Chapter 14
When Marnie mentioned that Sonia had already been “reserved”, her tone sounded
suggestive. No one could tell if she was being reserved for White Group or for Lucius himself.
The White family’s influence was deep and mysterious. Now that she had established a connection with such an old, powerful family, Sonia was set for life.
Sonia was soaking up all the adoration when Valerie suddenly appeared, draining the color from Sonia and Marnie’s faces.
Valerie wore a sporty outfit, her waist-length hair tied back, and a pair of oversized black shades that covered half her face. At five-foot-seven, she wasn’t the tallest girl around, yet her figure was the perfect golden ratio.
Valerie instantly outshone the glittering Marnie and the designer-clad Sonia. She truly was a walking piece of art. The moment she appeared, all eyes were drawn to her.
Gasps rippled through the crowd. “Who is she? Her figure is unreal. Her legs look even better than the ones I edit in photos!”
Someone else chimed in, “Her figure is one thing, but look at that face. Even with those big shades, you can tell that she’s drop-dead gorgeous!”
Men and women alike were instinctively intrigued by someone this strikingly beautiful. The famous actress and her prodigy daughter were eye-catching, but their carefully curated glamour couldn’t hold a candle to Valerie’s natural radiance.
Marnie’s expression hardened when she noticed Valerie heading their way. doing here?”
“What are you
Valerie beamed. “Why, if it isn’t my lovely little stepmom who ruined my parents’ marriage!”
As soon as her words fell, Marcie’s face went from pale to crimson red. “Why are you here?”
Skyler had only told her that Jay’s condition had improved slightly. He’d never mentioned Valerie’s release.
“It’s the first day of school. I’m here to report for school,” Valerie answered.
Marnie couldn’t believe her ears. “Arcton University is the finest school in Windmere. How could a country bumpkin like you enroll here? When did Arcton’s standards stoop so low?”
Sonia deliberately raised her voice. “Weren’t you locked up in the detention center?”
The moment those words left her lips, gasps rippled through the crowd.
Valerie fired back, “Since when is it free to spread rumors? Lies just roll off your tongue, and
you’re not even afraid of tripping over them. I don’t know how high Arcton’s standards are, but I got in through my own merit!”
Marnie snapped, “That’s impossible!”
Just then, a melodic voice came from the crowd. “Valerie was last year’s top scorer on the college entrance exam. She was admitted to Arcton with a perfect score, and she chose to major in biological sciences.
“Even though she took a leave for health reasons and rarely attended classes, she still aced every exam!”
The speaker was a young man who was equally remarkable in appearance and poise.
This man was no stranger to Marnie and Sonia. They often attended high-society parties and were well aware of the Foster family’s young scion. The Fosters stood on equal footing with the Whites in Windmere.
Owen Foster publicly detailed Valerie’s accomplishments, rendering Marnie and Sonia speechless.
Valerie never took things lying down. Adjusting the large black shades on her nose, she
sed, “They’re my stepmother and half-sister. They’re afraid that I might compete for
ily inheritance, so they’ll stop at nothing to ruin my reputation.
day my father remarried, I lost him to my stepmother. I’m sure you all understand what
I mean.’
When it came to hitti
Sonia seeth
mora
one where it hurt, Valerie was second to none.
you can be jealous of me all you want, but don’t twist this into some
“Jealous of what, exactly? The place your stepmother clawed her way into? d-winning system that was hacked in seconds?
e, does it feel noble to turn yourself from an illegitimate child into a legitimate one by cking someone else’s home?”
Right after saying that, she turned and left, etching a lasting memory in every onlooker’s mind.
Moments ago, the crowd had been singing Marnie and Sonia’s praises, yet Valerie’s pointed words plunged them into a whirl of rumors and debate.
