"Did you get hurt…? There’s blood on your foot… Let me help you."

That was enough to snap Aurora back to her senses, forcing her to suppress the immense wave of dark emotions that could have claimed the lives of everyone around. Or perhaps… they were already as good as dead. The only reason their fate was momentarily postponed was the young man before her.

Hector, still bewildered, muttered in his head:
Something just happened… Am I imagining things? No… there was an intent to spill blood in this place…

His eyes darted around, searching for the source of that ominous presence—someone who dared to act without regard for his existence. Meanwhile, Aurora remained on the ground, gazing at the young man before her, waiting for an explanation for his sudden approach.

He was kneeling, his hands still shaking with fear. His features were youthful—black eyes, dark hair, tanned skin, and a round face. He wasn’t actually touching anything, hesitating to even form his words. But then, as if mustering all his courage, he finally spoke:

"It’s been a long time… Don’t you remember me?"

It was the infamous phrase of the Al Batris family—none of them ever introduced themselves by name. They simply used that one sentence. And for Aurora, that was enough to realize who he was. He was the one who had been watching her from the center, planted there by her father. Naturally, he wouldn’t trust anyone else unless they were one of his own.

Despite his trembling, Aurora gestured for him to offer his hand so she could stand. "I’m sorry… Perhaps I don’t remember you," she said.

With difficulty, the young man extended his hand. Aurora grasped it gently and stood up with the same grace. The scratch on her leg still oozed blood. She stared at the wound for a long moment before shifting her gaze to him.

"You can remind me of your name," she said.

"Baron," he replied, lowering his head slightly in respect.

Baron was still holding her hand, and Aurora didn’t spare a glance at anyone else—not even Hector. When she finally did look at him, it was with utter disdain, leaving him perplexed by such a look.

Then, Aurora spoke:

"Ah, Baron… You’ll be the hand I lean on. Make sure you assist me without any mistakes."

She gazed at him with a mix of tenderness and childlike mischief, regaining full control over her emotions. Without a care in the world—and with blood still trickling from her wound—she took her first step forward beside Baron, who now seemed to be her escort.

She was so breathtakingly beautiful that her mere presence left everyone enchanted, their eyes following her as she passed by them, indifferent and untouchable.

Once she disappeared from sight, her entire demeanor shifted. Like a predator who had finally cornered its prey, Aurora suddenly turned, grabbed Baron by the throat, and pinned him against the wall. Her voice was cold, laced with amusement:

"Three seconds… How do you plan to pay for stopping me back there?"

Her gaze was terrifying. Baron trembled, his breath caught in his throat.

Tilting her head slightly, she waited for his response. He barely managed to utter a single word:

"A game."

A wicked smirk formed on Aurora’s lips. Amusement flickered in her eyes.

As she tightened her grip on his throat, her free hand reached up, fingers sliding through his hair. She tilted her head again, voice a whisper of menace:

"I already have a game… You got lucky this time."

Then, with almost delicate ease, she let go of him, stepping back.

"Remember," she murmured, "you’re the one cleaning up this mess later."

She licked her lower lip slowly, her gaze still locked onto him, then motioned with her eyes for him to follow.

As they walked, Baron hesitantly asked, "What about the wound?"

Aurora turned her head slightly, a playful, almost innocent smile curling her lips.

"You’ll lick it, of course."

Then she looked ahead again and added, "Later."

Aurora entered the filming area with Baron holding her hand gently as she walked forward with unwavering confidence. For a brief moment, her gaze was piercing, as if she owned everything in sight, leaving everyone fully aware of her presence. She moved gracefully until she stood beside both Sid and Lynn, who seemed just as captivated by her as the others.

She smiled at them softly, as she always did, then turned to stand beside them. Baron still held her hand, standing as though he had no other role but to remain by her side. He, too, had grown accustomed to her presence, quickly learning to control himself and adapt.

Aurora's blood was still trickling down, yet she acted as if she was fully aware of it—or perhaps, she wanted everyone to see it.

Finally, Hector appeared, striding in with arrogance, his face clouded with anger. Everyone was watching him intently—everyone except Aurora, who seemed as though she hadn’t noticed a thing. His steps quickened toward them, but before he could speak, Lynn’s voice rang out:

"Ah… What happened to your leg? There’s blood!"

She sounded alarmed. Like most women, she despised even the smallest scratches.

Sid noticed as well and asked, "How did this happen?"

Aurora acted as if it were nothing, replying in a calm voice, "It’s nothing… I just tripped a while ago. I’m not very good at walking in high heels."

"But you need to clean the wound," Lynn insisted.

Aurora hesitated for a moment, appearing somewhat flustered. "I couldn’t find anything, and I didn’t dare to ask… I caused a mess back there. I’ll take care of it when I return to my room later."

But both Sid and Lynn refused to let it go.

Meanwhile, Hector stood there, staring—first at her injured leg, then at the way she spoke. He could barely make sense of anything. What is this…? Something feels off.

He turned away, only to turn back again, his gaze fixed on Aurora. Then, without a word, he pulled the handkerchief from his suit and tossed it onto her foot.

"Clean your blood. This is embarrassing enough as it is," he muttered.

Aurora didn’t even glance at the ground. Beside her, Baron was seething with rage at Hector’s gesture.

Aurora smiled and pressed her hand lightly against Baron’s arm, signaling him to keep his composure. Then, with deliberate grace, she stepped onto the handkerchief with her injured foot. She lifted her foot slightly, then stepped on it again.

Finally, she turned to Baron and said, "Baron, help me pick up the handkerchief, please."

Baron knelt and picked it up, holding it before Aurora.

She looked at him and spoke again, her tone laced with feigned thoughtfulness. "Could you help… ah, what was his name again?" She paused, as if trying to recall, then uttered his name sweetly, "Hector."

Hector stood frozen in place as Aurora continued, "Baron, help Hector return his handkerchief, please."

She smiled at Baron, who carried out her order without hesitation—almost as if he, too, enjoyed doing it in front of everyone.

After Baron returned the handkerchief, Aurora turned to Hector with a look of pure innocence.

"Sorry… I stepped on your handkerchief without paying attention. It seems like you dropped it without realizing. I couldn’t bend down because of my injury, so I asked Baron to help me."

Hector remained rooted in place, staring at her in silence.

Aurora, however, had already turned her attention elsewhere. She looked at Lynn and said, "You can help me clean the wound, but—"

Before she could finish, Sid appeared again, carrying a first aid kit from who knows where. He placed it on the ground and knelt to open it, while Lynn brought over a chair for Aurora to rest her leg on.

As for Hector… it was unclear what had gotten into him. He was still standing there, unmoving, staring at Aurora as if he had just witnessed something he couldn’t quite comprehend.

Lynn gently cleaned Aurora’s wound while everyone else returned to their preparations, ensuring everything was ready before filming began.

Baron stood close beside Aurora, like a personal bodyguard. In truth, that was exactly what he was—though no one had yet realized it.

Sid, glancing at him curiously, asked, "By the way, who are you?"

He was referring to Baron, who wouldn’t dare to answer without Aurora’s permission. For a brief moment, it was as if Baron had swallowed his tongue, but then Aurora gave him a subtle nod, a barely noticeable signal hidden within her sharp gaze as she surveyed the room.

Taking the cue, Baron finally spoke, "Ah… we study at the same university. It was just a coincidence that we ran into each other here."

Sid and Lynn exchanged surprised looks.

Lynn asked, "Are you a student?"

Aurora smiled softly. "Didn’t I tell you? Yes, I’m a student."

Everyone was stunned—Aurora hardly looked like a student. With her sculpted physique, she seemed more like an athlete.

Sid narrowed his eyes. "So your major must be sports, then."

Aurora let out a delicate laugh, while Baron struggled to hide his own amusement.

"No," Aurora corrected, her voice light but firm. "Business administration."

Sid and Lynn stared at her in shock.

Lynn gasped, "Wah… then you must come from a rich family, right? Wah!"

Aurora smiled, her expression unreadable. "A rich family? Hmm… maybe."

Before they could continue, the director’s voice rang out, clapping his hands loudly.

"Alright, alright! Get ready!"

As for Hector… he remained seated across from Aurora, watching her like a predator eyeing its prey. His hands rested on his thighs, legs spread slightly apart, his body leaning forward just enough to observe her every move.

A slow, cunning smile crept onto his lips as a thought flickered through his mind.

Let’s have a little game before the real one begins…

She’s… fascinating.