Kaia was momentarily at a loss for words.
55 vouchers
Looking back, it was exactly as Andrea had said. She had presented all the evidence to Ruth and Lincoln, but they refused to believe her. Instead, they scolded her even more harshly.
They accused her of making mistakes and not learning from them.
And the reason she hadn’t revealed to Ruth and Lincoln that she was Dr. Bennett was also because of their bias and discrimination.
In the past, whether it was a piano trophy, a chess championship certificate, or even an F1 racing title, she brought them all to Ruth and Lincoln. Yet all she got in return was criticism.
They said she was faking all those things to please them, and that she had let them down.
With Andrea stirring things up even more, their trust in her only grew weaker.
Her foster parents in the countryside had treated her pretty well, but Lincoln and Ruth were her real mom and dad. Who didn’t want their real parents to love them? So she’d always tried everything she could to get them to care about her.
But in the end, she realized Lincoln and Ruth would never treat her the way they treated Andrea. The main reason? They judged her for being a country kid. Every time Lincoln’s relatives came around, they’d always make fun of Lincoln and Ruth for it.
To them, she was the shame in their lives, something they could never scrub off.
So really, it wasn’t all Andrea’s fault. Andrea just knew how to use that, making her seem like an even bigger embarrassment to Lincoln and Ruth.
“Andrea, I’m not gonna waste my breath on you. I don’t have time for this,” Kaia said.
Yala snapped out of her thoughts and got straight to the point.
“Where I live is none of your business. Just stay put and serve your grounding. If I catch you pulling something like this again, you’ll wish you hadn’t
Andrea’s face turned an ugly shade of purple. “You think Mom and Dad are gonna keep me grounded for that long? Did you forget? In three days, it’s my engagement party with Louis. Oh, and by the way, that’s also my birthday. Wait, isn’t it yours too? Kaia, consider this your official invitation to my engagement party with Louis. Don’t miss it?
Kaia blinked in surprise. Wait, my birthday is in thuce days? I actually forgot about that,‘ she thought.
Andrea let out a mocking laugh. “You know, every year on your birthday, Mom and Dad either
1/4
12:07 am
Chapter 38
EL 55 vouchers
ignore you or just toss you some random gift. Honestly, I almost feel bad for you. So, how about. this? Let’s make a deal. Pretend none of this ever happened, and I’ll have your name written on my birthday cake. Sounds good? It’s my twentieth this year, and Mom and Dad are getting me at twenty–layer cake. Your name can be on it, too. Maybe you’ll finally get a little of my spotlight for
once.”
If Andrea had been there in person, Kaia would’ve shot her a look that could freeze her in place.
Kaia couldn’t be bothered to argue anymore, so she just hung up on her.
Joel frowned. “You’re just gonna let it go like that?”
“I wasn’t going to let it slide at first, but with someone like her, the more you ignore her, the more she freaks out and gets desperate. So why should I waste my time and energy arguing with her like a child?” Kaia said, her tone flat.
“You’ve got a point, but I’m still pissed. Andrea’s been messing with you for years, and now she’s sending people to follow you. Want me to take care of her for you?” Joel’s eyes flashed with a dangerous glint.
“Come on, you’re the King of Boxing. You really wanna go after some scheming bitch? Wouldn’t that be beneath you?” Kaia shook her head with a laugh.
“This is all for you. Who cares about my reputation? If anyone dares to mess with you or hurt you, I swear I’ll make them pay, even if the whole world ends up hating me!” Joel said, dead serious.
Out of nowhere, Tobias reached over, took Kaia’s hand, and pulled her right up next to him.
“You two are getting a little too close. Don’t you think so? And Joel, let’s get one thing straight. She’s my fiancée. Protecting her is my job, not yours. Don’t you think you’re overstepping a bit?” Tobias said, his voice low and full of warning.
“Sure, she’s your fiancée, but she’s also my friend. You protect her your way, and I’ll protect her mine. Let’s just stay out of each other’s way,” Joel retorted, refusing to back down.
Joel caught the look Kaia shot him, telling him to go. If he stuck around any longer, things might get complicated, and they could end up in trouble.
“It’s getting late. I should head out,” Joel said, looking at Kaia.
“Alright Take care. Get home safe,” Kaia replied.
Then it hit them both at the same time–they turned to stare at the smashed–up car.
‘Yeah, no way that thing’s driving anywhere now they thought
Devin came over to Joel, eyes shining with admiration. “Joel, let me get someone to fix it you. It’ll be good as new in no time”
up
for
2/4
12:07 am
Chapter 58
EZ 55 vouchers
Kaia walked up to the car, popped the hood, and glanced inside. “It’s nothing serious. No need to bother anyone. I can fix it myself.”
“Hold up. You know how to fix cars, too?” Tobias and Joel blurted out in unison, both looking at her in surprise.
Kaia glanced back and nodded. “Yeah, back when I used to street race, cars broke down all the time. Sometimes I’d be way out in the boonies, and calling for help was a pain, so I just picked up how to fix them myself.”
Wait, she knows how to street race, too?‘ Tobias thought, genuinely surprised. He hadn’t expected that they had something in common.
For him, street racing wasn’t just a hobby. It was his favorite way to blow off steam whenever life got stressful.
Every so often, he’d meet up with Russell and a few buddies to tear up the winding mountain roads outside the city, letting loose with some serious speed.
Joel’s jaw dropped, and then he started to look seriously worried.
He began, “Why do you always get mixed up in this crazy, dangerous stuff? You’re the treasure. We can’t risk anything happening to you. Seriously, what if you get hurt? How am I supposed to explain…”
“All fixed!” Kaia deliberately raised her voice, cutting Joel off before he could say another word.
Seriously, this guy–he gets so worked up that he forgets what really matters. If I hadn’t jumped in, he might’ve blurted out my secret right now and here,‘ Kaia thought.
Joel caught the looks Tobias and Devin were giving him and cleared his throat, trying to play it cool. “I mean, how am I supposed to explain this to your parents?”
Tobias’s sharp eyes narrowed, silent and brooding, the tension in the air thickening around him.
“Uh, wow! You fixed it already? Mind if I try it out?” Joel said, awkwardly steering the conversation away. He slid into the driver’s seat, turned the key, and the engine purred to life. “Whoa, it is good as new! You’re seriously amazing!”
Just a minor fix, nothing special,” Kaia replied, sneaking a glance at Tobias, who was stone–faced, not showing a single emotion. She couldn’t tell what he was thinking at all.
“So, I guess I’ll head out?” Joel said, glancing at Kala
“See you” Kaia replied.
Kaia waved goodbye to Joel, then turned to Tobias. Let’s head back.” V
“Wait a second.” Tobias said, taking off the jacket Kaia was wearing and handing it back to her. Then he slipped off his own and gently draped it over her shoulders.
3/4
414
