Rebirth: A Second chance at life-Chapter 94: She’s not just a genius, she’s powerful!"

Minutes later, under the blazing afternoon sun, Raya knelt on the schoolyard ground, surrounded by murmuring students.

Her face was flushed with humiliation, tears streaming down her cheeks.

"I... I admit it..." Raya’s voice cracked as she shouted across the campus. "I judged Aurora Smith without knowing the truth! I am not worthy to be a teacher! Aurora scored full marks! I slandered her... I wronged her..."

Students gathered around in disbelief.

"What’s going on?" one whispered, craning their neck.

"Why is Ms. Williams... kneeling and apologizing... to Aurora?" another asked, eyes wide with shock.

"Did I miss something?!" a boy exclaimed, bewildered.

Suddenly, a loud cheer erupted from a cluster of students huddled around their phones.

"Hey! Look! The school forum—there’s a video uploaded!" a girl shouted, waving her phone excitedly.

Everyone scrambled to pull out their phones, their thumbs flying across screens. On the forum, a video played of Aurora’s exam retake, showing her solving each question flawlessly under the intense gaze of multiple supervising teachers.

"She didn’t cheat...!" a student gasped, their jaw dropping.

"No way... she answered everything so fast—like she already knew it all!" another murmured in awe.

"Holy crap... she’s a genius!" someone shouted, their voice carrying over the crowd.

"OMG Aurora Smith is a freaking genius!" a girl squealed, practically jumping. "#AuroraGenius #AuroraFullMarks"

"Wait, wait—scroll down! Look! Another post! She knows Richard Grifford?!" a boy pointed at the screen, nearly dropping his phone.

"No way! THE Richard Grifford? The top lawyer?"

"Bro... how does she even know someone like him?!" another exclaimed, voice cracking.

"She’s not just a genius, she’s powerful!"

"#AuroraAndGrifford #TopLawyerSupport #NeverMessWithAurora"

"Yo, this is blowing up—Aurora’s trending!"

More students gathered as notifications buzzed nonstop.

"#FromZeroToHero"

"#AuroraSmithQueen"

"#MsWilliamsKneels"

"Did anyone see the part where Ms. Williams literally knelt down and apologized publicly? Bruh... I never thought I’d live to see this day."

"I’m saving this video forever. Legendary."

"Guys... do you think Aurora’s secretly rich? Or like... some hidden heiress?"

"Hidden heiress? More like secret boss. #AuroraBoss"

"Look at Ms. Williams’ face, she looks like she’s about to faint."

"Honestly, she deserves it after everything she said to Aurora. Karma’s real."

"Bet she’ll never mess with her again."

The hashtags exploded online.

From the principal’s window, Aurora watched Raya kneeling, then calmly turned away. She stepped toward the desk, picking up a document she needed.

As she reached the door, she paused, glancing over her shoulder at Richard.

"Withdraw the request for detainment," she instructed lightly. "But increase the compensation to a hundred million. And ensure she’s blacklisted from teaching. Ever."

With those words, Aurora left the office, her steps graceful, her figure radiating quiet power.

No one dared stop her.

No one dared say a word.

And in that moment, everyone understood:

Aurora Smith... was no longer someone they could look down on.

From the shadows, Briana stood stiffly, her hands clenched so tightly that her nails dug into her palms. A tremor ran through her as she stared at the scene unfolding in the courtyard.

"She... she’s really winning..." Briana whispered bitterly under her breath.

She had paid millions to a network of online trolls, instructing them to flood the internet with hate, to mock Aurora, to call her a fraud. Even now, they had been posting—insults, doctored screenshots, malicious rumors. But...

Everything had been taken down. Instantly.

She frantically refreshed her phone, scrolling through the forums, the trending tags. But no negative posts surfaced. No smear campaign sticking. Every hateful comment she’d paid for was buried under waves of praise and admiration for Aurora.

"What the hell is happening?" she hissed, her chest tightening. "How... how is this possible?"

Her furious eyes scanned the sea of students, their cheers, their awe, their excitement over Aurora.

Her comments—her insults—were drowned beneath the flood of hashtags praising Aurora’s brilliance.

"How dare this country bumpkin overshadow Veronica..." Briana seethed internally, her vision blurring with rage.

Veronica was supposed to be the star, the elite. Not Aurora. Never Aurora.

As she watched Aurora exit the principal’s office with quiet dignity, Briana’s lips twisted into a venomous sneer.

Her trembling hand fumbled for her phone. Quickly, she typed out a message to Veronica, her fingers flying over the keys.

After that, she deleted the message quickly, her thumb lingering over the screen for a second longer than necessary. A slow, dark smirk tugged at the corners of her lips.

At the entrance, just as Aurora reached her car, a tall shadow loomed over her, casting a gentle darkness against the afternoon sun.

Aurora didn’t flinch. She didn’t even look surprised. She had already noticed him standing casually by the school gates as she walked out, his figure impossible to miss.

She turned around slowly, her gaze cool and steady. "Mr. Harper," she addressed him, her voice calm yet edged with curiosity. "It seems that whatever you wish to discuss is important... if it brought you all the way here. To my school."

A small smirk curved on Sebastian’s lips as he stepped closer, hands tucked into his pockets, his presence magnetic and impossible to ignore.

"Well, Miss Aurora," he drawled lightly, his sharp eyes glinting, "I heard you were in a bit of trouble. It didn’t feel right to sit back and do nothing... when you clearly needed a hand."

Aurora blinked, a faint smirk tugging at the corner of her lips, but her heart was beating wildly inside her chest. She could feel it drumming against her ribs, faster with every second.

"Did he just... say he came here to help me?" she thought, almost disbelieving.

Her expression remained cool, but the slight flush at the tips of her ears betrayed her inner turmoil.

She tilted her head slightly, lips curling into a playful smirk of her own. "I see. Then I must thank Mr. Harper for his... timely concern."

Sebastian reached into the sleek black car parked beside him, then turned back, holding out a small carton of strawberry milk and a neatly wrapped pack of chocolates.

"Here," he said casually, placing them in Aurora’s hands. "These are for you."

Aurora blinked in surprise, glancing down at the unexpected gifts. "Strawberry milk...?" she murmured, a little thrown off by the gesture.

Sebastian’s lips quirked into a knowing smirk. "I heard you liked it."

Before she could respond, he added, his tone almost teasing yet gentle, "Would you mind if I dropped you home today? I’d... like to see Jenny too. It’s been a while."

Aurora hesitated, staring at the carton in her hand, then slowly looked up at him. There was a warmth in his eyes—different from his usual cool arrogance—something quietly sincere.

"I..." she started, then gave a soft chuckle, shaking her head lightly. "Mr. Harper, you’re welcome at my house anytime. Jenny would be thrilled. But... thank you for your kindness."

She tucked the milk carefully into her bag, her gaze softening. "I have to go somewhere else first, though. So... maybe next time."

Sebastian’s smile didn’t falter. If anything, it deepened, amused yet respectful. "I see," he said, voice smooth. "I’ll hold you to that, Aurora."