Chapter 172

Winnie finished freshening up and slipped into a new outfit before heading downstairs, where her housemates Candace and Mae had already stirred from their slumber.

After the early morning mishap the day before, Mae had learned her lesson. She woke up early, applied her makeup perfectly, and styled her hair, making sure that when the viewers tuned into the live stream, they were greeted by her radiant self.

True enough, as the clock struck eight, the audience was welcomed by a cluster of attractive young men and women.

Mae, seemingly forgetting yesterday’s fiasco and the online critiques, greeted the camera with bubbling energy as soon as the live stream began.

She then followed the cameraman downstairs for breakfast.

Winnie and Candace had already made their way down, and when Mae caught sight of Winnie, she beamed a smile and casually inquired, “Hey Winnie, where did you sneak off to last night? | woke up in the middle of the night and you were gone.

Had me worried sick.”

Her words drew the attention of the other guests towards Winnie.

‘Did you go out last night?” Kane, who had been paired with her on the show for two seasons and had grown quite familiar with her, asked with genuine concern.

Mervin also turned his gaze to Winnie, but unlike the others, he was more interested in whether she’d snuck off to some secret training or adventure.

Feeling everyone’s eyes on her, Winnie’s gaze briefly met Mae’s before she casually said, “I heard the sunrise over Golden Horizon Hills is breathtaking, so | took a hike last night to see it.” Hearing her words, the others couldn't help but gape.

“Why didn’t you invite us?” exclaimed Kane, concerned about the inherent dangers of a solo night hike for a young woman.

Candace clicked her tongue in disbelief, “We just hiked down from there yesterday evening. Weren't you tired?”

The host internally cursed, realizing they’d missed out on prime content. They should have arranged for all the guests to watch the sunrise together!

The live stream viewers also chimed in with their amazement at Winnie’s energy.

Winnie’s flawless complexion, despite her night out, sparked both envy and concern among the viewers, many of whom advised against hiking alone at night due to safety concerns.

While the live stream audience engaged in light-hearted banter, Mae, unconvinced by Winnie’s explanation, silently scoffed but feigned understanding as she added, “So that was it. The man who drove you back this morning must have been a hiking buddy, right? I've always been a fan Chapter of that model of Land Rover that dropped you off. It’s nice to see that even wealthy people have such wholesome hobbles,”

Mae’s seemingly innocent comment was laced with insinuation, causing an awkward silence around the breakfast table.

The live stream viewers immediately sensed the veiled implication in Mae’s words, sparking a flurry of speculation and rumors.

about Winnie’s midnight escapades with a mysterious wealthy man.

Mae’s insinuations, however, didn’t faze Winnie. With a brief pause, she clarified, “He’s not a hiking buddy. He’s an elderly |

know.”

Surprised by Winnie’s candid admission, Mae struggled to hide a smirk, feigning shock as she said, “Oh, so you know him? That must mean your family is quite well-off, hun? He looked like he’s got money.”

Her tone oozed envy, and Candace nearly lost it, wanting to call out Mae’s transparent act in front of the cameras.

Kane frowned, disliking Mae’s ingratitude and insensitivity. Just days ago, Winnie had helped Mae out of a bind, yet here she was, digging for gossip and stirring up drama.

Before anyone could intervene, Winnie met Mae’s gaze and answered her previous question with a nonchalant edge, “My family’s doing alright, | guess, just a bit better than yours, perhaps.”

Though she wasn’t certain about Mae’s background, Winnie was confident it wouldn’t compare to the Bryants’.

Winnie’s words rang out like a gleaming sword of shame to Mae.

Mae’s face stiffened for a moment. Before she could utter a word in her defense, Winnie continued with an air of superiority, “Not only does my family background put yours to shame, but my upbringing does as well.” She said, “At the very least, | wouldn't stoop so low as to sneak photos of others and make wild guesses about their lives.”

The comment dropped like a bombshell, catching the attendees and the production crew off guard. But the live stream audience went nuclear.

“What? The paparazzi shot that’s been circling online was taken by Mae?”

“How does Winnie even know about the photo? She hasn’t checked her phone!”

“Holy cow! If Mae took that photo, I’m seriously going to lose respect for her!”

“| believe Winnie, so Mae must be a bitch!”

“But man, Winnie’s got some nerve. | remember Mae’s from a wealthy family! Sure, Winnie was adopted by some affluent folks, but isn’t she just from an average household now?”

“Could it be that Winnie’s biological parents are filthy rich?”