Chapter
Hayley rolled her eyes as everyone fawned over Cordelia. âJuliana, come on,â she said. âCordella is probably going to the math winter camp, not the physics one. After the training at the winter camp without her attending, youâll beat her in the finals!â
Hanley wasnât interested in getting involved, but Juliana was his fiancée. For his interest, he felt compelled to offer some encouragement. âGood luck,â he said simply.
After their remarks, they noticed that Julianaâs complexion was off. She was staring at her phone, her face pale and her fingers trembling. Her expression was twisted, and she muttered, âHow can this beâ¦â
Hayley over at her phone. â169 points? Juliana, is this your score? How is that even possible?â
Juliana had always been the shining star of their schoolâs physics competition team, usually scoring well over points, with 190 being enough to secure a top prize. Now, she wouldnât even qualify for the winter camp.
Their physics teacher walked in just then. âCongratulations to Cordelia for taking the top spot in the provincial physics competition again, probably the national champion as well.â
After acknowledging Cordelia, he turned to Juliana with a frown. âJuliana, what happened this time? Were you unwell during the exam? You didnât even make a second prize, only third.â
Third prizeâ¦
That was nothing more than a certificate, practically useless
Juliana sat there, shellâshocked. âThere must be a mistake with the grading!â
I
The teacher sighed. âWhen I saw your results, I thought there had been an error , so I requested a review. But it turns out you really didnât perform well,â he continued. âQuestions you usually ace got wrong this time. Juliana, donât take it too hard. If physics competition isnât working out, focus on your studies and aim for a good university entrance exam.â
Before anyone could react to these words, Latham rushed into the room. âCordelia,â he said, breathless, Top Crest Academyâs physics department has reached out. Theyâre offering you a direct placement. What do you say?â
The math department and physics department were the best programs in the country at Top Crest Academy. The classroom went silent.
Cordelia, known for her miraculous scores, was now being fought over by Top Crest Academy and Superiority College in an embarrassingly public tugâofâwar.
It was unheard of for such prestigious institutions to vie for a student so openly!
And yet, Cordelia was the picture of composure as she looked up and said, âIâm not going.â
Latham, taken aback, pressed on. âTheyâre offering a full scholarship, and the financial bonus is negotiable. You can pick any major you want in their department.â
âI donât need the money,â Cordelia responded simply.
Latham was speechless for a moment before curiously asking, âWhy are you so set on Superiority College?â âBecause itâs number one overall, Cordelia replied.
It took a moment for Latham to process her meaning. Cordelia wasnât just aiming to study one subject at college. She intended to excel across the board, just like she had in high school. She was looking at the overall strength of the institution, not just a single departmentâs reputation.
The rest of the class eventually caught on, and a collective silence fell. They all thought the same thing. Cordelia was in a league of her own.
A week flew by.
Cordelia had just returned home from school when she heard voices approached, she saw Rachel standing tall and defiant before Steward and Sanderson. âYou
arguing in the living room. As she
passed on my investment tip, and now are you green with envy over the first round of profits, arenât you? Thatâs ten million right there! The Smith family was the first to put in twenty million, and in less than half a month, weâve already half! Now every affluent family is begging to buy into Calvertâs deal. Jimmy regrets not investing a hundred million the first time. But he bought the ten percent share we passed last time. In a few days, weâll be seeing another fifty million in profit!â
After she finished, Laurinda couldnât help but complain. âSanderson, you shouldâve been bolder in business, Now weâve missed out on a golden opportunity!â
Sanderson furrowed his brows but chose to remain silent.
Laurinda turned to Rachel and said, âRachel, ask Jimmy if he can arrange another meeting with Mr. Wallace. We want in on this investment!â
âTve already asked him,â Rachel replied. âBut I canât promise anything. After all, itâs us who are asking for help.â
Laurinda nodded. âGood. The Smith family is reliable. At times like this, we need you, not like some people who canât do anything but drag their husbands down!â
Sanderson darkened his face. âMom, in our family, men handle the business affairs. The investment decision was mine alone and had nothing to do with anyone else.â
Before Laurinda could retort, Rachelâs phone rang.
Upon ending the call, she came back, a spark of excitement in her eyes. âDad, Mr. Wallace has given us the green light to invest!â
Laurinda looked at her, her face alight with excitement.
âItâs still a hundred million, butâ¦â Rachel glanced at Sanderson, âJimmy said that Calvert would like to have dinner with Cordelia.â.
At that, Cordelia, who was about to head upstairs, paused, and the room fell silent.
Thenâ¦
âNo.â Sandersonâs reply was firm and resolute.
After the last dinner, it was clear that Calvert had taken an interest in Lia. How could he push his daughter into the fire
Laurinda spoke up, her voice laced with a note of challenge. âWhatâs the big deal? Weâre all business folks here, right? Whatâs wrong with having a meal together? Dinner for fifty million, have you ever heard of anything so ridiculous?â
Lorna trembled with anger, her voice shaking as she replied. âMom, do you even hear yourself? This dinner is clearly a trap set by Calvert! Heâs up to no good!â
But Laurinda scoffed dismissively. âSo what if it is? Is that thug boyfriend of Cordelia any better? Calvert is a catch, a real gentleman. I think Cordelia could do a lot worse than marrying him!â
Kermit chimed in from the sidelines, his voice filled with a mix of frustration and eagerness. âIt was Sandersonâs wrong decision last time that made us miss out on a fortune. So this time, itâs only right that you folks make up for that mistake. Itâs just a dinner and wonât kill us. Anyway, Iâm in for the investment!â Sanderson looked around at his soâcalled families and took a deep breath. âLet me make myself perfectly clear,â he said, his voice firm with resolve. âI, Sanderson, will not sell my daughterâs future for wealth or honor! ! want no part in this investment. If youâre all so determined, then so be it. Weâll go our separate ways Iâll leave with Lorna and Lia!â