Reborn Heiress: Taking Back What Is Rightfully Hers!-Chapter 696: Be Serious!

Everett narrowed his eyes. In the business world, he was a cunning old fox—but when it came to love, he was still a rookie.

Still, coming up with a plan wasn’t that hard.

Someone once said a woman’s heart softens easily—and once she gets pregnant, she won’t even think of leaving...

Pregnant?

Well, that would require that to happen...

Looks like he needed to recover fast.

Aurora came out of the bathroom and saw Everett deep in thought, brows furrowed, his eyes glinting with something... odd. She flinched a little.

What twisted idea was he cooking up now?

"You’re still running a fever. Just lie down and rest, okay?" Aurora said softly.

As soon as he fell asleep, she planned to leave.

Everett glanced at her, then obediently lay back down.

Aurora called Tobias and asked him to buy some all-natural lip balm. Everett’s face darkened.

"I’m a grown man—why do I need lip balm?"

"Everett, it’s for healing, not for looks. If you want to get better and look somewhat normal again, then listen to me."

Aurora shot him an annoyed glance.

"Do you even realize what you look like? Like a dried-up corpse. Your lips are all cracked and gross."

Seeing the split skin and bleeding lines on his lips, Aurora felt a little pang of guilt.

"Hmph. A dried-up corpse, huh? Well, even a dried-up corpse can still make you feel real good."

"Everett, be serious!" Aurora nearly burst into tears from frustration.

Could this man not flirt for one second? Would it kill him to keep things platonic?

Sure, he hadn’t "eaten meat" in a long time, but—Aurora slapped herself mentally.

What the hell was she even thinking?

Everett, still lying in bed, pointed to the edge.

"Come sit here. My hand’s a little swollen. Massage it for me."

He stretched out the arm that had just gotten an IV.

Aurora took one look. Sure enough, it was slightly puffy. Some people had that reaction to IV fluids. She sighed, then gently reached out and began to massage his hand with her soft fingers.

Everett closed his eyes, enjoying every second.

She avoided the needle site and worked on it for five or six minutes before letting go.

"Okay, that’s enough. Don’t overdo it. Let me check your temperature."

Aurora grabbed the digital thermometer from the bedside table and brought it to his mouth.

Everett frowned slightly. He did feel a bit better—his heart wasn’t racing as much, and he didn’t feel as drained.

Still, he opened his mouth and let her slip the thermometer in.

Feeling mischievous, Aurora picked up her phone and quickly snapped a few pictures while his eyes were closed.

Afterward, her chest felt heavy.

Maybe in the future, these photos would be all she had left of him.

Suddenly, Everett opened his eyes and silently stared at her.

She blinked, meeting the deep, intense gaze that held so much unspoken feeling.

Startled, she looked away and quickly checked the time.

Only two minutes had passed.

Three more until she could take the thermometer out.

Then her phone rang—it was Mrs. Wilson calling.

Aurora didn’t really want to answer, but she did anyway.

"Aurora, I’m a bit short on cash this week. Can you lend me some money?"

Mrs. Wilson didn’t beat around the bush. She’d borrowed money from Aurora so many times, she no longer bothered with small talk.

Aurora’s expression darkened slightly.

Kimi’s birthday hadn’t been that long ago. She’d sent 500,000 yuan then. How could Mrs. Wilson be broke again already?

What on earth was she spending money on?

"Auntie, what do you need that much money for? I know Uncle’s business has been slow lately, but doesn’t he still give you 100,000 a month for spending?"

"What can 100,000 even buy nowadays?" Mrs. Wilson laughed.

"Aurora, you’re a star now—you know how expensive things are in China. A designer perfume or handbag alone can cost tens of thousands..."

She chuckled.

"Think of it as repaying a favor. You’re rich now, Aurora—probably don’t even notice how much money you’ve got anymore."

Aurora pressed her lips together.

"Auntie, it’s not easy for me to make money either. I’m out there shooting music videos in the freezing cold... And I don’t even get a real cut unless the video performs well. If it flops, I only get the base pay..."

"Oh, spare me the sob story," Mrs. Wilson snapped. "You’re a big-time celebrity! You make millions every month without blinking. Giving me a few hundred thousand should be like tossing change at a beggar."

Aurora was speechless.

It had barely been twenty days since Kimi’s birthday, and she’d already blown through the 500,000 yuan Aurora gave her. Now she was calling for more. If this kept up, Aurora would basically be her personal ATM.

"Auntie, I heard you’ve been playing mahjong... and betting pretty big. I mean, a little gambling for fun is fine, but high-stakes stuff—it’s dangerous..." Aurora said gently, trying to sound non-confrontational.

Her company only gave her a 200,000 yuan monthly allowance. Any real profit-sharing would only come at year-end. She didn’t do concerts or high-paying endorsements, and she wasn’t living alone—she was supporting Jesse’s education too.

Jesse went to a top private school, and between tuition, fees, and living expenses, it cost 60,000 to 70,000 yuan a month. Plus, she had to support her grandfather and other basic expenses. By the end of the month, there was barely anything left.

If it was a real emergency, she could borrow against her year-end bonus from Eric—but that was a last resort.

But Mrs. Wilson’s gambling was a bottomless pit. No matter how much she gave, it would never be enough. Aurora just wanted to talk sense into her while she was still only halfway off the rails.

Before Aurora could finish, Mrs. Wilson cut her off.

"Who said I’m gambling? I’m just playing with friends! I’m a lady of leisure—other people lose a million a month, I barely lose anything. What’s the big deal? Are you going to snitch to your uncle now? Aurora, we raised you and Jesse—do you know how hard that was? And now you won’t even give us a little money?"

Suddenly, Everett snatched the phone from her hand.

Aurora’s eyes widened in shock—he looked furious, his face clouded like a storm.

"Everett, what are you doing?! Give me back my phone!"

He ignored her, let out a cold snort, and put the call on speaker.

"Mrs. Wilson, right? You only raised Aurora and Jesse for thirteen years. But didn’t you also pocket all of Aurora’s mother’s inheritance? From what I know, she’s already given you over 3 million yuan directly. Not to mention all the gifts she’s bought for Kimi and Madison—that adds up to nearly 5 million. Pretty expensive parenting, huh? Almost worth forty or fifty million, isn’t it?"

Aurora’s eyes went wide. She stared at Everett, stunned.

W-what was he saying?

Mrs. Wilson’s voice shot back, filled with anger.

"Who the hell are you? This is family business—it’s none of your concern! Let me speak to Aurora!"

"Sorry, but my woman doesn’t want to talk to you. And if you keep harassing her, I will get a lawyer involved to recover what’s rightfully hers. Oh, and by the way—I’m Everett. You’ve got a problem? Come find me."

He ended the call coldly.

Aurora looked pale.

"You... what did you just say? Did you say my aunt took my mom’s inheritance?"

She had no idea.

She’d been too young at the time to understand anything about divorce settlements or assets. Her aunt had always told her that her mom walked away from the marriage with nothing.