Chapter 16
The long-haired beauty was Aurelia White, the campus queen of Arcton University and Owen’s rumored girlfriend, though he had never confirmed it.
Owen’s blunt denial stung, but Aurelia didn’t let it show. She greeted Valerie with a poised smile. “I don’t think we’ve met. Are you a new freshman?”
Valerie returned the smile. “I’m a second-year student in biological sciences.”
One of the young women recognized her. “Wait, aren’t you the top scorer from last year’s college entrance exams?”
Valerie smiled politely. “I just got lucky.”
Then, she yawned, her tone becoming a little lazy. “Please, continue without me. I’ll be taking my leave now.”
The young woman who recognized her had short hair and a striking, confident look. Beaming, she said, “It’s the first day of the semester. We’re all planning a get-together tonight. Would you like to join us for dinner?”
Owen chimed in, “It’ll be my treat. Let’s meet at Maison B.”
After catching up on sleep in the student council lounge, Valerie finally lost the deep and dark circles under her eyes. Not long after she woke, her classmates dragged her out to dinner.
Valerie had thought they were heading to a small diner near Arcton University, but when they arrived, she realized Maison B was an upscale restaurant with lavish décor. There were seven or eight students at the gathering, with a balanced mix of genders.
Valerie rarely showed up for classes, so Owen was the only one she was even remotely familiar
with.
The short-haired young lady who had invited her to dinner greeted her first. “You’re Valerie, right? I’m Yvette Lane from the law department. I’m a third-year student.”
Valerie smiled politely. “As expected of a law student. You look so sharp and confident. You’ll definitely make a name for yourself as a top lawyer one day!”
Everyone liked a good compliment, and Yvette’s first impression of Valerie had been favorable for a rather childish reason. Yvette and Aurelia had long been at odds, constantly rubbing each other the wrong way.
Even though they were in different majors, they were both on the student council and clashed
Chapter 16
every few days over little things.
2/2
For as long as she could remember, Aurelia had acted as if she were Owen’s girlfriend. The Foster family held great influence in Windmere, and Owen was the student council president. Even if Yvette disliked Aurelia, she still had to keep things civil on the surface.
Valerie’s appearance seemed to upset that balance. Aurelia, shrewd as ever, immediately caught on to Yvette’s little plan. Yvette thought she could pit Valerie against her, yet Aurelia didn’t think Valerie was strong enough.
Aurelia shot her loyal follower a look, and the latter immediately caught on. “Valerie, I heard that you were detained a few days ago for causing trouble. That can’t be true, right?” Her voice was overly dramatic, clearly trying to put Valerie on the spot.
Another young woman plastered a smile on her face and chimed in, “Don’t make things up. The school’s policy states that any student who commits a serious violation will be expelled.”
Owen had little patience for their mind games. He was about to interrupt when Yvette beat him to it. “If you want to accuse someone, you’d better have solid evidence. Otherwise, that counts as slander!”
Aurelia chuckled. “But it’s all over campus that she was detained.”
Valerie arched her brow. “Let me guess-the one who spread this rumor must be that so- called genius, Sonia, right?
“Aside from saying that I was detained by the cops, I’m sure she also told you that I came to Windmere to fight for the Woodward family’s inheritance, that I pick fights and break rules, and that I’m just a wild and unruly brat from the countryside.”
Her sharp comeback caught Aurelia off guard, leaving her at a loss for words.
