“Kaia, remember, even if we’re only engaged because we have to be, you’re still my fiancée this month. Don’t get too close to other guys,” Tobias said coldly from behind her.
Kaia only turned her head, not her whole body, and said evenly, “Well, you can hang around other women as you want. I don’t care.”
Tobias was left speechless.
“Let’s go,” Kaia told Owen and walked off.
Watching her leave, Tobias pressed his lips into a tight line.
Russell spoke up again, unable to hold it in. “Kaia’s something else. She can fix robots, she can fight, and now we find out she’s the chess champ, Queen K. Who cares if she’s bad at school? She’s got enough going for her to make up for it.
“Tobias, you should think about keeping her around. Girls like that don’t come along often. Sure, she lies sometimes, and that’s annoying, but she’s still good enough for you.”
Tobias frowned hard, lost in thought.
After dinner with Owen, Kaia went back to the Bennett family to pack her things.
“What are you doing?” Ruth asked, puzzled.
“The SAT is coming up. If I want to get into Morganburg University, I need a quiet place to study. So I’m moving out,” Kaia said while packing.
“Where are you moving to? Did you find a place?” Ruth asked.
“Yeah, I found one,” Kaia replied vaguely.
“What kind of place? How much is the rent?” Ruth sounded worried she’d blow money on something pricey.
Kaia could tell she was concerned. “It’s not as much as Andrea’s place when she moved out.”
That didn’t make Ruth feel better. Two years ago, Andrea’s rent had been over 6 thousand dollars a month. From the way Kaia said it, hers was only a little cheaper–probably still over 3 thousand dollars.
“Why rent something so expensive? You just need somewhere quiet to study. Let me look for you,” Ruth said, opening a rental app. “Look, here’s one. It’s dirt cheap–300 dollars a month–and it even has its own bathroom.”
1/3
11:48 pm
Chapter 20
55 vouchers
Kaia glanced at the photo on the phone. The room looked awful–just a narrow bed and no desk. “So I’m supposed to study and write while sitting on the bed, huh?”
Ruth realized that was a problem. Even to save money, Kaia would need a desk.
“Okay, what about this one? Bed, desk, closet, even air conditioning. It’s a little more, over 600 dollars.” Ruth spoke like the price physically hurt her.
Kaia narrowed her eyes, her tone going cold. “Funny. I remember when Andrea was getting ready for the SAT, you rented her a place for 9 thousand dollars a month. You didn’t think that was expensive.”
“How can you compare yourself to Andrea?” Ruth blurted. Then she caught Kaia’s calm, knowing look and realized she’d slipped.
She added, “I’m not playing favorites. It’s just that her grades were always good, so she had a real shot at Morganburg University.
‘But you look, I’m not trying to insult you–but you know your grades. If you get into even a bottom–tier college, I’d be grateful. So why waste money on a fancy place for you?”
Kaia gave a small smile. “I told you–I can get into Morganburg University, and I’ll be top of the whole.”
Ruth had felt a twinge of guilt, but hearing Kaia brag again ticked her off. “I’ve had it with you, Kaia. If you weren’t my daughter, I’d throw you out right now. What did I do to end up with such a pain for a daughter?
‘Here’s the deal. If you want me to pay your rent, you should apologize for what you just said. Say you’re sorry, admit you were wrong, and promise not to do it again. Do that, and I’ll rent you the over–600–dollar place.”
‘I never asked you to pay,” Kaia said, her face expressionless.
“You’re gonna pay for it yourself, huh? Where are you getting over 600 dollars a month?” Ruth snapped, pounding her chest in frustration.
Kaia let out a sharp, mocking laugh.
“What’s so funny?” Ruth frowned.
“I’m laughing because supposedly I’m from a rich family, but I can’t even get 600 dollars a month. But Andrea, who’s not even blood–related, gets 25 thousand dollars in pocket money every month. You say you’re not playing favorites, huh? You actually believe that?”
Ruth’s eyes widened in shock, and her face went red, then purple.
After a long pause, she snapped, “Are you blaming me? Why don’t you look at yourself? Andrea
2/3
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By the time Kast got to the Moreno family, it was already dark
The moment she walked in, she saw Tobias sitting on the couch like hell been waiting for someone
Before she could say anything, he asked first, “Why are you back so late?”
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AD
