After hanging up the phone, Victoria wasn't in a great mood.She sat in silence for a while. As she was intending to call Benjamin, her phone rang. It was Louis calling.Victoria hesitated for a moment and answered the call.Louis remained silent. All she could hear was his faint breathing, reminding her that he was on the line."Louis," Victoria called, breaking the silence."Yeah.""What's wrong? You've been quiet for a while.""Is it true what they're saying about you and Mr. Harper?" Louis inquired.On the other end of the line, Louis couldn't see Victoria's reaction. But Victoria's expression turned uneasy upon hearing his question."Did Grandma talk to you? How is she doing now?" Victoria asked.Louis responded nonchalantly, "She's been the same. It's her own issue, not being able to accept things. She's worried about the matter between you and Mr. Harper, so she asked me to talk to you."Victoria's brows furrowed. "She's hospitalized?""No."Not pressing further, Vi
At the police station, Victoria stepped into the room where Cindy was being held.The stench of the room hit Victoria as soon as she entered. It was an odor far more repulsive than any garbage dump. She stood at the doorway. "Cindy, let's go."She signaled to the two doctors in white coats who accompanied her. In response, they entered the room and began escorting Cindy out.Meanwhile, on the ground floor of the police station, the usual staff had left for the day since it was past regular working hours. A heavy silence settled in.This tranquility was suddenly shattered by a desperate scream, echoing through the entire building."What do you mean, wait? I've been waiting long enough! The first time we met, you told me to wait. It's been two weeks now, and you're still making me wait?"Louis, do you even plan to help me? Or do you want me to rot away in here or even die, just so you can secure your grip on the Warde family unopposed?"Well, I've got news for you, that won't ha
Inside the car, there was only Benjamin and Victoria.Benjamin was driving. Since Victoria had entered the car, she hadn't uttered a word. She seemed lost in thought.The two of them remained silent, with only the music as a backdrop.Benjamin glanced at Victoria and asked, "What's on your mind?"Victoria snapped back to reality. She turned to Benjamin and shook her head. "It's nothing."Benjamin looked at Victoria for a couple of seconds before shifting his gaze.He tapped his fingers on the steering wheel and asked, "Ever heard of the legend of Fortuna University?"Victoria responded with curiosity, "What legend?""Universities usually take many years to build their reputation. The most renowned Yrindalean universities have histories of a hundred years or more. Some even date back several decades."In contrast, Fortuna University has only been around for less than eight years. When you compare it to other Yrindalean universities, including those surpassed by Fortuna or even
Colette had just arrived at Ginny's room. A sudden scream pierced the air, originating from the bathroom. She was startled. Casting a stern look at the frightened yet disdainful servants, she demanded, "What are you all doing standing here? Why aren't you with my mom?""It's not that we didn't want to. It's just that Mrs. Jameson wouldn't let us into the bathroom," one of them explained. Though the odor emanating from within was so foul that they had no plans of entering, either."I'll make sure you all pay if anything happens to my mom! Close the door and get out!" Colette's temper flared. She chased the servants out of the room. After they left, Colette entered the bathroom.Inside, she found a messy bathroom floor covered in water. The air was filled with a mixture of various perfumes, along with the familiar scents of Ginny's bath gel and shampoo. However, it failed to mask the sickening stench that Colette found both horrifying and familiar.The odor was unbearable. Cole
The phone call was from Yvonne to Colette.Colette wasn't particularly eager to deal with Yvonne at this moment, so she ignored the call.Yvonne was persistent, making several attempts before Colette finally answered."Someone unethical like Yvonne should be locked up in prison for life. How can she be let out?" Colette thought to herself.Yvonne immediately confronted through the call, "Colette, do you think I'm nobody now just because I'm not in Brighton anymore? Is that why you're avoiding my calls on purpose?"Yvonne's anger was palpable. Her frustration ran deep. It was evident that she had faced setbacks recently.Colette did think this way but did not admit it. It might provoke Yvonne."Why would I think that way? Even though you are no longer in Brighton, you've always been kind to me, Ms. Sheehan. Considering my current situation, I'm not in a much better position than you."I didn't answer the phone because my mom has been unwell recently. I've been taking care of her
A few days later, Brighton publicly announced that Fortuna would be coming for an exchange visit. This matter caused a stir online. Netizens started commenting about it. "Brighton? Don't we have better universities in the country?""Brighton's reputation is tarnished. Isn't Fortuna worried about its good name? Aren't they concerned that they'll lose their prestige?"Another comment read, "They founded the school less than ten years ago. What reputation does it have?""How are world university rankings determined? How did they even make it into the top ten?""I suddenly think Fortuna is unremarkable. I don't want to study abroad anymore.""Did you just say Fortuna is unremarkable? Keyboard warriors truly have the guts to say anything they want.""It's fine if you're ignorant, but if you're acting like you know it all … I'd advise you to do some research.""Not just anyone can get into one of the world's most legendary and influential schools!""Although Brighton lacks academic
Soon, the day for the Fortuna representatives to visit Danube City arrived.All outstanding students chosen by their respective schools gathered at the airport. Everyone was there to welcome the representatives from Fortuna. Victoria was the representative of Brighton, the host school. Alongside her were Colette, Megan, and others. There were a total of ten people. Each of the other schools had three student representatives and a supervising teacher. Thus, there were about 100 people in total. Other than the students and teachers, leaders of the education department were also present. Additionally, reporters from major news outlets were there, too. All the chosen students wore their respective school uniforms. Although they had removed Victoria's and Colette's incident from the trending topics, the buzz continued. They instantly became the center of attention as they appeared together.Colette looked at Victoria, who was wearing the same uniform. Despite wearing the same at
After everyone left the airport, Victoria found a secluded corner and called Yves."Yves, I've got a big money-making plan. You … "Excitement filled Victoria's voice as she spoke. Nevertheless, before she could finish, Yves interrupted,"Mrs. B, shouldn't you be presenting the flowers to the leader of Fortuna's representative now?"Why do you have the time to call me? What's the matter? Is he handsome?"Victoria hurriedly answered, "That's not important. Let's not talk about that."I want to know if someone has started a betting game for Brighton's and Fortuna's long-term collaboration.She continued asking, "What's the situation like? Give me a brief overview.""Someone did start a betting game, both online and offline. The online bets have exceeded nine figures," Yves explained. "They basically think that Brighton will lose. The odds of success are currently one to ten. Why are you asking about this?"Victoria smiled before replying, "Of course, I've got a brilliant idea.