"So that’s what it is..." Adrienne didn’t seem offended by Raelyn’s outburst but expected sothing like this to happen. Ayla used to defend her in front of everyone, pretending to be magnanimous while slandering Adrienne at the sa ti.
She turned her attention to Ayla this ti.
"Ayla, is this what you told everyone? Are you going to say this is all but a misunderstanding like last ti?"
Ayla was startled at Adrienne’s question and rembered the slight chill she felt when she t Adrienne last ti.
"Addie... this..." She could feel cold sweat forming on her nape as she t Adrienne’s obsidian eyes. It felt so strange, as if Adrienne was mocking and scrutinizing her at the sa ti.
Ayla thought that whatever she said now, Adrienne could see past her pretense. When did this simpleton beco so cunning?
"The gift you are all talking about is this." Adrienne suddenly said, taking sothing from her pocket and showing it to everyone.
The students nearby looked at the erald brooch in her hand. Their eyes lit up seeing how beautiful and intricate the details on it were. No wonder Sierra was upset about losing such a beautiful item.
"This brooch was gifted to Sierra during her birthday by my father because she’d been asking for it for ages. All of you jumped to conclusions and criticized for being jealous and arrogant, but tell ... Tell what you would feel if your mother’s family heirloom ended up in the hands of soone who isn’t her daughter?"
Adrienne then turned the brooch revealing its back. There was an engraved na on it.
"Can you see? There’s a na here. Unless Sierra’s maternal great-grandmother is Alicia Zhang, she has no rights to it."
Sierra’s expression turned pale. Alicia Zhang was a household na. During her days, Alicia Zhang was a famous composer and lyricist revered by many, enough for her to be recognized by the governnt as a national artist for music. Rosemary Zhao was also famous for being Alicia Zhang’s granddaughter. So for Sierra to covet and take this heirloom, it was not only an offense against the Zhao family but also to the existing family mbers of the Zhang family.
"My father might not have known the history and importance of this heirloom, but that doesn’t matter." Adrienne’s gaze then landed on Sierra. "To covet sothing that isn’t yours, what should I call you, dear cousin?"
The students around them started whispering to each other, criticizing both Sierra and Adrienne. Words are sharp weapons that can hurt soone. However, for Adrienne, who had been slandered, deaned, and insulted, it didn’t affect her as much now. That wasn’t the case for Sierra, though. Now, she was forced to swallow the taste of her own dicine.
But how could Adrienne forget Raelyn, who pounced at her so viciously today? Adrienne hid her brooch and patted Raelyn’s shoulder. She leaned forward until her lips were inches away from Raelyn’s ear.
"Schoolmate Xi, you should stop acting like a vicious dog. You said I’m taking advantage of my cousins’ kindness, but I think they are the ones taking advantage of you. Today, you attacked and defended them without knowing the truth. I wouldn’t be surprised if you’ll beco their sacrificial lamb soday. I wonder who’s more foolish between us. You, who couldn’t see past their pretense, or , who played as their backdrop for years. Do you really think it’s worth destroying your reputation for people like them? Do you think they would care?"
After saying those words, Adrienne walked away with a smile, leaving Raelyn rooted in place. She felt dizzy hearing the whispers and murmurs around her. When she lifted her eyes, she looked at Ayla and Sierra talking to each other, ignoring her.
Adrienne arrived at her classroom and walked to her seat. She had a young girl sharing her desk nad Valerie Xia, who just returned from overseas with her family. She and Valerie weren’t close, but she treated Adrienne well. There were a couple of tis when Valerie stood up for her when others tried to bully her. If it weren’t for Valerie’s help, Adrienne wouldn’t be able to graduate from high school in her past life.
However, Valerie’s life in Adrienne’s mories wasn’t all good. Adrienne’s heart ached for her. During her third year of marriage with Alistair, Adrienne heard Valerie had married a governnt official. Still, years down the road, Valerie found out that her husband was cheating on her with the adopted daughter of the Xia family, her sister.
She was blinded with rage and killed the cheating couple. The news had caused huge waves back then, and on a rare occasion that Alistair allowed her to watch the news, Adrienne saw Valerie being dragged by the police officers out of the court with a smile on her face.
Adrienne didn’t understand at first. Why was Valerie so happy and serene after receiving a death sentence for her cri? Did she resign to her fate? It didn’t take long for Adrienne to understand. Valerie willingly accepted her death to free herself from despair.
The Xia family wasn’t as wealthy as the Jiang family, but their influence within the business circle couldn’t be denied. Adrienne wondered if it was safe to pull Valerie to her side as an ally.
Valerie looked at the new Adrienne before her and smiled. As Adrienne’s deskmate, how could she not notice her sudden change? In terms of looks and bearing, it wasn’t a surprise Ayla Jiang was constantly wary of Adrienne.
"Your cousins instigated sothing again, didn’t they? I really can’t stand those two." Valerie muttered while Adrienne smiled faintly next to her.
"It’s not you who needs to deal with them anyway."
"Oh, what a relief!" Valerie rolled her eyes dramatically. "Your cousins are so pretentious!"
"Classmate Xia, you shouldn’t say this out loud. What if soone hears you and bullies you?" Adrienne liked Valerie’s straightforward nature.
Valerie snorted coldly and leaned closer to Adrienne.
"Adrienne, heed my warning. They’re wolves in sheep’s clothing."
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