Banished 61

Posted by ADMINHRADMIN, ? Views, Released on August 30, 2025

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Chapter 61

The girl reached out her hand. “I’m Penny Sharp.”

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Kaia shook her hand politely and said, “Honestly, I’m not eating cake to embarrass them. I’m just hungry and needed a snack.”

Penny stared at Kaia with her big, bright eyes. Kaia came across as totally genuine, without a trace of pretense or hidden agenda.

‘So she’s really just eating cake because she’s hungry?‘ Penny wondered.

‘Huh, she’s pretty interesting! Penny thought.

Louis stomped over, his face thunderous. “Kaia, you think this is entertaining? Fine, I’ll admit I was wrong about you before. You’re not as hopeless as I thought. But even so, you’re still no match for Andrea. She’s not just smart, but she’s also amazing at everything. You? You just lucked out and snagged the top spot on the SAT.”

“Oh, come on! That’s way too easy for you to say!” Penny shot him a look, rolling her eyes so hard that it was a miracle they didn’t get stuck. Hands on her hips, she glared up at Louis and snapped, “What do you mean, ‘just lucked out‘? Do you even know what it takes to be the top scorer? Can you not act like it’s no big deal?

“And Kaia isn’t just any top scorer. She’s the number one in all of Morganburg! Do you have any idea how many people live here? It’s not some random small city. Heck, even the biggest cities can’t compete. Plus, this year’s exam was way tougher than usual. I’m one of the best at my school, and my parents even hired a professor from Morganburg University to tutor me, but I barely scraped by.

“But Kaia? She got a perfect score! You called that luck? If the rest of this year’s students heard you, they’d roast you alive! Seriously, you have no idea what you’re talking about!”

Louis’s face, already dark, looked as if it could rain ink any second.

Andrea slipped her arm through Louis’s and gave him a gentle smile. “Louis, don’t stress about it. If Kaia wants some cake, just let her have it. She’s right, you know. We’ve been childhood friends, always messing around together, and with the engagement set since we were kids, we’ve always looked out for each other.

But later, I found out I’m not my parents‘ biological daughter. The one who’s supposed to be engaged to you is Kaia. So, if you go by the rules, I did take Kata’s fiance.”

As Andrea spoke, her voice grew choked with emotion, and her eyes shimmered with unshed tears.

Her words instantly shut up everyone who’d been calling her the other woman. They’d all forgotten that Kala and Andrea had been switched at birth

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2:08 am

Chapter 61

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The Bennett and Ross families had set up the engagement before the girls were even born. Back then, Andrea had no idea she wasn’t the Bennett family’s real daughter, so her being with Louis seemed legit.

And Kaia? She was the one who came in later, the actual third wheel who got blamed for everything.

Penny sneered, “Oh my god, this is so messed up! Playing both sides, acting all innocent while rying to make Kaia look like the third wheel, huh? Seriously, anyone with a brain can see right hrough your little act.

You didn’t know about the baby switch, so what makes you think Kaia did? If it weren’t for that nix–up, you’d still be stuck in the countryside, working on the farm. Let’s be real. Kaia is the true Bennett heiress, the one who’s supposed to be with the Ross family. And all that talks about childhood sweethearts? Please. You took her spot and never felt guilty, now you’re twisting the story to make Kaia look like the bad guy who broke up your perfect couple.”

Andrea hadn’t expected Penny to be so sharp–tongued. Dealing with Kaia was already enough, and she had to handle Penny too.

Penny wasn’t done yet. “If you have stolen the guy, then just own it. Say, ‘Louis and I are in love. Kaia doesn’t deserve him. I took what I wanted, so what?‘ If you said that, I’d respect you for being real. But about what you just did? You acted all soft and pitiful, but you’re just throwing Kaia under the bus and making everyone hate her.”

The guests started exchanging awkward, conflicted looks as Penny’s words sank in.

At first, none of them had really thought it through, but then it hit them. Penny was right. They’d all just assumed Kaia was the one at fault.

Andrea’s earlier speech, which seemed to be standing up for Kaia, had actually stirred up public anger against her. The more they thought about it, the more obvious it became. She wasn’t defending Kaia at all, but just making everyone hate her even more.

Once they realized that, people started looking at Andrea with open contempt.

Backed into a corner, Andrea could only play the victim, crying weakly. “No, that’s not what t meant! Please don’t twist my words! Why would I ever try to set up my sister?”

Watching his two granddaughters make a spectacle of themselves, Melvin couldn’t help but snap at Lincoln. “Is this how you raise your girls? Especially Kaia–just look at what she’s become! Louis is right What’s the point of being smart if you have no morals? She’s just making a fool of herself! I’d rather Yala be a decent person than some top scorer

Melvin was still holding a grudge against Kaia for what happened at his birthday party. Back then, his wife kina had torn up a painting by Collin by mistake. He’d asked Kata to get Collin to paint another one, but Kata had shot him down without a second thought.

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12:08 am

Chapter 61

He could still remember exactly what Kaia had said that day.

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She said, “You think Collin’s my servant? You think I can just order him to paint whenever I want? He only did it last time because I took Samantha as my student. If you do want me to ask him, what am I supposed to say when he asks about the first painting? Should I tell him you guys ripped it up?”

The more Melvin thought about it, the more pissed off he got. Every time he looked at Kaia, he just got more annoyed. He wished Lincoln would hurry up and send her back to the countryside.

Honestly, he’d already made up his mind. If Kaia ever stepped out of line with him or Emma again, he’d have Lincoln kick her out of the house, out of Morganburg, and send her straight back to the sticks.

Penny was officially done with Andrea’s drama. Just as she was about to fire off another comeback, something suddenly clicked on her.

She blurted out, “Hold up! Today’s Andrea’s birthday, but it’s yours too. Kaia, where’s your cake?”

Kaia glanced indifferently at Lincoln, Ruth, and the rest. “Never had one. Not once.”

“Damn! I heard your family played favorites, but this is next–level.” Penny was floored.

Before Penny brought it up, nobody had even noticed. But with her reminder, everyone suddenly realized it was also Kaia’s birthday. All eyes went to the cake table–just two cakes sitting there.

One was for the engagement, the other for Andrea’s birthday. Not a single cake for Kaia. Seriously, even if the Bennetts were playing favorites, couldn’t they at least try to keep up appearances?

Lincoln and Ruth looked embarrassed, but inside, they were cursing Kaia. ‘If we’d known she’d stir up all this trouble, we should’ve just kept her locked up at home.