Ch. 41..50

Chapter 41

Bonnie checked the time and casually said, “We still have some time on our hands and it’s been a long time since I last brewed any tea from Mariage Frères. I guess I’ll just think of this as practice.” With that, she started brewing.

She took the tea leaves and started washing them. This was to remove any dust on its surface, but it was extremely difficult to do. One misstep could compromise its taste.

She proceeded to pour the water in and pour it out again. Every movement was effortless and swift, so as not to compromise the tea leaves in the slightest.

Next,

she brewed the tea. She did it so gracefully that the whole scene looked like a painting. She was beautiful to begin with, and she looked like an elegant deity with the aromatic scent floating through the room.

Ivor sat across from her, completely drawn in. His gaze never left Bonnie for even a fraction of a second.

“There. Enjoy.” She gave him a cup of tea. He snapped out of his trance. He cleared his throat, took the cup, and tasted the tea. His eyes widened in shock as the tea flowed down his throat.

“How does it taste?” She asked.

“Wonderful…” He looked at her in complete awe. He had never known that tea could taste this way! The tea Master Quenton had brewed paled in comparison. It was tasteless, even.

“It’s mellow, full–bodied, and there’s a hint of sweetness. As you said, you brew better tea than Master Quenton,” Ivor complimented. “How did you learn to be so impressive at brewing tea?”

“Is it

really so impressive? I just need to boil some hot water and read the color of the tea. It’s way easier than learning kickboxing with my master up on the hills.” Bonnie rested her chin on her hands.

He couldn’t believe she was an expert tea master. And to think he was trying to bring her down a little. It had ended up being her who had taken him by surprise instead!

Ivor fell silent and he felt a little embarrassed. Bonnie was an expert tea master and exceptionally good at chess. To top it off, she had learned kickboxing from Cary and was his favorite apprentice.

Any one of these accomplishments would have commanded immense respect from the entire world.

It was abrupt, but he started to cast his mind back to the things she had said to him back then.

He didn’t deserve her.

It was beginning to look like she was right. Ivor was suddenly annoyed with himself. He had been condescending to her when he hadn’t known any better.

“Let’s begin.” Bonnie sat by the chessboard.

Ivor collected his thoughts and sat down. He directed all his focus on the game of chess. They played

27

several matches. He won and lost some of them. They even ended a few matches in stalemates.

At one o’clock in the morning, Bonnie didn’t make a move after Ivor had ended his turn. When he raised his head, he found that she was asleep. She looked peaceful and her fair skin was tender beneath the light.

He froze and stared at her for some time, oblivious to the fact that he was looking at her with a tenderness he didn’t know he had.

The night was chilly. She could catch a cold if she slept like that.

Ivor rose slowly and walked to her, wanting to wake her up. He could smell a pleasant scent as he leaned in close. It didn’t smell like perfume. Instead, it smelled like herbs.

Confused, he lowered his head and leaned in closer. Then, her beautiful eyelashes caught his attention. They were long and curled at a charming angle.

He lowered his gaze and stared at her lips.

 

 

Chapter 42

Her lips were moist and a blush pink. He could almost imagine just how sweet they must taste….

Ivor gulped.

At that moment, Bonnie opened her eyes abruptly, and their gazes met.

It was awkward. Ivor continued to lean in as if he was under her spell. They were so close to each other that their noses almost touched. It felt strange.

“What are you doing?” She kept a clear head and backed off, trying to keep her distance from him. She looked at him, alarmed.

He was startled at first, but collected himself and rose, “I was about to wake you. You might catch a cold, sleeping out here.”

She studied him, but she didn’t discover anything funny from his expression. Then, she thought about the way he usually treated her and thought that maybe she was making something out of

nothing. Anyway, there was no need to dwell on it anymore.

Bonnie looked at the chessboard and realized they hadn’t finished the last match.

Ivor said with concern, “I’m sorry. It’s my fault. I forgot about your SATS. You should probably go back to sleep. We’ll leave the chessboard as it is and continue the match after your SATs are over.”

“That works for me.” With that, she left the room. Ivor looked at the closed door, then at his room,

and felt a little empty inside.

On the other hand, Bonnie had just gone into her room and switched on the light when she saw Jim standing by the window. She pursed her lips and said, “Looks like you’re coming and going as you please, but you better watch out. There are a lot of skilled men here at the Knight’s. We’ll never be able to explain ourselves if someone sees you climbing into my room in the middle of night.”

“That’s because you’re the one who decided to come back to your room in the dead of night.” He frowned. “Why did you spend such a long time in Ivor’s room?”

“We were playing chess.”

“You’ve been playing chess until now?”

“You wouldn’t understand. Let me put it this way. Our desire to play chess is just like your desire to spar. Do you remember how we met back then?”

“I sure do.” He scratched the back of his head, embarrassed. He had wanted to spar with someone back then. Fate had brought him to her. He had pestered her and asked to spar with her ever since he found out she was a formidable fighter.

“Trust me when I say there’s nothing for you to worry about. Hurry up and leave. If someone comes into my…” She was cut off by an abrupt rapping on her door.

‘Knock knock knock.‘

That surprised both of them.

“Who is it?” Bonnie gestured to Jim to remain still.

“It’s me.” She could hear Ivor’s deep voice.

“What is it?”

“You forgot your phone in my room.

“Oh.”

That seemed like a good reason for him to be here, which meant she had no excuse to stop him from coming in. If Jim jumped out of her window, Ivor would certainly hear the commotion, so she pointed to the restroom. Jim caught her meaning and hid in there.

Ivor scanned her room with a deep stare when she opened the door. “What took you so long?”

“I was just in the restroom,” She lied calmly.

He looked at the restroom and said, “Why’s the restroom door closed if you were just in there?”

Her heart pounded but she kept her face blank. “Force of habit.”

Ivor kept staring at the restroom. He squinted and said lightly, “The toilet in my restroom wasn’t working. I’ll need to use yours.” He charged toward her restroom and swung the door open.

 

Chapter 43

But there was no one in the restroom.

Ivor’s frown grew deeper. He thought he had heard a man’s voice in her room. Could he be overreacting?

“I don’t need to use your restroom anymore. You should get some rest,” He said lightly.

“Sure. Please close the door on your way out,” Bonnie said lightly too.

Nothing was out of the ordinary.

“Sure.”

She rushed to the restroom the moment he left. Where was Jim? The window in the restroom could only open a little, and it was so small it wouldn’t have been possible for Jim to get out through it.

Then, she heard a ‘Swoosh!‘ and Jim dropped from the ceiling.

“That was a close one. I would’ve been caught if I hadn’t acted fast enough.”

“You were lucky, but you shouldn’t act so rashly again.” She started to chase him out of her room. Alright. That’s all the time you have. Hurry up and go. Remember, don’t climb into my room unless it’s an emergency!”

“Loud and clear.” Jim left, feeling dejected.

Bonnie received a call from Vera the next morning. Her mother asked her to have breakfast over at their place.

Bonnie had just left when Quenton stepped foot into the Knight premises.

“Was what you said last night true, Mr. Ivor? Did that girl brew better tea than I did?”

Ivor took a teapot from the fridge. There was still some tea left in it. “This must be stale now after last night, but I believe your keen senses will allow you to taste the brewing skill behind the tea nonetheless.”

Quenton poured himself a cup of tea. His eyes glinted as he tasted it. “Spectacular! The taste of the tea leaves should have been lost after an entire night, but it tastes wonderful regardless. The key lies in the rich aroma. It surprisingly benefited from the cold brewing!”

“Where’s the girl, Mr. Ivor? I have to see her!”

“She’s just gone out. I’ll let you know as soon as she returns.”

Quenton sat on the couch and said “I’m not going anywhere. In fact, I’ll do nothing until I meet her today.” He was an old man over sixty, but he looked as excited as a child who was refusing to leave the candy store until he got his candy.

Ivor fell into a deep thought.

Bonnie’s tea brewing skill must be beyond his understanding for Quenton to react like this. She was just a young lady. How exactly did she learn all of these skills? The more he got to know her, the more mysterious she became

His lips curled into a smile and he locked his gaze on the teapot the way a predator looked at its prey.

At the Shepard’s place, Vera was filing her nails. She said nonchalantly, “Since you’re going to take your SATs tomorrow morning, you should stay here tonight, Bonnie. I’ll have Lorraine make your favorite food and make sure you eat well. I wouldn’t want you going around saying I treated you poorly.”

Bonnie sneered. “It sounds like you’re doing all this not because you’re worried about me, but because you’re worried about being the butt of gossip.”

“What kind of nonsense is that?!” Vera yelled angrily. Bonnie was right, and she had been exposed.

“Am I wrong? I remember you made Trina’s food yourself when she was taking the SAT’s. But now that I’m the one taking them, you’re telling the servants to do it instead. You sounded condescending,

too.”

“Is that how you talk to your mother, Bonnie? She hasn’t been feeling well. Are you still going to ask her to prepare food for you herself? Are you really so heartless? That’s not how I raised you!” Gresham could stand it no longer, so he raised his voice and lectured her.

Bonnie couldn’t be bothered to argue any further. It didn’t matter what she said or did. Her parents would always favor Trina over her. If she didn’t know any better, she would have thought she was the one who had been adopted.

“If that’s all, I’m leaving.”

“Look at you. Do you think you’re tough just because you’re an adult now? Are you really leaving just because I said something you didn’t like? Are you trying to give me a heart attack?” Furious,

Gresham took a broom lying against the wall of the living room and moved to strike Bonnie with it.

At that moment, Trina stepped forward and begged for Bonnie to be spared like the two–faced hypocrite she was. “Don’t hit her, Dad! She didn’t mean it. She was just born like that. Her SATs are tomorrow. You’ll affect her grades if you hit her. This is the most important test of her life! It’ll decide her entire future!”

“I’ll affect her grades?”

 

Chapter 44

“She’s always flunked her tests. How could I affect her grades?” Gresham was infuriated.

“Do me a favor, Dad. Please stop being mad, okay? She’s been alone out there for a few days now. She must have had a hard time. Now that she’s finally back home, you’re going to hit her. What’s the public going to say about us?”

And just like that, tears started rolling down Trina’s face. Gresham’s heart broke at the sight and he threw the broom aside.

“Oh, Trina. You’re softhearted and way too kind. You defend Bonnie every time she makes a mistake, but she’s never appreciated it.”

“I don’t mind. We’re family, and she’s my sister. I have to help her. It’s the right thing to do.”

Vera hugged Trina, her eyes filled with love. “My dear Trina… You’re so thoughtful that you break my heart.”

“I know you and Dad love me with all your heart, Mom. I’m just sorry I’m not your flesh and blood.” Trina sounded a little dejected and distressed.

It was nauseating.

Bonnie was well–versed in human psychology. She could tell at a glance that Trina wasn’t the least bit depressed or upset. Her eyes were shifty and her lips were stiff. She’d also touch her nose from time to time. All those microexpressions were clear indicators that she was just putting up an act.

It was too bad that Ver they favored Trina!

and Gresham were eating it all up. They couldn’t have made it clearer that

“My wonderful child. We might not have given birth to you, but you are closer to us than anyone else could ever be, even our own daughter.”

That brought more tears to Trina’s eyes.

“That’s right, Trina. I’ll fight anyone who says you’re not my child. Here. Take my credit card and stop crying.” Gresham even comforted her by giving her his card.

“Heh heh…” Bonnie’s abrupt sneer spoiled their touching family moment.

“I told you. You have a favorite. You just won’t admit it. You said so yourself. She’s closer to you than your own daughter could ever be. You’re lucky I’m tough. Anyone else would have had a meltdown, or be so depressed they’d take the easy way out.”

Vera and Gresham were displeased. They couldn’t deny that they had said that, so they couldn’t think of anything to say to Bonnie.

But Trina refused to let her gain the upper hand. “Don’t blame Mom and Dad, Bonnie. They didn’t

mean that. They were just…”

“Shut your trap!” Bonnie said disdainfully

“Bonnic…”

“I’ll cut out your tongue if you so much as say another word.” Bonnie made a snipping gesture with her hands.

Vera couldn’t stand it anymore. “You’re being mean to Trina again, Bonnie! I’ll…

“Did you ask me to come home just so you can bite my head off? Are you trying to make me flunk the SAT’s tomorrow? Alright, then. You’ll regret it if anything goes wrong with my grades.”

Vera was stumped. She couldn’t think of a single thing to say to Bonnie. Gresham decided it wasn’t a good idea to speak too.

Vera suppressed her anger and said, “Your grandparents are going to celebrate their seventieth birthday. Like I said before, you need to get their presents ready. Don’t embarrass us and make us the laughing stock of our relatives.” Then, she transferred five hundred dollars to Bonnie.

How ridiculous, Bonnie thought. Vera said she didn’t want to be the laughing stock, but she had only given her five hundred dollars. She looked at her mother coldly and said lightly, “I’m curious about something. How much did you give Trina to buy a present?”

“So you’re jealous of Trina, as always. She’s way more mature than you are. I tried to give her some

money,

but she refused. She’s saved up enough to buy a present herself. She’s a good girl. You can learn something from her.”

Bonnie quickly understood what was going on. Her lips curled into a smile and she transferred the money back to Vera.

“What’s the meaning of this? Wasn’t that enough?” Vera gave her a sidelong glance. She was about to yell at Bonnie when she saw the money. It was fifty thousand dollars.

“Will you look at that? I refused your money, and I’ve given you fifty thousand dollars. You can go ahead and buy a present on my behalf. What do you think? Am I better than Trina? Am I more mature than her too?” Bonnie raised her eyes and looked at Vera.

Vera’s eyes widened, “Where did you get this money? Be honest with me, Bonnie. Have you done something illegal? Please don’t tell me you’ve become someone’s mistress….

 

 

Chapter 45

Vera was cut off by Bonnie’s fierce stare before she could finish. She suddenly felt as if her life was at

risk.

Rage built up in Bonnie, but it went away as fast as it came. “You sure do have a way with words. If I didn’t know any better, I would have thought you were my enemy, not my mom.”

Vera felt a little awkward. It was true. They didn’t like Bonnie, but she was still their flesh and blood. It must have been humiliating for Bonnie to be accused of something like that without proof.

But that didn’t mean Vera would apologize. Instead, she said begrudgingly, “There’s no need to get upset, Bonnie. I was just worried that you might have fallen for some kind of scam. Tell me the truth. Where did you get this money?”

“I worked for it.” Bonnie didn’t want to waste another second with them, so she rose and said, “I’m leaving. My SATs are tomorrow.”

Vera couldn’t help but sigh as Bonnie left. She looked at Gresham and said, “Do you think she’ll be able to go to a third–rate college at least? What will I tell my family if she fails to do even that?”

He sighed as well. He looked frustrated and said, “I’m thinking the same thing. My brothers and their families will rub it in our face if she can’t get into college.”

o worry Trina took Vera’s arm in one hand and Gresham’s in another. “I don’t think you have to about her, Mom. Dad. I know Bonnie will get into one of the third–rate colleges. She won’t embarrass you.”

But even though she said that, she was sure that Bonnie would flunk the test. She was going to make a big deal out of it and ensure that all the wealthy families in Pyralis found out.

That way, Vera and Gresham would continue to love her and only her, even though they hadn’t given. birth to her. Bonnie would never have a place in the Shepard family!

na were

Halle and chatting in the car.

“I heard something, Rowena. Master Quenton is at the villa. He’s a world–renowned tea master and he doesn’t come here often. I know you love tea brewing, so you have to convince him to take you under his wing.”

“You have a point. I asked him to take me in as his apprentice, but he rejected me last time. I went on to hone my tea brewing skills for an entire year after that. I’ll definitely get his respect this time.”

When they arrived at Knight Villa, they saw a cab pulling up. They exchanged glances when they saw it. No one besides Bonnie would hail a cab like a penniless commoner.

Bonnie saw Halle and Rowena when she got out of the car, but she ignored them and went straight

into the villa.

“What’s wrong with her? I can’t believe she went in without so much as a greeting. How uncivilized. I can’t take it. I need to teach her a lesson. I won’t stand for this!” Halle started to charge at Bonnie when Rowena grabbed her arm.

“She just came back, Halle. Do you think she’s here for Master Quenton as well?”

“She’s a nobody. No way Master Quenton would even bother to look at her!”

“But… What if Ivor put in a word for her? Do you think Master Quenton would…?” Rowena said

uncasily.

Halle was stunned for a while before saying nastily, “You have a point. I’m going to give that penniless bitch a warning so strong that she’ll keep her mouth shut!

She took a few brisk steps and blocked Bonnie’s path. “Hold it right there, Bonnie!”

Bonnie looked at her coldly. “What?”

ng to become

Halle glared at her and said, “Let me make something clear. Rowena is the one who’s Master Quenton’s apprentice. If you so much as ask Ivor to put in a good word for you and sway Master Quenton’s decision, I’ll make you regret it!”

Rowena came over and said, “I’ve admired Master Quenton for a long time, Bonnie. I started learning how to brew tea a year ago just so I could become his apprentice one day. This is a big deal for me. I’ll give you a million dollars if you stand back.” She sounded very condescending.

Master Quenton?

Bonnie was puzzled, but then she remembered Ivor’s text. The tea master would like to discuss teat brewing with her.

Huh? Was that the same Quenton who had a comparatively inferior tea brewing skill and begged her to take him under her wing?

Surprise, surprise. It looked like his meager tea brewing skill was popular out here.

Bonnie looked at Halle and Rowena with a strange expression on her face and said, “Don’t worry. I’ll

stand back.”

“If you won’t agree, then I’ll…” Halle was starting to threaten her when she realized that Bonnie had agreed to stand back.

That was smart of her.

Halle and Rowena let out a sigh of relief. Then, they hurried over to the entrance of the villa.

“That bitch is being smart today.” Halle was relieved.

Rowena laughed coldly, “Of course. It’s a million dollars we’re talking about. She has nothing. I bet she’s never seen money like this in her life.”

 

Chapter 46

Halle and Rowena were busy mocking Bonnie as they made their way to the entrance.

Bonnie was right behind them.

Meanwhile, Quenton could barely contain himself in the living room. “Where is the lady who brewed this tea?” Immediately after that, he saw Ivor turning to look at the entrance.

Ivor’s gaze, which had been cold and dark, turned soft as he said, “Here she is.”

Quenton jumped up, looked at the entrance, and said as his beard trembled, “It’s you?!”

Rowena had just stepped foot into the entrance when she saw an excited Quenton.

Was it possible that Master Quenton really wanted to take her on as his apprentice because he knew just how much she had improved over the past year?

She flashed a sweet smile and was about to introduce herself to him when he walked right past her and straight toward Bonnie.

“It’s really you, Master Bonnie! Just as I thought. If anyone can brew tea made by Mariage Frères so masterfully, it must be you!” Quenton said admiringly.

Rowena was shocked and gawked at them. Halle’s jaw dropped so far it almost hit the ground. Did they hear him right?!

Master Quenton was a VIP of the Knight family. Rowena wanted the renowned tea master to take her on as his apprentice. And here he was, showing immense respect to Bonnie, who was a nobody. It looked like Bonnie knew her way around tea brewing too.

Ivor trained his gaze on Bonnie when he saw Quenton’s reaction. He stared at her sharply as if he was trying to see through her.

“It’s been a while, Quenton.” Bonnie greeted him. Her tone shocked everyone present!

Quenton was a prestigious tea master, and that was how she talked to him? She didn’t even use his title of “Master‘!

Rowena was delighted at this development. As she started to call Bonnie out for speaking so rudely, Quenton spoke. “I threw myself wholeheartedly into the art of tea brewing, Master Bonnie. I dare say I’ve made great strides. Will you take me under your wing now?”

He was asking to become her apprentice?!

Ivor knew Bonnie had great tea brewing skills, but he couldn’t hold back his shock when he saw what was going on.

Halle was shocked beyond words too. It took her a while to find her voice and she stuttered, Rowena. D–Do you still want to become M–Master Quenton’s a–apprentice?”

“R

If she did, she would prove herself inferior to Bonnie!

Rowena’s jaw was about to drop. Tears welled up in her eyes, and she said, “Let’s go,” so softly that only the two of them could hear it.

She couldn’t bear to stay here a second longer! Bonnie might not have said anything, but her mere presence was an insult to her!

So, Halle and Rowena left, feeling dejected.

Bonnie, on the other hand, didn’t even realize they had left. She talked about the art of tea brewing with Quenton at length and rejected his request to become her apprentice again.

The only one who had benefited from this was Ivor. He sat there, sipping his tea, and watched quietly as both tea masters exchanged their takes on the art.

Ivor drove Bonnie to the exam venue himself the next morning. “Don’t be nervous about the SATS. Just be yourself.”

“Sure. Thanks for driving me here. I won’t be nervous.” Bonnie had told him the truth, but he thought she was just trying to boost her confidence.

“I’ve heard about your bet with your family. I’ll find a way to send you to Pyralis University no matter the test result. As for the Best Scholar Award, I’m afraid…” He might be wealthy, but even he couldn’t get her that.

“I’ll definitely get the Best Scholar Award.” Bonnie got out of the car and made a phone call.

The principal of Pyralis University was in his office, taking a sip of tea when he received a phone call from Bonnie. When he saw who was calling, he rushed to answer the call.

“Are you going to take over the university at last, Bonnie? All you have to do is come over and I’ll get the procedures done. You’ll become principal of Pyralis University with immediate effect!”

 

Chapter 47

“Let’s just forget about that. It’s too much trouble.”

That brought the principal down. “You can go ahead and hang up now then.”

Bonnie remained quiet for a while before saying, “I have something important to tell you.”

“Have you changed your mind?”

“No.”

“I’m going to hang up now.”

She remained quiet again. The principal might not be interested in what she had to say, but he didn’t hang up the phone either. “What is it?”

“Here’s a tip. Stop letting wealthy kids into your university through unconventional ways. It’s affecting your institution’s reputation.” Ged told her once that his grandfather was the principal of Pyralis University. He could pull some strings to get her in. Ivor had said the exact same thing too.

The principal wondered how Bonnie had the time to worry herself about something so trivial, but he nodded. “You’re right. I can no longer afford to turn a blind eye to this. The longer I ignore it, the more it’ll encourage people to enroll their children illegitimately,”

He gave the order to his men to take care of this matter. The university released an official announcement on their social media account.

“Pyralis University will screen its applicants more strictly…” The subtext was that no illegitimate

means would be tolerated.

This announcement shocked not only the city of Pyralis but the whole of Arvandor. It was true that it was no easy feat to enroll in Pyralis University, but they had always reserved three slots for those who were willing to pay.

get her

What was with the sudden change?

Ivor read the official announcement with a deep frown. He had just promised Bonnie he could. into that university. Now, it was going to be hard.

use their

This didn’t just affect Ivor. Every parent who wanted to pay their way to enrollment or use connections to get their children into university was worried sick. They were very concerned and tried to find out what on earth had happened.

Why the sudden change?

But nobody knew that it was because of Bonnie.

When Trina saw the news, she couldn’t have been happier about it. She had been a little worried that Dad and Mom would use some of their connections to enroll Bonnie into Pyralis University to protect

their reputation.

But now, everything was working in her favor. Bonnie, that plece of trash, was going to get it now.

Any fool could study hard and get into university, but she knew that Bonnie would never be able to pull it off!

The SATs started as scheduled.

As the test drew to an end, Bonnie walked out of the venue and saw a Maybach parked across the road. As she walked over, the car door opened. Ivor got down and held out an umbrella for her.

The women around them were green with envy. A hot guy was meeting Bonnie and treating her well after she had finished the SATs, It seemed like she had won the game of life.

Bonnie even heard one of them muttering, “Heh. All she cares about is dating. I’m sure she’s going to do poorly in the SATS!”

Excuse me, but I’ll be the highest scorer in the SATs, she thought..

“When did you get here?”

“I never left.” Ivor said. He handed her a milkshake. She saw that it was a banana milkshake, her

favorite.

“Don’t you always say that milkshakes aren’t good for us?”

“Well, you like it. I guess it’s okay to indulge ourselves sometimes.”

She took a sip and enjoyed it a lot. Ivor kept staring at her. She looked like an adorable kitten lapping at milk. She was being more ladylike than she had ever been.

She saw him reach out to her with his slender fingers as she finished drinking the milkshake. They were very fair, but callused.

He wiped her mouth. It tingled. Her eyes widened. This felt strange.

Ivor noticed and smiled slightly. A flash of humor was visible in his deep eyes.

“What are you doing?” Bonnie collected herself and asked him.

“I’m wiping off some milkshake from your face.” He replied sternly. His tone made her feel like he had taken advantage of her, but she couldn’t think of a way to respond.

It was a little frustrating, and she wasn’t happy about it. So, she got in the car without saying another word and rested her eyes.

Suddenly, Ivor offered her a slice of cake. She was startled at first, but when she took a look at it, she was pleasantly surprised.

 

Chapter 48

Ivor had bought a tiramisu cake from her favorite bakery. This was the best flavor of all the cakes

there.

It was a very famous bakery that sold limited quantities of cake every day. The tiramisu flavor was especially popular. He might have sent his assistant to buy it, but still, it must have been troublesome

for him.

“How did you know this was my favorite flavor?”

a

“I took a wild guess,” He said with a smirk.

No way that was true.

“It’s nice and fresh. Hurry up and eat it.”

Bonnie was a little mad that he had teased her earlier, but it would be a waste if she didn’t eat the tiramisu. She stabbed a piece and put it into her mouth.

She enjoyed it a lot, even more than the banana milkshake.

“How were the SATs?” Ivor frowned.

Bonnie was humble. “If everything goes right, I’ll have a perfect score.”

Ivor put a hand to his forehead, but decided not to make her feel bad after thinking about it. It didn’t matter if she didn’t do well in the SAT’s. He’d find a way to help her.

“Okay. You should go back and get some rest.”

Bonnie looked at Ivor and knew that he didn’t believe her, but she wasn’t bothered. Everything would be revealed when they announced the test results.

Back at her place, she wanted to get some rest when it suddenly occurred to her that her grandparents

birthday party was this weekend. They loved Orson’s paintings.

If she remembered correctly, his paintings fetched a high price. One of his pieces would make the perfect present. In any case, it would be a piece of cake for her to get her hands on one. She made a call

to Kay.

“You found the time to call me, Master! Did you call to tell me you’ll teach me more kickboxing? It has to be! Where are you? I’ll come to you now!”

Bonnie slapped her forehead when she heard how eager Kay was.

“I’ll teach you some kickboxing later. I’m calling you because I need a favor.”

That made Kay more excited. “A favor? Go ahead and tell me what it is, Master. I’ll travel to the deepest depths of hell for you!

“There’s no need to do that. I just want your grandfather to paint me something. My grandparents

are about to celebrate their birthdays and they’re both fans of his.”

“Alright. Leave it to me! What about the theme, Master…?”

Time flew by and the weekend arrived. Bonnie went to her grandparents‘ birthday party with a present in hand. Her cousins surrounded her the moment she stepped foot into the hall.

“The SATS results are out today, Bonnie. How did it go? What’s your score?” Fernanda asked her mockingly.

The results were out?

Bonnie was stunned. She had forgotten about it. It wasn’t like she was careless. It was just that the SAT’s were too easy and she had been thinking about how to make a breakthrough in her research for the past few days. She simply didn’t have time to think about the SATS.

It was easy to let something she already had a handle on slip her mind.

“Her score? You have too high an opinion of Bonnie, Fernanda. She’s always flunked her tests,” Ysabel said, looking at Bonnie scornfully. She was arrogant and liked to boast.

“I don’t think she flunked it. She must have gotten some of it right.”

“I think she did flunk it.”

Vera heard all this and felt extremely embarrassed. She stood far away from Bonnie and pretended that she didn’t know their relatives were making fun of her.

“Never mind the SATS, Bonnie. What did you get for Grandpa and Grandma? We’ve given them our presents already. Trina gave them a horoscope statue that’s worth a hundred thousand dollars.”

“I have something.” Bonnie took out the painting scroll. Ysabel laughed before she could open it.

“Hahaha. Is this really happening? Did you paint something for Grandpa and Grandma with your own hands, Bonnie? How tacky!”

“Good grief. If I didn’t know any better, I would have thought your family was broke. This is a present for our grandparents, after all. You sure were mindful of the cost. This is hilarious!”

The surrounding guests couldn’t help but burst into laughter. Bonnie ignored them and walked over to her grandparents, Harold and Yolanda.

“Happy birthday, Grandpa. Grandma.” She gave them the painting. Harold and Yolanda were extremely displeased. They had heard the exchange between Bonnie and the rest.

Many guests

represent at th

party. If she really had painted something herself, they would be

greatly humiliated!

Gresham’s daughter was beyond redemption! She had really embarrassed them!

They shouldn’t have welcomed Bonnie back from the suburbs. Trina might not be their real granddaughter, but they’d much prefer her over Bonnie.

“Okay. You can put it aside and…”

11

Out of nowhere, someone cut Harold off and said mischievously, “Bonnie made that for you, Grandpa. No matter how bad it is, you should take a look!”

 

 

Chapter 49

Fernanda spoke innocently. It seemed like she was speaking up for Bonnie, but she just wanted to make Bonnie look bad. The others wanted to see how Bonnie was going to embarrass herself too, so they all chimed in.

“That’s right! She’s your granddaughter. It doesn’t matter if she did a good job or not. You have to look at it. Otherwise, Ms. Bonnie will feel bad.

Vera gave Bonnie a look, hinting at her to tuck the painting away so she wouldn’t embarrass all of them. But Bonnie didn’t notice her mother at all. She said lightly, “Maybe I should open up the painting for you, Grandpa.”

Gresham and Vera regretted not preparing a gift for Bonnie to give her grandparents.

They were in for it now. Everyone was going to mock Gresham and his family for being tacky after what happened today! They should never have let Bonnie attend the birthday party. T

Ysabel was faster. She was worried Bonnie would realize what was going on, so she quickly unrolled the painting.

Everyone was stunned and drew a sharp breath when they saw the painting!

“I–Is this a painting by Master Orson?”

“Do you mean Orson Steele, whose paintings can sell for tens of millions of dollars?”

“Seriously? Are my eyes fooling me? Master Orson stopped painting for the public a long time ago! He only paints for the people close to him!”

Gresham’s eyes widened in surprise. “How is this possible?”

Vera looked at the painting and rubbed her eyes over and over again.

“This is his personal seal!” Ysabel’s hands trembled uncontrollably.. His paintings used to go for fifty million dollars! If she had spoiled the painting, she wouldn’t have been able to pay for it.

Trina grew angry when she saw how everyone had been shocked by Bonnie’s gift.

It was impossible. How could a nobody like her have a painting from Master Orson? It must be at

counterfeit.

Before everyone could recover from the shock, Trina said in a worried tone, “How could you make a counterfeit painting and give it to Grandpa and Grandma to make yourself look good?

“I know you want to make them happy, but this is a dishonest way to do that. It puts me, Mom, and Dad to shame. More importantly, Master Orson will be mad if he heard about this. You’ll drag the entire family down with you!”

Then, it hit everyone. That was right! Bonnie was a girl from the suburbs. There was no way she’d know Orson. She wouldn’t have the money to pay for it or the connections to get in touch with him.

This must be a counterfeit painting!

All the Shepards regarded Bonnie with furious, hateful stares.

“How could you do this, Bonnie? You’ll drag the entire family into trouble because of your pride.”

“That’s right. We’re one of the wealthy families of Pyralis, but there’s no way we’re in the same league as the Steeles. They could crush us easily! How dare you make a counterfeit! This is insolence!”

Grant, the second son of the Shepard family, looked at Gresham and said, “I told you. You shouldn’t have taken her back in. She’s spent a long time in the suburbs, so her character is questionable at best.

“But you two didn’t listen to me. Look at where we are now. She’s made a huge mess, and she’s about to drag the whole family down with her! You should just kick her out of the family and be done with it!”

Gresham and Vera were infuriated. They glared at Bonnie and had a strong urge to slap her. When Hadwin saw what happened, he felt relieved that he had called off the wedding with Bonnie. If she had really ended up being his fiancé and offended Master Orson, the Rhodes family would be caught

in the crossfire too!

The guests muttered among themselves.

“This is such bad luck. I can’t believe we have a walking disaster in the family.”

“You said it. If I had a daughter like her, I would have grounded her in the house for the rest of her life

so she couldn’t embarrass us.”

“That’s where you’re wrong. I would have choked her to death the moment she was born. What a jinx!”

“I always thought I had it rough! My son’s always fooling around and can’t hold down a job. He only knows how to spend money on girls. But now that I see the kind of daughter Gresham has, I feel relieved.”

Trina looked triumphant when she saw that everyone was letting Bonnie have it. She composed herself and looked at Bonnie again. “Hurry up and apologize to Grandpa and Grandma, Bonnie. Ask them to forgive you.”

Bonnie looked at her indifferently. “Why should I apologize when this isn’t a counterfeit?”

 

 

Chapter 50

“Bang!‘ Harold smacked his hand on the desk and glared at Bonnie, enraged, “You gave us a counterfeit but you’re still trying to act like you’re right? You’ve gone too far!”

“There, there. Don’t be mad, Grandpa. Mind your health. That’s just how Bonnie is. It’s not worth jeopardizing your health over this.” Trina went over to Harold quickly and patted his back lightly.

Yolanda was infuriated as well. She gritted her teeth, stepped forward, and tore the painting to pieces before throwing it into a nearby trash can.

Trina was feeling better about herself now.

Bonnie had gone through all that trouble to gain favor with their grandparents and everyone else, but it didn’t matter in the end. All she had to do was use a little trick, and it had rendered her efforts useless. There was no way a nobody could ever get the best of the rich!

But Trina pretended to be worried and tried to resolve the issue at hand. “This is big, Grandpa, Grandma. You should tell everyone to keep this to themselves so Master Orson won’t find out about it. The Steeles probably wouldn’t hold us responsible as long as we keep it under wraps.”

“That’s right. I was so mad I almost forgot. It’s a good thing you thought about it, Trina!” Harold looked at her gratefully and turned to make an announcement.

“I hope all you’ll all do me a favor and refrain from spreading tonight’s incident around. You’ll have my thanks for that, everyone.

Η

“There’s no need for that, Mr. Harold. We won’t say a word about what happened tonight.

“Exactly! This all just boils down to an ignorant child not knowing any better. But it might lead to disaster if you don’t handle it properly. We’ll keep this a secret for you this time, but I can’t make the same promise if it happens again.

“You have to discipline her. There are all kinds of big shots here in Pyralis. What will you do if she gets you in bigger trouble? It might not be that easy to solve the problem next time!”

went on.

The Shepards grew even more scared as the guests wer

Bonnie was bewildered. Everyone was out of their minds. She had just said the painting was the real deal. Wasn’t it a disaster when Yolanda tore up the painting? Why were they giving her such a hard time?

She said helplessly, “I told you the painting was genuine, Grandpa, but you went ahead and destroyed it. You’re in the wrong here.”

Everyone in the hall was stunned at what she said. Harold was so mad he almost passed out. He raised his hand. “Bonnie Shepard. I’m going to slap you so hard, you’ll…‘

Η

Suddenly, someone exclaimed from outside the door, “Master Orson of the Steele family is here!”

Silence tell in the hall immediately.

“Master Orson? Is that the same Master Orson we were just talking about?”

eriously? Master Orson is a prestigious man. None of us here could possibly reach someone of his status even if we wanted to What’s he doing here?”

Soon, Orson appeared with his granddaughter, Kay, in tow.

“Good grief! It really is Master Orson!”

“What’s he doing in a place like this? Is this a dream?”

“Well, it’s Harold and Yolanda’s birthday today. Could Master Orson be here to attend their party?”

“If that’s the case, he must really respect Harold!”

Harold and Yolanda stood up in excitement and shock. Had Master Orson come here to attend their party? They had never met him before, though!

But if he wasn’t here to celebrate their birthday, there was no reason for him to be here.

“Master Orson!” Harold couldn’t be bothered with Bonnie anymore. He went over to welcome Orson. His hands were trembling and he could barely walk.

“Thanks for the invitation, Harold.” Orson burst into laughter.

Had Master Orson just called him by his first name?

Harold was pleasantly surprised as the guests looked at him in jealousy.

“I’ve come to attend you and your wife’s birthday party, Harold. I painted something for you. I was supposed to give it to you personally, but I think your granddaughter, Master Bonnie, has already given it to you. I have some other gifts with me. I hope you’ll like them!”

Everyone was shocked and cast glances at Bonnie.

Harold’s mouth opened wide, and there was a humming in his head. He stuttered and asked, “E- Excuse me, Master Orson. D–Did you just say Master Bonnie…?