Chapter 821
The SUNNY gala wrapped up, and Claire headed out with Shirley and Sophia.
Shirley’s two fake friends spotted her and immediately started pointing and whispering.
Since the three of them had indulged in plenty of desserts inside, they were feeling comfortably full.
“Shirley, I know your family is broke now, but surely you don’t have to resort to scamming free food at a place like this?” Amelia scoffed, eager to humiliate her.
“Who’s scamming free food? I have an invitation. Do you?” Shirley waved the elegant card in front of their faces.
Amelia and Beatrice stared in sheer disbelief. “That’s impossible. Who gave you that?”
They had snuck in themselves and assumed Shirley had done the same. They had even considered reporting her, but decided to let it slide out of pity for their past friendship, settling for a quick round of mockery instead. They never expected her to have a legitimate pass.
“Don’t worry about who gave it to me, but it’s clearly better than whatever you two pulled,” Shirley retorted, secretly assuming Claire had gotten it from Jenny.
After all, Jenny was Edison’s girlfriend and the regional head for SUNNY in Solenia. Getting a few invites would be child’s play for her.
“So what if you have an invite? Can you even afford a single piece of clothing from SUNNY now?” Beatrice sneered, convinced Shirley was just putting up a front. Having an invitation meant nothing when she couldn’t afford the cheapest item on display today. And if she couldn’t afford it, Claire—the fake heiress certainly couldn’t either.
“Who says I can’t afford-” Shirley started, but Claire cut her off smoothly.
“You can’t afford it, but maybe your two good friends here could gift you a couple of outfits.”
“You’ve given them plenty of expensive gifts in the past. It’s about time they returned the favor.” Claire turned her gaze to Amelia and Beatrice. “Don’t you agree?”
Like hell they did. Amelia and Beatrice were caught completely off guard, utterly appalled that Claire was trying to fleece them. Did she have no shame?
“We don’t have that kind of money lying around. We’re just students, and our parents keep us on a strict allowance,” Amelia countered quickly.
Beatrice was quick to back her up. “I’m broke too. And why should I buy her anything? She chose to give us those gifts voluntarily. We never forced her!”
“Oh, so you’re only interested in being freeloaders,” Claire said, raising her voice just enough to draw the attention of the surrounding crowd.
Amelia and Beatrice considered themselves entirely out of Claire and Shirley’s social league now. Being publicly called out as freeloaders was humiliating. “Who’s a freeloader? We were just checking on Shirley. Stop making things up!”
“Exactly. You and Shirley used to hate each other, and now you’re suddenly best friends? Who knows what kind of ulterior motive you have,” Beatrice snapped.
“What are you so smug about,
Claire? You were kicked out of your home and your engagement with York was called off. Nobody wants you anymore. Even if you’re the top scholar, there’s the quarantee you’ft, amount to anything, they took turns tearing into her.
Right on cue, a sleek black car pulled up to the hotel entrance. Dane stepped out.
Dressed in a crisp white dress shirt
and tailored trousers that
highlighted his towering, athletic build, he walked toward Claire’s groups His presence.commanded the attention of nearly everyone in the vicinity.
Amelia and Beatrice stared, completely mesmerized. Shirley nudged Claire in the ribs.
“Don’t tell me he’s here to pick you up?”
Since Dane had publicly involved himself in the Westside Heights Project, he wasn’t a total stranger a the elite crowd. A few onlookers? recognized him as the CEO of V Vertex International and the formidable heir to the Green family of Cabinda.
Those who knew his identity barely dared to breathe, wondering what business such
a powerful figure had at a fashion event.
Ever since he took over the Westside project, his ruthless tactics had dismantled several rival corporations that had tried to play dirty.