Chapter 17
Valerie met everyone’s curious stares with an easy smile. “And here I thought everyone at Arcton University was supposed to be brilliant. Guess I was wrong.”
Yvette hurriedly defended herself. “I never believed those rumors!”
Owen nodded. “Me neither.”
Owen’s obvious favoritism toward Valerie made Aurelia’s chest tighten with frustration.
The young woman beside her nudged her shoulder. “Quick, look over there, Aurelia!”
The group was dining in a private room, but since the dishes hadn’t all arrived yet, the door remained wide open, giving them a clear view of the hallway.
Aurelia followed the direction of her friend’s finger and spotted a familiar face. “Lucius!”
Lucius, who had come with a few friends to have dinner, looked over. However, it wasn’t
Aurelia, the one who had called his name, who first caught his attention. His eyes landed
instead on Valerie, whose beauty stood out in the crowd.
After murmuring a few words to his friends, he stepped into the room.
His appearance made the lively room fall silent. Lucius was only a few years older than Aurelia, yet he was a generation older than her and the current head of the White family.
His gaze swept across the room. “I see you’re all here to have dinner together.”
Aurelia nodded excitedly. “Yeah. It’s the first day of the semester, so we thought we’d get together for dinner!”
Lucius’ six older siblings were all children Melvin had with his mistresses. Melvin had once made it clear that he would support them only until they turned 18. After that, whether they lived or died had nothing to do with the White family.
Aurelia’s father was Lucius’ fourth brother. If he wanted to see Lucius, he had to make an appointment with his assistant at least a month in advance. Hence, she was thrilled when Lucius actually responded to her.
“Would you like us to add another chair for you, Lucius?” Aurelia asked nervously.
To her surprise, Lucius nodded. “Sure.”
The atmosphere became subdued once again. The group couldn’t believe they were sharing a
table with the famed Lucius White.
Owen appeared uneasy. The Foster and White families had once clashed over personal matters,
so it was almost comical that they were now sitting at the same table.
Valerie was the only one who remained perfectly calm. She sipped her drink as if the man sitting right beside her wasn’t even there.
Yvette couldn’t help but inwardly give Valerie a thumbs-up. After all, this was Lucius White, one of the most prominent men in Windmere.
Even if Valerie, who was from the countryside, was unaware of his status in Windmere, it was remarkable how unfazed she seemed with such a commanding figure next to her.
After taking his seat, Lucius broke the silence. “What were you all talking about? Please, don’t mind me. Carry on!” He carried himself with an unmistakable air of authority.
Aurelia explained, “It’s the first day of school, and we came across a new student. She’s not a freshman, but this is the first time we’ve met. Everyone’s curious about her story, so we were just talking about it.”
Pointing to Valerie, she added, “She’s the one sitting next to you, Lucius.”
Lucius turned his attention to Valerie with genuine interest.
“What about me has you so curious?” Valerie asked Aurelia.
Feigning innocence, Aurelia responded, “We’re curious about your background. I heard you grew up in the countryside. Isn’t it hard to adjust to life in a big city all of a sudden?”
Valerie leisurely peeled her shrimp. “I’ve adjusted just fine.”
