Ch. 71..80
Chapter 71
Sidney said over the phone, “Nope. Not only did we fail to find out the background of the Miracle Healer, but we can’t even identify June’s background. I feel that someone deliberately cut off all clues.”
Sidney clicked his tongue in amazement and continued, “Who are they exactly? Even I couldn’t get my hands on their information.”
Richard raised his eyebrows. He had expected this outcome.
Sidney asked. “By the way, why did you ask me to investigate them? Do you suspect them approaching you with ulterior motives?”
Richard replied. “It’s not that.”
His intuition was telling him something.
For some reason, he felt that the Miracle Healer looked a little familiar. Her expression, her silhouette, and even her aura were somewhat similar to Tiffany’s.
That was why he asked Sidney to investigate June and the Miracle Healer.
The result was just as he had expected. Sidney couldn’t find anything about June and the Miracle Healer.
Richard said, “Drop the investigation. That’s all.”*
With that, he hung up.
On the other end, Sidney fell into deep thought.
He wondered if things were really going as he jinxed.
He exclaimed internally, ‘Richard sure is popular with girls”
Sidney sighed.
Even Richard Hampton, the once ethereal and aloof figure, was showing signs of falling in love. Sidney lamented his singlehood.
Feeling lonely, Sidney sent a message to Zoe. [Do you want to date me?]
To that Zoe replied: [Do you want to die?]
Sidney laughed when he saw the reply overflowing with irritation.
Zoe was in the middle of an exam when she received Sidney’s message.
Initially, she thought that she could just skip to the next question since she was clueless about the current question she was tackling. However, in the end, she realized that she didn’t know how to answer all the questions.
Irritated, she wanted to give Sidney a good scolding.
Previously, the two of them met with a calamity at Maple Mountain and had a near death experience together.
However, not only did they not become friends after that, but because Sidney had accidentally seen Zoe naked, Zoe had strong urge to kill Sidney even until now.
They had not met each other since the incident. They only bickered occasionally through text messages. Therefore, Zoe couldn’t kill Sidney even if she wanted to.
Looking at Zoe scratching her head, Ged nudged her arm and asked, “Aren’t you going to answer the questions? It’s almost time for submission.”
Zoe replied through her gritted teeth, “I’m writing now.”
She looked like a soldier heading to war. She looked confident though she could answer any kind of difficult question.
Just when Ged was happy for Zoe’s academic improvement, he heard her say, “Let me show the teacher how ineffective the lessons were.
Ged was speechless.
He almost fell from his chair.
Tiffany napped for a little more than an hour.
She was woken up by a commotion.
She got up in a daze and followed the sound to the window.
When she looked out of the window, she saw a scene that made her body tremble. She was wide awake immediately.
In the courtyard of the villa, Richard was sitting on a chair with a domineering posture.
In front of him, Kenneth was half-kneeling on the ground. His white shirt was stained with blood. His face was pale and cold sweat rolled down his forehead. However, he gritted his teeth and didn’t make a sound.
Tiffany recalled Richard issuing a punishment of 50 lashes to Kenneth on Romeo’s birthday party before the former carried her away.
Tiffany initially thought that Richard was just putting on a show to make her feel better. She initially believed that surely Richard would not force Kenneth to carry out such a heavy punishment since they were relatives.
Therefore, Tiffany did not take the punishment to heart.
However, Richard was indeed a man of his word. Not only did he really whip Kenneth, but he showed the latter no mercy! Tiffany was shocked to see Kenneth’s bloody appearance.
Mrs. Harper felt her heart ache as she cried. She tried to stop Richard. “Richard, you can’t do this. Kenneth is your nephew, Even if he made a mistake, you shouldn’t punish him so harshly
Kenneth was Mrs. Harper’s only son. She could not bear to even imagine the consequence of losing her son
However, Richard was unmoved by Mrs. Harper’s pleading. He instructed, “Keep it going?
The subordinate with the whip in his hand nodded and swung it at Kenneth again.
After more than ten whips, Kenneth could not hold on anymore and fell to the ground.
Mrs. Harper pounced forward to stop Richard’s subordinate from continuing. She screamed, “Stop it! Stop it right now!”
However, Richard’s voice sounded like it came from the abyss. He extinguished Mrs. Harper’s hope with his cold-blooded voice.
“Keep it going.”
Richard’s subordinate whipped Kenneth again.
Mrs. Harper tried to hug Kenneth, but she was dragged away by a few other subordinates.
Mrs. Harper’s cries gradually faded into the distance. When the subordinate had finished whipping Kenneth 50 times, Richard looked at Kenneth and asked calmly. “Do you know why! punished you?”
Kenneth replied. “No, I don’t know.”
He was on the verge of death.
Although he claimed that he didn’t know, he had a vague idea of why Richard punished him.
This was not the first time Richard sided with Tiffany. Previously, Richard had scolded him because of Tiffany. This time, Richard whipped him until he was half-dead, also because of Tiffany
Despite his vague speculation, Kenneth refused to think deeper about it.
Richard’s handsome face looked indifferent. He said coldly, “Who do you think you are to make her kneel down to you! These 50 whips are a gentle reminder to you. If you dare to touch a strand of her hair in the future, I’ll f***g cripple you.”
Richard did not mention Tiffany’s name
However, judging from his domineering attitude, his intention was bright as day.
Kenneth smiled bitterly.
He thought, ‘Richard has indeed punished me because of Tiffany!
Without thinking, Kenneth blurted out, “Uncle Richard, are you interested in her?”
Richard replied, “That’s a good question.”
He chuckled. His gaze was piercing as he declared, “That’s why I’m warning you to be more polite to my future wife.
Richard admitted his feelings for Tiffany, openly and matter-of-factly.
Kenneth’s entire body trembled. His pupils constricted, and his face was filled with shock and disbelief.
He never expected that Richard would declare his feelings for any girl.
Kenneth could not properly process his emotions now.
He thought, “How could someone as vicious, arrogant, and willfid as Tiffany be worthy of Richard?
However, Richard did not give Kenneth a chance to ask him more questions. With a wave of his hand, the well-trained bodyguards in Royal Bay dragged Kenneth, who was covered in injuries, back to the Harper residence along with Mrs. Harper, who had fainted from anger.
Tiffany stood beside the window and witnessed the scene.
Although she could not hear the conversation below, she knew very well that Kenneth had been beaten up today by Richard because of her.
She felt an overwhelming warmth enveloping her.
All her anger and regret seemed to have dissolved like melting sow.
The comers of Tiffany’s mouth curled up slightly. Her smile lasted for only a brief moment, but it was a smile filled with gratitude.
Her phone suddenly rang.
Tiffany took a look at it and noticed that the call was from Richard.
She laughed and immediately cleared her throat, reverting to her original voice. She said, “Hello?”
Her voice was exceptionally pleasing to Richard’s ears. It was as if it had magic power, instantly calming his frustration.
Richard’s tone became gentler. He asked, “Are your knees better?
Tiffany replied. “It’s much better now,”
She smiled and continued. “Thank you.”
She was thanking him for standing up for her.
Tiffany felt really good when looking at Kenneth being beaten.
It was satisfying
Chapter 72
Richard chuckled when he heard Tiffany’s chirpy voice.
As usual, he teased, “You have thanked me so many times. You will practically never be able to repay me completely. Why don’t you repay the debt of gratitude by offering yourself to me?
Tiffany choked on her saliva when she heard that.
She coughed uncontrollably,
If not for the fact that she was disguising as the Miracle Healer now, Tiffany really wanted to rush downstairs and shout at Richard. She still vividly remembered how reluctant and annoyed he was towards the idea of marriage when he was dealing with the Miracle Healer.
Now, he wanted her to repay her debt of gratitude by devoting herself to him?
Tiffany thought. You can dream on!”
She snorted and replied. “That won’t do. Logically speaking, we are not even in the same generation.”
Richard was speechless.
His eyes twitched.
With a smug voice, Tiffany said, “Alright. I need to go now, Goodbye, Mr. Hampton!”
After saying that, she hung up on him.
Richard’s face darkened even more.
Looking at the direction where Kenneth was sent away, Richard wished he could pull Kenneth back and beat him up again. Meanwhile, Tiffany, who was in the guest room, put down her phone and rolled on the bed laughing.
She thought, I was just repaying him for showing disdain at me just now!”
For the next few days. Tiffany stayed in Royal Bay as the Miracle Healer. Every day, she would perform acupuncture on Evan and check his pulse.
Aside from the first day when she arrived at Royal Bay, Tiffany did not see or interact with Richard..
Fortunately, Tiffany did not step on any more traps and became gradually used to her life at Royal Bay.
The scenery here was mesmerizing. The mountains on all sides of the villa were undulating, and the clouds were dreamy. Tiffany could enjoy the entire view of Lovell City from the top of the mountain. The skyscrapers resonated well with the meandering river surrounding the city.
After a few days of relaxing. Tiffany had to go back to school.
The night before, Tiffany knocked on the door of Richard’s study
She asked, “Mr. Hampton, are you there?”
Richard instructed coldly, “Come in,
Tiffany opened the door and entered the study. She saw Richard standing in front of a tall bookshelf.
Tiffany reported, “Mr. Hampton, I’ll be leaving tomorrow. But don’t worry. I’ll find time every day to come over and check on Evan until he wakes up. Based on his progress, he will surely wake up within a month.”
Worried that Richard might not let her go, Tiffany assured him, I’ll keep my word.
After picking up a book from the bookshelf, Richard turned around and said coldly, “Sure.”
Tiffany said politely. “Thank you. I will take my leave now. Please continue with your work.”
She left the study after saying that.
The next day, the Hampton family’s driver wanted to send Tiffany back to the cottage. However, June came to pick Tiffany up. Tiffany got into June’s car.
Tiffany instructed, June, please send me to the school.”
Tiffany sat in the back seat. She took out her school uniform from her bag and changed in the car. After that, she removed the disguise on her face, revealing her actual gorgeous looks.
June asked as she drove. “Did they discover your identity?”
Tiffany answered. “No.”
June said. “That’s good. Richard Hampton is a dangerous man. You should keep a respectful distance from him. We don’t have to befriend him. Neither should we become enemies with him.”
Upon hearing this. Tiffany paused slightly, then smiled and said, “I know what I’m doing
She wanted to kill Kenneth and destroy the entire Harper family This meant that she and Richard were on opposing sides.
She didn’t mind flirting with Richard, but her feelings shouldn’t get in the way of her taking revenge against the Harper family since that was her priority.
With Richard’s personality, Tiffany was certain that going against him would not benefit her at all.
June reported, “During the past few days, many people have requested to visit the Miracle Healer. I’ve rejected all of them. After the Hampton family’s case is completed, the reputation of the Miracle Healer will be restored. Those who have doubts will no longer suspect your ability. The rewards for your next case will be even higher
Without thinking much, Tiffany replied, “Okay. You can decide
Twenty minutes later, the car stopped briefly at the entrance of Lovell School.
Tiffany quickly got out of the car, and the silver-gray sedan drove away swiftly. No one even noticed that Tiffany got out of that ear.
Tiffany was careful to hide all her tracks since she didn’t want others to find out about her identity.
Zoe was very excited to see Tiffany again after the latter had been suspended for a week, Zoe rushed forward and hugged Tiffany, She said, “Tiffany, you’re finally back! I didn’t let you down. I’ve improved at lightning speed!”
Ged chimed in, “That’s right. She’s improving at lightning speed
Grd added expressionlessly, “She moved from being the second Last to the fifth list.
Tatlany was speechless.
Zoe immediately turned around and warned Ged, “Mind your own business”
Ged teased, “Your results are public business.”
The two of them bickered like how close friends would.
Tiffany raised an eyebrow
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Obviously, while she was away, Ged held on to his promise despite his nonchalant bearing. He helped Tiffany protect Zoe.
Ged was happy to see Tiffany back. He exclaimed. “It’s good that you’re back.
No one came to find trouble with them for the past week. This was because Mia, who had caused trouble last time, was also suspended from school for a week. Now that the suspension period was over, Ged was worried that Tiffany and Zoe would encounter more trouble.
Tiffany told Ged, “Thanks”
She patted Ged’s shoulder and returned to her seat.
Zoe approached her and updated her on the recent news. “Tiffany, a few big things happened while you were away.”
Tiffany asked. “What happened?
Zoe reported. There’s a rumor that at the birthday party of Kenneth’s grandfather, you drugged Sandra and almost caused her to lose her virginity! Everyone in school has been talking about this. Some people are even defaming you on the school forum.
Zoe looked indignant, but Tiffany remained calm. She asked, “What else happened?”
Zoe said, “There was a preliminaries for an international competition the day before yesterday. A super famous oil painting master came to our school. The painting of Sandra the hypocrite was chosen. Now, she has become the most popular person in school”
Tiffany mumbled, “An international competition?”
She quickly recalled what the competition was
In her previous life, there was indeed an international oil painting competition. Ten oil painting maestros came to the school in search of potential students to become their disciples.
At that time, Sandra was favored by everyone and won the preliminaries. After that, her painting was sent to the international competition, and she even got a prize.
After winning the international competition, Sandra was even more favored in school. She was in the limelight wherever she went and was praised by everyone.
Many people compared Tiffany to Sandra.
They concluded that Tiffany was a useless beauty while Sandra was a talented allrounder.
Unfortunately for Tiffany, no one found out that the painting that won the international competition was actually drawn by Tiffany and was stolen by Sandra.
In the past, Tiffany was foolish and was blinded by Sandra’s sweet words. For a chance to get close to Kenneth, she gave away this great opportunity to win the international competition.
Tiffany laughed and vowed to not make the same mistake now that she had traveled back in time.
Even though she did not care about winning the competition, she could not let Sandra succeed in her evil plan.
Zoe panicked when she saw Tiffany so calm. She said, “Tiffany! How can you still laugh? Sandra has been unbearably smug these few days! I wanted to kill her whenever I saw her.”
Speaking of the devil, Sandra entered the classroom surrounded by her admirers as soon as Zoe finished her sentence.
Chapter 73
The girls in the class surrounded Sandra. One of them asked curiously and enviously, “What did Philip say to you? My father likes Philip’s paintings the most. He even spent a lot of money to buy one last year
Another girl exclaimed, Tm so envious of you to have a chance to be Philip’s student.”
Someone chimed in. “That’s right. If I can get some pointers from Philip for my painting, I’ll be so happy!”
Philip Fremont, who had come to the school in search of suitable students, was an internationally renowned oil painting
expert. He was also the leader of the selection team for the international competition. He was highly respected.
Sandra had performed brilliantly in the preliminaries the day before yesterday. Philip had his eye on her, and he was even willing to personally guide her paintings.
Sandra smiled and said humbly. “I was just lucky”
Despite her words, she appeared smug.
Sandra was slightly stunned when she saw that Tiffany’s seat, which was vacant last week, was occupied again. She suppressed her anger and approached Tiffany with a smile. Sandra asked with concern, “Tiffany, you’re back? Were you okay these few days?”
Tiffany was somewhat impressed by Sandra.
No matter how much Sandra fell out with her in private, the former would always pretend to be on good terms with her in front of others. Sandra would speak with her as if the grudges between them did not exist.
The corners of Tiffany’s mouth twitched. She responded dryly. I was doing fine.
Sandra said, “That’s good. It’s a pity that you were suspended for a week. If you weren’t, you would most likely have been able to join the preliminaries. Unfortunately, it’s too late now.”
Sandra shook her head after saying that, as if she really felt sorry for Tiffany.
During the preliminaries, Frank announced in public that all students who were absent and could not participate would automatically be considered as having forfeited and were eliminated. They would not be allowed to participate in the subsequent rounds of this international competition.
Therefore, Sandra was practically showing off to Tiffany instead of actually expressing her pity for Tiffany,
A few girls at the side sneered. One of them said, “What’s there to pity? Do you expect eye candy to actually be able to paint? She might frighten Philip with her terrible painting.”
After the girl said that, many people laughed out loud.
As everyone knew, Tiffany was a typical eye candy. She was proficient in nothing, and her only interest was in men.
No one had seen Tiffany demonstrating her talent in any aspect.
Even Sandra did not know about Tiffany’s various talents.
Sandra was brought into the Kelley family two years ago. Tiffany had been completely focused on Kenneth then. Other than doing all she could to make Kenneth happy. Tiffany did not do anything else and hence, she had never demonstrated her talent in painting.
Later on, Tiffany casually drew a painting and Sandra saw it. Sandra then blinded Tiffany with all kinds of flattery to make the latter give the painting to her.
That was the most significant turning point for the two of them,
In Tiffany’s previous life, Sandra won the international competition and was crowned a painting genius. She became the student of a renowned oil painting maestro and her career in painting soared.
As for Tiffany, in the end, she took the blame for Kenneth’s sweetheart and went to jail. She then spent five dark and desolate years in jail.
Thinking about the past, Tiffany lowered her eyes slightly and restrained the killing intent in them.
When Zoe heard others mocking Tiffany, she stood up and said, “Sandra, you’re so smug now even before Philip accepts. you as his student. If he really look you in, you would lose touch with reality.”
One of Sandra’s admirers retorted, “That’s still better than you guys, who aren’t even qualified to join the competition!”
Furious, Zoe argued. “You-”
Tiffany interrupted her and pulled her back to her seat. “Sit down.”
Zoe sat down indignantly.
Tiffany tilted her head and looked at the five Sandra’s admirers in front of her. She said calmly, “You should stop provoking me while I’m still faking a smile.”
She was threatening the girls to behave.
Just because she had been absent for a week, it didn’t mean that her temper had gotten any better.
Tiffany was not interested in arguing with these girls. However, they would taste her wrath if they continued being jerks.
The girls were stunned.
They thought, That’s right. Tiffany was someone who dared to hit Mia, the daughter of a real estate tycoon. We’re practically courting death now to mock he head-on.”
They quickly gave up and returned to their respective seats.
Before the class started, Zoe asked in a low voice, “Tiffany, why don’t we go to Philip and plead for a second chance? The school should at least give you a chance to try.”
Tiffany replied, “That won’t be necessary.”
She then raised her eyebrows and asked in amusement. “You really have blind faith in me, don’t you? What if I talented in painting? We would be slapping ourselves in the face by asking for a chance.”
Zoe understood Tiffany’s concern and replied, “You’re right
From Zoe’s point of view, Tiffany seemed to be omnipotent.
am not
Therefore, she was indignant and felt that Tiffany had missed a golden opportunity due to her suspension. Zoe wanted to make up for Tiffany’s loss, but she forgot the most important thing.
If Tiffany was not talented in oil painting, then asking her to join the preliminaries was meaningless.
Zoe quickly changed her stance and comforted Tiffany, saying, “Forget about this competition. We’re not joining”
Tiffany smiled and did not say anything in response to Zoe’s words.
In the afternoon, most of the art major students went to the studio. The studio was packed because Philip would take some time to look at the students’ works and give pointers on their flaws and shortcomings.
This was definitely a once in a lifetime opportunity!
Sandra arrived at the studio very early and occupied the best seat, waiting expectantly for Philip to come over.
Meanwhile, Philip and the other nine maestros were heading towards the art studio.
On the way. Philip chuckled and said, “This trip to Lovell City is rather fruitful. Although the girl I discovered yesterday still has many flaws in her painting, she’s young and talented. Given the right guidance, she will surely become the next oil painting genius.”
One of the maestros asked, “Is the girl called Sandra?”
Philip replied. That’s right.”
Another maestro said. “She’s indeed pretty good. She looks obedient and Sensible. Her paintings are also novel. She’s talented.
From this conversation, the maestros had pretty much decided that they would take Sandra as their student.
A gust of wind blew past. A piece of paper fluttered in the wind and landed on the grass by Philip’s feet.
Out of curiosity, Philip picked it up and looked at it. His eyes widened in surprise, and he could not hide his excitement.
The landscape of a river was painted on the paper.
A lone boat was floating on the river. The surroundings appeared ethereal.
The surrounding green mountains were shrouded in clouds and mist, making them indistinct. On the lone boat, a tiny figure was lying at the bow with a bottle of alcohol beside him.
The leisurely posture of the man in the painting and the artistic conception embellished by the entire painting instantly reminded viewers of the freedom and solitude everyone yearned for.
Philip’s hands were trembling as he held the painting. He looked around and exclaimed excitedly. “Who drew this painting? The artistic conception is ingenious! It’s simple, but allows ample room for imagination. This piece is truly impressive!”
The other maestros also surrounded him and praised the painting
At their age, they were experienced and had seen countless masterpieces. However, they rarely encountered such talent among the younger generation in schools.
However, there was no one around. One of them suggested, “Could the painting be from the studio?”
When Philip heard this, he felt that it made sense. He said, “You might be right. Let’s go and take a look.”
They quickened their pace and headed towards the building that was just nearby.
Meanwhile, Tiffany was lying on the grass not far away, basking in the sun.
Under the sunlight, her face was flawless.
From afar, she looked like she emerged from a painting. Up close, she was breathtakingly beautiful.
Zor was amazed. Even as a woman herself, she was stunned by Tiffany’s beauty.
Tiffany was taking a nap. When she heard footsteps, she could not be bothered to open her eyes. She merely asked, “Is it dune?”
Zoe answered, “It’s done. Just as you expected, Philip and the other maestros admired that painting very much! Tiffany, you’re so talented!”
The landscape painting that Philip picked up just now was drawn by Tiffany in the afternoon. Then, Tiffany instructed Zoe to deliver the painting to the maestros through the wind.
Zoe did not understand Tiffany’s intention of doing so. She asked, “Tiffany, why don’t you show yourself? Philip admires your painting so much. He will definitely take you in as a student!”
Chapter 74
Tiffany chuckled and slowly opened her eyes. She said, “But that’s not what I want
If she wanted Philip’s approval, she wouldn’t need to resort to these tricks. A dozen paintings showcasing her talent would impress him more than anything else.
Zoe was puzzled. “Then what do you want?”
“Don’t ask. Just sit back and enjoy the show,” said Tiffany.
She narrowed her eyes and patted the grass beside her. “Come lie down.”
“Okay!” replied Zoe.
Since Tiffany didn’t explain. Zoe didn’t press further. She supported Tilfahy unconditionally, no matter what happened.
At that moment, in the spacious studio, the students peeked out in excitement when they saw so many masters arriving They quickly returned to their seats and put on their most serious expressions.
Philip walked in and raised a painting in his hand, asking, “Who painted this?”
It was a landscape painting, full of poetic charm and captured beautifully.
However, the students were all clueless and shook their heads in confusion.
One student said. “It wasn’t me”
Another stated, “Not me, either.”
Seeing everyone shaking their heads, Philip was a bit surprised. This must have flown out of the window and landed where I picked it up. None of you painted this?”
Sandra, who had just returned from the restroom, overheard this. A thought quickly formed in her mind.
Hence, she walked in confidently and said with a smile, “Sir, this is my painting. I was sitting over there, and it must have blown off when I went to the restroom.
–
Sandra pointed to her seat conveniently close to the window, which was open. It was entirely believable that the wind could have blown it down.
“Oh, it was you,” said Philip.
He was pleased and nodded repeatedly. “Well, this is a pleasant surprise! Wonderful! From today onwards, you’re my student.
Being a renowned artist’s student guaranteed a spot in the international competition.
Regardless of whether Sandra would be recognized by other artists in the future, she had carved out her place in the art community.
The students looked at each other, unable to hide the envy in their eyes,
Sandra was thrilled. Originally, the process required several rounds of selection. However, thanks to the painting, Philip had directly accepted her as a student, so she was exempted from all subsequent tests.
Sandra could not help but feel that she had made a wise decision. If she had waited for the owner of the painting to show up, Philip wouldn’t have accepted, her as a student.
She wasn’t afraid of being discovered since she was naturally talented. Even if she was exposed, she could always claim that it was a false accusation, and she was confident people would believe her.
Sandra smiled gently and said. “Thank you, sir.”
And so, for the rest of the afternoon, Philip dedicated his time to guiding Sandra, while the other artists offered some pointers to the remaining students.
After class, Philip and the others left in satisfaction.
Sandra was once again surrounded by her classmates. The envious students showered her with praise.
“Sandra, you’re amazing! You really are the most talented student at our school. Compared to you, your cousin is just a disgrace. She has nothing going for her besides her family background,” a young lady said,
A man remarked. “With your talent, it won’t be a problem for you to win an award in this international competition!”
A girl echoed, “Yes, yes, don’t forget about us then. And if Mr. Fremont is still accepting students, see if he can take us in too. Well work hard”
As everyone was flattering Sandra, she felt proud but remained humble on the surface.
“Oh, I was just lucky. But don’t worry, I’ll definitely put in a good word for you all with Mr. Fremont. If he agrees, we can be classmates again,” said Sandra.
Hearing this, the others liked her even more.
The news spread quickly, and when Tiffany heard about it, she wasn’t surprised and simply smiled.
She probably knew Sandra better than anyone in this world. The latter was selfish, petty, and narrow-minded.
Tiffany had sent such a golden opportunity Sandra’s way. Of course, Sandra would take it.
Now that the fish had taken the bait, it was time to reel it in.
Hence, Tiffany took out a few more of her previous works and told Zoe to find a way to get them to Philip the following day.
Zoe didn’t understand her plan and asked in confusion, “Tiffany Sandra has already taken your place, and you’re sending out more paintings? Why?”
“For… Tiffany’s smile turned mischievous, “For drowning her in them.”
still
That night, Sandra dreamed sweetly.
In her dream, she fantasized about winning the highest honor in the international competition, and from then on, no one in Lovell City would ever look down on her again. Also, Kenneth confessed his feelings for her and wanted to marry her.
When Sandra woke up, she was in an exceptionally good mood. But just she was called over by Philip as soon as she finished breakfast.
“Sir, are you looking for me?” asked Sandra.
She walked into the studio that the school had specially prepared for the famous artists. It was clean, spacious, and bright, Philip was studying the things on the table with his back facing her. When he heard her coming, be hurriedly called out, “Come over here. This painting is in the same style as your landscape painting from yesterday, but looking at the paper, it seems to be quite old, right?”
Sandra’s smile froze. She looked down to see a painting of a rustle village scene on the table, with smoke curling from chimneys, white clouds, and birds, all depicted in a leisurely style.
It was clearly from the same person who had drawn the landscape painting from the day before.
Seeing that she was stunned, Philip teased with a smile, “What’s the matter? You don’t remember your own work?”
Sandra replied in embarrassment, “I painted this a year ago. I remember some classmates liked my paintings, so I gave away several of them. I didn’t expect someone to bring it out now.”
She said this in advance, paving the way for herself. If the real artist came forward later, she could use this excuse to turn the situation in her favor.
Philip nodded with a gratified look in his eyes. “You’re the student with the most potential I’ve ever seen. You have a bright future ahead of you, and I have high hopes
“Thank you, sir.” Sandra said happily.
“Now, go and prepare for next month’s competition. If you have any questions, come to me. Philip then added, “By the way, you’re very good at oil painting. That’s your strong suit. Compete on this theme. I believe you won’t let me down.”
T-Sandra opened her mouth, wanting to say something, but ultimately swallowed her words. Of all the styles, oil painting was her weakest. But she couldn’t admit that. She had to push through, no matter what.
After leaving Philip’s studio, Sandra returned to the dorm in a troubled state, only to find Tiffany was doing something unknown in the room.
Out of curiosity, Sandra quietly went upstairs and pecked through the slightly open door.
There she saw Tiffany, with her back to the door, seriously working on a painting on the balcony. The artwork on the paper was an exquisite oil painting.
Chapter 75
Every brushwork was executed perfectly. Tiffany’s skill was impressive.
Sandra’s eyes widened in shock. If she hadn’t seen it with her own eyes, she would never have believed that the painting was done by Tiffany.
She thought, ‘Does that mean the other paintings that ended up in Mr. Fremont’s hands were also done by Tiffany? Then why didn’t she come forward to claim them?
Suspicion rose in Sandra’s heart. After thinking it over, she could only come up with one possibility. Tiffany must have known that she had been suspended and missed the initial selection, so her name had already been removed from the list. After losing the qualifications for the official selection, she could only use this method to try to attract Mr. Fremont’s attention. What a calculating move!
Sandra stood outside the door, feeling a mix of jealousy and anger
Tiffany had hidden her abilities so well that despite their previous close relationship, Sandra had never known she had such talent
If Philip ever finds out that the paintings he values so highly were done by someone else and that I’ve taken credit for them… Sandra shuddered at the thought. The consequences were too frightening to imagine.
I must never let that happen! As Sandra mulled it over, her eyes gleamed with a devious idea.
Just then, Tiffany stood up from her chair, stretching lazily and answering a phone call ‘Okay, okay, I’ll be right there.”
Sandra figured that it should be Zoe calling to ask her out for lunch.
Then Tiffany grabbed her bag and left.
After that, Sandra stepped out from her hiding spot and realized that Tiffany hadn’t locked the door in her hurry to leave.
Sandra was secretly delighted as she quietly snuck into Tiffany’s room and carefully stole the oil painting Tiffany had just completed.
Meanwhile, Tiffany wasn’t going to have lunch with Zoe. She headed straight to the basketball court and smoothly slipped out of the school.
June was waiting there in her car.
Tiffany got in, cheerfully changed her clothes, and carefully disguised herself.
In no time, the stunning young woman had transformed into a modest-looking Miracle Healer.
Seeing her in such a good mood, June teased, “Did something interesting happen?”
Tiffany smiled and said, “Not really. I just caught a fish, and that’s all.”
June knew that Tiffany didn’t mean it literally. It was probably another one of Tiffany’s clever tricks to mess with others. June had seen this side of her many times before.
Tiffany was always smart and resourceful, as long as it wasn’t about love, her wits were razor-sharp.
After spending time together, June could tell that Tiffany truly had no feelings left for Kenneth.
And that was enough. It wasn’t in vain that June’s master had spent so much effort to pave the way for her.
The car drove on and finally arrived at Royal Bay.
Tiffany had previously promised that although she wouldn’t stay at Royal Bay, she would come by every day to give the child acupuncture and check on his condition. She wouldn’t forget this commitment, even if she had to climb walls to get there. my trouble.
The servants at Royal Hay had clearly received instructions, so they let her in without any
As usual, June waited downstairs while Tiffany went upstairs alone.
Evan’s condition had improved significantly compared to before, with the damaged nerves slowly healing. Tiffany was confident that as long as the treatment and acupuncture continued, he would wake up in no more than half a month.
After another two hours of work, Tiffany collected all the needles and breathed a sigh of relief before leaving the room.
As she was about to leave, Richard returned home.
“Mr. Hampton.” Tiffany said politely, “Tve completed my task today, I shall take my leave. Bye. She had no intention of
staying
Richard didn’t press her, simply nodding and saying. “Okay”
It was a brief encounter. Both of them were polite and distant, maintaining a carefully measured distance.
However, as they passed each other, Richard caught a faint whiff of that subtle fragrance again.
It was very light, not a perfume, but pleasant nonetheless. Despite his extreme sensitivity, he didn’t find it off-putting.
Richard stopped in his tracks.
When he turned back around, the young girl and June had already gotten into the car and left.
As he watched her slender figure disappear, an eerie sense of familiarity washed over him as if the person in front of him overlapped with a memory from his past.
A thoughtful expression crossed Richard’s face, and a gleam of deep contemplation flashed in his eyes.
Tiffany returned to the school. She changed her clothes and wiped off her makeup in the car. By the time she returned, it was almost noon.
While eating lunch in the cafeteria, Zoe brought the information she had gathered throughout the morning to Kelly,
“Tiffany, it’s exactly as you said. Sandra really stole your painting. She handed it over to Mr. Fremont, and he was thrilled when he saw it. He praised her painting skills and even said she has the same spirit as her artwork!” Zoe continued with disdain. “Hmph, she’s so full of herself, letting all that praise get to her head. Does she really think she’s that amazing? It’s nothing but deception and fraud!”
Tiffany smiled and ate her meal calmly, showing no sign of anger at having her work stolen.
“When are we going to expose her?” Zoe asked eagerly.
“After lunch, Tiffany replied.
Hearing that, Zoe became instantly excited. She hadn’t had much appetite before, but now she was shoveling food into her mouth with a fervor that suggested she was gearing up for a fight
Tiffany found that amusing. She said, “Take it easy. What’s the hurry?”
After they had their fill, Tiffany went to the art studio leisurely with Zoe. A class was going on.
Since Tiffany had been disqualified and Zoe hadn’t been selected, they weren’t allowed to attend the class taught by Philip.
As expected, just as they appeared, a girl seated near the door sneered and rolled her eyes at them, using a dismissive tone as though she were shooing away beggars. “Is this where you belong? Hurry up and leave. Stop being an eyesore and distracting us
The studio was already quiet, so the girl’s voice immediately drew everyone’s attention. Philip turned around and saw the two girls standing at the doorway whose eyes were filled with admiration and longing as they looked inside.
Philip was usually patient and supportive of eager learners, so he thought about letting them join the class.
Sandra’s heart skipped a beat the moment she saw Tiffany. She clenched her teeth in frustration and kept a smile on her face.
Stepping forward, she said in a considerate tone. “Sir, why don’t we let these two join us for the lesson? They missed the selection because they didn’t show up, and I’m sure they’re regretting it now.”
Philip’s expression darkened immediately when he heard about their absence.
Everyone knew he valued diligent students, but he had no patience for those who missed classes for any reason.
In his words. “If you don’t cherish the opportunities before you, then don’t expect to get another chance later on.”
Chapter 76
Seeing Philip’s expression change, Sandra knew her plan had worked.
As expected. Philip frowned and waved them off, saying. “If you’re not here to attend the lesson, go somewhere else. Don’t interrupt my teaching”
Philip was a guest instructor teaching for a few days at the school, so his time was precious, and it was a unique opportunity for the students to learn from him.
Therefore, when the students in the studio heard Philip disMiss Kelley, they joined in and chased them away. “Don’t you understand human language? Get out of here already!”
One girl shouted, “Don’t just stand there in our way! Do you have any idea how valuable this class is?”
“Get lost! It’s annoying how shameless you are!” said another girl
Hearing all of this, most people would have covered their faces in shame and left in a hurry. But Tiffany did not.
Not only did she stay, but she walked calmly into the studio.
Then, Tiffany pointed at the painting that Philip had hung on the wall as an example and said evenly. This painting is mine. I’m just here to take back what’s mine. Is there a problem with that?”
Standing on the podium, she lifted her chin slightly. Her delicate face was strikingly beautiful.
But her words were met with laughter.
One girl said, “Hahaha, did I hear that right? Did Tiffany just say that the painting is hers? This has to be the joke of the year!”
“Seriously, how shameless can you get? Do you even know your own skill level? You just barged in here to take her credit. You’re probably just jealous that your cousin becomes Philip’s student and not you!” another girl said,
The first girl echoed, “That’s right.”
After the laughter died down, Sandra took on a surprised expression as if she couldn’t believe Tiffany would be so shameless as to take credit for her work
With tears in her eyes, she complained aggrievedly. “Tiffany, how could you say that? I know you’re upset that I’ve outshone you, but you can’t go around making such ridiculous claims.”
The interruption made Philip quite unhappy, so he asked sharply. “What’s going on here?”
“Sir, it’s like this,” Tiffany said with a sobbing tone, “The one who disrupted the lesson is my cousin. I’m staying at my uncle’s house for now, but my cousin doesn’t like me, so she often ignores me and doesn’t want me to outshine her.”
Sandra didn’t go into further details, but everyone understood the implication that she was staying with her relatives and was constantly bullied.
Philip could immediately imagine the difficult situation she was in.
Looking at the red-eyed student in front of him, Philip comforted her, “Don’t worry. I will take care of this.”
A young girl like Sandrà couldn’t possibly cause much trouble, Philip thought.
Afterward, he called the school’s security, saying that he needed someone to deal with a student causing trouble in the
udio.
Within five minutes, several security guards arrived on the scene and asked, “Where’s the troublemaker?”
Someone pointed to the podium, and the security guards rushed forward to drag Tiffany away.
A punishment was definitely coming for her.
Sandra lowered her eyes, and everyone assumed she was upset because her cousin had backstabbed her, but no one saw the hidden joy in her eyes.
Zoe was panicking. They came to expose the fraud, not to get thrown out.
Seeing the security guards approaching them, Zoe was on the verge of losing her cool.
But when she turned back, she saw Tiffany still sitting calmly on the chair on the podium, looking nothing like someone who was causing trouble.
The security guards were overwhelmed by her imposing presence..
Philip waved his hand impatiently and said, “Don’t dawdle. Take the troublemaker away?
The guards snapped back to attention and moved forward to grab Tiffany.
But Kelly just smiled indifferently and asked, “Mr. Fremont, are you really planning to cover for your students even if they are in the wrong?
“Of course not, Philip said with a stern expression. “I never condoned wrongdoing, but I also won’t allow anyone to slander my students”
“If you’re not covering for her, why are you only listening to Sandra’s side of the story?” Tiffany said.
She stood up and pointed to the two paintings of hers that were hanging on the wall as examples, saying. “I’m just here to take back my paintings. What’s wrong with that?”
Her demeanor was confident, and her eyes were clear. There wasn’t the slightest hint of dishonesty in her expression.
Sandra’s heart tightened with anxiety.
She was worried that if this dragged on any longer, Philip might start to get suspicious.
The worst part was that Tiffany’s painting skills were exceptional. If she painted another oil painting in front of the truth would become crystal clear, and it would be obvious who was lying.
That was the last thing Sandra wanted to happen.
So, she spoke up again, her voice filled with grief, Tiffany, do you really want to drive me to despair?*
People instinctively sympathize with the weaker party
Sandra made herself look pitiful, her eyes brimming with tears as if she had been wronged.
In comparison, Tiffany, who had remained calm and composed, looked like an aggressive villain!
everyon
Philip was running out of patience. But before he could say anything, several girls who were siding with Sandra sneered, “Tiffany, have some shame, will you? It’s bad enough to be thick-skinned, but this is just shameless!”
Another girl said, ‘Exactly. Do you think you can just claim those paintings are yours and take them away? Where’s your proof? Did you sign your name on them or something?”
Everyone scoffed in disdain.
To their surprise, Tiffany responded with a faint smile, “And what if I told you that my name is indeed on the painting?”
“Impossible!” Sandra snapped, her voice betraying a hint of panie “Tiffany, why won’t you give up? Do you really want to make things so ugly between us!”
When Sandra had stolen Tiffany’s oil painting, she had carefully checked the room to ensure no cameras could have captured any evidence. She had also inspected the painting itself and found nothing amiss. Since she planned to claim the painting as her own, she had meticulously prepared for every possible outcome.
Therefore, Sandra was convinced Tiffany was just bluffing.
“It won’t do us any good to argue back and forth,” Tiffany suggested calmly. “Why don’t we let Mr. Fremont take down the painting and examine it closely? Let’s see if my name is hidden in there. What do you think, Mr. Fremont?”
Philip agreed to the suggestion, “Sure.”
Since both sides were sticking to their claims, it was best to lay everything out in the open and let the evidence speak for itself.
Philip, known for his fairness, ignored Sandra’s desperate attempts to hold him back. He walked up to the podium and took down the paintings that were used as examples.
Sandraa’s palms were covered in sweat.
It was a high-stakes gamble. If she won, she’d come out on top, but if she lost, she wouldn’t be able to maintain her..
reputation in school in the future.
The room fell silent as most of the students were eager to see the drama unfold.
The girls who had initially defended Sandra tried to reassure her once more. “Don’t worry, Sandra. If you’re in the right, there’s nothing to worry about. This is the perfect chance to teach Tiffany a lesson. Let’s see if she dares act so arrogant again.”
Another girl said, “That’s right. She’s so full of herself, always bullying you just because she’s a rich girl. How detestable!” Hearing these self-righteous comments didn’t comfort Sandra at all. Instead, they only fueled her resentment.
‘It’s all your fault. If you hadn’t opened your mouths, Mr. Fremont wouldn’t have listened to Tiffany’s explanation, and the security guards would have kicked her out by now! But now, I’m being confronted in front of so many people and can’t da anything!’ Sandra thought, putting the blame on the girls.
Philip inspected the painting for what felt like an eternity. After a long while, he finally frowned and said, “There’s nothing here, not a single word.”
Chapter 77
With just one sentence, the entire studio erupted once again..
Many of them had swayed because of Tiffany’s confident statement, and they almost believed her.
But the slap in the face came too quickly, and whatever little trust Tiffany had gained completely vanished.
Everyone looked at her with disdain.
A young man said, “How shameless. You’re trying to claim someone else’s work when you couldn’t do it yourself.”
A girl said, “You’re pretty good at acting. I was almost fooled by your misplaced confidence. Unexpectedly, the outcome is such a slap in the face. I guess I was just too naive to trust a liar like you!”
“What else do you have to say? The truth is out. Aren’t you going to leave? If it were me, I’d be too ashamed to stay. Why are you still standing there, making a fool of yourself?” mocked another girl.
At that moment, it felt like a single word from everyone could drown Tiffany in a sea of scorn.
Zoe clenched her fists in anger without saying anything, but she stood firmly behind Tiffany, silently showing her support. Philip shook his head, feeling a bit regretful.
Just as he was about to put the painting back, Tiffany met his gaze and calmly said. “Who said I wrote my name on the back? Mr. Fremont, why don’t you take a closer look? Maybe there’s something special about this painting?”
Though Philip was reluctant to drag this out any further, his curiosity got the better of him, and he lowered his head to examine the painting.
To his surprise, he noticed that the fine waves in the oil painting subtly concealed several faint letters.
Tracing them, the letters “Tiff” appeared.
Philip was stunned. He looked up and asked, “What’s your name?
Tiffany replied, “Tiffany Kelley
She spread her hands, still in her relaxed posture, and said. “There’s a word ‘Tiff” in there, right?”
Philip said, “That’s right.”
As Philip confirmed this, the sudden turn of events left everyone in the studio dumbfounded, especially Sandra.
The moment Philip asked Tiffany her name, alarms went off in Sandra’s head. She knew things had spiraled completely out of control. And when Philip confirmed it, her face turned ashen
Despite all her calculations, she never imagined Tiffany would have would have laid such a trap. This was like digging a pit and just waiting for her to fall right into it.
This was like digging a pit and just waiting for her to fall right into it.
Sandra’s hand trembled as she forced a smile, “This could just be a coincidence. It doesn’t prove anything.”
As soon as she finished speaking, Philip glanced at her sharply and said, “Do you think I’m an idiot?”
Sometimes, the more one explained, the worse it got. Especially when the truth was laid bare at that moment, forcing an explanation might work, but only a fool would believe it.
Sandra shook her head and denied, “No, Mr. Fremont, please believe me! I really didn’t lie!”
As she spoke, she started to cry, her tearful face leaving the other students in the studio confused about whom to believe.
Tiffany took out a USB drive unhurriedly and raised an eyebrow, saying, “There’s a hidden camera in my dorm that captured exactly how my painting was stolen. Care to take a look
Tiffany’s words were polite, but her demeanor was dominant and forceful.
She tossed the USB drive back, and Zoe quickly caught it and connected it to the computer and projector in the studio. In less than ten seconds, the surveillance footage began to play.
The video showed Sandra sneaking into Tiffany’s dorm, nervously looking around before taking the painting from the balcom
The entire clip was less than a minute long, but it hit Sandra like a loud slap, leaving her head spinning.
She thought. I was so careful, thoroughly checking Tiffany’s dorm to ensure there were no cameras! But why? Why did the very thing I worried the most still happen?”
Sandra opened her mouth to explain, but when she looked up, she saw that the way everyone looked at her had completely changed.
Even the girls who had previously defended Sandra looked at her in disgust, flipping from concern to anger as they lashed
out. “You’re a thief?”
The word “thief could blacken a person’s name for life.
If the hidden letters in the painting weren’t enough evidence, then the video was solid evidence. Any attempt to argue against it would be utterly futile.
Philip shook his head in disappointment and said, “Talent can be developed through hard work, but if you lack integrity, there’s no hope. Leave now. I don’t accept students with poor character.
With those words, it was as if he had delivered a final verdict.
Sandra’s plan had completely failed.
She staggered back two steps, then ran out of the studio, holding back tears.
The crowd sighed. No one expected things to end up like this. But aside from the shock, there wasn’t much sympathy for
Sandra
After all, it takes a special kind of nerve to nature left everyone stunned and even a bit unsettling. She was too good at pretending.
steal someone else’s work and then try to frame the owner. Sandra’s manipulative
After Sandra left, the studio fell silent again.
Tiffany tilted her head and asked. ‘Sir, can I take my painting now?”
Philip nodded and extended an olive branch, “You have great talent. Would you be interested in becoming my student?”
Although the previous rule was to disqualify those who didn’t participate in the selection process, all rules are subject to Philip’s discretion.
Upon hearing this, everyone in the studio had mixed feelings.
None of them had ever imagined that Tiffany, who they thought was just a pretty face, had such remarkable talent and skill in painting
After recovering from the shock, they were consumed with envy
Philip disregarded the rules he had previously set and personally extended an invitation to accept her as a student. It was something they all dreamed of.
But Tiffany’s response left everyone utterly astonished.
She said, “Sir, thank you for your kindness, but this is just a hobby for me. I don’t plan on making a career out of it.”
That was the truth. Tiffany wasn’t putting on airs, it was simply how she felt.
The other students looked at each other in disbelief, barely able to contain their shock.
So many of them had been working tirelessly to reach the level Tiffany achieved on a whim. The comparison was nothing short of a public execution.
For them, there was no pain like the pain of comparison, and it was infuriating.
Philip was taken aback by Tiffany’s rejection and hesitated for a moment before saying. “Are you serious? But you do have remarkable talent. I was hoping you’d consider participating in the upcoming international competition.”
Tiffany ultimately declined Philip’s offer, suggesting that other students might be more eager for the opportunity.
Her modest and uncompetitive attitude led many to change their opinion of her.
However, Philip was still reluctant to give up on such a promising talent, so he proposed, “No matter what, this painting is a product of your hard work. How about this? I’d still like to submit your painting to the competition. Whether it wins or not is another matter, but at least it wouldn’t go to waste.”
Tiffany agreed because she was curious.
In her previous life, Sandra had won a pretty decent award for the painting.
But now, with so many things rewritten in this lifetime, the painting carried more emotion and maturity than the previous one. Tiffany wondered if it could still win.
After this incident was over, Tiffany put it out of her mind.
The theft scandal spread like wildfire, and Sandra’s reputation was completely ruined. Those who once supported her were now the ones who despised her the most.
Chapter 78
Sandra was thus isolated by everyone. The shameful incident was also posted on a forum for people to comment on. There had even been posts previously suggesting that Tiffany had drugged Sandra at Romeo’s birthday party in an attempt to ruin her reputation. Despite the uncertainty of these claims, they quietly faded away, unlike the theft with concrete evidence.
Zoe finally felt a sense of relief.
Previously, when Sandra was riding high, she loved to pour scorn on Tiffany. But just a short time later, she had fallen from grace and was despised by everyone.
On the contrary, Tiffany, who used to be a subject of ridicule, had redeemed herself. Not only had she impressed everyone with her exceptional talent, but she had also rejected Philip’s invitation, making many people envious and frustrated.
Zoe couldn’t help but roll her eyes and felt irritated when she looked at those who had sneered at Tiffany before. She grumbled to Ged. Those loudmouths sure have learned to behave now.”
Ged was just a spectator of the incident, but he subconsciously sided with Tiffany.
When Tiffany was being slandered and insulted, he had secretly taught many people a lesson for her.
It was a form of support as a friend
Now that the situation had reversed so brilliantly, Ged felt an inexplicable sense of satisfaction.
However, he glanced sideways and noticed that Tiffany remained unfazed as if such trivial matters were nothing to her and could barely stir her emotions.
In short, those weaklings were not worthy of her attention.
Ged touched his nose. Instead of responding to Zoe’s words, he asked. “This matter is over, but a major exam is coming up Zoe, are you prepared?”
Zoe got into the school through connections and had the worst grades. The upcoming exam was crucial because it would determine the class placements for the next semester.
Upon hearing this, Zoe immediately showed a face of despair, wailing. “Help me!”
“Serves you right, Ged said disdainfully, “What have you been doing when I told you to focus on your studies?”
Though he was a rich playboy who liked to have fun and often indulged in mischief, he never neglected his studies.
When Zoe heard this, she immediately retorted, “Tiffany’s grades are as bad as mine. If I do better than her, won’t that be disrespectful? Besides, if you want to diss me, why not criticize her as well?”
Ged was at a loss for words.
Tiffany was often called a pretty face because everyone knew she was not good at anything. Despite the fact that she revealed an extraordinary talent for painting this time, her grades had always been poor.
Zoe’s excuse for this was quite fitting. Most importantly, even though Tiffany was not good at studying, Ged did not dare to criticize her.
Tiffany was originally resting with her eyes closed. Suddenly, she said, “What? Zoe, I guess you have some misunderstanding about me. Do you believe will make it to the top three in this cand
Ged did not believe her words
However, Zoe showed her enthusiastic support by immediately echoing. “I believe it. So to avoid dragging you down, I will definitely work hard to get into the top twenty!”
“Great. You can do it!” encouraged Tiffany.
Seeing Zoe, who was feeling hopeless just moments ago, suddenly energized like she had a shot of adrenaline, Ged was left completely baffled. “Wait, hold on. One of you is blindly confident, and the other is ridiculously loyal. Can’t you be a little more realistic?”
“So, you think we can’t do it, huh?” Zoe challenged him with a question. “How about this? Let me, the underachiever, test you, the top student. Tell me which is heavier. A pound of bricks or a pound of feathers?”
For such a simple and childish question, Ged casually responded without a second thought, “Of course, bricks are heavier!” But as soon as he finished, he saw Zoe looking at him as though he was an idiot.
“Wh–what? Did I get it wrong?” Ged asked, completely puzzled.
Tiffany finally opened her eyes, seemingly amused, and said, “They both weigh one pound.”
Geg took a second to realize he was fooled by the tricky question Even though he prided himself on being smart, he had completely missed the obvious answer.
Unable to handle the blow, Ged let out a howl and pretended to bang his head against the wall.
Zoe, on the other hand, was laughing so hard she was practically rolling on the floor. She pointed at Ged and mocked, “You’re so dumb!”
With these two jokers around to keep things lively. Tiffany didn’t find her days in class all that boring. As usual, she would find time to sneak out every day to Royal Bay to treat the child.
In the blink of an eye, another week passed by.
Finally, after disappearing for over half a month, Kenneth finally returned.
A lot of people had been curious about why he took such a long leave of absence. The explanation he gave was that he was unwell. But Tiffany knew that he had been whipped fifty times and was laid up in the hospital.
Richard was always known for his strict and ruthless nature. Once one crossed him, even if the person were his nephew, there was no escaping his wrath.
What Tiffany didn’t know was that ever since Richard had warned Kenneth to be nice to his future aunt at Royal Bay that day, Kenneth had perceived Tiffany as a scheming and dangerous woman. If not, how else could she bewitch his charming and powerful uncle?
However, even if Tiffany knew this, she would just laugh it off. She never cared about what trashy people thought, anyway.
If there was anyone who was truly overjoyed by Kenneth’s return, it was Sandra, who had been isolated by everyone during buy absence
“Kenneth, you’re finally back. Are you alright? Does it still hurt? asked Sandra.
Although Kenneth hadn’t been at school, the two of them had kept in touch privately. Sandra had even visited him in the hospital the previous weekend.
Naturally, she hadn’t forgotten to exaggerate about what had happened at school.
The truth was, she had stolen Tiffany’s painting and taken credit for it, but the version she told Kenneth was that Tiffany couldn’t stand seeing her gain favor with Philip, so she had deliberately swapped the paintings and falsely accused her of theft, causing her to suffer greatly.
Sandra’s acting skills were excellent, and she really sold the story
Kenneth was already biased toward her. Therefore, when he heard that, he was furious. After that, he took Sandra everywhere with him in public. Furthermore, they became inseparable at school, completely unconcerned with what others thought.
As a result, the people who had previously ignored and isolated Sandra started to cozy up to her in order to curry favor with Kenneth.
Eventually, the theft scandal was gradually hushed up by Kenneth
Seeing this obnoxious couple strutting around all day, with Sandra occasionally throwing smug looks her way, Zoe was furious. She felt bad for Tiffany being so blatantly betrayed, and cursed Kenneth out, “Scumbag! Teh! He’s an absolute piece of trash!”
Chapter 79
In contrast, Tiffany remained remarkably calm.
After enduring so much in her past life, the current minor troubles were nothing more than child’s play to her. Having lived two lifetimes, she had become tougher than anyone else.
The weather gradually became hot.
The most important exam had finally arrived.
Unlike other schools, Lovell School conducted adjustments and selections every half–semester, meaning classes were restructured based on performance, with rewards and penalties
Zoe had fallen behind after switching schools mid–term, so she had been catching up on her studies lately. Fortunately, Ged, though reluctantly, had helped her get back on track
Therefore. Zoe wasn’t worried about herself but was concerned about Tiffany. “Tiffany, are you confident? You haven’t seemed to study much…
Not only did Tiffany not study, but she also slipped out of school for a few hours every day.
Zoe didn’t know what she was up to and acted so mysterious.
“Don’t worry.” Tiffany said and patted Zoe’s shoulder, looking nonchalant,
In her previous life, she stayed up for several nights organizing notes to help Kenneth prepare for the exam, hoping it would. give him more confidence. Unexpectedly, that scumbag handed her notes over to Sandra. The betrayal was so deep that Tiffany couldn’t erase it from her mind.
But in this life, it seemed to work to her advantage.
Zoe had always admired Tiffany. When she heard that, she worked harder to keep up
However, someone overheard their conversation, and Tiffany’s bold remark about making the top three got out, prompting the entire class to sneer at her.
Despite Tiffany’s talent in art, her consistently poor performance was hard to overlook.
On exam day, someone even asked her directly, “Hey, do you really think you can make it into the top three?”
Tiffany replied with a smile, “So what if I do? Do you want to make a bet?”
As soon as the bet was mentioned, Ged’s eyes lit up. He shouted eagerly, “Alright, alright! This time, no betting money. We’ll wager something else. But let me make it clear. I’m betting on Tiffany!”
Ged had been mocked endlessly after losing an archery competition in Nocturne Arena and having to do a humiliating striptease.
He thought it wasn’t really his fault because his opponent was just too strong.
Therefore, he was more than happy to see someone else take the fall, so people would forget about his embarrassing loss.
Sure enough, with Ged stirring the pot, a hot–headed male student got riled up and challenged Tiffany to a bet. The stakes were a three–month stint as a personal lackey.
It was a ruthless move. There was no money involved, just a wager on pride and dignity,
Tiffany raised an eyebrow, and to everyone’s surprise, she agreed.
Out of the more than thirty students in the class, only Ged and Zoe bet on Tiffany. The remaining eighteen students who participated all bet on her opponent, Henry Scott. This meant that if Tiffany lost, she’d have eighteen lackeys, and if Henry lost, he’d be the one with a group of followers..
Henry was thrilled at the idea of Tiffany, who usually acts like a queen, losing the bet and having to be at the beck and call of him. The fact that she was the most stunning heiress in Lovell City only made it more exciting.
Henry even made a point to emphasize, “You can’t go back on your word or turn to violence when you lose!”
Everyone knew Tiffany was ruthless in a fight, but Henry was confident he could crush her academically.
Tiffany’s lips curled up. Her dazzling and breathtaking smile seemed to light up the entire classroom. The whole class was mesmerized
But then Tiffany said. “Neither of them will happen because I won’t lose.”
She sounded casual, but her words carried an air of absolute arrogance.
Some wanted to retort, but the exams were starting, and all the students had to take their places.
Lovell School was a prestigious school, and the exams were taken on highly advanced computers, with built–in monitoring and alerts, leaving no room for cheating.
Tiffany was always the first one to submit her electronic answer sheet.
The exams seemed to be child play for her. There was no hesitating and struggling for answers. The entire process was so smooth and fast for her that it made people wonder if she was just giving up or playing mind games.
By the end of the day, all eight major subjects were completed. The results of the entire school would be displayed on the large screen in just ten minutes.
Henry let out a big sigh of relief. He was confident that he had performed well, so he ate while teasing, “Tiffany, you handed in your papers so quickly. Are you sure you didn’t submit a blank paper?”
After saying that, the young man behind him perked up and said with a smile, “Don’t worry, Tiffany. Even if you come in last, we won’t make fun of you.”
Zoe rolled her eyes and was about to snap back, but then the screen suddenly flashed. Then, the final scores were tallied. After taking a closer look, Zoe burst into wild laughter. “Idiots, why don’t you take a look at the screen before getting all smug? This is ridiculous!”
Everyone instinctively turned around and saw their class’s rankings displayed on the screen.
At the very top of the list was Tiffany Kelley!
They were all dumbfounded. “How is this possible…”
Climbing a few spots might be believable, but jumping all the way from the bottom to the first place made them suspicious. “Did you cheat or something?
Chapter 80
Zoe burst into laughter. “Why do you think it’s impossible? If you can do it, why others can’t? Just admit defeat, and all you little sidekicks, report to your leader!”
Zoe was laughing so hard she was almost in tears. Honestly, she had been quite nervous herself. But Tiffany was never blindly confident, if she said she could do something, she definitely would.
Now, no matter what these people think, there’s no better way to shut down all the gossip than with undeniable skill.
The others still hadn’t fully processed what happened, but Tiffany had already picked up her bag and smiled at them, saying. “It’s okay if you can’t accept it now. Take your time to get used to it. See you next semester,
After the finals, the summer vacation came.
Tiffany was ready to leave school, but before that, she had to head back to the dorm to pack up.
Zoe followed along, laughing as she said, “Those guys looked like they’d been struck by lightning! It’s hilarious!”
Henry was a top student, and he had been sure he would secure first place this time. Therefore, he had made the bet confidently: Never had he expected that he’d be completely outclassed by the girl he always looked down on.
Tiffany took the first place, with, Henry trailing behind by twenty points in second. Ged came in third.
Seeing Zoe’s proud expression, Tiffany just smiled without saying anything. The bet had never really mattered to her. Actually, she did not take the bet seriously at all. It was just a bunch of immature people who wanted to make things difficult for her, so she decided to teach them a lesson
If not for them provoking her, she wouldn’t have tried so hard. Initially, she had only planned to secure a spot in the top ten But apparently, those fools were asking for trouble,
Tiffany thus became more serious about the final exams. And as a result, she ended up in first place by accident.
Good thing Henry didn’t hear her thoughts. Otherwise, the poor guy might have started banging his head against the wall
out of frustration.
Zoe said, “Hey, are you heading home tonight, Tiffany? We haven’t officially started the break yet. I’m sure there’ll be something going on tomorrow,
Zoe followed Tiffany back to the dorm. When Tiffany was packing up the few things she had, Zoe asked, “Why don’t you leave tomorrow? It’s just one more day. We can leave together!”
“Sure,” Tiffany agreed.
As for the school’s plans for the following day, it was just a formal procedure that wasn’t really necessary
Tiffany put her bag down and opened a drawer, only to find that her bracelet was missing
The bracelet was a gift from Richard, so she never dared to wear it when visiting Royal Bay, as it would immediately expose her identity.
During her time at school, she would take time to go to Royal Bay every day, so she hadn’t worn the bracelet in a while and kept it in the dorm.
But now, the drawer was empty,
Tiffany froze and her brows immediately knitted together.
Aside from the time she intentionally left the door unlocked to let Sandra steal her painting, she always locked the door when leaving.
But the lock showed no signs of being tampered with, and yet the bracelet was missing.
So, Tiffany was sure that someone had gotten a hold of her room key.
“What’s wrong?” Noticing Tiffany’s troubled expression, Zoe couldn’t help but ask, “Did something happen?”
“I lost something. Tiffany replied. “Do you remember my bracelet? The one you said nice.”
“Of course, I remember!” Zoe said.
She had asked Tiffany about it before out of curiosity. Although Tiffany hadn’t revealed the price, Zoe could tell it was valuable. Besides, it was a unique piece by an internationally renowned designer–one of a kind in the world.
“It’s… lost?” Zoe was incredulous. “Who would dare do that?”
Tiffany sneered. Other than Mia, I can’t think of anyone else.”
Tiffany had been wondering why Mia hadn’t caused any trouble in such a long time. There was no way Mia was that scared of her. It turned out, she was secretly planning something big-
To confirm her suspicion, Tiffany checked the camera she had set up in her room. It was initially meant for Sandra. But after Sandra was caught stealing her painting, the culprit must have been more cautious because the camera had been destroyed.
There are cameras downstairs. She can’t cover everything up by herself, right? I’m going to the security office to check the footage. We’ll definitely find out who entered the apartment, Zoe said indignantly and was ready to gather evidence.
Tiffany analyzed, “It’s useless. If she could get her hands on the key, she’d probably erase all the surveillance footage downstairs 100.”
Zoe said, “Then what should we do? This is not a small matter. Why don’t we call the police? That bracelet must still be with ber. We can always find it!”
Hearing this, Tiffany smiled. Instead of getting anxious, she advised Zoe, “Remember, no matter what, if you stir things up without evidence, you’ll only end up hurting yourself.”
Zoe said, “We can’t just let it go,”
“Let it go?” Tiffany slowly rolled up the sleeves of her school uniform, a mischievous and wicked grin appearing on her face. “Do I look like someone who’s easy to deal with?”
Her demeanor was like a thug about to go out and start trouble.
Zoe blinked as she thought, ‘Right. Things have been calm for so long. I have almost forgotten how vengeful Tiffany–could be
Zoe was not worried that Tiffany would be at a disadvantage. Instead, she felt sorry for Mia, who was about to face a disaster. Watching Tiffany head out, Zoe couldn’t help but ask, “Tiffany, are you sure you don’t need me to help you tie her up? When the two of them first met, they were both held captive in that abandoned place.
Back then, Tiffany had been the one beating the bad guys up while Zoe was in charge of tying them up and giving them another beating.
It was perfect teamwork.
Tiffany chuckled nd said, “No need. Wait for me to come back.
With that, she slipped out alone under the cover of night, heading to another apartment.
Since Lovell School was a prestigious school, it provided excellent dorms and private apartments.
Mia was two years ahead of Tiffany, so she was in a different building far from Tiffany’s.
When Tiffany arrived at her destination, she looked at the lights upstairs with a shadow occasionally passing by the window. Without a second thought, she scaled the wall silently, climbing from the first to the second floor.
At that moment, Mia was sitting in her bedroom, holding a string of shiny pink diamond bracelets under the light.
The dazzling brilliance of the diamonds was so stunningly beautiful it felt like a dream. It was simply mesmerizing.
No wonder they were rare diamonds.
As Mia admired the bracelet, she felt immense satisfaction, At the same time, she sneered and thought to herself, “Tiffany Kelley, that b*tch lied to me, saying it was a $200 trinket from a street stall. Does she really think I’m that stupid?”
But the more she thought about it, the more envious she became
This is actually a gift from Richard to Tiffany! He spent 40 million dollars without batting an eye and gave this to that girl? Could the rumors be true? That Richard has feelings for Tiffany: The more Mia thought about it, the more consumed with jealousy she became!
She pondered, ‘If I can’t have it, no one else can either. Even if Tifany didn’t want to give me the bracelet, it still ended up in my hands, didn’t it? So what if Tiffany finds out? Without proof, what can she do to me?”
That smug smile on Mia’s face froze when she suddenly saw a grinning face appear at the window.
Her mind went blank as if she’d been hit over the head.
She was about to scream, but before she could, the girl who had gracefully and effortlessly jumped through the window smiled even more brightly.
‘Don’t be afraid. Yeah, I’m not a good person,” said the girl.
Who else could it be but Tiffany?