<h4>Chapter 444: University</h4>


    The next day, Grace and Natalie came across each other. The usually smug Grace tried to ignore her, but Natalie wasn’t going to let it go.


    "So, it was a wild night, huh?" Nataliemented. "It must’ve been—after all, you hired the top escort in the city."


    Grace turned to her, furious. "Shut up. I’m sure even <i>our</i> husband doesn’t want anyone to know that one of his wives spent a night with an escort—just because he was ipetent to satisfy me."


    Natalie raised a brow at her reaction. She was certainly a tough nut.


    "So finally, you called him <i>our</i> husband and admitted that I’m his wife?" Natalie said. "But let me correct you—he’s just <i>my</i> husband, not yours. Or else, he wouldn’t have let you sleep with someone else. As for satisfying you? Hmm... how about we turn that into how the spoiled daughter of the Hartz family is addicted to sex and has been calling escorts to her bed for years now?" Natalie pulled out her cellphone and showed some pictures to Grace.


    Grace’s eyes widened as she heard Natalie continue, "These are your pictures from the past few years—since you started entertaining yourself with different escorts. So horny, aren’t you? But your father doesn’t know about it, does he? How about I show you the ones from when you were just seventeen and lost your virginity to one handsome escort?"


    Grace tried to snatch the phone, but Natalie quickly pulled it back. "Seems like you liked what you saw. I’ll send you copies soon."


    "Don’t you dare," Grace growled.


    "I have entire history of your life that can ruin you in a moment, so you better behave," Natalie warned and let out a mocking chuckle and walked away, letting her know who held the game now. "You better get what my husband asked you to."


    Grace had been given the task of bringing certain files and information rted to her father’s business—and some of his secrets. For that, she was to follow her father everywhere he went for business meetings. She was even asked to steal past records from the secret safe in her father’s study.


    Unwillingly, she left to go to her parents’ home.


    ----


    <strong>In Imperial City</strong>


    Meira was ready to leave her room after a servant had asked her toe out for breakfast. Julia, who had already been informed, was waiting for Meira at the breakfast table along with Noah.


    Meira looked at her, wondering who the elderly woman was, only to hear Noah say, "Ms. Meira, this is Madam Julia Harper—Ms. Natalie’s grandmother."


    "Good morning, Madam Harper," she greeted politely.


    The olddy offered her a pleasant smile and said, "Just call me Grandma. Don’t follow this guy Noah, who likes to be overly formal with everyone."


    Meira simply nodded, and Julia offered her a seat. As they had breakfast together, Julia spoke kindly to make her feelfortable and said, "This is your home from now on. Feel free to do whatever you want."


    Meira nodded.


    "Soon, I’ll introduce you to Natalie’s parents and a few other close people."


    The girl quietly nodded again.


    After breakfast, Julia showed Meira around the estate as the two talked for a long while. Julia eventually grew tired, and when she went to rest, Noah—who had been busy with some work—came to find Meira, who was now alone, enjoying the view of the estate.


    "Ms. Meira, there’s something we need to talk about," he said.


    She recalled that he had said the same thing the night before and nodded.


    "I wanted to ask what you’d like to study. Is there a particr subject or field you’re interested in?" he asked.


    She looked a little confused, so he handed her a file. "Go through this. It has various courses you can enroll in at the university."


    "University?" she asked in shock.


    "Yes. You need toplete your studies. Just a high school education isn’t enough," he added.


    Her eyes brightened. Just like the girls in dramas, she would be going to university—studying, meeting people, making friends, and so much more. She was going to have the kind of free life she had only dreamed about. But then, a wave of fear crept in as well. How would she handle it when everyone around her was a stranger? She wasn’t used to being out in the world.


    She went through the different courses and finally chose one. "I like to paint. I mean, that was the only thing I did other than reading the books given to me. I think... I like to paint."


    "We can enroll you in fine arts, then," Noah concluded. "If that’s your major, you’ll have to opt for a minor as well. You can select something like anguage, instrument, or a particr subject like finance."


    She thought about it and then asked him, "Mr. Noah, do you speak differentnguages?"


    "I do," he replied. "Six of them, from different countries. It’s convenient for my job."


    "Six?" she eximed. "Would it be fine for me to enroll in anguage course too, then?"


    "As long as you like it," he said. "You can select from thenguage options listed there."


    She nodded and looked through them, making a decision on onenguage—but then her gaze lingered on the instrument section.


    Noah noticed and said, "If you want to learn an instrument, you can join music sses at the university. Or, if you prefer, we can hire a private tutor for you."


    Hearing that, she felt overwhelmed. She was being offered everything she had only dreamed of a few days ago. It all felt unreal.


    After about an hour, Noah told her, "We’re going out."


    "Where?"


    "To finalize your admission process at the university."


    "Don’t I have to give any university exam, like they show in dramas?" she asked.


    "You don’t need to. You’re included in a special case quota," Noah replied.


    "A special case?"


    "A foreign student who did her high school studies at home," he exined. "And also, a student who happens to be a family member of one of the university’s board members."


    "My brother?" she asked, to which Noah hummed in response, not exining anything further.


    The two of them headed to the topmost university in the city. Meira was stunned by the sight of the campus and, at the same time, observed the groups of students gathered around. Soon, this would be her life too.


    They arrived at the office of the University Vice-Chancellor—Mr. Park.


    Just as they reached the door, it opened, and a handsome man along with a young woman stepped out of the Vice-Chancellor’s office.


    "Mr. Summers," Noah greeted Adam Summers and offered a light bow to the young woman beside him. "Mrs. Summers."


    Adam gave a nod of acknowledgment and asked, "You’re here for?"


    Noah introduced them. "This is Ms. Meira, Mr. Aiden’s sister. I’m here regarding her admission."


    Meanwhile, Meira and the young woman next to Adam exchanged nces.


    "Ms. Meira, this is Mr. Adam Summers—your brother’s close friend—and this is Mrs. Olivia Summers."


    Both women gave each other a polite nod and remained quiet.


    Adam and Olivia left, while Meira thought, <i>’She looks so young, like me... and she’s already married? Do women here marry so early? Or she had some situation just like me?’</i>