsewhere.

Alex chuckled bitterly in his heart. He knew something that no one else did. Mary loved him, but some secret kept her from showing it.

Still, he wasn't angry. He understood.

Aurora watched their interaction carefully. Then she smiled calmly. "Since everyone is already here, Alex, I think you should just go with the flow," she said lightly. "There's no reason to stay in your room alone today."

Alex paused. He subconsciously looked at Mary again. This time, Mary lifted her head and looked directly at him.

That small action made his heart leap.

It was as if Mary was silently waiting for his reply.

For the first time in a long while, Alex felt something bright and real.

He smiled. "Alright," he said simply. "I will get ready."

After he changed into neat clothes, everyone left the apartment together.

On the way, Olivia leaned toward Aurora and asked, "When did you book the venue?"

Aurora chuckled softly. "The moment I heard Alex wasn't planning to celebrate," she replied without hesitation. "I knew I had to do it."

Olivia looked stunned for a moment. Then she shook her head and smiled. "Alex really is close to you."

Aurora rolled her eyes lightly. "If it wasn't for my family, maybe I wouldn't have cared at all. But the day Alex stood up for me, even when it meant risking everything, I felt something change."

Her voice softened, "I stopped seeing him as a stranger. He's my brother now."

Soon, they arrived at the venue.

It was a grand hall. Tables were neatly arranged, and a big stage was decorated with balloons. Bright letters spelled out: HAPPY BIRTHDAY, ALEX.

Alex stepped inside slowly, his eyes wide with wonder.

There were pictures of him everywhere... on the walls, on stands, even hanging from strings like a photo gallery.

Each photo showed a different moment of his life, from childhood to now.

His eyes moved from one picture to the next.

There was a photo of him as a child, smiling softly while reading a book.

Another photo showed him sitting quietly by the window, sunlight falling on his face. He didn't realize he had smiled so much over the years.

Tears began to well up in his eyes.

He muttered, "How… how did these photos appear here?"

His voice was filled with confusion.

From what he knows, no one paid so much attention to him.

He remembered the times in the library. It was only Ms. Eleanor who spent time with him there, quietly helping him study and offering a small smile when he needed it.

Maybe… maybe Ms. Eleanor was the one who had taken those photos.

As if on cue, Ms. Eleanor, the older woman nearing her mid-fifties, entered the room quietly.

Her hair was neatly tied, and her face carried a gentle expression.

Seeing her, Alex's face lit up with hope.

"Ms. Eleanor," he said warmly, "I knew it. It must be you who took these pictures."

Without thinking twice, Alex hugged her tightly.

Ms. Eleanor patted his hand softly, her voice calm but firm. "Alex, it wasn't me."

Alex pulled back slightly, his eyes wide in disbelief. "What?"

Ms. Eleanor calmly looked at Alex and said with a smile, "It was Mary all along."

Hearing those words, everyone turned to look at Mary. Her eyes widened, and she stared at Ms. Eleanor as if unable to believe what she had just said. A sharp sense of betrayal seemed to stab her heart. Her mouth opened, but no words came out.

Alex's eyes also grew wide in disbelief.

Ms. Eleanor chuckled softly, a calm but knowing expression on her face.

"Alex, every time your birthday came, and I wished you, it was because Mary asked me to do so. Every time I handed you food, or covered you with a scarf when the air turned cold, it was Mary who told me to do it. She always told me to treat you with kindness but never let you know it was her."

Mary's face turned pale. Her lips trembled as she stammered, "That… that's not true. Ms. Eleanor… you're lying…"

But Ms. Eleanor remained composed. She gently took out her phone and opened a folder filled with recordings. She handed the phone to Alex.

One by one, the recordings played. In the first video, Mary's voice was clear. "Make sure you pass him this scarf. He'll be cold later. Don't let him feel it's from me."

Another recording played. Mary's voice said, "Tell him the food is from the school's charity. Don't let him suspect it's from me."

Each recording was more revealing than the last. Every single one showed Mary carefully instructing Ms. Eleanor to care for Alex in secret, always trying to stay hidden.

Alex's eyes widened further. His heart pounded. He never imagined that Mary had been watching over him all these years.

He looked at Mary in disbelief. "All this time… it was you?"

Mary's hands trembled. Her lips pressed together tightly, but she said nothing.