Chapter 674: Adrian, Thank You

Everyone watched Fiona Vaughn’s teary outpour, looking at each other in shock.

—So this is what being a master of saying the opposite really looks like. They’d finally seen it for themselves.

The reporters were even more surprised that Fiona didn’t seem to be acting at all; she was crying with even more emotion.

Crystalline tears rolled down her face, her throat choking as if she’d suffered some huge injustice. To someone who didn’t know any better, it’d look like Fiona was the one getting accused of stealing here!

“I really never expected my sister would turn out like this…”

“No… Maybe everyone’s misunderstood her. Just based on one video—who knows if someone deliberately edited it? Boo hoo, I believe my sister isn’t that kind of person, even though, back then, she really liked the little dress Dad bought for me so much that the next day she took it and cut it into shreds in her own closet.”

Fiona seemed to realize she’d said something outrageous, hurriedly covering her mouth, then stumbling to explain.

“But that was when we were kids, my sister definitely doesn’t throw little tantrums like she used to.”

Honestly, the more she explained, the worse it sounded.

…

“Miss Fiona, are you sure it’s not because you and your sister are in a cold war, so you started to have doubts?”

“Oh, Mr. Reporter, what are you saying? Real sisters don’t stay mad overnight. Sure, my sister and I aren’t as close as some siblings, but blood is thicker than water. There are some misunderstandings and gaps, but honestly, what siblings greet each other with smiles every day? Isn’t a bit of friction normal?”

Everyone was impressed by Fiona’s ability to turn black into white. Tsk tsk, the other one practically personally sent Fiona’s mom to jail.

And that’s supposed to be just a “bit of friction”?

The reporters grumbled mentally, but if they dragged Florence Warner into it, the topic would stray too far, so regardless of whether Fiona was faking or not…

The way they looked at Fiona just got more and more subtle.

Who can’t see that Fiona and Cecilia Vaughn really don’t get along? With this attitude, it seemed like she wanted to destroy Cecilia for good!

“Miss Fiona, are you saying your sister Cecilia Vaughn was always super jealous when she was young, so she cut up your clothes?”

Actually, this rumor went viral back when Cecilia was in middle school.

Not just the whole “Cecilia cut up Fiona’s dress” thing, there were rumors about her slashing Fiona’s backpack out of revenge, sending her bloody love letters out of jealousy for Fiona’s looks.

Back then, the classmates didn’t even understand what was going on between Cecilia and Fiona.

But after everyone learned that Fiona and Cecilia were half-sisters, suddenly the whole vibe changed when people looked at them.

Logically, people should’ve sympathized with the daughter of the legitimate wife—but some people thought, “Fiona’s just a kid. No matter what Florence did, it shouldn’t affect Fiona, right?”

Plus, Fiona was so pure and pretty, so much more approachable than Cecilia. She’d smile at boys, and act like a trusted bestie with girls.

She totally became the group darling.

The mud slung on Cecilia started off as suspected rumors spread by Fiona, but the more you interacted with Fiona, the easier it was to fall for her little treats. Who doesn’t like a girl who brings snacks to share?

Teen boys—who wouldn’t like a girl with a light scent, who purposely shortened her uniform skirt a couple centimeters to show off her pale, elegant legs?

…

A textbook “green tea” like Fiona had successfully brainwashed the whole class.

But after moving up to high school, she couldn’t keep up with the workload, and students at that elite school were obsessed with top students. Cecilia was always in the top three, and they weren’t even in the same class. So Cecilia’s “school flower” reputation totally eclipsed Fiona.

And this became one of Fiona’s deepest pains.

…

The reporter’s question was pretty much what everyone online was dying to know.

No one knows just how high the “dark tower” of Cecilia Vaughn’s bad reputation has gotten.

—Holy crap, did Cecilia really cut up Fiona’s dress back in middle school? Boo hoo, my Fiona goddess is so pitiful, come here and let me comfort you!

—Yo, what if Fiona’s just lying?

—Lying, my ass. Go check the old posts from Stellerton First Middle, there’s tons of Cecilia’s ancient black history: posts about all kinds of bullying Fiona spread everywhere.

Those posts were actually fake news planted by Fiona ages ago. She’d pay people to keep bumping them up. At first fewer people cared, now she’s totally gone viral!

The old forum moderator was one of Fiona’s die-hard male fans. If Cecilia dared to delete anything, there were screenshots to prove it!

…

A handful of netizens actually spoke up for Cecilia.

—For real, who the hell understands adolescent drama? If you found out your dad was cheating, who’d treat the other woman’s kid nicely?

—Come on, just because you don’t act nice doesn’t mean you should cut up a dress, write terrifying red-letter love notes, or slash someone’s backpack! If only one or two people say it, maybe it’s nothing—but go look, there’s at least twenty people who have testified against Cecilia for Fiona in that middle school forum!

—Yeah, if one person says you’re bad, maybe it’s them. If twenty people say so, can you still believe you’re innocent? Flies don’t buzz around eggs without cracks!

…

Fiona’s skill at throwing shade has always been strong.

Cecilia Vaughn, currently far away in Vessaria, had no idea; even if she did, she’d just respond with a cold smile.

—Who would believe that little, innocent Fiona could be plotting to smear her that early? There’s barely any evidence to prove otherwise, and the innocent will stay clear.

…

Facing those Vessarian noble ladies who kept harassing her, Cecilia’s expression was icy.

“Madam Daisy, I think this is our first time meeting. Why don’t you consider the possibility that someone deliberately framed me about your missing ring?”

“Framed? Ridiculous! The ring definitely has your fingerprints!”

Cecilia was about to retort, but Adrian Law smiled faintly, instantly voicing what his wife wanted to say.

“Madam Daisy, have you forgotten that just now, out of kindness, my wife helped your friend pick up the ring? Obviously her fingerprints would be on it, wouldn’t they?”

Maybe because she was feeling so trapped, Cecilia looked at the man beside her, holding her hand tightly. A gentle warmth slowly bloomed in her heart.

—To have a man like this, who loves you more than anything and believes in you with all his heart—that’s such luck, isn’t it?

Daisy clearly just remembered this detail. She froze, then burst out in angry protest.

“Greedy little Veridian, so poor you’re short-sighted and impossible to reason with! You picked the ring up just so you could destroy the evidence!”