Billionaire Redemption

Chapter 13

Ayra’s POV

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Weeks had passed like a blur. I had survived each exam day the same way, by sneaking out of the house before dawn.

Every single morning, as early as 3 a.m., I’d tiptoe out like a thief, careful not to wake the sleeping devil I called a father or his venomous mistress, Marla.

Lately, I noticed something different about them. Their whispers were hushed but urgent, their eyes darker than usual. I couldn’t place my finger on it, but whatever it was, I knew it didn’t bode well for me.

So, that morning, I left the house again as if it were the last day I'd ever walk those floors.

Well, not exactly the last. I’d still have to return to school to check my results, but it sure felt like an ending.

I reached school while the skies were still wearing their dawn blanket. I sat outside the gate, my books in hand, revising like my life depended on it—because in many ways, it did.

When the sleepy gateman finally unlocked the gate at 6, I gave him a tired smile, walked into the school, and went straight to my class. I sat by the window, the cool air brushing my skin, Mother Nature offering her rare comfort.

I slid in my earpiece, blocking out the world and revised until the classroom slowly began to fill up. As always, I ignored the stares, the sneers, and the murmured insults. I was used to it now. They could say whatever they liked.

10 minutes before the last paper, the entire class was seated. Everyone except Aurelian.

Whispers started, students throwing puzzled looks at the empty chair behind me. After all, today was our final paper. Aurelian, the silent genius, never missed a paper. So where was he?

Just as the teacher walked in and began distributing the question papers, the door burst open, Aurelian rushed in, his face pale and blank.

He looked… disturbed. Not angry, not tired. Just emotionless, like he was barely there. He took his script without a word and went straight to his seat. I noticed his hand was shaking.

Strange.

I focused on my paper, pushing everything else out of my mind. One question at a time. I was almost done when I looked up and saw Aurelian get up, already finished. He submitted his script and rushed out, just as fast as he came in.

I sighed softly and shaded my last answer. After revising thoroughly and confirming I had nothing left to add, I submitted my paper.

As I walked out of the hall, the teacher, Mrs. Clary, called me back.

“Come to my office before you go home, Ayra.”

“Okay, ma,” I replied, slightly confused.

I waited quietly in her office, my heart pacing slower now that exams were over. When she finally arrived, she motioned for me to sit.

“Ayra,” she began, her voice gentle, “how are you planning to continue your education? Are you applying to college?”

I blinked. I opened my mouth but only a sigh came out. “I don’t know yet… ma.”

She frowned. “You’re one of the brightest students I’ve taught, Ayra. Don’t let your gift go to waste. You must talk to your father. He should sponsor you.”

I gave her a strained smile. “Thank you, ma. I’ll try.”

But we both knew I was lying. My father wouldn’t give a dime, not unless I was being sold for it.

As I left her office, my mind wandered back to my secret dream, KaelCorp’s fashion division. Maybe I could audition. Maybe they’d see something in me that no one else had. I held onto that thread of hope like a lifeline.

But as I stepped into the hallway, a junior student approached me. “Aurelian said you should meet him in the unused library.”

My brow lifted. “Did he say why?”

She shrugged. “No. Just that it’s important.”

Weird. Aurelian rarely spoke to anyone.

Still, I nodded. “Alright, thanks.”

I walked down the abandoned hallway. The closer I got to the old library, the heavier my chest felt. Something was off.

I pushed the creaky door open and froze.

Vanessa. Her crew. And a few senior boys.

All inside.

The door slammed behind me and clicked shut. Locked.

My heart skipped a beat.

I was trapped.

Again.

I gathered every ounce of courage and forced my voice out. “Vanessa… did you plan all this? Did you ask that junior to call me here using Aurelian name?”

She shrugged lazily, that smirk curling on her lips. “What do you think?” she said, and with a flick of her hand, her minions closed in.

I stumbled backward, pressed against the wall. Pain shot across my spine from the sudden shove. My stomach churned as Vanessa reached into her bag and pulled something out—something red.

My eyes widened in horror as she smeared it across the back of my skirt. I froze. It looked… like blood. Period blood.

Before I could even react, she yanked a pair of scissors toward my hair. I lashed out with my leg, kicking her hard enough to make her stumble back.

Her face twisted with anger. “Beat her!” she barked at her minions.

They lunged. Hands and fists slammed into me from all sides. Pain exploded in every part of my body—my ribs, my arms, my legs. I fell to the floor, gasping, every movement sending fresh pain through my bruised limbs.

Vanessa’s satisfied smirk didn’t waver. She knelt, picking up the scissors again, her eyes cold as if I were nothing more than a broken doll.

She signaled to them, and suddenly I felt hands on mine, on my legs, holding me in place. I couldn’t move. My chest tightened as the horror sank in—I saw Vanessa bring the scissors closer to my shirt.

“Vanessa, please… no… no!” My voice trembled, strained, barely a whisper of a plea. My heart pounded. I couldn’t let this happen. Not like this.

“You think your begging matters?” she scoffed, her tone sharp as a blade. And just like that, she tore my shirt away, discarding it like trash. My eyes darted back to the boys. They stared at me, my chest exposed in just my bra. I closed my eyes, a single tear slipping down my cheek.

“Do whatever you want with her,” she said, her voice calm, deliberate, deadly. My eyes snapped open, wide with fear, and my chest heaved with each shallow breath.

Then she walked away. Just like that. Leaving me on the floor, trembling, bruised, terrified, trapped in the chaos she’d created.

My heart raced as the four boys closed in, their eyes dark and unsettling. Panic curled in my stomach, making it hard to breathe. I tried to pull back, but they were faster, pinning me to the floor, my back pressing cold against it.

“No… please… stop… please!” I begged, my voice trembling. I couldn’t believe this was happening… not to me.

Twoof them held me tight while the third unclip my bra and the fourth reached for my skirt. I gasped, trying to struggle free, but my strength was fading.

Why didn’t I think this through this morning? Why didn’t I wear proper clothes?

Before I could react, I felt them pressing me down further, my chest heaving as fear made it hard to think. My entire body trembled. Every second stretched like an eternity.

Then… footsteps. Heavy, determined footsteps that echoed through the hallway. The boys froze. My eyes widened as a voice I knew rang out sharply.

“Arya!”

Relief hit me in waves. Aurelian. My savior.

Panic made my limbs weak, but the hope of him coming gave me the courage to push and struggle. The boys panicked at the sound of him and scrambled, jumping for the nearest window. My body sagged in exhaustion as I pressed my torn shirt to my chest, hastily pulling my skirt back into place.

And then I heard it, the sound of Aurelian kicking the door open, his presence filling the hallway with authority. Tears burned my eyes as I realized how close I had come.

What if he hadn’t come? What if…?

A metallic taste hit my lips as blood trickled from my nose, and the world blurred around me. My last conscious thought before collapsing was Aurelian stepping forward, eyes blazing with determination, and the boys fleeing in panic.