Chapter 89: Collision (2)

"I told her," Gideon mumbled, his voice barely above a whisper but clear enough for her to hear. "She said she has nothing to say to you."

Vivienne snorted in disdain. "Playing hard to get, is she? Let’s see how long she can keep up that arrogant facade."

Over at Shani’s table, Noella cast a calculating glance toward Vivienne.

"I never expected the Ashbournes to stoop so low," Noella remarked quietly.

Kiran nodded in agreement. "They’re still trying to bully Shani even when the evidence against them is crystal clear."

Jeryon turned to Shani, concern evident in his eyes. Shani, meanwhile, was equally puzzled by Vivienne’s antics.

’If they wanted to force me into dropping the charges, they would press hard through official channels, not use Vivienne so blatantly. What on earth are they actually up to?’

Shani pushed those thoughts aside once they finished breakfast and headed back to class.

Throughout the lectures, whenever she happened to glance back toward Vivienne’s seat, she would find Vivienne staring right back at her.

It wasn’t just Shani, Kiran noticed it too.

"Does she really think glaring daggers like that is going to intimidate anyone?" Kiran whispered to Shani.

Shani was thoroughly baffled.

Her focus shifted slightly when a delivery notification popped up on her screen, announcing that her order of milk pies had arrived in the lobby.

At lunchtime, she passed out a box to her friends. "Milk pies again," she announced.

"I’m not usually fond of sweet pastries, but these milk pies have just the right balance. Thank you, Shani," Noella commented with her usual calm demeanor.

"I love anything Shani gives us!" Kiran chimed in excitedly.

Sonny suddenly materialized out of nowhere and snatched a slice. "I knew Shani was bringing milk pies today, so I made a special trip."

"You thief!" Kiran snapped, to which Sonny simply stuck out his tongue before retreating to his table with his fellow Class 2 classmates.

Shani chuckled at their usual childish skirmishes.

After lunch, she handed a dedicated box of milk pies to Jeryon. She didn’t bother offering an excuse anymore, seeing as she had been giving him milk pies continuously for the past few weeks.

[System Cashback Activated! Gift: Milk Pie (900 Credits). Cashback: 4,500 Credits. Total Gift Value: 437,759 Credits.]

Shani frowned slightly as she noticed the growth of her Total Gift Value slowing down since she was only gifting milk pies.

Ding!

As the elevator doors opened, Shani and Kiran stepped out on the eighth floor, while Noella and Jeryon, who held the first and second spots in this month’s overall rankings, had officially moved up to the tenth floor, the dormitory reserved for top students.

...

Shani felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end throughout the afternoon class. She knew it was because Vivienne kept staring at her.

Whatever Vivienne’s intentions were, Shani refused to take the bait.

Gritting her teeth, Vivienne could only glare fiercely from afar. She was fuming beyond belief that Shani had yet to approach her, the future head of the family.

If Shani wanted her life in the Ashbourne household to go smoothly, she ought to be kissing her feet right now. Unless, of course, she harbored ambitions of becoming the family head herself.

Vivienne’s eyes turned icy. ’That orphan bitch... I’ll crush her head if she dares entertain such thoughts.’

Beside her, Gideon shuddered. His regret over becoming Vivienne’s resonance partner multiplied tenfold.

After waiting all day for Shani to approach her, Vivienne’s patience wore completely thin.

She lay in wait outside the eighth-floor elevator doors, knowing Jeryon and Noella wouldn’t be getting off at this floor anymore.

Sure enough, only Kiran and Shani stepped out of the elevator.

"Hey!" Vivienne called out, leaning against the wall beside the elevator with her arms crossed over her chest.

Shani and Kiran kept walking as if they hadn’t heard a thing.

"I’m talking to you, Shani Rowan!" Vivienne snapped, her thread of patience snapping entirely.

Finally, Shani and Kiran turned around, both frowning with unwelcoming expressions.

"I have no business with you," Shani said coldly, turning to leave.

"Why, you—!" Vivienne flew into a rage. She lunged forward a few steps, only to be cut off as Kiran stepped squarely into her path.

"What do you want?!" Kiran stood tall, exuding an imposing aura. "Do you think confronting Shani is going to stop the police investigation? You can’t just bully your way out of everything!"

Having spat out her piece, Kiran turned around and walked away with Shani.

Vivienne could only clench her fists, struggling to contain her rage. But then a realization struck her...

’Does she think I’m here to talk about that investigation? Is she just playing dumb?’

...

After that day, Vivienne refused to approach Shani ever again.

"Tch, I was generous enough to reach out, but she spat right back in my face. When she comes crawling back, I’m going to make her crawl from the mansion gates all the way to the back garden before I even consider forgiving her," Vivienne huffed, dripping with malice.

Gideon, who had been glued to Vivienne’s side for the past few days, had heard the Ashbourne daughter’s bitter mutterings more times than he could count.

He couldn’t comprehend why Vivienne was so convinced Shani would come back begging for forgiveness.

The only thing he knew for certain was that Vivienne possessed terrifying sadistic tendencies.

’Should I just drop out of the academy? I already have my baby beast anyway,’ he mused privately.

The forum post detailing evidence of Vivienne’s involvement in Nora’s case had eventually faded into the background, but that didn’t mean the other students had forgotten.

Vivienne was still ostracized and met with sharp scrutiny everywhere she went. Every time she caught those piercing stares, her hatred for Nora and Shani multiplied exponentially.

She vowed never to deal with Shani again unless the girl came to her first. But a call from her father that night forced Vivienne to swallow her pride whole.

"If you don’t bring Shani home to the mansion tomorrow, don’t bother coming back yourself," Dominic stated coldly.

"But, Father—"

"No buts!"

Click. The line went dead.

Vivienne ground her teeth in fury. "Damn it!"

...