Chapter 527
Chapter 527:
But Cole merely glanced at her with a calm, unreadable expression. “Congratulations,” he replied flatly.
The weight of his indifference hit Trinity like a blow. First Jason, now Cole. Why? Why couldn’t they see her for the brilliant, accomplished woman she was? The smile on her lips held, but inwardly, frustration and resentment twisted in her gut. No one noticed how tightly she clenched her hands at her sides.
Meanwhile, Irene—bubbling with smug energy—picked up her phone and said, “Let me ask Jeff if Elliana’s seen her results yet.” Her tone dripped with faux warmth. “She was part of our family once. It’s only right to congratulate her too.”
But her real intent was obvious to everyone: she wasn’t calling to congratulate. She was hunting for ammunition. Still, no one stopped her. The curiosity in the room was palpable. Everyone wanted to know how terribly Elliana had done.
Everyone, except Cole and Emmanuel. Both men wore guarded expressions. They already knew what Elliana was truly capable of—and it wasn’t going to be anything close to failure.
The video call connected in seconds. Jeff’s round, bald head popped into view. From the elegant decor in the background, it was clear he was in the living room of Regal Grove.
Irene flashed a smile. “Jeff, how many points did Elliana score?” ɴᴇᴡ ɴᴏᴠᴇʟ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀʀᴇ ᴘᴜʙʟɪsʜᴇᴅ ᴏɴ.net
Jeff let out a long, dramatic sigh, his face clouded with frustration. “She’s still asleep! Lance and I were up early, ready to check the results with her, but she just rolled over and went back to bed. It’s driving us insane!”
Everyone jumped to the same conclusion—Elliana was too humiliated by her terrible performance to even bother checking her results. Trinity’s lips curved into a smug smile, a glint of amusement flickering in her eyes.
Irene let out a dry, mocking laugh. “Jeff, go wake her up! Imagine sleeping in on a day like this—when exam results are out!”
C𝓉𝑟𝓎 𝒽𝒾𝑒𝑟 𝒶t g𝓪l𝑛ovєls.𝓬○𝓶
Jeff gave a quick nod. “Okay, I’ll wake her now.”
Before he could hang up, Irene cut in smoothly, her tone laced with false concern. “And Jeff—don’t end the call. She was once part of our family, after all. We should all be here to congratulate her, shouldn’t we?”
Too young to catch the venom behind her words, Jeff simply did as he was told. He set the phone down on the table and dashed upstairs.
Irene mirrored the action with her own phone and turned on the speaker so everyone around could witness the scene unfolding live from Regal Grove.
Moments later, Elliana descended the stairs with Jeff at her side. Her wig sat crooked on her head, her face still decorated with faded temporary tattoos. She stretched, yawned, and muttered with irritation, “Why are you guys making such a big deal about these stupid results anyway?”
Jeff tugged Elliana over to the couch and shoved a tablet into her hands. “The SAT is a huge deal! Every student is itching to see their scores. How can you just sit there like it’s nothing? Hurry up and check!”
.
.
.