?Chapter 42:
The mere mention of the fire from the past made Elliana’s chest constrict without warning. Her mother’s warnings and the memory of her mother running straight into the fire circled through her thoughts again and again. That fateful fire years ago was undoubtedly a conspiracy. Her mother’s cryptic advice to conceal her talents and beauty until adulthood had been for survival. Now that she had grown up, it was time to uncover the truth surrounding the fire.
Keeping her face unreadable, Elliana replied to Paige’s message. “Can you tell me everything?”
Paige’s response came immediately. “Yes, but only if you agree to my terms first.”
Elliana raised an eyebrow and wrote, “And what exactly are you asking?”
Paige fired her response smoothly. “Ever heard of ‘The Heiress’ Graduation Trip’? Royal Entertainment’s pouring cash into it, and I want you on the cast list.”
Elliana’s eyes narrowed as she read Paige’s message. She didn’t need a second to decode Paige’s angle—this was a setup, clear as day.
Paige was riding a wave of poprity at the moment. She had only just finished college and was getting ready to make her official debut in the entertainment world.
Royal Entertainment had crafted “The Heiress’ Graduation Trip” as Paige’s grand entrance into showbiz. Inviting Elliana wasn’t some olive branch—it was a setup, in and simple.
Paige and Elliana had already sparked two public opinion storms before, which had pulled the powerful Cole into the spotlight. Following Paige’s public deration of Merritt as her godfather, “The Heiress’ Graduation Trip” was certain to draw massive attention, packed with enough drama, friction, and buzzworthy moments to keep the audience hooked.
Just like Kiara warned, losing to Paige in front of millions would be Elliana’s death sentence in the spotlight—noebacks, no second chances.
Fearing Elliana might refuse, Paige didn’t stop at one message—she followed up with more.
“Elliana, don’t overthink it. I asked you to join the show with a clean heart. I just want to clear up the misunderstandings between us. You don’t want all those wild theories online to keep spiraling, do you?”
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“Like it or not, we’re still family. I was heartbroken when you ended up with Cole, but things are different now. I have…”
Ran, and I’m on the verge of making a name for myself in the entertainment industry. I’m in a good ce, and I’m ready to let go of what happened before.”
“We’re both in the public eye now, and that means we have to consider the message we’re sending. The inte’s a mess, and people are turning our story into some kind of drama. We need to step up and use this show to rewrite that narrative.”
As Elliana scrolled through the messages, she could practically see Paige pacing, racking her mind to persuade her. Her rejection would likely send Paige into one of her signature meltdowns.
In Elliana’s mind, Paige and Kiara—this mother-and-daughter pair—were honestly quite the spectacle. One had just announced a full-blown war, swearing to drag her straight to hell, while the other was suddenly preaching about the importance of family image. Did they forget to rehearse their script before reaching out to her? Clearly, they thought they had the upper hand. Dangling the truth about the fire like a prize, they’did a path full of traps, assuming she’d stumble right into them. Alright then, she would go along with their little game and find out who trulynded in hell when it was all over!
Elliana texted back, saying, “Sure, I had already been considering a move into the entertainment industry.”
“Great!” Paige shot back almost instantly. “Can’t wait to have you on set!”
The moment their chat ended, Elliana’s car rolled to a stop in front of the Evans family’s residence. She stepped out and walked straight into the living room, ready for whatever drama awaited.
Trinity had beaten Elliana home and was already nestled on the couch, basking in everyone’s attention like it was her rightful throne.
Among the eager crowd, Jeff was the loudest cheerleader. “Trinity, you’re a lock for top scorer in Ublento. I’d better start thinking of a gift for when the exam results are announced!”
Trinity, clearly delighted, put on a modest front, saying, “Jeff, don’t say that. The results haven’t been released yet, and there’s no guarantee I’lle out on top.”
Noticing Elliana walk in, Trinity threw in a theatrical sigh. “Of course, there’s always a chance Elliana outshined me.”
With both Ruben and Cole out of sight, the room dropped its polite act. Eyes narrowed in Elliana’s direction, and Jeff, never one to hold back, sneered. “You think she’ll outperform you? Please. She’s lucky if she didn’te in deadst.”
Irene shot Elliana a smug look, her smile edged with mockery, before going out of her way to act intimately with Trinity right in front of Elliana, making it seem like they were teaming up to push her out. “So, Trinity, now that exams are behind us, what’s next for you?”
Trinity gave a dramatic little sigh. “Miss Henderson’s condition has been on my mindtely. I’ve decided to apply to Ublento Medical University to see if I can help Jeff with her treatment.”
Jeff’s face lit up with gratitude. “You’re amazing, Trinity!”
With a practiced smile, Trinity added, “I’m not officially enrolled yet, but I’ve been mentored by Professor Murray Sampson for two years. He says I’m his brightest prospect and ns to rmend me to Milena once my scores are in.”
Milena? The mention alone snapped everyone to attention.
Just as if it had been timed, Ruben came down the staircase, catching the tail end of the conversation. His eyes lit up. “Trinity, are you saying you can actually contact Milena?”
Murray wasn’t just any professor—he was one of Ublento Medical University’s elite. The Evans family had tried to bring him in for Miss Henderson before, but it had led nowhere. No one had ever heard of him having a direct line to Milena.
Trinity tilted her head, letting the suspense stretch. “Well…”
.
.
.