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

Chapter 609: Inviting

’She... suffered too...’ The thought softened her completely.

For the first time, she felt a warmth she had longed for, a sense of being loved by her mother.

A faint, almost childlike smile appeared on her lips.

Laura noticed it instantly. ’So naive...’ she thought, though she kept her expression fragile and grateful.

Soon, Mary guided her toward Alex’s black car parked nearby.

Alex had been waiting for quite some time, leaning casually against the vehicle.

When he saw Mary approaching with an elderly woman, his gaze sharpened slightly, but he didn’t question anything. Instead, he simply opened the car door.

Laura stepped inside and froze.

The interior was luxurious beyond anything she had experienced before.

Her eyes widened slightly as greed flickered uncontrollably. ’If I could get this car... I could sell it for a fortune...’

As the car began to move, Mary asked a few gentle questions, her voice filled with concern.

Laura answered each one with a brave smile, carefully crafting her responses while subtly revealing just enough hardship to evoke sympathy.

Alex, however, frowned slightly.

The inconsistencies, the deliberate hints of suffering... it was all too familiar.

’She’s performing,’ he thought, his eyes narrowing slightly.

Then, Laura suddenly turned toward him and said,

"You must have spent a lot renting this car... it looks expensive. I can give you half the rent."

Alex glanced at her, instantly understanding her intention. ’Testing... or pretending ignorance,’ he noted.

Though it felt uncomfortable, he could tell she wasn’t directly insulting him or questioning his capability.

Taking a slow breath, he smiled faintly and replied, "Sure. Then give me $10,000."

Laura’s expression froze.

Her lips parted slightly, her mind going blank for a moment.

She hadn’t expected that response... she had only wanted to probe whether the car belonged to Mary.

Mary remained quiet, her gaze lowering slightly as thoughts stirred in her mind. ’So that was her intention...’

Even without much experience, she had learned enough from Adam and the business world around her to recognize such behavior.

’Was she just saying it for appearance... or did she really mean it?’ Mary wondered, her heart wavering between doubt and hope as she waited, silently, for her mother’s next move.

Now, seeing the sickening flicker in her mother’s expression, Mary couldn’t help but frown slightly.

’Did I make a mistake... bringing her here?’

Before she could dwell on it any longer, the car slowed and finally came to a stop in front of their residence.

As soon as they stepped out, Laura instinctively moved closer to Mary, almost shrinking behind her, as if afraid to be seen properly.

Yet beneath that act, her eyes darted around greedily, trying to take in every detail.

’So this is where she lives...’ Laura thought.

They soon reached the apartment.

The moment the door opened, Laura stepped inside quickly, her movements no longer as hesitant as before.

She walked straight to the dining area and sat down, her eyes sweeping across the room.

’This place... It’s even better than I imagined,’ she thought, barely suppressing the urge to laugh out loud.

Meanwhile, Mary quietly walked into the kitchen.

She returned and held it out gently.

"Here... drink some water," Mary said softly.

Laura reached out to take it, but just as her fingers brushed the glass, she seemed to realize she had relaxed too much.

She accepted the glass and gave a small, gentle smile.

"You don’t have to worry about me," Laura said in a soft tone. "You should take care of yourself instead."

Mary’s lips curved faintly. ’She really has changed... hasn’t she?’ she thought, a fragile hope blooming again.

After taking a sip, Laura placed a hand lightly on her stomach, her brows knitting together as she let out a faint groan.

"Ah... my stomach isn’t feeling well," she murmured. "Can I... lie down for a bit? Maybe on the sofa?"

The words sounded simple, but the implication beneath them was clear.

Mary hesitated for a moment, her brows furrowing slightly, before she nodded.

"You don’t need to stay in the living room. I’ll prepare the guest room for you."

Laura’s eyes flickered briefly, but she quickly lowered her gaze. "If that’s not too much trouble..."

Soon, Mary led her to the guest room.

The moment Laura stepped inside, she froze.

’If this is just the guest room... then what does the master bedroom look like?’ Laura’s thoughts raced, her greed quietly expanding.

Just then, Mary entered, holding a set of neatly folded clothes. She extended them toward Laura.

"These are mine," she said gently. "You can wear them for now."

Laura glanced at the clothes.

They were simple, comfortable, but clearly worn.

A faint irritation flashed across her face, and for a split second, she almost snapped.

’This? You expect me to wear this?’ But she swallowed her words, forcing a grateful smile instead.

"Thank you," she said softly.

That evening, when the others returned home, they quickly learned about Laura’s presence.

Aurora was the first to truly observe her.

The moment her eyes landed on Laura, a single thought crossed her mind. ’This woman... is not simple.’

There was something off about her.

During dinner, Mary had prepared a variety of dishes, clearly putting in extra effort.

Laura praised her repeatedly, her voice sweet, her words overflowing with admiration.

"Oh, Mary, this is delicious... you’ve really become amazing," she said, smiling warmly.

But her actions told a different story.

She ate greedily, her hands moving quickly as she took more than her share, occasionally reaching for dishes before others could.

At times, it even seemed like she was trying to claim everything for herself.

Aurora watched quietly, her expression unreadable.

’How can Mom trust someone like this?’ she wondered, a faint frown forming.

Yet, as she glanced at Mary, at the hope lingering in her eyes, Aurora sighed inwardly. ’She’s always longed for this... for a mother’s love.’

After dinner, just as Laura was about to leave the table, Aurora suddenly spoke.

"Grandma... Grandma Laura."

Laura turned, looking down at Aurora. For a brief moment, a trace of disdain flashed in her eyes, quick, but not quick enough.

Aurora caught it.

’So I was right...’ she thought, her gaze sharpening slightly.

With a soft sigh, she asked directly, "Grandma Laura... when are you planning to leave?"

Laura’s expression stiffened instantly. Her eyes darted toward Mary, but Mary lowered her head slightly, pretending not to have heard.

Recovering quickly, Laura forced a polite smile. "Soon... I’ll be leaving soon," she replied gently.

With that, she turned and walked back to her room.

But the moment she was alone, her expression darkened.

’Leave? Why would I leave?’ she thought, her lips curling slightly. ’There’s food, comfort... and Mary is even giving me $1,000 every week. I can live comfortably here for the rest of my life.’

Days turned into a week.

Laura didn’t do anything overtly wrong.

Instead, she carefully maintained her image.

Sometimes she would prepare breakfast, insisting on helping the servants.

Other times, she would cook dinner, acting as though she simply wanted to contribute.

After every meal, she would smile and ask, "So... whose cooking do you like more? Mine or Mary’s?"

Mary would hesitate, caught between discomfort and confusion, as if she were being forced into an unnecessary competition with her own mother.

Aurora, however, saw through it completely.

’She’s trying to make herself indispensable... so that even if she leaves, everyone will miss her,’

Aurora thought, her lips curling into a faint, knowing smile. ’What a shallow trick.’

Without hesitation, she spoke up one evening, her tone light but firm. "Mom cooks the best."

Theodore nodded immediately. "Yeah, Mom’s food is the best."

Olivia added with a grin, "No competition there."

Even Adam and Adriana agreed without hesitation.

Laura’s smile froze for a split second.

’This brat...’ she thought angrily, but she quickly masked it again, maintaining her composure.

However, another issue was slowly surfacing.

Adam was deliberately keeping his distance from her.

His indifference was subtle but clear, and Laura noticed it immediately.

It irritated her, though she couldn’t openly address it. Meanwhile, Mary felt increasingly torn.

She had brought her mother here out of goodwill, yet now the atmosphere in the house felt strained.

Finally, one afternoon, unable to hold back any longer, Mary approached Laura.

"Mom..." she began, her voice hesitant. "When are you planning to leave?"

Laura, who had been sitting calmly before, slowly lifted her head.

Her expression shifted into something delicate, almost wounded.

"Are you... asking me to leave?" she said softly, her voice trembling just enough. "Am I... causing you trouble?"

Even though Laura’s words were wrapped in softness, dripping with a fragile gentleness, Mary could feel it clearly... there was no intention of leaving hidden beneath that tone.

Mary let out a faint chuckle, though there was no real amusement in it.

"When I invited you here," she said slowly, "it was because I thought you didn’t have anywhere to go."

She paused for a moment.

"But now..." her lips curved into a faint, cold smile, "the way you’ve been behaving... It’s becoming disgusting."