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    <b>Chapter </b><b>14 </b>


    After lunch, Ashton drove Briar home. On the way, he asked if she’d like to have dinner at 7 PM.


    Briar was a little caught off guard by how friendly he was. But seeing the hopeful look on his face, she nodded and said yes.


    Ashton had never been to the upscale neighborhood where the Jennings family lived. Normally, security would check every visitor’s car.


    But his car and tes were so well–known that the guards recognized them instantly.


    The head guard even came out to personally greet him and waved him through without asking a single question.


    Briar couldn’t help thinking that rich people really did live in a different world.


    She told Ashton where to stop. As she got out, she nced back and said, “See you tonight.”


    “See you,” Ashton replied with a slight nod, then drove off before anyone from the Jennings family could spot him.


    Edgar was still at work, so only Halle and Beatrice were home. They heard the car pull up and heard Briar talking to someone, so they came out to take a look.


    But by the time they reached the gate, the car had already disappeared.


    “Who were you talking to just now, Briar? Sounded like a guy,” Beatrice asked, smiling sweetly, but her tone dripped with sarcasm.


    “You should learn to carry yourself with more dignity,” Halle added in a scolding voice. “I know you grew up overseas and might be a bit free–spirited, but now that you’re back-”


    Briar didn’t even spare them a nce. She walked past them and into the house, leaving them standing there talking to thin air.


    “Mom!” Beatrice stomped in frustration.


    Halle stared at Briar’s retreating figure and said calmly, “You should take a page out of her book. Learn to stayposed. If you keep losing your temper like this, she’s always going to outshine you.”


    Beatrice had nothing to say to that.


    Upstairs, Briar took a shower and changed intofy pajamas. She curled up on the bed with herptop and video–called Tristan, who’d been waiting to hear from her. She gave him an update on Griffin’s condition.


    Then she asked him for a few hard–to–find items and hung up while he was still yelling in protest.


    Since it was still early, Briar browsed Shoneport University’s website. She checked out the faculty list, school departments, and some of <b>the </b>campus facilities. Then she hopped onto the student forum and scrolled through some gossip posts for fun.


    She didn’t leave her room all afternoon, and it annoyed Halle and Beatrice. They had been waiting downstairs just to pick a fight.


    They’d clearly forgotten the lesson Briar had taught themst time. And now that they’d heard she’d actually reced Edgar as president of Jennings Group, they hated her even more.


    Briar couldn’t have cared less whether the Jennings family liked her or not. She didn’t like them either. The only reason she hadn’t mar them yet was because she was still digging for answers.


    <b>ove </b>against


    After poking around the school forum for a while, she started looking up houses near Shoneport University. She nned to move out as <b>soon </b><b>as </b>school started in September.


    The area around Shoneport University was one of the most luxurious parts of Shoneport. The few neighborhoods that met Briar’s standards <b>started </b><b>at </b><b>a </b>minimum of 9 million dors per unit. Move–in–ready, fully furnished homes were even harder to <be </b>by.


    <b>After </b>about <b>an </b>hour of searching. Briat finally found a smaller vi that looked okay–15 million dors, about a <b>thirty</b><b>–</b><b>minute </b>drive frpers <b>campus </b>


    <b>She </b>called the agent and scheduled a tour for the next morning.


    Just then, someone knocked on her door.


    Briar opened it to find Camden standing there, looking serious. “What do you want?” she asked tly.


    He had clearly just gotten back from somewhere important, dressed in a ck suit and carrying a briefcase. His slicked back hair and gold rimmed sses made him look like he was trying way too hard to seem impressive.


    Lifting his chin with a smug expression, he said, “Javier


    wants


    have dinner with you tonight to discuss ending the engagement-”


    “I’m busy,” Briar cut him off coldly. “If he wants to end the


    to


    Camden’s face darkened. “Who do you think you are? Making Javier call


    he can call me himself.”


    huh? You’re just-”


    Before he could finish, Briar mmed the door in his face. The edge of it caught him right on the nose–his freshly done one. He yelped in pain and staggered back, clutching his face. For a second, he looked like he wanted to kick the door, but he held back.


    Hearing themotion, Halle came rushing over. She gasped when she saw Camden bent over in pain. “What happened? Did she hit you again?! told you to let Javier handle it himself! Let me see. Did she break your nose?”


    As Edgar’s longtime mistress, Halle had stayed in his favor mostly because of her looks. The two kids she had with Edgar turned out decently attractive as


    well.


    Camden was practically Edgar’s clone. He’d been popr since middle school<b>, </b>but he’d lived recklessly. Over the years, Halle had quietly helped him clean up messes, including getting rid of girls he’d gotten pregnant.


    Beatrice, on the other hand, wasn’t exactly the prettiest among the rich girls in Shoneport, but she was smart and knew how to market herself. She built a solid reputation through her talents, especially in music and the arts.


    Dance was where she truly shone. She became well–known at Shoneport University’s art department, andst year, her performance of Moonrise over River earned her the title of vice president of Dasmieca Dance Association. She’d even be a personal student of the famous dancer, Jolene Sutton.


    Back at the door, Camden shoved Halle’s hand away when she tried to check his nose. “Don’t touch it. It hurts!”


    “We should go to the hospital. It’s probably crooked now,” Halle said, lowering her voice as she led Camden downstairs. “And stop trying to talk to her. Just let Javier handle it, okay?”


    Upstairs, Briar had heard everything and couldn’t help butugh to herself.


    ‘The Hargreaves family?‘ she thought. ‘They used to be one of the top four families in Shoneport, but they’re nothing now. And Javier? He fails at everything he touches. He’s got nothing left. Only these <i>four </i>brain<i>–</i>dead ones are still obsessed with him like he’s some big deal.”


    She sat back down at herptop and started typing. A few keystrokester, she was inside the Hargreaves family’spanywork. She nted severa viruses <i>in </i>their system without breaking a sweat.


    Even though the Hargreaves family had fallen from grace, the Jennings family still couldn’t match them financially.


    However, they still valued Beatrice so much, even spreading rumors that she and Briar were fighting over Javier. It probably meant <b>there </b><b>was </b>something in the Jennings Group they were after.