Chapter 49: Stay Away From My Older Brother

Samuel Ford’s gaze shifted to her, and he gave her a nod, his expression unreadable.

Amanda Vance snapped back to reality. She hadn’t even noticed who was sitting beside her.

Shawn Ford, sitting to Samuel’s left, leaned forward to look at Amanda Vance and grinned. "Miss Vance."

His smile was brilliant, but Amanda could still see the insincerity and ill will in his eyes. This Mr. Ford seemed quite hostile toward her.

Amanda nodded at him without a word, her gaze drifting away indifferently.

Sensing her attitude, Shawn Ford froze for a second and rubbed his face. ’She saw through it? Is my acting that bad?’

Ignoring his idiotic brother, Samuel Ford lowered his head and took a sip of water. His gaze unintentionally drifted to Amanda Vance. She was propping her head up with her hand, leaning against the back of her chair as if boneless. Her face wore its usual air of nonchalance, but a faint smile touched her lips as she looked at her phone, her fingers tapping out a reply.

He had no habit of prying into others’ privacy, so he quickly looked away.

Before long, the principal arrived and launched into a long-winded speech. Amanda propped her chin on her hand, and a lock of hair slipped down, obscuring her face.

Samuel Ford glanced over casually and froze.

’She fell asleep?’

Shawn Ford noticed it too. He was speechless, but also curious. ’This is how a top student behaves?’

’Don’t tell me she was like this back in school, too? Sleeping through class and still getting first place?’

A wave of imbalance he recognized as jealousy washed over him. He slept in class too, so why was he a total slacker?

Comparisons are truly the thief of joy.

But then again, his brother was the same way—never paid attention in class but still aced his exams.

Just as he found this common ground between them, he shook his head vigorously. ’No, no, that won’t do. Her reputation is terrible. She’s not good enough for my big brother.’

The principal also noticed the scene. His face darkened, and he fought the urge to roll his eyes. He found himself unable to continue with his prepared lengthy speech, so he said a few more words and quickly left the stage.

After that, several other successful individuals were invited to the stage to speak. Samuel Ford was naturally among them, scheduled as the final, keynote speaker.

Just as his turn came, Amanda Vance happened to wake up. The man’s magnetic voice reached her ears, and she looked up at him. She had to admit, there was a reason every woman in Aethelburg wanted to marry him.

Exceptionally handsome and incredibly successful—he possessed a fatal attraction for any woman.

Standing on the stage at that moment, he was the center of everyone’s attention.

"Stop staring. He’s not yours, no matter how much you look."

Shawn Ford had, at some point, moved a seat over to sit right next to her. Seeing her fixated on the man on stage, he pouted and spoke.

Amanda glanced at him sideways and asked casually, "Have I done something to offend you, Mr. Ford?"

Not exactly. While it was true she’d won his brother’s car, which had resulted in his own bank card being frozen, that was his own fault for not being skilled enough. He couldn’t blame her for it.

What he truly cared about was his brother’s reputation. He didn’t want a woman like her getting entangled with him.

A flicker of disdain passed through his eyes, which Amanda didn’t miss. A cool smile curved her lips as she crossed her arms and looked at him. "Well, what’s to be done about that? I think President Ford is quite nice. He’s handsome, rich, and I hear he has a son. What a coincidence, I have a son too. It would be perfect for us to build a life together. Our two children could keep each other company. It’s a great idea, don’t you think?"

After speaking, she watched him with a beaming smile, as if she genuinely thought her proposal was an excellent one.

Shawn Ford’s eyes went wide. He pointed a trembling finger at her. "You... you..."

He stammered for a while but couldn’t form a complete sentence. He just stared at her, stunned by her shamelessness.

Samuel Ford returned to this very scene. His younger brother, who was usually the one infuriating others, was now so angry his eyes were wide and his lips were trembling, unable to speak. Amanda Vance, in contrast, was perfectly composed, a hint of mockery in her eyes as she looked at Shawn.

’How did those two end up fighting?’

Seeing him return, Amanda instantly wiped the expression from her face and turned away, gazing impassively at the host on stage.

Noticing this, Samuel Ford frowned slightly. ’Their argument... it has something to do with me?’

Seeing his brother was back, Shawn Ford let out a heavy huff. He pulled Samuel Ford into his previous seat and furiously recounted what Amanda had just said, glaring back at her as he spoke, as if she had committed some unforgivable sin.

And in his eyes, it was indeed unforgivable.

A notorious, despised woman like her daring to seduce the flawless, respectable President Ford—who wouldn’t be furious to hear of it?

Amanda clicked her tongue inwardly, finding the situation rather amusing.

Samuel Ford saw the faint mockery on her lips, then looked at his chattering brother and snapped coldly, "Shut up."

He wasn’t blind. He could tell whether or not she was interested in him.

At his brother’s rebuke, Shawn Ford instantly fell silent. He stared in disbelief, his eyes soon welling up with a sense of grievance. The look he gave Samuel was like one you’d give a heartless cad who had abandoned you.

Samuel Ford pinched the bridge of his nose. ’What kind of nonsense does he think about all day long?’

He glanced at Amanda out of the corner of his eye before looking away, a faint sense of discomfort settling in his chest.

He didn’t dwell on it, attributing the feeling to his displeasure over their earlier argument.

Between the school leadership’s remarks and the speeches from various elites, two hours passed before the reunion event finally concluded. The school had specially opened its cafeteria for them, offering an all-you-can-eat buffet with a vast array of delicacies. The afternoon was designated for free time and networking.

This was the real reason many had come—it was a perfect opportunity to discuss collaborations. The shared status as alumni always helped to build rapport.

On the way to the cafeteria, people were already forming small groups.

Amanda Vance walked alone. Just as she was holding a tray and ladling soup, someone bumped her arm, causing the soup to splash onto her hand.

It was mung bean soup. Not hot, but it made a mess.

She glanced to the side.

Shirley Vance smiled innocently. "Oh, I’m so sorry, Sister. It was an accident. You won’t hold it against me, will you?"

"I won’t." Amanda Vance picked up the ladle and began to fill her bowl again.

Shirley Vance smirked smugly. ’I knew she wouldn’t dare say anything.’

Seeing Amanda holding the soup, Shirley’s eyes darted around. She suddenly lunged to bump into her again. However, Amanda inexplicably stepped aside at that exact moment. Shirley’s foot caught on something, and she stumbled, her entire body pitching forward toward the soup tureen.

Her eyes widened as she tried to stop her forward momentum, but her mind went blank. Unable to do anything, she could only let out a terrified scream.

"AHHH—"

Her shriek was so piercing it drew everyone’s attention. They all turned to see a woman with her head plunged into the soup tureen, her hands flailing at her sides.

"..."

Amanda Vance took a few steps back, neatly avoiding the splashing liquid.

She watched the scene with cold eyes and said slowly, "What’s the rush, little sister? There’s enough for everyone. We’re all civilized people here. Even if you wanted more, you could have just gotten a few more servings. Now that you’ve done this, how is anyone else supposed to have any?"

Shirley Vance had just pulled her head out of the tureen when she heard this. Furious, she wiped at her face. Soup was still dripping from her hair, making a mess all over her clothes. She didn’t need a mirror to know how pathetic she looked.

Hearing Amanda’s words made her even more furious. Blinded by rage, she reached out to grab her. But the floor was now covered in soup; her foot slipped, and with a THUD, she fell to the ground again, her chin smacking the floor so hard she saw stars.

Only two words echoed in her mind: ’It’s over.’

Samuel Ford had also witnessed the scene, watching with a blank expression.

Shawn Ford immediately seized the opportunity as if he had caught her red-handed. "Big Brother, look, look! If she hadn’t stuck her foot out to trip her, she wouldn’t have fallen into the soup! That’s her own sister! This woman is too vicious."

Hearing this, Samuel Ford’s brow furrowed deeply. He turned to his brother and asked coolly, "Since when did you become such a bleeding heart? Didn’t you see that her sister bumped into her first?"