Chapter 2

The maids glanced sideways, and Giselle smirked, waiting to see how Maxwell would humiliate me.

But the next second, a soft sigh came from above me. A pair of warm, large hands gently cradled my wrists.

Maxwell crouched down. Those almond eyes that always carried a mocking glint now held nothing but heartache. "How could I possibly let you do something like this?"

He firmly helped me to my feet and, in front of everyone, bent down to brush the dust off my knees. "You're the heiress of the Chatham family, and more than that, you're my fiancée. You should never be on your knees."

Giselle's smile froze instantly, her eyes full of disbelief.

The Council exclaimed excitedly in my head, "See that? That's meeting strength with gentleness! Men really fall for this! The moment you show weakness, it'll tug at his heartstrings!"

I lowered my eyes. "Yes, Mr. Hudson."

The bullet comments went wild.

"He's acting! The look in this man's eyes is off!"

"Adriana Chatham! You've fallen into a trap!"

I ignored the comments, letting Maxwell lead me to the couch.

Then, as Giselle watched on, he thoughtfully poured me a cup of hot tea, completely leaving her out in the cold.

…

Late at night, I lay in bed clutching the black card. The curses in the bullet comments still flashed before my eyes, one after another.

But I heard the Council say in a gentle voice, "I am the Council. In all this time, have I ever harmed you? Just listen to me, and one day, the entire Chatham household will be yours."

I closed my eyes and answered silently, "Yes. I'll listen to you, Council."

Over the next week, I became the most obedient person in the Chatham family.

When Giselle wanted hand-ground coffee in the middle of the night, the Council forced me to get up and grind the beans. "This is how you show sisterly love! Take good care of Giselle, and everyone will praise you for being sensible!"

When James was smoking a cigar in his study, the Council ordered me to kneel at his feet and hold up an ashtray. "Wait on your father personally. Don't leave it to others. This is how a proper lady from a prestigious family should behave."

No matter how absurd the Council's demands, I did them all.

…

One afternoon, Giselle brought a group of socialites home for a tea party. They sat in the garden having afternoon tea, pointing and gossiping about me.

"So this is the real heiress? She dresses so tastelessly."

"I heard she got on her knees and helped Mr. Hudson change into slippers just to please him. How cheap!"

Giselle waved me over. "Addy, come sit with us."

After I reluctantly walked over, Giselle pointed at the topaz necklace around my neck, the only keepsake my mother had left me. With an innocent expression, she said, "Addy, this pendant is so unique! May I have it?"

The socialites egged me on.

"Ms. Adriana, you can't be so stingy, can you?"

"Come on, Gigi already asked for it. Surely you can bear to part with an old necklace?"

I instinctively clutched the topaz pendant. It was the only comfort my mother had left me.

But the Council's voice turned sharp. "Give it to her! This is a chance to win people over! An old pendant in exchange for her speaking well of you in the social circle is an excellent bargain!"

"But..."

"No buts! Are you going to defy me?"

The pain struck again. Trembling, I took off the pendant. "Gigi, if you like it, then it's yours."

Giselle took the pendant and casually tossed it aside, her eyes full of disdain. "Thanks, Addy. Even though the quality is poor, it's the thought that counts."

Then, she turned and threw the pendant to the poodle beside her. "Here, Chester, I've got a new toy for you!"

The socialites burst into laughter.

Meanwhile, the bullet comments exploded.

"I'm livid! That's the keepsake left by her own mother!"

"Adriana, I really have half a mind to kill you! How can you be so spineless?"

As I watched the dog gnaw on the pendant, my hands clenched into fists.

The Council chattered on, "That's right. Great people don't sweat the small stuff. Your father will definitely think more highly of you now."

That evening, when James came back, he specifically called me to the study. "I heard you gave Gigi the topaz pendant?"

"Yes, Dad."

James lit a cigar with satisfaction. "Good. You have a sense of the bigger picture. The Chatham family has no lack of money or jewelry. You can do without trinkets from the countryside."

Then, he took out an invitation. "Since you're sensible, you'll get to attend the family banquet this weekend, too. I'll be announcing something important during the banquet."

My hands trembled as I accepted the invitation. That was the occasion to establish the heir's status.

In my mind, the Council was ecstatic. "See that? Your father is going to announce you as the heir!"

I smiled and responded, "Council, you're brilliant."

…

Back in my room, I saw Giselle's latest social media post. The photo showed the topaz pendant covered in dog bite marks, with me standing meekly beside her.

The caption read, "Adriana behaves like a well-trained maid. I find it rather adorable in a way."

Below the post was a string of likes and mocking comments.

The bullet comments flashing before me were so furious that they flooded my vision with curses.

I simply turned off my phone and walked to the window.

In my mind, I asked, "Council, will Dad really hand the Chatham family over to me as long as I obey you?"

"Of course! I'm the only one you have now. Who else would I help if not you? As long as you behave during this banquet, all of Silverlake City will soon be yours!"

I looked at my reflection in the window and mumbled inaudibly, "I guess I'll just have to... wait and see."