"Looks like you’ve been led astray too, huh? Never mind."
Rosemary didn’t hold a grudge against them. Instead, she felt sorry for Serena.
To have so many friends who truly cared for her, yet not appreciate them... Instead, Serena treated them as playthings—to be manipulated and discarded.
Serena’s disregard for their affection was like stomping all over their hearts.
Seeing their genuine regret, Roo nodded in approval, choosing not to hold it against them.
Serena’s face still bore the tracks of her tears. She had never expected to end up so alone.
Back at Westerly College, her lies had been exposed, and her friends—Delia and Maggie—had all turned away.
Before that, she had deceived her best friend, Brooklyn.
Including today, five more of her girlfriends had left her, cutting all ties.
She was left without a single good friend now.
"Apologize to Rose," Hunter suddenly demanded coldly.
"Hunter..." Serena’s tears started rolling down her cheeks. In the past, Hunter would never have asked her to apologize to anyone.
"No need," Rosemary interrupted Serena’s apology. "I don’t think you’re genuinely remorseful."
She turned to Roo. "Let’s go. I’ll walk you out."
Serena watched in disbelief as Rosemary turned her back and left. Since when did this little minx dare to show her up in front of everyone?
Was she being arrogant because she was in the right—and had Hunter backing her up?
"Hunter, listen to ," Serena tried to make excuses through her tears.
"Serena," Hunter’s voice was laced with disappointnt. "Until you understand what you’ve done, you won’t need to join us for dinner tonight."
"Hunter?" Serena’s eyes widened in shock and surprise. Hunter had never acted like this before. Was he really going to punish her by making her go hungry over such a trivial thing?
What kind of era was this, to still have such punishnts?
"Hunter, listen to ..."
"You want to save face—but doesn’t Rose need to?" Hunter looked at her coldly, reassessing her with a stranger’s gaze. "You’ve sared her na in front of her friends. I rember warning you about this, but you’ve repeated your mistakes. You won’t need your allowance for this month."
"Hunter, I really realize my mistakes now. Everyone around knows about her status! I’ve been punished too—I don’t have a single friend left!" Serena cried, suddenly feeling very pitiful.
"You’ve brought this onto yourself."
At that mont, Hunter’s phone rang. It was a call from the head of the luxury brand VO Fashion.
"Mr. Dwight," Hunter answered, greeting him first. The other party ntioned that they had released a dozen new designs and asked if they could deliver them today.
Hunter replied, "No need. From today onwards, don’t send over any items that fit Serena’s size. It’s not an issue with the designs—we just don’t need them for now. I’ll send you another person’s asurents later. For future seasons, please send the new designs to Reflections Villa, according to her size. We’ll schedule a ti later. Alright, goodbye."
Serena was stuck in disbelief.
VO Fashion was a brand that ran neck and neck with Louis Vuitton and Chanel. Their clothes were designed for the daughters of the upper crust, enhancing both elegance and figure.
Their clothes were never sold in stores but directly delivered to the hos of the wealthy for personal selection.
Ordinary heiresses had no access to their clothes. It was only through Hunter’s intervention that VO Fashion made an exception. They would send their new collection to her every season, and only after her selection would they deliver to the rest of the upper crust.
This privilege had once made her the talk of the town—the envied among heiresses.
But now, Hunter had taken away her pride and joy, and was planning to give it to Rosemary.
"Hunter, listen to ..."
Serena was genuinely panicked this ti. Not only was her privilege gone and her allowance canceled, she was also told to confine herself to her room for reflection.
But before she could finish speaking, Hunter’s phone rang again. After answering, he glanced at Serena.
"I have to return to the office now. We’ll talk about it later tonight."
Serena felt a pang in her heart. She had a bad feeling sothing else was coming her way.
"Edith, take her to her room for reflection." Hunter had urgent matters to attend to, so he left imdiately after giving his orders.
His words, however, caused Serena’s heart to sink even further.
"Serena, let’s go."
Serena’s tears started to fall. Hunter was treating her like a prisoner—ordering a servant to guard her.
"Don’t get too cocky!" Serena shouted at Edith before storming off to her room.
Edith was left bewildered. Serena really had issues that couldn’t be solved.
After returning to her room, Serena threw herself on the bed and cried her heart out.
She still rembered the sumr when Hunter first ca back ho. She had made apple crabs and pear birds, and turned strawberries into Santas for him.
Back then, the first thing Hunter noticed wasn’t the fruit—but her injured fingers. He had not only ordered the servant to bring the first aid kit, but also showed genuine concern.
He didn’t even criticize her for the ugly fruit platter. Instead, he told her not to bother herself with such matters in the future. When she won a piano competition, he even asked her what reward she wanted.
Hunter was so nice back then. He treated her like a beloved sister—even when Rosemary first ca ho.
When did things start to change?
Was it when Rosemary shined in a design competition, which made Hunter—one of the judges—see her in a new light?
It must have been. Otherwise, why would Hunter give Rosemary a perfect score?
Then it was when Hunter drove Rosemary ho after the competition and let her sit in the passenger seat.
That must have been when he started to treat Rosemary differently.
Because not just her—even Chasel, Clark, Sean, David—none of them had ever sat in Hunter’s passenger seat.
Rosemary was the first exception.
But all these were trivial.
Serena wiped her tears, rembering when Hunter first ca ho. On the surface, he gave Rosemary a four-leaf clover necklace, but secretly, he gave her a black, gold-edged card.
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