Chapter 138

Andrew rubbed his temples, his gaze softening. “There’s no need for formalities between us. If you don’t want Sophia to apologize, I’ll let it slide. Thirty million is nothing to fret over.”

Tessa was well aware that thirty million was merely pocket change for him, but the thought of Brielle getting such a windfall made her uneasy. “It’s Sophia’s mistake, but you shouldn’t let others take advantage like that.”

She was testing the waters to gauge Andrew’s feelings toward Brielle. Something seemned off. and she wondered if it was because of a few words Sophia had said in his presence. Tessa was growing restless. Any other woman who dared speak to Andrew like this wouldn’t live to see another day, yet Brielle was not only spared but also walked away with a thirty million dollar check.

“Drop it with her, Tessa. You need to focus on getting better.”

Andrew couldn’t possibly reveal Brielle’s connection to Max. If Michael found out, Brielle would have to vanish from Beaconsfield in a heartbeat.

“Alright, I’ll drop it.”

Tessa was sharp, not the type to beat a dead horse. She probed into the Hatfield family’s stance on Emily and pondered making them target Brielle. Much to her surprise, the Hatfields hadn’t lifted a finger to bail out Emily, who remained behind bars.

When Tessa learned that the Hatfields planned to send Emily abroad for studies–a polite euphemism for exile, a common practice among the elite–she was even more unsettled. Was it all because of Brielle? Who exactly was backing Brielle?

Tessa’s lips pressed into a thin line, realizing it was time for some serious digging.

Unbeknownst to Brielle, she had caught Tessa’s attention. She and Tiffany were already in the car.

Tiffany was in high spirits that evening, her smile never leaving her face. At a red light, she tapped the steering wheel, “Brielle, I really owe you one. My birthdays are usually such downers, but today was a blast from start to finish. If anything like this comes up again, hit me up on WhatsApp, okay?”

She whipped out her phone.

After they exchanged contacts, Tiffany saw the familiar profile picture and chuckled. “Alivial was all over the place, asking who had the snowflake avatar. I had a hunch it was you, and look.

at that. I was right.”

“Alivia?” Brielle was puzzled. How did her avatar catch Alivia’s eye?

“Yeah, she asked around in the group chat. Probably grilled the whole social circle, but no one fessed up.”

Tiffany steered the car, her expression growing serious, “Between Alivia and Tessa, those are. two tough cookies. Don’t mess with them, or if Maxie ever drops you, they could crush you with 17:00 the flick of a finger.”

Having arrived in Beaconsfield at the tender age of ten, Brielle was out of the loop on social intricacies, always an outsider. “How tough are we talking?”

Tiffany had taken a liking to Brielle and didn’t want her to be at a disadvantage, so she couldn’t help but break it down for her.

“Let’s start with Alivia. You know how famous she is around here. She’s been spoiled rotten by the Barnes family since she was little. Whatever she wants, she gets. Guys her age are lining. up to marry her, which is like getting the whole Barnes family on a silver platter. Even her brother Kenzo dotes on her. With just the two of them and Kenzo lost in his art most of the time, all the family’s affection naturally falls on Alivia.”

The phrase ‘center of the universe‘ didn’t do her justice. Whatsmore, Alivia excelled in her own right, currently at a research institute that was top–notch worldwide.

Brielle kept quiet, then asked, “And Tessa?”

When Tiffany got to Tessa, her tone took on a peculiar edge. “In a big family like this, a sickly. member like her would normally be out of the power circle. But she’s got clout in the Rowland family. Rumor has it she was once on the outs and nearly got shipped off from Beaconsfield. But ever since she latched onto Andrew, her stock in the Rowland family has been on the rise. You know Andrew’s reputation. A woman who can keep him on a short leash is no simpleton.“