Chapter 30
“She’s clearly from a well bred, wealthy family that figure, that face, the way she moves, all elegance and grace. Like royalty.
“Exactly! And she’s so polite too. Remember how Mary got her wages docked for three days just because of her tablemate’s complaint? Valarie went to the manager behind the scenes and covered the amount for her. What a sweetheart
“Right? But seriously, how does someone like her have such a disgusting friend? That woman’s gross–caked on makeup, drowning in designer brands she clearly doesn’t know how to wear, and no clue how to even order food. Mary tried to give her a kind reminder, and she snapped back and complained, claiming ‘the customer is always right. Please! Real class doesn’t come from bullying people for a sense of superiority
“At the end of the day, it’s all insecurity.”
“True, with a friend that gorgeous and accomplished, anyone would feel inferior.”
Juliette clenched her fists tighter with every word, her jaw grinding in rage. She snapped, “Say one more word, and I’ll rip your mouths off!”
The two waitresses jumped in fear and scurried away.
Juliette gave the bathroom door a furious kick, letting out a scream. “Why don’t you say that to my face, huh? She’s the one who’s always trying to win my favor, not the other way around – what the hell do you know?”
Fuming, she caught her reflection in the mirror. She really didn’t look her best.
After all, Valerie had gotten her thrown in jail last night. No shower, no change of clothes, not even makeup removal. And yet Valerie had the audacity not to say a single word before dragging her out to lunch?
Juliette screamed again, hoarse and hysterical. “Bitch, bitch, bitch!”
–
It was always the same. Every time Valerie showed up, she stole the spotlight, the praise, the admiration — and Juliette was left as nothing more than a forgettable sidekick.
But no matter how furious she was, she still needed to keep that “friendship” going.
Valentina’s money – she’d only received half.
So she wiped the fury off her face and pasted on a smile before walking out.
Not long after she left, the door of the farthest stall creaked open.
Kelly stepped out, shaking her head. “You really can’t trust people like her.”
Greedy. Jealous. And oh–so–good at pretending.
For a moment, Kelly actually felt a pang of sympathy for Valerie.
She fixed her makeup and was just about to leave when her phone rang – it was Arianna.
Kelly’s eyes lit up. “You’re finally here? I’m in the restroom. I’ll be out in a sec.”
But Arianna’s voice came through, apologetic. Kelly, I’m so sorry. I just got a last–minute shoot. It’s important – I can’t go to the
Kelly’s smile vanished. “Are you serious? You know who’ll be at that auction! If you don’t come with me, and they gang up on me…”
with you.”
“I really can’t get away,” Arianna interrupted. “Maybe your mom can go with you?”
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Kelly snapped, “You know she doesn’t want to see those people. Fine, Whatever. Go do your thing.
She hung up angrily and stomped her foot.
“If she couldn’t go, she should’ve said so earlier! Who am I going to find now, last–minute? That event uncle’s entire family…”
is crawling with my enemies, and that annoyi
Just thinking about it gave Kelly a headache. She dialed Aiden and what did he suggest? Take Valerie.
“You’ve lost your damn mind,” Kelly muttered in disbelief.
But Aiden just said calmly, “She’s more capable than you think.”
Then he hung up, leaving Kelly in a flurry of disbelief and frustration.
When she stepped back out, she spotted Juliette smiling like a snake, chatting sweetly
ly with Valerie. Absolutely revolting.
Kelly walked straight to their table and knocked on it.
Juliette narrowed her eyes. “What do you want?”
But Kelly didn’t even look at her. She turned to Valerie and said, “There’s an auction tonight – kind of a big deal. Arianna was supposed to go with me, but something came up. You… wanna come?”
The final “wanna come” clearly wasn’t part of the original plan. It came out awkward, forced.
Valerie looked up, meeting Kelly’s gaze – her chin still arrogantly tilted.
But there was an odd flicker of embarrassment beneath it.
Valerie remembered this auction. It was a small–scale gathering, but everyone attending held real power in Reano City.
In her past life, Kelly had been ditched by Arianna and Aiden had personally called Valerie to ask her to step in. She declined without hesitation–and Kelly had ended up sobbing after being humiliated.
But things were different now. Valerie had no plans to be a background character in the Walker family.
She needed to secure her footing – and this might just be a step forward.
Back then, Kelly never invited her
–
not even with such thinly disguised reluctance.
Juliette scoffed. “You must think people are idiots. That stunt with the piano earlier? You clearly set it up to embarrass Valerie in front of everyone. And now you’re trying round two?“”
Kelly flinched, her face reddening.
Had she known karma would come this quick, she might’ve skipped that setup entirely.
Still, thinking of that evening’s opportunity, she forced out an awkward explanation. “This time, it’s real. Not everyone can get into this auction. If you go, it’ll only benefit you-”
“Sure,” Valerie said suddenly.
Kelly froze. “What?”
Valerie smiled faintly. “I’ll go.”
Kelly had been bracing for rejection – she didn’t expect Valerie to agree so easily.
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Chapter 30
Juliette jumped up. “Valerie, are you out of your mind? She’s clearly up to no good!”
But Valerie understood the weight this event carried – and knew Kelly was telling the truth.
Kelly sneered. “And who the hell do you think you are? Maybe look in a mirror before running your mouth. You think someone like you has the right to comment on the Walker family? I recorded what you said in the restroom, want me to play it back?”
Juliette’s smugness vanished. She frantically tried to remember exactly what she’d said in there.
By the time she collected her thoughts, Kelly had already dragged Valerie away.
Juliette was livid and then, suddenly, she remembered the gift Valerie had planned to give Everett at the birthday party.
–
She quickly texted Valentina. Valentina read the message and smiled with satisfaction.
She’d buy an even better, even more expensive watch- and crush Valerie’s little plan to dust.
After all, the Clark family only needed one daughter in the spotlight.
Chapter 31
As Valerie arrived at the event, her eyes casually scanned the crowd, and it didn’t take long for her to spot a familiar face among the clusters of young people.
It was Aiden’s cousin, Brody Walker, the fifth born in the Walker family.
Though the Walker family had many cousins, not everyone was worthy of being called “master” by the others.
Take Brody, for example–he was infamous for being a carefree, reckless man. He’d settled down early, but his outside affairs were no secret, with a string of lovers and a parade of expectant women coming to his door demanding their share of his wealth. He was the type of man few people respected.
When Brody saw Kelly, his smile faded slightly. But the moment his gaze landed on Valerie, his eyes immediately lit up with admiration…
Valerie’s skin was pale, smooth, and flawless, radiating a cool, elegant charm.
With her exquisite outfit, she looked like a fairy tale princess, a creature straight out of a dream, her amber eyes sparkling under her thick, dark lashes.
She was simply breathtaking, a rare gem in the human world.
Brody’s heart skipped a beat. After exchanging a few words with his companions, he quickly made his way toward her.
Kelly noticed him too. Her face darkened, and she leaned in to whisper to Valerie, “See that fool walking over here? He’s my uncle’s son, my cousin,
Brody.”
Brody, holding a champagne glass, walked up to them with his eyes fixed on Valerie, clearly taken by her beauty. He tossed his hair with an air of self- assurance and asked, “Kelly, who’s this? I’ve never seen her before.”
Kelly flashed a smile and replied, “Brody, this is Aiden’s wife, Valerie, from the Clark family.”
Brody paused, visibly surprised. “Aiden’s wife? From the Clark family?”
With Brody’s comments, it was no longer a secret that Aiden had an engagement with the Clark family. His words carried weight, and several people
around them overheard.
A few curious men, eager to learn more, made their way over, holding their glasses and eyeing Valerie like she was some rare spectacle. “This is Aiden’s
wife?” one of them asked.
“She’s beautiful,” another remarked.
“No wonder Aiden was so eager to marry. He must’ve wanted to keep her hidden away for himself,” one guy chuckled.
“Wow, look at that figure. She’s got a nice chest,” another commented.
Laughter rippled through the crowd at the crude remarks.
Kelly’s face turned dark with anger.
Valerie, however, simply smiled, her expression harmless and composed. She introduced herself gracefully, “Hello, everyone. I’m Valerie.”
Her beauty, combined with her calm demeanor, made her presence even more extraordinary.
Brody’s eyes narrowed with a hint of malice as he scanned her. He suddenly smiled and said, “Wasn’t it said you went missing when you were ten? Grew up begging on the streets, huh? I guess Aiden is the only one who would marry a beggar. I wouldn’t have the guts to do that.”
Laughter erupted from those around them, their eyes filled with mockery and ridicule.
Kelly’s anger surged, ready to lash out, but Valerie gently placed a hand on her arm to stop her.
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With a soft smile, Valerie responded, “Oh, that’s just a rumor. People also say that Brody’s been flirting with his stepmother behind closed door privately…
She let the sentence trail off, but her meaning was clear without needing to be said aloud.
Brody’s face darkened instantly, his anger rising.
Valerie, still smiling, added, “But I’m sure only a complete fool would believe such gossip, don’t you think?”
Brody’s expression turned cold as he sneered, “I didn’t expect you to have such a sharp tongue.”
Valerie raised an eyebrow, genuinely puzzled, and asked, “Brody, are we not just discussing the dangers of rumors? Why, when I bring it up, does it suddenly become me being sharp–tongued?”
The group around them fell silent, and Kelly couldn’t help but snicker at Brody’s rare moment of discomfort. “So, Brody,” she said with a sly smile, “Are you saying those rumors aren’t just rumors? You really do-”
