Ch. 771..780

Coolest Girl in Town Chapter 771

Make Him Sit at the Children’s Table

“What?!”

Onyx could be said to have finally experienced coming back from the dead after hearing that shocking news. Just as he was lying on the sofa, he was so startled by the news that he immediately jumped up.

He proceeded to grab Adelpha tightly by the hand, and still having the last glimmer of hope, he asked, “Is this a joke?!”

“It is true.” Adelpha pretended to look conflicted. “Momma was the one who noticed that Anastasia has had the appetite of a pregnant woman ever since she came back. We also found something that only pregnant women use in her room. We are sure she is pregnant!”

Holding Onyx’s hand in return, Adelpha continued, “Poppa, what should we do?! Anastasia hasn’t even had her wedding, and now she is suddenly going to have a baby. If people knew about this, they would surely say that the Whites have terrible family education, which is why Anastasia got pregnant before marriage….”

“Shut up!” he angrily stopped her from saying anything more. “No one is allowed to talk about this outside of these walls. Have I made myself clear?!”

“I know that, Poppa, but it will be hard to stop rumors. We have to get ready earlier…” Adelpha suggested with a worried look on her face.

“Got it.” He shook her off, distraught. “Remember to warn the servants at home not to speak nonsense outside!”

After saying that, he fell back on the sofa and closed his eyes.

He had to think of a way to protect his reputation.

When morning came, Danny came knocking on the door of Ariel’s office with a beautifully packaged breakfast in his hand.

“Come in.” Ariel’s voice came from inside.

Hearing that, he pursed his lips into a smile, and walked in to place the breakfast beside her.

She took a glance at the breakfast before she looked up to see the attentive expression on Danny’s face when she pulled her eyebrows together. She then got up and walked over to close the door.

Thinking Ariel was being bashful, Dannny grabbed the breakfast before walking to the coffee table to sit down. As he took out all the items in the bag, he asked her to come over. “Something tells me that you only drink black coffee in the morning. Try our local breakfast. This is from an old shop. Not only does it taste good, it is good for the stomach.”

Ariel, however, only stood there awkwardly, and after a long while, she managed to squeeze out a sentence. “Mr. Danny, I think you misunderstood.”

He swiftly put down the almond milk in his hand and stood up confused, his smile gradually becoming unnatural. “What are you trying to say?”

Ariel also seemed to be at a loss, but she still bluntly told the truth. “I mean, we are both adults. What happened that day was just an accident. Just think of it as a dream. Now that we are awake, don’t take it to heart anymore.”

“Maybe we can try?” Danny persistently asked.

“There is no ‘maybe’.” Ariel’s attitude was firm. “It should be obvious to you that I am a strong woman. I never consider being with a man younger than me.”

Now that she had said that, it would be impolite for him to press on.

Left with no choice, he could only utter a dejected response before he trudged out of the room.

“Wait!” Ariel suddenly stopped him, making Danny turn around in pleasant surprise. “What is it?! Did you change your mind?!”

“No.” She looked calm despite his outburst. “I wanted to tell you that I have found a driver. You don’t have to pick me up for work in the future.”

“Oh…” Disappointed, Danny lowered his head and started walking toward the door again. When he held the door handle, he instinctively turned his head and reminded, “Remember to take your breakfast.”

After that, he opened the door and left the company.

Jamie arrived at the private room in Silver Bell Spot about half an hour later, where he saw Danny sitting on the floor with a half-empty bottle of whiskey in his arms.

“Why?” He went crazy with all the alcohol in his blood. “Why did she suddenly become so cold?! She doesn’t need to take responsibility just because she is a woman? Is she Zeus or something?! Ariel Whitney, I don’t like you! You are the only woman I know who keeps climbing over my head!”

Jamie wormed over to him by stepping on the gap next to Danny and sat down beside him. Heartlessly, he cheered, “Which woman is it that successfully made our Young Master Danny get this drunk?”

“It is Young Master Danny’s boss,” Danny muttered.

It was obvious that he wasn’t in a good mood. Even though he wasn’t hanging by a thread, the alcohol in his hand was almost empty.

“What is the matter? You asked me to come out for a drink, but all I see is your sad face…”

Gradually affected by the depressing atmosphere in the room, Jamie poured a glass for himself and drank it too.

As soon as he set the glass down on the table, Danny suddenly hugged his leg with his eyes half-open. He then kept mumbling, “Bro… Tell me, bro—how do I get an impeccable woman for myself? I am so good at driving, but she went on and hired someone else to be her driver. Don’t you think that it is because she has someone she likes?”

“Come one now. You are a big man. Why are you crying so sadly just because someone broke your heart?” Despite the disdainful look on Jamie’s face, he still gave advice to his good friend.

He reached out to hold Danny’s face and patted it. “Wake up! How are you going to prove your sincerity if you are so unmotivated just at a small setback? Ariel has a different driver now, yeah? Just show that you are better than him! You need to be thick-skinned when you are after a woman. How else are you going to impress her otherwise?!”

Danny’s head was all over the place, but he managed to get this one sentence into his brain. “Yes! I am the only one who can be Ariel’s driver! I am the only one!”

After he energetically shouted his slogan, he plopped his head on Jamie’s lap and fell into a deep sleep.

Jamie glumly shook his head at this. “How dare he say he will only stop drinking when he is drunk only by having so little to drink? I will make him sit at the children’s table the next time we eat together!”

Danny slept until 4.00AM and when he recalled Jamie’s advice, he quickly got up and ready.

Ariel came out of the apartment at 8.30AM, and as soon as she walked to the side of the road, Danny suddenly popped out of nowhere, scaring Ariel in the process.

“Didn’t I tell you not to come?!” she muttered.

“You may have gotten yourself a driver, but you need a navigator as well! I won’t give up.”

With that, Danny went around the car and walked to the passenger seat. When he opened the car door, he was greeted by the sight of a boy in overalls sitting inside.

Thinking that he might have been seeing things, Danny took off his sunglasses and blinked a few times.

When the boy noticed him, he put down the tablet in his hand and waved with a smile on his face.

Danny then looked at Ariel while he pointed at the boy. “Who is this?” he asked.

“Driver cum navigator,” she calmly explained. “He is my nephew.”

“So, this is the fellow you brought to replace me?” The corners of Danny’s mouth twitched awkwardly.

“Oi, I am not ‘the fellow’ to you. I have a name. I am Helios Whitney!” the boy shouted excitedly.

For a moment, Danny was baffled and he didn’t know what to say.

Just as he was lost in thought, Ariel had already gotten into the car.

Seeing this, Danny didn’t have time to think before he abruptly opened the door to the backseat and hopped in.

Ariel sighed helplessly at that, and she expressed her reluctance through the rearview mirror. “Perhaps you would consider driving your own car, Mr. Danny?”

“I don’t have my car with me today,” he replied rather confidently.

Coolest Girl in Town Chapter 772

I’ll Kick All of You Out of This House

Just like that, Danny successfully stayed in the car by making his skin thicker than a wall.

Their journey to the company continued in silence. As soon as Ariel stepped into the company, she was surrounded by assistants and employees alike.

“Miss Whitney, your signature is required on this document.”

“There is a meeting in 15 minutes.”

“The revised plan of the project department has been sent to your email. There are still some details that I would like to add in during our face-to-face discussion. Also—”

“Stop,” Ariel instructed the crowd. She then turned to look at Danny and Helios, who were both standing at the door. The duo had the same relaxed expression on their faces.

“You.” She raised her eyebrows in their direction.

“Me?” Danny pointed at himself with an innocent expression.

“Yes,” she answered curtly. “Keep an eye on Helios. I give you permission to not attend the meeting.”

Danny was about to refute by saying that he was a self-motivated man but instead of giving him a chance to speak, Ariel brought her bunch of minions into the office after she told him what she needed to say.

As the door closed, it seemed to divide them into two worlds, just like how their relationship now was. It might seem calm, but there was an invisible wall between them that Danny couldn’t seem to knock down.

As he thought of this, he became depressed and involuntarily let out a sigh.

Helios looked at Ariel’s office, then turned back and set his eyes on Danny before he uttered those words too mature for a boy his age. “Do you have designs on my Aunt Ariel?”

Hearing that, Danny glanced down at the boy, then turned to continue looking through the glass. While he gazed at Ariel who was in her office affectionately, he dismissively nagged, “Children shouldn’t butt into adults’ business.”

“Okay, then.” Helios spun around and left. “I was going to help you with pursuing her. Looks like I’ve gotten ahead of myself.”

“Hey!”

Danny quickly turned toward Helios and grabbed the boy by his collar, forcing him to turn around and face him.

“Let go of me!” Like a frightened porcupine, Helios swung his small hands around and yelled, “I am going to call Aunt Ariel! I’ll have you know that my aunt has a black belt in Taekwondo!”

Despite the threat, Danny leaned over with interest as the corners of his mouth lifted into a haunting smile. “It looks like you know your aunt well, dear Helios. How about being my wingman, and I will be your magic lamp?”

“What is a magic lamp?” Helios instantly stopped making a fuss after sensing something good coming his way.

“Have you never heard of such a popular fairy tale? Simply put, it can make three of your wishes come true. You can tell me whatever you want as long as it is within my capability to fulfill it,” Danny said confidently.

“Deal!” A joyful smile blossomed on the boy’s face. “My first wish would be to meet the world’s greatest hacker, H!”

“H?” Hearing his first wish made Danny stumped. “You little brat! What are you looking for a hacker for?”

“Stop being nosy,” Helios haughtily complained. “You said I can have anything I want. Is it because you can’t do it? If you lie to me, I will speak ill of you to Aunt Ariel!”

“Hey, you punk! You are turning your back on me just like that?” Danny had a helpless look on his face.

He is Ariel’s nephew all right. They both are hard to fool.

“You said it yourself that H is a super hacker. It will be difficult to find someone so elusive. I will try my best to find this person for you, okay?” Danny proposed a compromise.

“Okay! But now you have to buy me the latest game console!” Helios didn’t mind the wait after all.

“Okay!” Danny put Helios on his shoulders. “Let’s go shopping. I, a.k.a. your aunt’s husband, shall pay!”

‘No you are not!”

“It is just a matter of time!”

“Ugh!”

In the evening, Elise saw Onyx sitting in an upright position on the sofa as soon as she entered the door. From the looks of it, he had obviously been waiting for her for some time.

Hearing the sound of footsteps, Onyx looked toward the door, and had immediately replaced his usual arrogance with a fatherly demeanor. “There you are. Have you had dinner? Should I tell the servants to warm it up for you?”

“Nope.” Not one to fall for something like this, Elise only threw out her one-word reply and hurried toward the stairs.

As expected, he couldn’t even keep up with his pretense for three seconds when he growled, “Anastasia White, don’t take respect for granted when people give it to you.”

Elise stopped on the spot when she heard that. With her arms across her chest, she asked, “What valuable insight do you have today?”

Does it make the Whites upset if they don’t find a bone to pick for even just a day?

Onyx sighed. He must not have wanted to make things awkward again as he toned down his attitude when he brought up, “I want to talk to you about your wedding.”

“We have already traveled and gotten married. We don’t plan to have a wedding,” Elise replied firmly.

Alexander was the only person she would walk down the aisle in a wedding dress with.

“It is not up to you. The wedding must be done. I will bear the cost as long as the two of you cooperate.” Holding the bearing of the head of the household, Onyx issued orders in an almost imperative manner.

However, Elise didn’t even need to reconsider as she unhesitantly embarrassed her father. “Go ahead and find someone who will cooperate and be your daughter, then.”

“You are a hopeless case! Just how is someone like you my daughter? How am I supposed to explain to the outside world about the child you suddenly have without a wedding? Do you want the entire White Family to lose our faces along with you?!”

Onyx finally tore off the hypocritical mask he had on, his real face having selfishness and philistinism written all over it.

Nothing, not even his own daughter’s feelings, could compare to the household’s reputation.

“If you can’t explain it, don’t. Only silly people care about the silly words that those silly people yap about. You are a talented man who has studied all over the country and even abroad. You can’t even tolerate something like that?” Elise’s words were filled with underlying thorns.

Even after hearing that, Onyx still tried to get through to her with patient words. “It is exactly because I know and have experienced more than you that I am here teaching you how to handle this. Gossip can be terrifying and rumors can be lethal. Do you still not understand after experiencing it first-hand at the book signing event? I am your father. I won’t do anything to harm you.”

“I know better than you who is helping or harming me.” Elise’s eyes unwavering peered at him. “Anyway, it is final—there will be no wedding. I will do what I want.”

She then turned around to head upstairs after saying that.

“Stop right there!” Onyx roared like a wild beast.

Still, she was indifferent about his outburst. Her every move that followed was determined, and it was as though she hadn’t heard a word from her father.

“Okay! Fine, then! You ignore everything I am saying for your own good. You have a mind of your own now, don’t you? If that is the case, pack up your things and get out of this house! At least that will save me the trouble of having to clean up after your mess when reporters start coming for you here!”

Hearing this, Elise stopped in her tracks, her fingers tapped on the handrail of the stairs in irregular intervals. After a while, she turned around and looked down at him with a smile on her face.

“You are trying to kick me out so that you can take all of my mother’s inheritance, aren’t you? Unfortunately, my dear father, I have already done my checking. It is my name that is written on the title deed. It is not a question of whether you can kick me out or not. You should be more worried that I will get rid of you, your wife, and her daughter out of this house anytime you get on my nerves.”

Coolest Girl in Town Chapter 773

I’ll Have to Go

Onyx felt as though he had been struck by lightning and his expression instantly froze. “How did you know?! The title deed has been in my possession this whole time!”

“Because I have my mother’s intelligence.” Elise smiled. “You didn’t really think that I was just playing around for the past six months, did you? I am not as carefree as you are. Well, it is nothing much. I only learned about computers for a bit and checked the number of properties under each family member’s name.”

Onyx was immediately enveloped in fear upon hearing that. He was looking at Anastasia’s familiar face, but he had a strange feeling about her he had never felt before.

In just half a year, she had turned into a completely different person who was terrifyingly composed.

Turning his body sideways, Onyx squinted suspiciously. “What else do you know?”

“What else do you hope that I know?”

Her eyes had narrowed into slits from the broad smile on her face. Even though she had a pure and pleasant appearance, she looked inexplicably insidious in Onyx’s eyes.

He then fiddled with his fingers as he started to think.

This daughter of his was no longer as innocent and gullible as she was before. He would be the one on the losing end if he revealed too much to her.

Besides, she was right. Legally, she was the owner of this house. He couldn’t do anything about it even if she finally decided to cast them aside.

“Nothing.” He then added with a smile, “Since you are tired, go back to your room for an early rest. We will discuss the wedding later.”

Elise rolled her eyes at him. She then turned around and left without saying a word.

The moment she had her back toward him, the smile on his face immediately disappeared.

The next morning, Elise deliberately went downstairs for breakfast 10 minutes late, only to see the rest of the White Family doing something they usually wouldn’t—they were waiting for her.

She instantly came to a stop, as she felt like she was attending a banquet where everyone else was plotting to have her killed.

“You’re up. Come have breakfast.” Onyx took the initiative to break the silence.

Not one to shilly-shally, she walked over to find a place to sit down before she chowed the food down.

She had just eaten two spoonfuls of food when Onyx placed a shrimp gnocchi on her plate. “Here, it is your favorite,” he said.

She was stunned for two whole seconds but when she regained her senses, she took her fork and picked up the shrimp gnocchi, thereafter throwing it back onto the platter.

She then turned to the kitchen and yelled, “Bring me a new fork!”

“My apologies.” Elise faked a polite smile at him. “My taste has changed now. I don’t like shrimp gnocchi, and I have become a bit of a germaphobe. You won’t be angry about it, right?”

Before Onyx could even reply, Lyra immediately started going off at Anastasia. “What kind of attitude is this? Do you know that this is what your father especially told the kitchen to prepare for you? It is fine if you don’t appreciate it, but you are even spouting ridiculous excuses to try to fool us. Aren’t you indirectly slapping your father in his face this way? I have never seen a daughter like you, and I—”

“Enough!” Onyx sternly stopped the fight. “What is all this quarreling so early in the morning? She is pregnant now. We should all be considerate of her even if she is in a bad mood. How about this? Adelpha is having her piano exam today. We can all go together, and we can also keep Anastasia company so that she can relax.”

“I am not going!”

“You can’t come!”

Anastasia and Adelpha exclaimed at the same time.

“Poppa, I will get distracted if Anastasia goes! Who am I going to blame if I fail the exam?!” Adelpha whined like a child, feeling dissatisfied.

Hearing this, Elise raised an eyebrow as her ears perked up.

Why does it sound like she is making me blame me if she fails the exam?

“I will have to go if that is the case.” Elise leisurely took another bite and spoke with reason. “You will have to perform on stage sooner or later if piano is your instrument. Let me go so that I can help my dear sister withstand the pressure.”

Onyx nodded slightly at that. “It makes sense. Adelpha might even have a breakthrough if she feels a little pressure. It is decided, then. The whole family will go. We will let outsiders see how important Adelpha is to us!”

Adelpha had a million reasons she could try telling them to stop them from going, but she could only swallow it all back now. “I’m full.”

She then put down her cutlery and ran back into her room.

After double-locking the door, she dashed into the bathroom and hurriedly took out her phone to call her friend.

“It’s me. How is the preparation going? I got an update. Anastasia will be going as well. She has become rather vigilant now. We can’t let her see through our plan.”

“Don’t worry. We have tried it so many times and we have never made a mistake. Our plan is foolproof. We will definitely let you go home with your certificate in your hands.”

The White Family’s car came to a stop right on time in front of a sophisticated-looking office at 9.00AM. It screamed artistic from the outside.

It was Onyx’s first time here but judging from his expression, he seemed very satisfied with what he was seeing.

The few of them had only stood at the door for a while when a group of fashionable teenage girls and a bespectacled middle-aged man in a suit and leather shoes came out of the building.

The man led the girls straight to the Whites, and then took the initiative to extend his hand to Onyx. “Welcome, Mr. White. It is the Piano Association’s honor to have you here!”

“Oh, you are too generous with your praises,” Onyx replied, feeling embarrassed. As he held the man’s hand, he asked, “And you are?”

“This is the vice president of our association.”

A girl on his left automatically interjected.

“Oh, I see! It is an honor to meet you!” Onyx was so excited he started to shake the vice president’s hand, and even forgot to let go.

“Haha! What an enthusiastic man you are, Mr. White! Speaking of honor, it is our association that is pleased with how you have raised a child with such musical talent as Adelpha. It really is admirable!” The vice president continuously threw praises at Onyx in an official tone.

“Oh, no. I just spent money to buy a piano for my child. The one who really makes her a musical genius are teachers like you who teach her in the association. I should give you my gratitude!” Wanting to butter up to the vice president, Onyx kept his attitude humble throughout the conversation.

As Adelpha watched the adults throw empty words at each other, she couldn’t help but start quietly cheering, and even secretly exchanged glances with her friend.

She was so complacent that she completely forgot that Elise was also here. Unbeknownst to her, every single one of her actions had been seen by Elise.

Elise was initially skeptical if it was because there was a change in management that she didn’t particularly remember the vice-chairman. However, now that she had seen Adelpha exchange glances with the other women, she was even more certain that things were not as simple as they might seem.

The Piano Association of Tissote is such a distinguished group. Why does the vice president personally come out to greet a member who is taking her grade exam the second time?

“Is there a shortage of talented students in the Piano Association recently? So much so that a person who is doing her retest is being welcomed by such a big group?” Elise suddenly questioned.

The air immediately became awkward when her words fell.

Fortunately, Adelpha’s friends came prepared as they had already anticipated ‘Anastasia’ would cause some sort of trouble.

“Of course not! It is just that the association thinks Adelpha is extraordinarily talented, which is why we are giving her this kind of treatment. Not everyone has the opportunity to enjoy this.”

“I presume you are Anastasia, Adelpha’s sister? No wonder. You only write articles online, so the Internet is the only place you have your glory. We don’t expect you to know about the elegance of the art of piano playing!”

Coolest Girl in Town Chapter 774

‘Musical Genius’

“That is right. You have never even played the piano or taken a graded exam before, and yet here you are questioning everything. You might get people thinking that the piano association belongs to your family!”

The group of women kept making mocking remarks as they made ‘Anastasia’ sound as worthless as possible.

Onyx’s expression grew more and more dark with every word they uttered. I shouldn’t have brought Anastasia here!

In the end, it was the vice president who broke up the fight. “Alright now, just let it go. Those who don’t know are innocent. The elder Young Miss of the White Family is not ashamed to ask questions, which means she has a mind that loves to think. Surely she has gotten the trait from Mr. White. Since her question did no harm, let’s put it behind us. We should get on with what is important.”

“The vice president is right. Let’s not waste everyone’s time and go in for the exam,” Onyx agreed. He didn’t want to continue being an embarrassment out in the public like this.

They then went straight to the location the exam would be held at.

After a simple preparation, Adelpha sat in front of the piano and began to play the exam pieces.

The sound of the piano soon filled the entire hall, making even the air feel elegant all of a sudden.

She calmly played through the pieces, and when she reached the climax, she even showed different emotions along with the music on her face.

After she was done with the piece, the vice president and the dozens of women behind him started applauding.

“That was the sound of heaven!” The vice president stood up excitedly. He was extremely grateful when he shook Onyx’s hand again. “This is exactly the musical genius the association is looking for, Mr. White. I pronounce Adelpha the official member of the association from today onward!”

Even though Onyx couldn’t tell how wonderful Adelpha’s piano skills were, a proud smile had appeared on his face as the vice president’s reaction had spread joy to him.

Lyra, on the other hand, was so excited she ran over to hug Adelpha.

The whole hall was filled with joy and harmony.

Of course, Elise was the only one who couldn’t relate to them.

She sneered as she looked at the absurd scene, the corners of her mouth curled into a sarcastic sneer.

Adelpha is a ‘musical genius’ who made her piano playing sound like ‘the sound of heaven’ just by playing half of an entry-level piano piece with several wrong notes?

In that case, wouldn’t most people who play the piano be musical geniuses as well?

It was obvious that they were trying to cheat their way through under the guise of being from the Piano Association.

“I am going to the washroom,” Elise announced before quietly walking toward the lavatory. When she reached her destination, she recalled the number of the Piano Association headquarters from memory and made a call there.

By the time she returned to the exam hall five minutes later, the vice president was still in the middle of showering Adelpha in compliments.

“I am not bragging, Mr. White. With Adelpha’s talent, I will be able to cultivate her within two years to the point where she can perform at the Sydney Opera House for the world to see her face!”

Oh, I got that wrong! Elise concluded. He is showering himself with compliments.

She then smacked her lips and walked over to them.

What Onyx cared about most was his reputation. He was already over the moon after being deceived by the vice president, so he immediately exclaimed, “I’ll leave Adelpha to your care then, vice president. Don’t worry about the fees. The Whites are generous people!”

“No rush on that. I will let Adelpha know about the fees later. You can discuss it privately among yourselves. Let’s issue Adelpha her certificate first.”

Acting reserved, the vice president pretended as if he didn’t care and changed the topic of the conversation.

Soon after, one of the women from the group took out an exquisite-looking certificate from her bag and handed it to the vice president.

The vice president immediately handed it to Adelpha. “Good luck, Adelpha. Keep up the good work. I have confidence in you!”

“Thank you, vice president. I will work hard!” She took it with both hands.

She hadn’t even opened it up to see it when Elise’s voice rang out, instantly bringing the mood down.

“As far as I know, the exam certificates from Tissote Piano Association are issued once every half a month. Today is not the day that the certificate should be issued. I sure am curious about where the vice president got this certificate from.”

The place fell into an eerie silence once again at her words.

As everyone looked at each other, the initial harmonious atmosphere had instantly been replaced by awkwardness.

The group of women quickly stood up again to protect Adelpha.

“What the hell? Don’t you know this is how we do things around here?!”

“Rules may be inflexible, but people aren’t. Of course the association will make an exception to issue a certificate for a student as talented as Adelpha. Do you think the association would just watch a talent slip through their fingers?”

“You seem like a jealous older sister to me. Are you only going to be satisfied after you sabotage her future?”

Adelpha was a little guilty at first, but after hearing her friends so confidently defend her, she suddenly felt like she was being bullied. With her nose sore and her eyes wet with tears, she sobbed in a low voice, “Anastasia, I know that you hate how much Poppa loves me. Even so, I have never done anything to hurt you. Do you really hate me so much…”

“Ha! As the saying goes, the insider knows the ropes, while the outsider just comes along for the ride. Since you are an outsider, Miss Anastasia, you should just watch from the side and not express your opinion so that you don’t get criticized. What do you think, Miss Anastasia?” the vice president asked as he put on an act of being concerned about Elise.

Elise let out a smile then, but it was a smile that didn’t reach her eyes. “I have called the Tissote Piano Association just now. They told me that you are not the vice president of the association. Should we head over and sort things out now?”

Hearing that, the vice president immediately stopped smiling as his face fell.

“You lunatic! How dare you question everything? You think this is a TV show? Even if the vice president is acting, do you think it is possible for all of Adelpha’s classmates to put on an act as well?!” Lyra threw her arms around Adelpha. “Onyx, take a good look at your daughter! She is deliberately trying to ruin Adelpha! Are you really not going to do something about this?!”

On one side, Onyx had his wife, daughter, vice president of the association and the daughters from famous families while on the other side, he had his unfilial, rebellious daughter. It was a choice that anyone could make with their eyes closed.

Onyx was no exception to that.

He raised his cold gaze and looked at Elise in disappointment as he bellowed, “It was a mistake to bring you. I want you out of here!”

“Hold on,” a magnetic voice came from upstairs.

Everyone looked up at the same time then, only to see two noble, handsome men walking down the stairs in a graceful manner.

“It is Alexander and Brendan Griffith!”

“I can’t believe I am seeing them both at the same time!”

“…”

All the young women were so excited they started squealing at the sight of the men.

After Alexander walked toward them, he blatantly glanced at Elise before stopping at a spot on her side that was not too far from her.

“I am a member of the Tissote Piano Association, but I have never heard of neither the vice president or these women.”

His voice was loud and firm, and it somehow poked at anyone there with a guilty conscience.

“Alexander Griffith is a member of the Piano Association?”

“I don’t know. I have never heard about this.”

“It is possible. After all, he is gifted. He can easily pick up anything he wants…”

“Possible? That means it has a possibility of it being fake as well. It is too much of a coincidence for me to believe!”

The woman who suggested Adelpha to drug Anastasia before stood up then. “We are all certified by the association. How can we be imposters? You must have been brought by Anastasia to make trouble!”

So what if Alexander was a handsome man? She knew her priorities. She was aware that she wouldn’t be able to get any pocket money if the truth about the ‘association’ was exposed.

Coolest Girl in Town Chapter 775

Do You Take Me for a Fool?!

A next second later, Alexander shot a menacing glance at the woman, causing her to shut up at once and gulp.

His presence was so intimidating that he easily overpowered the emboldened young women. Just like that, the entire hall fell into an awkward, nuanced silence, echoing an acquiescence to Alexander’s skepticism.

Seeing that their trick was on the verge of being exposed, the ‘vice president’ stepped in at once. “We have rented this venue, so this is now considered a private premise. Not only have you two entered without permission, but you’re also interrupting our operation. Please leave at once, or I’ll call security!”

Knowing Alexander’s temper, Elise knew the man would undoubtedly enter a brawl with the guards. If things blew up, it would surely draw the attention of the two parties.

The reason she had chosen to be Anastasia in the first place was that the White Family had zero connections to Alexander. So now, she could not have him be involved in this even more so.

“That’s not necessary.” Elise stepped forward. “Since these people love the emperor’s new clothes so much, let them continue wearing them. Let’s see just how long you can keep them on you.”

With that, she strode off.

Seeing so, Alexander no longer dwelled on it but chased after Elise.

Alas, as fast as he was, he still failed to catch up to her.

In the end, the cousins stood at the entrance and watched as Elise’s cab drove away from afar.

Brendan was the first of the two to look away. He took a gander at Alexander, only to find the man looking all longing. At that, he lowered his head with displeasure. “You’ve fallen for her, haven’t you?”

“Sorry?” Alexander didn’t catch what exactly Brendan had said.

“I don’t like this side of you.” Brendan was a little down and his voice was laced with inconcealable disappointment.

Alexander got what he meant pretty quickly, and he snorted teasingly. “In case you’ve forgotten, I’m your cousin.”

“It’s precisely you’re my cousin that I’m upset about,” said Brendan as he lifted his dull eyes. “The Alexander I know isn’t a fickle guy.”

It hadn’t even been a year since Elise left. He couldn’t believe that Alexander had already forgotten about her and started courting another woman.

Alexander didn’t refute, however, for he was certain that this Anastasia White was Elise. Then again, there was nothing to prove his guess, so who would believe him?

However, it only caused more disappointment for Brendan. With a sigh, he left, leaving Alexander there.

Meanwhile, the ceremony was still going on.

With Elise and the guys gone, and Adelpha’s best friends deliberately setting the scene, the White Family was immersed in the joy of Adelpha becoming a member of the Piano Association.

When the ‘vice president’ handed the certificate to Adelpha, he even improvised a line to clear Elise’s doubt. “I’ve long discovered that you’re talented and can surely become a member of our association. So we’ve prepared the certificate in advance. I’m glad to see that you haven’t let me down.”

Oddly enough, Onyx didn’t find such obviously improvised words off, but even thought that their family’s connections would rise a league above now that they had a daughter in the Piano Association.

No doubt he’d be able to leave Anastasia’s grandfather for good.

The label of ‘live-in son-in-law’ had been attached to him for years, and it was about time that it was removed.

Just then, a group of men in suits came in, instantly disrupting the harmonious scene in the hall.

“What is up with the security here?! Why do they keep letting anybody come in?!” ranted the ‘vice president’ as he pulled his phone out to call the person in charge.

“Who’s the vice president of the Piano Association?” the leading man in a suit asked.

The ‘vice president’ froze for a second before going up to him. “That would be me. What can I help you with?”

The next second, the man in a suit presented his police badge to everyone. “Major Investigation Team. You are hereby suspected of using the Piano Association’s name for fraud and gathering. Please follow us to the station.”

With that, the ‘vice president’ was handcuffed.

“All of you will have to come with us and make a statement.” The man in a suit looked toward the White Family and Adelpha’s best friends.

It wasn’t half a minute later that Onyx came to himself. Elise and Alexander were right. This is nothing but a fake association!

At that, he looked angrily at Adelpha and Lyra, his eyes burning ablaze with anger.

However, Lyra didn’t notice his gaze at all and was even grumbling about the cops. Adelpha, on the other hand, immediately shifted her gaze away as soon as she met his.

Clearly, she was in the know.

That night, an unprecedented argument exploded in the White Residence.

“I’ve put so much effort into you and always give you however much money you ask, and this is how you repay me?! How dare you collude with outsiders to trick me?! Do you really take me for a fool?! And you! You’re always either having tea with this woman or doing a manicure with that woman! You’ve never bothered to ever parent your daughter! Don’t tell me you’re not responsible for how Adelpha has become!”

While Lyra and Adelpha were given a dreadful scolding, Elise sat leisurely aside with her legs crossed, drinking her tea, looking all jovial.

Meanwhile, Adelpha hung her head low. The louder Onyx ranted, the deeper her hatred for Elise was.

She and her best friends had used the fake association trick so many times, and never once had it gone south. But as soon as ‘Anastasia’ showed up, they were eradicated entirely. She must have made a report in secret. No doubt that woman couldn’t stand watching me succeed!

Now that everything had been brought to light, and her best friends’ parents had all been called over to the police station, who knew just how her best friends would reproach her behind her back? Alas, the socialite circle she had managed for so long would undoubtedly go down the drain.

Thinking of that, Adelpha glared daggers at ‘Anastasia’. But Onyx caught her doing so and hit the roof. “You still dare to glare at your sister?! Are you planning on hiding this from me forever if she hadn’t said anything?!”

“No, Poppa. I didn’t know that the vice president was a fake, either! We’ve all been duped! I just wanted to get the certificate so badly that I sought whatever possible means…” Adelpha mumbled aggrievedly.

“Still denying?!” Onyx raised his hand up in the air but couldn’t bring himself to slap his daughter. So he just swung it away exasperatedly. “Spare the rod, spoil the child. It’s my fault for not parenting you right!”

“No, Poppa. You’ve treated me well enough. I’m the one who failed you!” Adelpha tried to salvage her image. “Please give me another chance. I love the piano, and I still want to learn. I will definitely succeed!”

“Forget it.” Onyx waved his hand dismissively. “I’m already not hopeful when you’ve failed the first time, and worst, encountered this episode the second time.”

“Poppa, please don’t give up on me!” Adelpha clung to him while turning to Lyra for help. “Momma, say something!”

“She’s right, dear. Adelpha’s still young. It’s normal that she’d be duped. The piano has always been her dream. Let her continue learning it.” Lyra pleaded, biting the bullet.

“What would a woman like you know?! She’s not pianist material at all. Giving it up now will save us all from further humiliation.”

“No, Poppa, I’m still salvageable. I can definitely succeed if we can get the world-renowned pianist, Maestro Sinclair, to teach me!”

Coolest Girl in Town Chapter 776

Sis’LilSidekick

At that, Adelpha began passing the buck. “You always say this yourself that there are no weak students but only unqualified teachers. I’m stuck at this level because all my past teachers weren’t good enough; they didn’t know how to teach. I’m sure I will become a maestro myself if Maestro Sinclair teaches me!”

Upon hearing so, Elise put her cup of tea down and retorted, “There are so many trying to shoot for the stars. Why should they choose you?”

“Because I love the piano,” said Adelpha, keeping a stiff upper lip. “I believe that Maestro Sinclair will be moved by my absolute enthusiasm!”

“Love?” Elise sneered. “You’ve loved the piano for nearly two decades but can’t even pass the most fundamental Grade 10.”

“As if Adelpha can’t pass Grade 10. She’s just been hindered by those mediocre teachers!” Lyra took the chance to exculpate. “Dear, I think Adelpha’s right. What family doesn’t spend big when it comes to fostering their children’s talents? Since she wants to learn, why not learn from the best? Think of the glory that will fall upon us after Adelpha is successful!”

“Yeah, Poppa. I want to be a White forever. I want to become an independent woman who will marry a live-in husband so that our family name will live on. Shouldn’t I better myself if I want to achieve that?!”

Adelpha’s impassioned speech, coupled with her idea of ‘carrying on the White Family name’, successfully moved Onyx. At that, he fell silent, seemingly pondering the feasibility of this issue.

Seeing that her father had begun softening up, Adelpha went up and continued influencing him, striking while the iron was hot. “I’ve already done the research. Maestro Sinclair will return to Tissote every two years to attend a Piano Association gathering. As long as I manage to get the ticket to the gathering, I’ll have the chance to approach Maestro Sinclair and ask him to take me under his wing!”

At that, Onyx looked side-eyed at her. “Are you certain you will succeed?”

“I’ll die trying!” Adelpha vowed.

“Alright, I’ll believe you this once.” Onyx admonished. “If you can’t win Maestro Sinclair’s approval, then you’ll go back to the countryside and marry a farmer!”

“Rest assured, Poppa. I can definitely do it.” Adelpha reassured with utter confidence.

“I doubt it.” Elise leisurely rained on their parade. “How would a world-renowned pianist take an interest in someone mediocre and can’t even pass her grade twice when he has so many people he can choose a protégé from? I think you should just buy some shovels sooner, lest you don’t even have these tools to farm with when you go to the countryside.”

“It’s good that Adelpha has ambition. So be it that you won’t support her as her sister, but how dare you make such sarcastic remarks?! Looks to me you can’t stand seeing her succeed!” Seething with rage, Lyra lashed out at ‘Anastasia’ as soon as she got the chance.

“That’s enough.” Onyx dared not cross ‘Anastasia’. “Bring Adelpha upstairs. I have something to talk to Anastasia about in private.”

Lyra wanted to speak up but ultimately dared not challenge Onyx’s authority, only dragging Adelpha upstairs with her resignedly.

Finally, after the mother and daughter could no longer be seen, Onyx ambled over to Elise, feigning indifference as he sat across from her. “Anastasia, I’ve been doing some thinking. Our family and your grandfather’s are no ordinary households. I still think you should hold a wedding ceremony. If you don’t want anything big, at least invite some esteemed elders over for a meal. What do you say?”

“I say nothing.” Elise put her teacup down and flung the newspaper beside her to her ‘father’. “Take a look for yourself. Second page, bottom right corner.”

Onyx grabbed the newspaper in bewilderment and flipped to the second page, only to frown once he realized what he was seeing. “Y-You’ve announced your marriage in the newspaper?!”

“Can’t I? I thought you liked paper media the most.” Elise looked at him with a half-smile. “Come to think of it, I haven’t thanked you for this. If you hadn’t said you wanted to sever our kinship and put it in the newspaper, I couldn’t have thought about such a simple and easy way. But what’s different between us is that you only talk the talk, but I walk the walk.”

With that, she got up and went upstairs, leaving Onyx stumped on the couch. He crumpled the newspaper into a ball as he flew into a rage, his countenance changing multitudes in seconds.

…

At Wework LLC, Ariel stretched after a morning of work, then looked out to find Danny and Helios quietly hanging out in the office across from hers, looking absolutely harmonious.

In seventh heaven, free from Danny and her nephew, Ariel pulled her gaming console out, getting ready to play a solid game.

But right as she went online, a notification popped up. ‘Player ‘Sis’LilSidekick’ requests to add you as a friend.’

LilSidekick? Who’s this?!

Ariel had wanted to just ignore it and pretend to have never seen it, but the requestor was surprisingly hell-bent, sending the request non-stop. Alas, she could only accept it.

As soon as the request was approved, LilSidekick sent a message. ‘Hi, not many people play this game. Do you like it too?’ They even attached a ‘cute’ GIF.

Upon seeing the GIF, Ariel justifiably assumed the person on the other end was a girl, so she replied with patience. ‘Yeah, it’s right up my alley. But I’m a complete noob at this. My level’s still pretty low even though I’ve been playing for a few months.’

LilSidekick replied instantly. ‘The thing about this game is that it takes up a lot of time, or you’ll have to form a team if you don’t have the time. Why don’t you join me?’ ‘She’ attached a ‘hehe’ GIF.

‘Alright, let’s give it a shot. Hope I won’t hold you up.”

Right after Ariel sent the reply, LilSidekick sent a team-up request, and the two entered the game promptly.

Just like LilSidekick said, ‘she’ was pretty familiar with the map and NPCs, and with ‘her’ lead, Ariel cleared the map, which she had been stuck in for over a month, in ten-plus minutes.

At that, she couldn’t help praising enthusiastically, ‘Wow, you’re really good at this!’

‘Hehe, I guess I have some talent in me. But it’s kinda boring to play alone. It’s so much more fun playing with you,’ LilSidekick replied.

‘Haha, you’re a sweet one. Why do I feel like you’re a boy? Then again, your player ID looks like a girl’s. You baffle me.’ Ariel hoped ‘she’ would satisfy her curiosity.

But it took a while for LilSidekick to reply this time. ‘Because I have a sister. She’s also the reason I’m good at this game. Hence, ‘LilSidekick’.’

‘Ah. Then I should thank your sister!’ Ariel naively believed so.

‘Haha, she’s as happy as you are right now,’ LilSidekick replied.

‘The three of us should play together next time.’

After agreeing on a time, the two went offline.

After a rare smooth gaming experience, Ariel thought everything looked right; even the sun was shining brighter now. Thus, she grabbed her phone and ordered a premium lunch to reward Danny and Helios.

But lo and behold, she found the two boys running and yelling inside the office like ostriches as soon as she looked toward it.

To that, Ariel shook her head helplessly. She had really been too optimistic. As if it wouldn’t become a madhouse when two kids were put in the same room.

Coolest Girl in Town Chapter 777

Immature? I’ll Still Spoil Her!

The birthday of Benjamin Joslin, Anastasia’s maternal grandfather, arrived in the blink of an eye, and the Whites showed up all dolled up. However, the Joslins didn’t welcome them especially but simply treated them like regular guests.

Benjamin, in a three-piece suit, was sitting on a temporarily set platform, waiting for guests to come up and wish him a happy birthday.

By right, Onyx should’ve greeted Benjamin as soon as he arrived since he was an in-law. But instead, he took his wife and daughters to chat with other guests, having no sign of wanting to give the elder his gift. It looked like he was deliberately dissociating himself from the Joslins.

He even stopped Elise when she wanted to greet her ‘grandfather’.

“What’s the rush? Do you think your grandfather needs your adulation when he has plenty of grandkids of his own? Your mom’s dead; we’re just outsiders now. We’ve only come out of courtesy. Don’t be so eager to suck up to them. Makes it look like we want to latch onto them badly.”

“Sure, I just don’t want to look rude. How come you couldn’t move anymore after seeing a journalist just now?” Elise retorted sarcastically.

“What are you bullsh*tting about? Do you really think I care about showing up as Benjamin’s son-in-law? I’m merely making the journalist’s job easier, doing it for appearance’s sake.” Onyx felt somewhat discomfited when Elise called his bluff.

“Sure, just like when you’re hell-bent on marrying my mother even though you think the Joslin Family is beneath you. You have clearly bagged a massive bargain, yet you act like you’ve suffered the world’s greatest grievance.”

Elise scoffed at Onyx’s self-righteousness, for all he had managed to achieve today came from him begging resources out of the Joslins. But as soon as he gained success, he acted like he was forced to accept the resources the Joslins shoved at him. He really was a typical example of leading the life of a wh*re and expecting a monument to one’s chastity.

Onyx turned beyond grim after hearing Elise’s words. “Fine, go all you want. I won’t bother myself with you anymore. Don’t forget that your grandfather said he never wanted to see you ever again. You want to give yourself trouble? Be my guest, but don’t expect me to save you if you’re given a hard time.”

“Nothing would please me more.”

Benjamin never favored Onyx. So Elise might actually have a better chance of reconciling with the elder if Onyx wasn’t around.

She had learned a few things about Benjamin from Anastasia’s diary.

This literary legend adored Anastasia but had very strong opinions of Onyx, and the two despised each other. Because of Onyx and other certain reasons, Anastasia and Benjamin fell estranged after a fight. Though Anastasia felt guilty, she didn’t dare to ask her maternal grandfather for forgiveness either. So their relationship was left estranged like that, and she never got to say her sorry in the end.

Thus, Elise had come to fulfill Anastasia’s wish.

With that, she walked straight to Benjamin.

On the platform, the elder watched with longing eyes as ‘Anastasia’ approached his direction, and he clutched his walking stick in nervousness as she got closer.

“Grandpa,” cooed Elise when she reached the bottom of the platform. But the noisy environment caused the earnest greeting to drift away with the wind.

At the same time, a contrastingly sharp ‘Grandpa’ came from behind Elise, and a figure flitted past her the next second, stepping onto the platform a step quicker than her.

By the time Elise reacted, Adelpha had already stood next to Benjamin.

“Happy birthday, Grandpa! It’s been a long time since we last met. You’re looking as healthy as ever!” Adelpha deliberately spoke coyly as she wrapped her arms around Benjamin’s.

However, the elder only responded to Adelpha with an aloof hum while latching his gaze at Elise.

Just how long more is this girl going to continue being at odds with me? It’s already been two years; is she still not willing to reconcile?!

Meanwhile, Elise walked up to the platform leisurely and greeted Benjamin again. “Grandpa.”

Benjamin became excited at once, beyond elated. Ha, I knew it! My precious Anastasia’s ‘Grandpa’ still sounds the sweetest! However, the elder remained aloof on the surface. “You’ve come.”

Elise nodded in response, furrowing her brows slightly to show submission, causing Benjamin’s heart to shatter to bits. How can you be frowning at such a young age, Precious?! Is it because the Whites have bullied you? Onyx White, you son of a b*stard! Had I ever been wrong to say you’re a sc*mbag?! How dare you continue to bully my precious Anastasia after angering my daughter to death?! I swear I’ll give you a piece of my mind!

Alas, just as he was about to comfort ‘Anastasia’, Adelpha interjected, “What happened to your manners, Anastasia? Are you not even willing to wish Grandpa a happy birthday?”

Anastasia and Benjamin hadn’t spoken since their fallout two years ago. But Adelpha, on the other hand, had gained favors with the Joslins, and she had long regarded herself as Benjamin’s actual granddaughter.

After making snide remarks, she deliberately leaned close to the elder and snitched in a whisper, “Anastasia’s pregnant, Grandpa! You still don’t know this, do you?”

Benjamin reflexively locked his gray brows into a deep furrow, looking shocked with incredulity.

Bloody nonsense! Who the hell is so bold to bully my precious Anastasia?!

Wait. No. If this is real, then wouldn’t this mean that I’ll be having a great-grandchild?!

Benjamin moped for a moment, happy yet upset by the news.

However, Adelpha thought Benjamin was about to fly into a rage, so she fearlessly continued fanning the flames. “I didn’t expect Anastasia to be this audacious either. To think she simply got pregnant with some random guy. She has utterly disgraced our families!”

“What did you say?!” Benjamin flung her arms away, his voice enveloped in frost. “How dare you speak of her like this?! I’ll still spoil her no matter how immature she gets! Who are you to criticize her?!”

Benjamin’s rebuke took Anastasia for a moment, and her eyes turned red-rimmed in response, taking a long time to finally react. “Grandpa, why are you talking to me like this? Didn’t you tell me to keep an eye on Anastasia? I’m just telling the truth. How can you be so mean?” she whined, choking with sobs.

“I’m asking you to protect and take care of your sister, but look at what you’re doing, telltale and kicking her when she’s down! I’m mean, am I? Consider yourself lucky that I’m only yelling at you! If you’re really my granddaughter, I’ll beat you up until my stick breaks!” Benjamin coddled Anastasia at once.

“I… I… Hmph!” Mad and aggrieved, Adelpha ran away.

Elise found it so amusing that she couldn’t stop herself from snickering.

Benjamin turned to Elise at once and returned to looking deadpan. “Laughing, are we? Come with me!”

“Yes, Grandpa!” Elise stood upright, then trotted up to Benjamin, helping him to the lounge.

The elder eventually couldn’t keep his lips stiffened any longer and smiled brightly, deliberately teasing his precious granddaughter. “I thought you said you never wanted to see me again. Why have you come back?”

“I’m sorry, Grandpa,” ‘Anastasia’ apologized submissively.

Meanwhile, the two had arrived at the lounge.

Benjamin stopped in his tracks, turning around to face her, sighing, “Are you going to argue with me ever again?”

“No, never again!” Elise sniffled.

Benjamin shot a childish glare at her, then immediately babied her nervously the next second. “See, could you not have said so sooner? Come, sit, sit. Don’t tire my little great-grandchild…”

Tears pooled in Elise’s eyes as she watched the elder behaving gingerly toward Anastasia. She felt earnestly happy for the young woman, for there was still someone in this world who loved her. Too bad she couldn’t see it anymore.

Coolest Girl in Town Chapter 778

Love a Goody Two Shoes Like You?

“That reminds me.” Something seemed to have hit Benjamin as he lifted his head back up, looking stern. “You’re not still with that guy you brought home last time, are you?”

Benjamin was referring to Anastasia’s first love, the culprit who worked with Adelpha to kill Anastasia.

“Of course not,” Elise affirmed. “You can rest assured that I’ve already pulled back from the brink, Grandpa. I won’t make the same mistake again after knowing just what sort of a man he is.”

“You’ve finally come around.” Benjamin heaved a sigh of relief. “Anyhow, I just have one demand for the man you choose: anyone but a heartless rat like your father. Do you hear me?”

“Don’t worry, Grandpa. He’s really reliable and unlike most men.” Elise had Alexander in mind when she spoke.

“You still have to bring him over some other day and let your uncles and I take a look. You’re still socially inexperienced, after all. I worry you’ll fall for another man’s tricks,” Benjamin appealed.

“I will, Grandpa…”

Meanwhile, in the garden, Jamie showed up late for the party. As he barely knew anyone here, he went straight to a less crowded spot after grabbing a glass of champagne.

Finally, after finding an empty area with an open view, he stopped wandering and took a sip of the champagne while drifting his wary gaze across the guests.

Though the Kellers had some influences within Tissote, they had never involved themselves in the literary world. He honestly couldn’t understand why the literary legend would invite him over when they had no connections whatsoever.

In the spirit of another friend, another hand, he put off a meeting at the last minute and rushed over, planning on leaving after he said hi to the elder later.

Just then, he heard a woman cussing angrily behind him. “F*ck you, Anastasia White! Why can’t you just rot in hell, you b*tch?!”

Who’s that?! Who the hell dares cuss Anastasia like that on such an occasion?! Jamie walked in the direction the sound came from and bypassed a rose bush half his height to find a young woman in a lolita dress kicking the patch of lawn beneath her begrudgingly.

Under her ravaging, the dainty flowers drooped weakly, already beyond salvage.

How could he allow someone already so wicked at such a young age to continue behaving so savagely?!

With that, he switched on the recording function on his phone and put it back into his pocket before approaching the young woman. “Say, miss, you have a problem with Anastasia White too?”

“Mind your own f—” Adelpha snapped in a fit of rage but stopped immediately when she realized it was a handsome young man talking to her. With that, she quickly fixed her dress and stood like a sweet, defenseless girl.

“Sorry. I’ve startled you, haven’t I? I’m not usually like this.” Adelpha tucked a lock of errant hair behind her ear, looking all abashed.

Though this young woman gave him goosebumps, he still held on tenaciously, chuckling awkwardly. “Haha, I can tell. Let’s come back to the topic. I heard you cussing White just now. Do you guys have some sort of grudge too?”

“Why would you say ‘too’?” Adelpha asked.

“It’s because I have a deep-seated grudge with that woman, of course!” Jamie lied without batting an eyelid. “That woman is so lofty that she trampled me to feel like two cents when I tried to win her love. Everyone should be allowed to damn a phony b*tch like her!”

Adelpha put her guard down instantly upon hearing so and echoed angrily, “You’re right. Anastasia White is the phoniest b*tch in the whole world. And her grandfather, that old Joslin gaffer, acts all chummy with you when you’re useful to him but ignores you immediately after he’s done with you. Tell me that two-faced gaffer isn’t revolting?!”

So Anastasia is Old Master Joslin’s granddaughter, huh? No wonder she has such high literary attainment.

“Alas, I was a foolish young man that got drawn to Anastasia’s good looks back then. I still can’t even get over her today. Who knows if I’ll ever be able to open up and love another woman…” Jamie suddenly sulked, acting like he was an infatuated man with a broken heart.

Adelpha’s eyes lit up at once. This is my chance! She hurriedly pulled a pack of tissue from her bag and handed one to him. “Don’t take it too hard. I bet there are plenty of girls who like you.”

Jamie raised his hand and turned her down. “Thank you, but men are usually fixated on the first woman they take a fancy to. Anastasia might have trampled me to the ground, but I still can’t stop thinking about her. I guess I’ll never be able to move on from it. It’s best that I don’t waste other people’s time.”

“You can’t do that!” Adelpha got anxious and discredited Anastasia shamelessly in a panic. “Anastasia isn’t really as nice as you think she is. You still haven’t found out, have you? She’s already married. In fact, she got married with a pregnant belly. Worse than that, she’s already a few solid months into her pregnancy when we found out!”

“I don’t believe you. You’re just slandering Anastasia because you hate her. I get you, but I won’t trust a word you say.” Jamie turned around while speaking. He still sounded woebegone and fixated, but the corner of his lips had already curved up into a smile.

“No, you can believe everything I say!” Adelpha went to his front and disclosed her identity. “I’m Anastasia’s sister, and everything I said is true! Anastasia doesn’t deserve devotion from a hunk like you. So why cling to her when there are so many women for you to love?!”

At that, Jamie dropped his smile and leaned his face close to her with a smirk. “Are you saying I should love a goody two shoes like you?”

“What are you talking about?” Adelpha tucked her neck a little.

Jamie pulled his phone out and shook it as he stood back upright. “Everything you said is in this recording. To think you act all sweet with your sister but actually backbites her. Say, what do you think will happen if everyone hears this recording?”

Adelpha’s face turned ashen at once, and she pounced on Jamie to snatch the phone. “Give me the phone, give me!”

“Woah.” Jamie raised his arm at once and grimly warned, “Stay right there!”

The young woman could only stomp her feet as she wasn’t tall enough to reach the phone. “What will it take for you to delete the recording?”

“Nothing you offer can make me delete it. Remember I have leverage over you. So if you ever dare to backbite Anastasia again, I’ll let the whole world know just what sort of a person you are!”

Jamie was gravely serious, and an intensely suppressing aura exuded from his eyes, forcing Adelpha to look away mutely, not daring to speak up.

“Do you think I’m joking with you?” The man put his phone away with narrowed eyes and shoved his hands into his pockets while disclosing plainly, “I have proof of you hiring people to screw up Anastasia’s book signing. Huh, I wonder how many years the court will sentence you for slandering and disrupting public order.”

Adelpha was rendered utterly dumbfounded, for never had she thought some random guy would have two dirty things on her at Benjamin’s birthday party.

Can this day get any worse?!

Fed up with wasting his time on the young woman, Jamie shot her a disdainful glance and walked away.

Coincidentally, Benjamin had returned to the party, and Jamie got another glass of liquor, going up to the elder.

Coolest Girl in Town Chapter 779

Aren’t You Going to Visit Your Fiancée?

“Mr. Joslin.” Jamie greeted Benjamin politely. “I wish you a long life full of happiness and fortune.”

Benjamin turned around and took a closer look at Jamie’s face, which he tried but failed to place. “And who might you be?”

“I’m Keller Group’s general manager, Jamie Keller. It is my honor to stand a chance to celebrate your birthday with you.” Jamie reacted humbly, thinking he should take the moral high ground in response to the older man’s forgetfulness. I have a bigger fish to fry, so I must see past this minor frustration. Otherwise, how am I supposed to run such a huge company?

“Grandpa.” Elise suddenly showed up at that moment. When Jamie saw her, he instantly understood why he was invited to Benjamin’s birthday feast. Then, the two of them greeted each other by exchanging eye contact.

“Do you guys know each other?” Benjamin skeptically looked at Jamie, suspecting that he was his grandson-in-law and that ‘Anastasia’ had been hiding from him.

“Didn’t I tell you I’m currently writing a new novel? This man is my new employer, Jamie Keller, and he is a nice guy,” Elise explained.

“Your new employer?” Benjamin was seen with a haughty look on his face as he continued to fix his gaze on Jamie. After sizing Jamie up, he said something that would leave the others stunned the next second. “Can I be one of Keller Group’s shareholders if I’m paying your company a capital sum of one billion?”

“Excuse me?” Jamie was rendered speechless, wondering how a writer could be so well off.

“I’m sorry, Mr. Keller. My grandfather is just kidding.” Elise then gently pulled Benjamin’s sleeve. “Keep a low profile, would you, Grandpa?”

“Why didn’t you talk to me before you took on the job? Your uncles could have just started a company for you to publish your novels.” Benjamin expressed his helplessness, looking askance at Jamie in an unhappy manner. “If you work for someone from our family, you could write as you please without anyone breathing down your neck. After all, it would break my heart if some heartless employer took advantage of you.”

In that instant, Jamie immediately caught on to the entire situation, realizing that Benjamin was actually just picking at him. Then, he raised his eyebrows and awkwardly chuckled. “You’re funny, Mr. Joslin.” Wow, I didn’t know her grandfather was such a badass. It looks like she is out of my league.

In the meantime, Benjamin decided to ease up on Jamie, thinking he wouldn’t be difficult for his granddaughter to get along with. “Give us your name card. Her uncles will approach you to discuss the cooperation details soon.”

“Alright.” Jamie agreed humbly, secretly winking at ‘Anastasia’ without Benjamin noticing it to thank her for her kindness.

On the other hand, Adelpha, who happened to emerge from the corner, saw Jamie winking at ‘Anastasia’. Despite her jealousy and frustration, there was nothing she could do because she was afraid of what Jamie would do with the voice recording he had threatened her with earlier. Nevertheless, she simply couldn’t stand seeing the cocky look on Elise’s face as she paced back and forth restlessly. Then, an idea sprang to her mind while she reached for her phone and dialed a number. “It’s me. Anastasia is back, so aren’t you going to visit your fiancée?”

…

As the celebration went on, Benjamin continued to chat with Elise non-stop. “If it were up to me, I’d say it’s better for you to move away from the White Family. I’ll build you a new home so you won’t have to live with those idiotic b*stards anymore.”

“I know you’re doing this for my own good, Grandpa, but they’re going to own my mother’s house once I move out of there. I promise that I’ll move out, but not before I take care of some matters.” Elise didn’t reject Benjamin’s offer outright.

Benjamin smiled without saying anything else. Finally, my granddaughter has grown up. At that moment, his train of thought was suddenly interrupted by a man’s voice.

“Annie.”

He looked up and shifted his gaze to the direction of the source of the voice, knitting his eyebrows the moment he saw who it was. Damn! It’s this b*stard again! As he was about to send the guards to stop the man, he was worried that ‘Anastasia’ wouldn’t want to leave his side. Therefore, he sent his guards away from the checkpoint, only to be disappointed when he saw how the unwanted visitor took advantage of that opportunity.

The next moment, the man walked up to them and started confessing to Elise sincerely. “It’s so good to see you finally see you back, Annie. You have no idea how long I’ve been waiting for you all this time!”

As she heard the man’s response, Elise was overwhelmed by wild imaginations in her mind, thinking the man before her must be Anastasia’s fiancé, Edmond. Anastasia broke up with Edmond because she realized he had been cheating on her with Adelpha before she went abroad, yet he still has the cheek to show up here.

“Somebody. Please show this man the way out of here.” Worried that Anastasia might have a change of heart, Benjamin quickly took the liberty to show Edmond the door. As soon as the older man finished his words, a few bodyguards came closer to him.

“Come with me, Annie. I have something to say to you.”

Edmond calmly took a step forward and seized Elise’s wrist before turning back to the exit. However, he felt a strong resistance as if Elise’s feet were glued to the ground as she remained still, no matter how hard he tried to pull her.

Then, he turned around in confusion. “What’s wrong, girl? We once told each other that we’re going to fight for what we want alongside each other, didn’t we?”

“Are you done with your pipe dream?” Elise impatiently shook off his hand. “Look at where the Joslin Family is now before you take a look at yourself. Give me a reason why you’re worth my time for me to stay by your side.”

With a stiff expression on his face, Edmond replied, “But you said you’d stay by my side until the day I become successful and never look down on me.”

“If wealth is what we’re talking about, a few years of effort can get you to where you want to be, in order to be level with our family; but if we’re talking about our mental welfare, the same cannot be said. So, I’d say the sooner we see through the truth, the better it is for both of us.” Elise tried to make her point euphemistically.

“Are you trying to break our oath?” A cunning look flashed across Edmond’s face shortly before the atmosphere was filled with awkwardness.

In the meantime, Danny had just arrived at the venue, whereupon he asked for a glass of red wine and adjusted the earpiece and camera with him. As he blended into the crowd, he said, “Alexander, I don’t remember any association between us and the Joslin Family. Are you sure we’re not going to be treated as gate-crashers here?” Danny asked his brother over the phone.

“No, I’m not,” Alexander answered honestly. “If you don’t feel like carrying on in this mission, it’s still not too late to change your mind.”

“Relax. I didn’t say anything about giving up.” Danny picked up his pace and joined the party just when he saw Edmond harassing Elise. “Is that Miss White from the Joslin Family? It looks like she is in trouble.” Danny then looked around him and caught a glimpse of someone familiar. “Jamie is here too.”

“That’s Mr. Joslin’s maternal granddaughter,” Alexander replied coldly. “Now, move your camera toward Jamie.” After all, Anastasia was just standing right in front of Jamie.

“Okay.” Danny straightened his body. “By the way, why did you come to me instead of Brendan for help?”

Alexander was speechless at first but managed to quickly brush it off with a reason. “Well, you’re more trustworthy.”

“Haha. That’s what I thought too.” Danny smiled and added, “Dude, I think I’m in love. I feel like—”

“Shut up!”

“Oh, okay…”

On the other hand, Edmond began to grow frustrated as he reached for his phone. Not long after that, Anastasia’s heartfelt confession echoed through every corner of the place during the party. “You and I are meant for each other forever and ever, Edmond. I swear that I will not marry any other man besides you, and god shall punish me should I break this promise.”

“Ugh…” Danny remarked sarcastically. “What’s wrong with Miss Joslin? I can’t believe she fell in love with a man like this one.”

“Her last name is White,” Alexander said helplessly.

Coolest Girl in Town Chapter 780

Dirty Touch

On the other hand, Onyx was furious when he witnessed what was going on. What’re you doing, my daughter?! You’re embarrassing the White Family. Do you know that?!

“Should we step in and say something, dear?” Lyra expressed her concern for Adelpha’s reputation.

“What are we supposed to say to her? She is going to take care of her own mess. I’m not going to waste my time and energy cleaning her mess for her.” Onyx glared at Elise and hid in the corner, tired of observing his daughter’s action any further.

Elise was helpless at that moment, but deep down, she knew Anastasia was a lady who was obsessed with relationships. “Grandpa.” Elise reluctantly asked Benjamin for help. “Do something.”

“I could help you, but what if you turn your back on me like you did the last time after that?” Benjamin purposely gave Elise a hard time.

“I guarantee I won’t.” Although Elise could deny all accusations that Edmond threw at her, she believed the strained relationship between ‘Anastasia’ and Benjamin was no secret among their social circles. After all, the only way to keep herself out of trouble is to be backed by Benjamin.

“Hmph!” Benjamin grunted coldly and said, “I don’t give two cents about your guarantee!” Despite his rejection, he acted against his harsh attitude and took a step forward, behaving like an intimidating boxer who was stepping into the ring. “Ladies and gentlemen, today is my 70th birthday, but this man seems to be ruining the occasion with an unidentified voice recording that he was using to frame my granddaughter for having fallen in love with him. I may not know a lot of people, but I’m sure everyone here is somewhat influential and well-known. Therefore, I’m sure any one of your sons would probably make a better match with my granddaughter than this young man would. For that, I’d say this young man is making a fool out of my granddaughter and the Joslin Family, as well as everyone else here. Don’t you find this funny, ladies and gentlemen?” Benjamin managed to depict Edmond as a clown with his subtle and eloquent use of words.

“Oh, come on. Does this guy know who Anastasia is? He needs to see the truth by looking at himself in the mirror.”

“That’s outrageous. I’m pretty sure this guy must have gone mental!”

“If even a lousy guy like him can marry into a rich family, I suppose we’re going to have to keep a close eye on our daughters in the future so that those bootlickers don’t get too close with us.”

“Don’t let someone like him continue to ruin your occasion, Mr. Joslin. Show him the way out of this place. We’re better off without him here.”

Since it was Benjamin’s birthday celebration, it was not surprising that no one sided with Edmond as they all thought the man was messing around.

“I’m not lying, and neither am I framing her. This is indeed the voice note that Anastasia sent me by herself.” Edmond raised his phone high up in the air and showed his chatroom on WhatsApp to prove his innocence.

“Alright. Alright.” Benjamin responded again and acted as if he was coaxing a kid. “Whatever you say. Somebody. Please take this man to the mental asylum and pay the bill for three months upfront. I’m going to pretend as if I’m making a donation for charity.”

“Who dares to lay a finger on me?!” Edmond arrogantly glared at the guards, stunning all of them who were about to manhandle him.

“Don’t worry about it, Sir. The patient’s welfare is the Joslin Family’s priority, so they will not hesitate to help whenever necessary.” Benjamin made his point ambiguously just as the guards immediately understood what he was implying. They then restrained Edmond’s limbs and carried him out of the place without fearing any consequences since Benjamin would have their back should anything wrong happen.

Not long after they left, the banquet was back to its normal peaceful state. In the meantime, Danny shook his head and said, “Damn! That man’s narcissism really goes to great lengths. If I were in Miss Joslin’s place, I would never even bother to look at him.”

“It’s White,” Alexander insisted. “She is grateful to have Mr. Joslin by her side to get out of trouble. After all, girls don’t usually find themselves in a good position to settle this.”

“Why do I have a feeling that Mr. Joslin is trying to gain her favor?” Danny expressed his bewilderment in a straightforward manner.

However, Alexander showed no interest in responding to his question. “You may leave now.”

“Leave? Why? The feast hasn’t even started.” Danny was starting to feel hungry.

“I want information about Edmond.” The sudden appearance of the man had raised Alexander’s suspicion.

“Why?”

“Nothing.” Alexander impatiently asked, “Are you going to do it or not?”

“Of course I am. I’m just trying to find out more about my mission.” Danny placed his fingertip on his earpiece with a smiling face. “It’s not every day that I’m given a job by my beloved brother, so I’m going to make sure I nail it, man.”

“There is only one thing that you have to learn about.”

“What is it?”

“Actions speak louder than words.”

…

Meanwhile, Onyx finally decided to show himself not long after the tension ended. Thus, he approached Benjamin with Lyra to give him his blessings. In the meantime, Lyra, who noticed the darkened look on her husband’s face, nudged him with her elbow and said, “Come on. You need to crack a smile. Do it for Adelpha, for the sake of our daughter’s marriage. We don’t know how much more it’s going to take for us to rise through the ranks after we leave the Joslin Family. So, hang in there, dear.”

Even so, Onyx only appeared to lighten up a little as he still didn’t crack a smile. When he approached Elise and Benjamin, they somehow didn’t seem to be happy with each other’s presence. “Mr. Joslin, may you live a long life full of prosperity and happiness.” Lyra had her ancient painting in her hands, ready to present it to the old man. She then flattered Benjamin and said, “Onyx and I got this for you as a present. It was drawn by the artist, Leonardo da Vinci himself. So, let’s take a look at it and see if you like it.”

Nevertheless, Benjamin rolled his eyes upward in disgust. “Any piece of art is a piece of trash to me as long as you touch it with your hands.” Upon hearing the old man’s words, Lyra froze with the drawing still in her hand, not knowing whether she should keep it or insist on giving it to Benjamin.

Onyx, who was suppressing his anger all the while, eventually let his rage get the better of him. He then stood in front of Lyra and acted like a shield, reprimanding Benjamin for his unpleasant attitude. “I don’t care if you look down on me, but why do you have to be so mean to my wife? She got this present for you. Do you really think it’s fun to insult other people and destroy their dignity just because you’re rich?!”

“Insult?” Benjamin chuckled coldly. “Where was your dignity when you married my daughter?”

Onyx felt as if someone had just hit him in the soft spot. With his mouth left wide agape for a few moments, he said, “Fine, you and I have nothing else to talk to each other about. Let’s go home, Anastasia!”

As the man turned around, he immediately stopped in his tracks upon hearing Elise’s words. “I’m not going to come with you. It’s Grandpa’s birthday after all, and I’m staying here to look after him.”

“So, this is how it’s going to be now. You don’t take your dad seriously anymore because you think your grandpa’s got your back, huh? If that’s the case, don’t ever come home again!” Onyx was furious.

“That’s my house, and I can go back whenever I want.” Elise continued to help Benjamin fix his clothes, appearing unconcerned about Onyx’s threat.

Unable to cover the excitement within him. Benjamin raised the pitch of his voice and replied, “That’s right. That house was a gift from me to my daughter. Now that she is no longer around, her daughter shall inherit the property. Therefore, she has full ownership of the house. Anastasia will always be my granddaughter even if the White Family and the Joslin Family are no longer on good terms.”

Speechless, Onyx glared at the duo and stomped off in frustration. When Lyra saw that, she quickly put what she was holding down and caught up to him.

…

In the meantime, Danny approached the exit just as he ran into Brendan. “What brings you here?” Danny asked.

“I’m the designer appointed by Benedict, Mr. Joslin’s eldest son, so it’s a natural thing for me to be here. The question is you. Why are you here instead of spending your time hanging around with that lady?” Brendan pulled Danny’s leg.

Alexander, who could hear the conversation between his brothers, was about to remind Danny not to give him away, only to realize it was too late. “I’m a true man who is destined for great things. So, when it comes to times that I’m needed to complete a job Alexander assigned me with, I have to be serious by putting everything else aside.”

Nevertheless, Brendan’s face darkened the moment he heard Danny’s words. Without a word of explanation, he circled around Danny and made his way to the manor.

“Hey, what’s wrong with you?” Danny had no idea why Brendan was so temperamental. “Who got under his skin this time?”

While this question was directed to Alexander, he didn’t want to entertain Danny. Instead, he hung up the call right away.