Chapter 510

“The money’s already spent p>

“Doesn’t Pandora know the owner at Hearth & Kettle? If she helps us out, there’s no way we’ll have to pay full price,” Latham said, already making plans in his head.

“You can’t just focus on what’s right in front of you p>

“We raised Claire, didn’t we? If we throw her a big party when she gets valedictorian, people will still see us as one family, no matter what’s happened.” Deep down, Latham wanted to fix the mess after Octavia and their son kicked Claire out that night. He didn’t realize some damage can’t ever be undone.

“Claire’s gorgeous and so smart. I honestly wonder what kind of man will ever measure up to her p>

Ever since Octavia convinced Latham to have their son marry Mabel, he’d started thinking about who would be good enough for Claire. Another family alliance would give the James family even more backing. It was definitely smarter than letting a good match go to someone unrelated.

As soon as he brought it up, Octavia immediately got it. Finding Claire a man wasn’t a bad idea. That way, she wouldn’t keep thinking about her own daughter’s fiancé, or Octavia’s son, either.

Still, shelling out all that money made Octavia pretty unhappy.

“Nothing’s even official yet. What if she doesn’t get valedictorian?” Octavia couldn’t help raining on the parade.

Latham didn’t even bother responding. So what if she didn’t top the class? With Claire’s grades, she’d still do great.

He booked a table at a nearby restaurant, hoping to invite Pandora and her family to lunch. Octavia wasn’t hopeful. She thought there was no reason to go out of their way for people who didn’t care about them.

Meanwhile, Pandora made a trip to the supermarket, picked up some fruit, and went back to the school gate with Jenny. They found a spot at a nearby cafe and sat down. There were plenty of parents around, but Pandora always stood out no matter where she went.

Latham heard about it and called to invite Pandora. She turned down the lunch, just saying her nephew had already made plans.

Latham had no choice. He couldn’t force them to come.

The mornings exams were a breeze for Claire. She finished early, turned in her paper, and headed out.

The moment she walked through the doors, she spotted her grandma and Jenny waiting for her. There were a few reporters snapping pictures of them, too.

In just two days, Claire had already snagged the title of Apex’s most beautiful senior, and her grandma and Jenny were known as the most ladies around. Out of all the

elega

family and friends who came to support their students, nobody could compare.

But on the final day after the exam, something unexpected happened.

The major shareholder of Silverpeak International College turned up. She’d seen Pandora’s posts online and actually rushed back from overseas just to meet her.

Right after the exam ended, she finally met Pandora.

“Pandora, don’t you remember me? It’s Queenie p>

The Silverpeak shareholder, apparently famous for her dedication to education, was supposed to be a wildly accomplished woman. And she knew Pandora.

“Queenie?” Pandora stared, hardly recognizing her old friend standing there.

Queenie had been her childhood friend. She’d moved abroad years ago, and Pandora never imagined that, after so much time had passed, they’d meet again with so much life behind them. Comment

“Pandora, you’ve aged, but you’re still beautiful. I saw all the media calling you the

most elegant lady in Apex p>

Queenie’s eyes filled with tears.

Most of their old friends were either

gone or scattered across the world.

She never thought, this late in life,

she’d

get the chance to see Pandora again.

Back then, Pandora had been the one everyone admired.

“You look great, too. I bet you’ve got a whole crew of kids and grandkids by now,

right?” Pandora squeezed her friend’s hand, smiling warmly.