Chapter 468

Vanguard High School, Class C.
Charlotte slouched over her desk, her pale arm propping up her cheek. Her lashes hung low, her face unreadable.
“Do we really have to go?” she asked.
“Yeah,” Shirley replied. She was crouched next to the desk, chin resting in her hands, eyes wide and earnest. “I heard a bunch of school celebrities are showing up this time. The administration is making a big deal out of it, and the teachers got strict orders to make sure everyone’s there.”
“Sounds boring,” Charlotte said. She lifted her eyes, expression cool. “Let’s just sit in the back.”
“Okay!” Shirley’s face lit up with a huge smile. “Andrew and Parrish already went to save us seats.”
“Fine.” Noticing how much Shirley wanted to go, Charlotte let the corners of her lips curl up. She gently tipped Shirley’s chin with her finger, her tone teasing. “Let’s get moving.”
She stood up, long legs carrying her out the door without a second glance.
Shirley stared after her, admiring that perfect mix of beauty and confidence. She touched her chin where Charlotte’s finger had been, feeling her cheeks warm up. She’d been swept up by Charlotte again.
…
The school auditorium was packed, the noise almost overwhelming. All five classes had shown up. Charlotte slipped in, found a seat in the last row, and sank down, wanting to disappear.
Andrew showed up beside her, holding out a cup of milk tea with a big grin. “For you, Charlotte.”
She opened her eyes and took it. The cup was warm. She frowned. “It’s hot?”
Who drinks hot milk tea in this kind of weather?
Andrew noticed her mood shift and rushed to explain, “Anthony said you can’t have anything cold.”
Charlotte didn’t respond. Her eyes flicked over to Parrish and Shirley, who were happily sipping iced drinks. She looked even less pleased.
Andrew clutched his own cup, sneaking worried glances at her, pretty sure Anthony’s rules wouldn’t mean much to Charlotte.
To his shock, Charlotte actually took a sip, unenthusiastic but obedient. She poked
in the straw and forced down a couple of gulps.
Andrew stared, dumbfounded. Since when did Charlotte ever listen to Anthony?
While they chatted, none of them
noticed Olivia sitting quietly in a
corner. Her hands were clenched нек tight in her lap. Every so often she sneaked a look at Charlotte watching her smile, struck by her beauty. Something calculating flickered in Olivia’s eyes.
…
Suddenly, the room went quiet. The event was starting. A school official walked up and started reading from a script, droning on for what felt like forever.
“And now, let’s welcome some of Vanguard High’s most distinguished alumni: Dr. Larson, Mr. Lucius, and Ms. Melissa Carter.”
As soon as she heard Melissa’s name, Charlotte paused, the straw halfway to her lips. She looked up, eyebrow raised. Well, that’s a surprise.
She took another sip, her lips curved in a mysterious smile, her eyes thoughtful and hard to read.
Larson and Lucius were respected alumni from years past. Melissa was only there because she’d once been Larson’s student.
All three took turns sharing their life stories. It dragged on for an hour. Melissa, with not much of her own to say, just bragged about her time abroad how many experiments shed dong how many famous professors she’d met.
Finally, they opened the floor for questions. Dozens of hands shot up. The back- and-forth lasted another half hour, students getting more and more excited.
Charlotte’s patience was gone. She started plotting her escape, edging toward the aisle, when a voice from the stage suddenly called out, making everyone stop.