Born Into Villain's Family: I Have a 200\% Rebate System-Chapter 511: First Meeting

His steps faltered. He blinked, staring at the mark again, his eyes widening slightly.

His fists clenched as a thought surfaced in his mind.

’No... that can’t be.’

He didn’t dare believe it. Instead, he decided to confirm it himself.

The next morning, during breakfast, Lucas waited calmly. When Aurora stood up and began to walk away, his eyes followed her.

The same mark. 𝕗𝕣𝐞𝐞𝘄𝐞𝚋𝚗𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹.𝚌𝕠𝚖

Exactly the same.

Lucas stared at her back, his heart pounding as suspicion quietly took root.

The line of her shoulders, the way she carried herself, even the subtle curve of her waist... everything felt eerily familiar.

’Miss Dawn’s back... it’s almost the same,’ he thought, his gaze dropping as a storm of thoughts churned in his head.

Before he could sink any deeper into his suspicions, Theodore’s voice cut through the room.

"Tomorrow, we’re meeting Adriana’s boyfriend."

He looked around, his eyes sweeping over everyone’s faces.

"Why do you all look like you’re being dragged to an execution?"

Mary frowned slightly. For the past month, she had been meaning to find Adeline.

She had even gone out of her way to look for her, but after the last incident, Adeline had been injured deeply and was barely willing to see anyone.

Because of that, Mary still hadn’t been able to apologize.

The guilt sat quietly in her heart, like a dull ache that never fully faded.

Alex, meanwhile, had come by three or four times, each visit making him realize his own mistakes more clearly.

He had tried again and again to make it up to Mary.

She had wanted to stay angry with him, she truly had, but she couldn’t ignore the painful similarity between them.

’I abandoned him once, just as cruelly,’ she admitted to herself.

’What right do I have to condemn him now?’ In the end, she forgave him.

Adriana, on the other hand, was visibly anxious.

Ever since her boyfriend learned that he would be meeting her family, he had started panicking like an overgrown child.

For weeks, he had been fussing endlessly, to the point that even Adriana had begun wondering if inviting him was a mistake.

Just like now.

She watched Peter pile gift after gift into the car and couldn’t help sending him a message. ’This is too much.’

Peter chuckled, clearly unconvinced.

"How can it be too much? I need to make a good impression on your parents. If I don’t, they’ll never accept me."

Adriana frowned slightly.

"Why wouldn’t they accept you? My parents are very open-minded. They won’t stop us."

Peter smiled, but his eyes held a maturity that Adriana lacked.

He knew better. He knew her parents would be anxious the moment they realized he was wealthier than them.

Worse, they would suspect him of trying to seduce their daughter.

After all, there was nearly a four-year age gap.

Adriana was only twenty-one, young enough for people to question his intentions and predict future differences.

’For now, I just need to hold on,’ he thought.

He knew how important Adriana’s family was to her.

She would choose them over him without hesitation. ’How can I not be worried?’

Seeing his tension, Adriana softened.

"All right," she said gently. "You don’t have to be so nervous. Even if there’s a misunderstanding, we can clear it up later."

Peter could only nod.

Soon, they arrived at the residential area and walked toward the house.

Peter adjusted his coat, straightening his posture. When the door opened, he saw Mary’s face for the first time. He flashed a wide smile.

Mary paused.

She looked at him, and Peter looked back, both of them momentarily stiff.

Her lips twitched before she finally smiled, stepping aside to let him in.

Once inside, Peter greeted everyone one by one.

Yet the strange smile on his face made the atmosphere feel oddly forced, as if he had been dragged into the gathering rather than welcomed.

Olivia, however, watched him carefully.

Her gaze was sharp and assessing.

’I won’t let my sister get hurt again,’ she vowed.

She decided then and there to scrutinize him from the very first day.

’God knows what if he turns out to be another Henry.’

As time passed, something unexpected happened.

The family began to realize that Peter was, in fact, a good match for Adriana.

He cared for her attentively, remembered her preferences, and even shielded her whenever someone tried to tease her.

His concern didn’t feel fake or exaggerated; it was steady and sincere.

Still, Olivia wasn’t satisfied.

She smiled at Peter, her tone deceptively casual. "I heard you once had a fiancée."

The room fell silent.

Peter looked at her, his gaze steady and serious. "I never had a fiancée."

Olivia chuckled softly.

"That’s strange. From my investigation, I found that you once had a fiancée named Kaylee. She just happens to be a supermodel."

Peter smiled calmly.

"She wasn’t my fiancée. She was my father’s fiancée."

The moment those words left his mouth, everyone’s eyes widened. Even Adriana was taken aback.

Olivia narrowed her eyes.

"I didn’t hear wrong, and I didn’t get it wrong either. You’re lying."

Peter shrugged lightly.

"You probably read that she was my fiancée. What you didn’t read was that the engagement was arranged by my father and forced on me. I broke it off later. She was only a fiancée in name. And by the way, she already has a boyfriend."

Olivia didn’t back down.

"If she’s really your ex-fiancée, why do you still know about her relationship status?"

The question was sharp, trapping him neatly.

Everyone realized it was a tricky situation.

If Peter denied it, he would look like a liar. If he admitted it, it would seem like he hadn’t moved on.

Peter only smiled softly.

"Of course I know. We’re still in touch."

Olivia’s lips curved slightly, as if she had caught his tail.

"That’s inappropriate. You’re about to get engaged to someone else, yet you’re still hung up on your ex?"

Peter’s expression didn’t change.

"In fact," he said calmly, "my ex likes girls. She’s a lesbian, and she’s currently in a secret relationship."

Adriana’s pale face slowly regained color as relief washed over her.

Aurora nodded subtly. She had already verified this information before. Peter wasn’t lying.

Olivia’s expression changed.

Theodore was stunned before he started to laugh wildly.

"Hey Olivia, why is your information half? You are so stupid!"

Hearing Theodore’s bold remark, Olivia couldn’t help but laugh.

The sound was sharp and unrestrained as she shot him a glare, her eyes flashing with mock irritation.

Theodore, however, looked utterly delighted.

This was the first time Olivia had dug up information that turned out to be half useful, and the satisfaction showed clearly on his face.

Olivia soon shifted her gaze to Peter, her eyes narrowing slightly, as if trying to peel away every layer he was hiding behind.

Peter felt the scrutiny, but what unsettled him more was Aurora. She was looking at him with quiet satisfaction, almost as if everything had unfolded exactly as she expected.

’This is strange,’ Peter thought uneasily. ’If it were Olivia, I’d assume she was testing me. But Aurora... why does it feel like she already knows the whole truth?’

The thought sent a chill down his spine. ’Did she know what I was going to say even before I said it?’

Taking a deep breath, Peter straightened his back and looked at Adriana’s family, his voice steady but serious.

"I want to marry Adriana. I’m not joking about this. I hope the Waters family will give me their blessing."

The room went quiet.

Adam and Mary exchanged a glance before both sighing softly. Adam spoke first, his tone calm and measured.

"For now, I’d like to observe you more before giving my approval."

Mary followed with an apologetic smile, her eyes gentle. Peter met her gaze and smiled back faintly. He had expected this.

’Acceptance isn’t something you earn in a day,’ he reminded himself.

Jules watched the exchange quietly. Seeing how cautious and reserved the Waters family was toward Peter, she couldn’t help feeling grateful.

When it had been her turn to be judged, they hadn’t made things difficult for her at all.

They had accepted her swiftly and sincerely, and that alone told her that the Waters family was truly a good family.

After dinner, Peter and Adriana stepped outside for a walk.

The night air was cool, carrying the faint scent of grass and damp earth.

Once they reached downstairs, Peter glanced at Adriana, his nervousness finally slipping through.

"What do you think?" he asked softly. "Did they like me?"

Adriana remained silent for a moment, her steps slowing. Then she looked at him seriously.

"I don’t know," she admitted. "But one thing’s for sure... they didn’t dislike you. If they did, you’d have been kicked out long ago."

Peter let out a breath he didn’t realize he had been holding and smiled in relief.

After a few steps, Adriana frowned slightly, another thought surfacing.