What Coleman didn''t know was that, at that very moment, Ste had already been granted early admission to Neo-Vespera University.


    Still, Ste was young and proud, with a fierce sense of dignity.


    She refused the card Coleman offered her.


    Coleman sighed, "You may only be a year younger than Aurora, but you''re nothing like her. Take the card, all right? If it''s not enough, you can alwayse to us—or to Dad. After all, you''re family. Life out there couldn''t have been asfortable as it is here. If you want to buy some designer clothes, jewelry, or maybe a car, just make a list. We''ll take care of it for you. We don''t want anyone thinking we''re treating you unfairly."


    If you need more, ask them? Make a wish list?


    She''d barely set foot in the house and they were already encouraging her to indulge in extravagance.


    It didn''t feel like they wanted her back as family-more like she''d returned just to spend their money.


    If she really did what they suggested, it would only give them another reason to look down on her.


    Ste had nevercked for anything growing up. Back home, she was the golden girl-smart, popr, and from a wealthy family.


    Why would she ept being pitied by her own rtives?


    She refused, standing her ground.


    Seeing her reaction, Coleman didn''t push the issue, quietly slipping the card back into his wallet.


    No one else ever found out about this-not Skyler, not Jonathan.


    A million dors in pocket money seemed like a lot, but in the Williams family, it was hardly a blip on the radar. Nobody paid much attention to such things. Money transfers were always handled by the family''s assistants anyway.


    Even when Ste ran away after that scandal, Skyler--though furious and harsh in his words-never actually canceled her card. She was, after all, his own daughter. That money was more than enough for her totivefortably.


    To this day, Skyler still believed Ste had that card in her possession.


    Lauretta''s voice pulled Ste from her thoughts.


    "Star, does the Williams family really not know which college you go to? Thest


    time I met your older brother and mentioned you, he was shocked when he heard you''d graduated from Neo-Vespera."


    Ste''s eyes glinted with a trace of


    irony. "I only attended high school in Solmaris for a few months before


    Neo-Vespera sent me an


    eptance letter. They always assumed I was still in high school. I meant to tell them, but at the time, everyone at home was too busy fussing over where Aurora would go to college. They didn''t have time for me."


    The truth was, tension had run high in the house back then. Skyler and his three sons were constantly at odds, the atmosphere stretched tight as a wire.


    Everyone—including her three brothers and Aurora-insisted Aurora should apply to business school. Only Skyler disagreed.


    No one had the energy to care about Ste.


    The few times she managed to speak to Skyler, he brushed her off, telling his assistant to send her more pocket money whenever she mentioned needing anything.


    Three monthster, Aurora finally caved.


    She decided to apply to a conservatory instead.


    It wasn''t Neo-Vespera, but it was still one of the world''s top ten music schools.


    The day before Aurora made her decision, their father and eldest brother called Ste in for a private conversation.


    "Raven," Skyler said carefully, "we''ve all agreed to give Aurora a fifteen percent share of the Williams family estate. You know about all the


    1.n


    college drama. I want her to pursue music, but she''s resistant-she wants to shine in her own field. It''s causing all kinds of conflict at


    home."