"Think properly? Then you must have been playing games like this for a very long time.” Nicholas remarked. “Nope, I only downloaded this game the second day I came back to California.” Rose replied and closed the game after she completed the level and earned her reward. Nicholas raised his brow at her. She only started playing a game as hard as that one just a few weeks ago. ‘How talented she is. She is even better than most of the professional QA tester employees I have at the company.’ He thought. “About what you asked me to do for you, I'm still working on it." He said, making Rose turn to look at him. She knew what he was talking about and it was the secret investigation she asked him to do about Beatrice for her. Of course, she didn't expect to get any result so soon because it might take a little while for him to figure out anything related to Beatrice. She was the only one that knew that Beatrice was the person behind her mother's accident apart from her mother being p
The next day, Rose had the mindset that it would be a good day at school today. However, fate had other plans for her and her entire peaceful mood was completely ruined that morning. When Rose arrived in the classroom, there were already a lot of students in the room which she felt was very unusual. Upon seeing Rose strut into the classroom, everyone showed a surprised expression. Rose noticed their stares but didn’t care about them. She walked straight to her seat and planned to ask Kehlani what was wrong with everyone. However, she raised her brow when she saw that there were a lot of things that were on her desk. And the things that originally belonged to her had disappeared. Rose brow knitted together as she looked around and finally saw that her belongings were scattered in the trash basket that was placed at the back of the classroom. All of a sudden, the mood of the classroom turned frozen. Rose's eyes fell on Kehlani. “Kel, what happened here?" She asked. “I
"You little rude brat! This is Senior Nia and shows some respect when you talk to your seniors." One of the lackeys behind Nia yelled at Rose who was unfazed by the yell. “Rude? There is a difference between being rude and asking a question. Besides, I'm not the one walking up to someone and asking their name in that delinquent manner." Rose retorted back to the girls who spoke before turning her attention to Nia. “I heard that someone called Senior Nia was the one who did this to my desk. So I want to ask you directly if it's true and why did you trash my personal space?" Rose question. Unlike the other students, she didn't find any of the girls in front of her scary or intimidating at all. “Yes, I'm the one who did this to your desk. The reason is because you dared to insult and bully my younger sister publicly a few days ago. I was not quickly informed about it but my sister has been in a bad mood ever since then. You should be glad I only did this much, so get lost and don't
Rose didn’t answer Nia’s question. She held the knife in her left hand and pointed at her right hand. “Let’s gamble a hand.” What the hell? Gamble a hand? Was she mad? Rose paused for a moment before she continued, “Show me evidence and this hand is for yours to cut; If not, your hand is for me to cut off.” Her voice was slightly childish and would be considered even slightly sweet. However, the words that came out of her mouth were quite scary. She held the scalpel in her left hand and it stayed suspended ten centimeters above her right wrist. It seemed as though she was ready to cut down at any time. Although her words were soft and weak, the way she did things had a force that Nia didn’t have. “You’re crazy and sick!” Nia said. She felt as though Rose had completely gone mad. Everyone else also widened their eyes in surprise. Rose's actions were frightening. Even Kehlani was also at a loss of what to do in this kind of situation. “If you have evidence, there will
“Rose, let's go and report to the teacher's office. I say we handle it ourselves but those damn teachers would eventually intervene.” Sandra said to Rose as she dropped her bag on Kehlani's desk. “Don't worry-" Rose was unable to finish speaking when the assistant Head of Teaching arrived in the classroom. The assistant head of Teaching was a middle-aged man in his early fifties. He had little hair and his hairline almost reached the top of his head. He had a thin body and narrow eyes. In the minds of all the students of the school, he was given the nicknames, ‘Ghosts avoid him’ and ‘Avoid him at all costs’. As soon as the entire class room saw the assistant Head of Teaching, they immediately went back to their seats for the fear that they would be called out for doing something wrong. Sandra, who was used to causing trouble and isn't scared of getting into trouble, stood in her spot and leaned against Kehlani's desk. Nia and her followers followed after the assistant He
" That's because your sister was acting like she was found on the street and brought up in a rich family. Same goes for you as well. I'm sure your parents would be disappointed in you both.” Sandra didn't back down easily and attacked Nia. “Assistant Head, did you see this? How can a senior like me have to receive such an insult?" Nia quickly complained to the assistant head of teaching. " That is enough! I will not condone the argument in my presence.” He snapped at both of them before turning to look at Rose. The assistant Head of Teaching attempted to persuade Rose to cooperate. “Student Roseline, if you hand your knife over, I’ll give you a lighter punishment. However, if you are stubborn, don’t blame me if I call your parents.” Rose stared blankly at him before she took out the box of scalpels that she had just stored away in the drawer. “Yes, yes, that is the box! Teacher, that black bag stores her scalpels!” Nia prompted, immediately she saw the box. “Student Roseli
Although it looked simple to make a scalpel, the difficulty was definitely not low. It was necessary to mix the pigments into a metallic color and make sure that it did not appear transparent in a very thin state.Rose picked up another ‘scalpel’ and smashed it onto the desk. The blade shattered in sugar pieces.Everyone in the class was in shock.The one who was most in shock was Nia who went to look for the assistantHead of Teaching.They spent half a day on this and it was candy?It was candy?! Edible sugar!?At that moment, Nia thought that she was a joke.The expression on the assistant Head of Teaching’s face was ugly. ‘Did I come all the way here just because of this?’ He wanted to glare and scold Nia for giving him a false alarm but he was more annoyed than just Nia's false alarm He frowned as he looked at Rose. ‘Why would you bring this type of candy to school? She was intentionally trying to pick a quarrel or cause trouble!’After a long time, the assistant Head of Teaching
And if it were to be followed through, there was nothing else that could be done.Nia raised the corners of her lips and gave Rose a provocative look.Rose continued to stay calm and said to the assistant Head of Teaching, “The time of the incident was within seven days. The retention of surveillance cameras should be more than a month. You can watch the surveillance recording to find the culprit.”Rose's way of thinking was clear. She wasn’t in a rush nor did she appear resentful. Most importantly, she didn’t appear to want to back down from the matter.“I'm sure you understand what I'm talking about, Sir." Rose added.When Nia heard what was said, she started getting nervous. If the assistant Head of Teaching were to go watch the surveillance, she would definitely be exposed.While she was anxious, she cursed at Rose in her mind. ‘This vicious, callous brat is evil! She knew watching the surveillance would cause me more trouble!’Of course, the assistant Head of Teaching knew of
However, amidst their yelling, Karen wasn’t done. “Let's not pretend you’re here because you care about my Rose. I don't care much about high society but I have enough information to know that you and Beatrice are never friends and you just proved me right. You saw a chance to use my Rose to humiliate Beatrice in public. But the truth is—Beatrice doesn’t even see you as a rival. You’re not a threat to her. You’re just a footnote.” That did it. Even though Karen didn't like Beatrice, she had to use her as a weapon to damage Margret. And it was true in some ways, Beatrice never saw Margaret as a rival and that was why she left her off. Beatrice is more cunning and has better things to do than Margret. On the other hand, Margaret’s face turned red, her voice rising. “You arrogant little—! Who the hell do you think you are to speak to me like that?!” “I’m someone you should’ve never insulted,” Karen replied coolly. “Especially not in front of witnesses.” “You're such a bitch! You even
Karen returned with graceful steps, wiping her hands with a silk handkerchief as she approached the table—only to stop mid-step at the sight before her. Three women, overdressed and oozing fake charm, surrounded Rose, who looked irritated and uncomfortable. Karen’s expression hardened immediately. “Is there a problem here?” Karen asked smoothly as she walked up to the table, though her voice was laced with sharpness. Margaret immediately changed her facial expression as she turned without even bothering to look properly. “Oh, relax. We’re just having a friendly chat. Nothing that concerns—” She paused, eyes scanning Karen lazily. Then scoffed. “Oh. You’re the lady that was with her earlier?” Margaret blinked, her voice condescending. “How… quaint. Let me guess—you’re her assistant or... manager?” Rose blinked, trying not to laugh. It was obvious now that these women were actually dumb. Even if Karen is not well known amongst the high socialist thanks to the fact that she lives t
From across the room, Margaret Pezz had been watching like a hawk. Dressed in an ivory designer set and dripping in gold jewelry, Margaret whispered something to her friends, eyes gleaming. With Karen out of the way, it was time to make her move. She strutted over, her heels clicking arrogantly against the marble. Two overdressed women followed her like loyal shadows. “Roseline, darling!” Margaret said with feigned delight, placing a hand on the back of Rose’s chair as if they were long-lost friends. “I couldn’t believe it was you! You look absolutely radiant in person.” Rose looked up slowly from the food menu she was still checking out, expression unreadable. “Do I know you?” Margaret laughed, her voice grating. “Oh, we haven’t officially met. I’m Margaret Pezz—a very close friend of Beatrice, your stepmother.” The moment she said Beatrice’s name, Rose’s expression soured. Margaret noticed and quickly backtracked, playing both sides. “But honestly dear, I never liked the way
The morning sunlight streamed through the large windows of the Anderson estate, bathing the grand dining hall in a warm glow. Rose sat at the breakfast table, quietly sipping her tea as Anne and Karen conversed about an upcoming events. "You should get some fresh air today," Anne suggested, eyeing Rose over her cup of coffee. Karen nodded in agreement. "Actually, I was thinking of taking her out. Just a small outing—maybe some shopping, a café stop. What do you think, Rose?" Rose blinked, caught off guard. "Shopping?" "Yes," Karen said with a small smile. "You could use a few new things, and a change of scenery might be nice." Rose hesitated. She wasn’t exactly the type to enjoy aimless shopping trips at the moment, but the way Anne and Karen were looking at her told her this was more than just a casual suggestion. It was their way of trying to spend time with her. And truthfully, a part of her was beginning to appreciate the warmth they offered. "Alright," she finally agreed.
Later that evening, Rose wandered through the grand hallways of the Anderson estate, her footsteps light against the polished floors. She wasn’t sure what had compelled her to leave the comfort of her room, but something about the quiet atmosphere of the night made her restless. Before she knew it, she was standing in front of her grandfather's study. Hesitating for only a moment, she knocked lightly. "Come in," came the deep, commanding voice from inside. Rose pushed the door open and stepped inside, finding Frank seated at a massive mahogany desk, a glass of whiskey beside him. The dim lighting cast long shadows across the shelves lined with books and relics of the past. "Couldn't sleep?" he asked, not looking up as he finished scribbling on a document. "Something like that," Rose admitted, stepping closer. Frank gestured to the chair across from him. "Sit." She did, expecting the usual quiet company they sometimes shared. But instead of returning to his work, Frank pulled o
The next day, Rose sat in the sunroom with Anne, sipping tea while flipping through an old book she had pulled from the family’s extensive library. The warm golden light streamed through the glass walls, casting soft shadows across the polished floor. Anne, ever the poised and graceful matriarch, studied her granddaughter with sharp yet affectionate eyes. "Are you comfortable, dear?" Rose glanced up from her book. "Yes, Grandmother. More comfortable than I expected to be." A rare, approving smile graced Anne's lips. "Good. You should feel at home here." Before Rose could respond, Karen entered the room, her heels clicking against the marble floor. "Ah, perfect. You're both here," she said, taking a seat across from Rose. Anne arched her brow. "You sound suspiciously excited. What are you up to, my dear?" Karen smirked, “Yes, I'm excited, mother because I have some nice news for Rose.” she said then turned to Rose. "I had a little chat with Headmistress Moore this morning. She ag
Dinner continued with casual conversation, and despite how formal the Anderson household could seem, the atmosphere wasn’t tense. After finishing her meal, Rose excused herself, but before she could leave, Leo grabbed her wrist. "Where are you going?" Rose gave him a pointed look. "To see Grandfather." Leo blinked in surprise but quickly masked it. He let go of her wrist and shrugged. "Suit yourself. Just don’t stay up too late." Rose shook her head and walked off. However, she didn't head straight to meet Frank, she made a quick stop at the kitchen. Frank’s study was dimly lit, the faint scent of aged paper and cedarwood clinging to the air. He sat behind his desk, flipping through a thick folder of documents. A soft knock echoed through the room. “Come in,” Frank’s voice called out, calm but firm. The door opened and Rose stepped inside, carrying a polished tray with a single porcelain teacup. She closed the door behind her with a quiet click. Frank looked up and paused, ey
“What’s going on here?” Rose’s voice was calm but firm as she stepped forward, her sharp gaze sweeping over the tension-filled scene. She had spotted the standoff the moment she entered the stall. Sandra turned to her, arms crossed. “Oh, perfect timing. This girl thinks staring at a snack means she owns it.” The girl scoffed when she heard Sandra’s explanation. “And this girl thinks she can just take whatever she wants.” The vendor, seeing Rose enter the conversation, looked relieved. “Miss, maybe you can help settle this?” Rose exhaled, her gaze flickering between them before settling on the other girl with calm finality. “If you really wanted it, you should have asked the vendor to hold it for you. Since you didn’t, I don’t see why this is even an argument.” The girl frowned, seemingly unprepared for someone to shut down the situation with pure logic instead of fueling the fight. One of her friends stepped up, opening her mouth to say something, but Rose’s voice cut through th
After finishing their meal, the group began heading back to their private room when Sandra suddenly stopped. “You guys go ahead. Kehlani and I need to grab something real quick.” Kaleb raised a brow at her. “What is it?” “A snack I saw earlier,” Sandra replied, waving him off. “It won’t take long.” Austin sighed but didn’t argue. “Fine, just don’t get into trouble.” Leo glanced at Rose, but before he could say anything, she spoke first. “I’ll catch up with you. I want to check something at the next stall too.” Leo narrowed his eyes but didn’t question her, since he knew she wouldn’t tell him what it was. “Are you sure you don't want me to come along? The last thing I need is you getting lost.” He asked which earned him a glare from Rose. “I will be fine without you. And I will also catch up with both Sandra and Kehlani, ” She replied. Seeing that she wouldn’t let him go with her, he finally relented. “Don’t take too long.” With that, the three boys walked off, leaving the girl