With a smile on her lips, she tipped her ss in Trone''s direction when their eyes seemed to meet


    "Ah, I can see the arsennce. A beauty she is Call her over Benjamin."


    The said man hesitated, ncing in his wife''s direction, but a nod from her was all it took to have his lips moving.


    "Tere!" He called out to the child, beckoning her overwhen she noted his hand lived in the air


    with poised steps, Irene approached, a forced senile on her lips.


    "Hello.." She paused not sure if she should all Benjamin father


    He caught onto this and briskly cut in "This is ML Larsen, a business partner of mine. Say hello" Torne turned to him. "Hello, I''m Rosewood "Horwood? Does she still go by that name


    w''ne taking things slow for now. "Came Bevin''s replc, not bothering to trante for frene who looked like a lost puppy as they conversed in the North "She seems lost, idoes she not speak Panishi" Noah fasally caught an


    "et conse not," Leonica teplied without hesitation. "My sister''s education wasn''t pound, so she didn''t get the chance to learn, such things." This, Leomica said in Irene''s eyes twitched, clearly offended by the older tensale''s wonds, but she couldn''t  anything, seeing as fenjaninh look of shame on


    "Ah, Isee. What a pity."


    "fisdeed, it is "Leonica agized, shing Msih a smule, which he rebus "put woy not, mbete toteach my dearest sister the ropes, even if she was previously a


    "ell, won''t that a blessing." Themented, Loghing heartily, Bad it was different for me who lopbest file she was burning, from heat tutor will


    i was just what she wanted, pecause the w


    ivament lurve malescanustake and messestigi, bet aplice was sure to show some type of


    Sup, Levica thought, it was just


    That was het goal belund her constant Lanting wonds and actions.


    "Then assume I should speak in English watil then"


    "Messeda."


    "Then Benjamin, what is the tter, ene was it?" The gull med and "After he is bought into the fully booght it the family? Word has it that she had been married to Senator Richandson before he became Senate and had set up a tew businesses for her. Surely you have ns to push some clients to herside,


    That is still being discussed but of course, we''ll do our best to assist ber she is, after all, my child.


    Benjamin''s reply had a smile practing teene''s lips. He was going to aidehes, she thought and nced at Leonica, did she heard? She wasn''t so special after all! That smile hom ever, disappeared the memeut she saw Long cackle, what? Who was she tough?


    "It was nice talking with you, Bergmin," He shook his business partnershand. "Cassandra lovely seeling you, Pecked thedy on her cheek "Leonica, continue to pesme, look forward to the day when you''ll st the world once again, and of course, trene." Noah tuned his attention towards the girl. "Thope we can world together in the future. Now, please excuse me


    The bowed, wishing the man a good night betere he disappeared into the crowd.


    "171 go gret socrather guest." Benjamin announced.


    Hanyou" Cassandra offered.


    Leonica, I''ll see you in a bit," He patted her shoulder and paused beside tree. She looked up, expecting words just like Leonica''s, but much to her dismay, he said. "Please, don''t disgrace the Romero name." And walked off ene was trozen in ce, her eyes glued on her father''s retreating back, a band clutching at her dress at the side while her heart thundered in her chest.


    "You heard what Father said, Irene Leonica spoke up, catching her attention. "I''ll also take my leave now."


    Leica attempted to walk away but was stopped by trene''s grip on her hand. "This is all you fault, you know." "Excuse me?" Leonica raised abow, staring down at the hand holding hers and waiting for it to let go.


    "All the ridiende and humiliation," She rified. "And what did you mean by those words? My education iscing because I was amoner?"


    "Exsonly, did i stutter Leica shot back hea tome dripping with sarcasm which liene found or ritating than the condescending smile she gave her. "How dare you!" She snapped, but just as quickly, Cronica had quieted her "Krep your voice down Or don''t you remember what father said "


    Taking a quick look amunal, Irme notices that people were indeed stating, whispering underneath their baths, All bad things, she could tell by the way their eyespared her to Leonica.


    Fuck, it was so annoying how they all thought she was the bad one, all because she was an illegitimate child and Leonica, being the legitimate child, was automatically painted the saint. She tacking hated it and wanted nothing more than to prove them wrong, strip Leonica of the reputation she had built on hes


    And with all these people watching,


    Leica stared at eng, watching, as


    wheels imber firad spam, formting a ushe had alt rady anticipated.


    So when the older female suddenly stepped forward, it was in surprise to Lewes, but she still acted supuised.


    "Ament you called me, but I''ll hater you know, our inlexa mother" She said lisa lowione, smiling at the face Leonica mde


    only reversed because your whot of a mother decided to steal what rightfully belonged to my


    Now, even though Lesnica liad nned for something like this, could''t help the may her hipstwitched upon hearing the isle free addressed her mother with think about it," benended.


    knew that it hene couldn''t get to her through petty means, she was going to


    "Mind your words, Irene." Leonica warned, sounding more grim than she had intended.


    "Or what? You''re going to show everyone that you''re a bitch just like your mother? do ahead." She looked Leonica in the eyes and boldly added. "I dare y


    you."


    She had almost been too sure that she''d get away with her words, or at least, Leonica would hit her and get tagged as the bad egg, but oh, had she not expected Leonica''s move


    From a table beside her, the youngest Romero grabbed a bottle of wine and without so much as a hint of hesitation, poured the entire thing above her head.


    The red liquid drenched her, staining her white gown and causing her hair to stick to her skin.


    The room wente


    quiet.


    everyone was shocked, but none dared speak


    "I told you to watch your words, and you chose to ignore me." Leonica calmly said, putting the bottle back and stepping forward to look her straight in the eyes." Game or no game, don''t you dare open that mouth of yours and insult my mother, else I''ll make you regret the day you were bom."


    The Rejection


    was telling the ien ting she s kt


    (bottle had been empty, and all eyes weur didici, riving to ntoich were add


    steme Vica who had poised the mur eces beri, she thought with gritted teeth, her eyes bonising with anger.


    so who were then not showwing JOW PAIN.


    umust have crossed bei Neunes? Someone vakhwith a click et les tempre, the distaste modener in theis vonce.


    tested an illegitimate child, who''kavourmonter at this Disgraceful "Andther chimed in


    ""Well wh


    ?male Ms. Komple was provoked by hesen else she wouldn''t have reacted the .slie did "


    Koment''s air kinowatbe very well maniered "


    Len, ends a few people expressed the distaste dos tronica''s action.


    od won several times, watch you wouth "All these people awet teel you


    ? bid sand, Benjamin, along with Mels in, cante voshing towards thent


    What is the name of this?" Mesama steady demanded


    turne was absent to open her mouth and speak, seeing this as a chance to past tenisica ck in het Lather''s eyes, when she realized that Benjamin''s question along. with his tare, was drowned at her Huh? This was not what she expected.


    "What did venda, Leo Melvin asked, but the look in his eyes showed no twof the harsh scolding renewaisted.


    They were nteng bollynte her and no one is the crowd dated speak up for heal that realization was me sent than any time she had tasteil in her life.


    She iusally managed to fund het voce "She ente the e me because testunted her about the harsh words she used on me." She


    Tix this time. Leonea?" Benjaminasked, turning his gaze to lus scd daughter and without besitation, she nodded.


    Ha, now she was going to get scolded, preferably thrown out of the venne, lieve theaght as she fought backher smile. Who said her adion was going tobeateral waste"


    *Ha," Benjamin sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. He knew it was only a matter of tie betere something like this happened. Leonica had been 30 sensiderate, putting her feeling asle and trying to tox his mistake, so of course she was going to explode at some point. Pointing towards one of the doors, he instructed. "Baloo, pa there and cool down." simille that tiene had been tiving to hidepletely disapprised


    cool down our on the balconw? No, she was meant to get kicked out. Why was Benjamin not giving her the treatment she deserved.


    "Yes, Lather." Came Leonica''s obediem teply and attet a glue in her way, she walkedett.


    "And you," Benjamin tamed to face het, regarding her with eyes of scene "erstand that you''re still trying to fit into our family, but this is a ce of celebration, not a yground to children."


    His words were like a slips across her face, and she felt her body heating up, but the fact that she couldn''t even say anything because he had been right, had her butline


    change into new clothes and I hope you won''t act like this again." With that final warning, Benjamin tinned and walked off, followed closely by Melvin. trene could only gut her teeth in anger. They were ruthless, but oh well, she low she had, to some extent, achieved her goal, when she heard someone say "Wow, I got the whole thing. I''m going to upload it online."


    The smile returned to her lips,


    She would have to thank that stupid social media fanaties Later.


    so n Adid not work, Leones thought as she stated at the moms, guess it was time to move into n


    Tapping her sonsart watch, which she found useentent that her sat phone, she tested Lena and instructed her with only a few words,


    [Upload the video II


    "Hey," Avery caught Leonica''s attention pulling her away from her smartwatch.


    she looked op jest online


    seabriel perch beside her, offering a bottle of water


    She be stated, of course she would, cubtiel thought I began withining the bottle, but she snatched it out of his hand, and cracked the cap open


    *Thanks" she said as star sipped it''s content. "I''m spise my father let you in here with the way he spoke of you "Lacking the cap, she gave a look that screamed Te didn''t sneak in her slid you!Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org.


    who he really is. It he


    Gobel cinclded, lightly. "You Lathes has his ways of treating people. He may tall harsh, sound even harsher, but that''s past hin showing virally hatedam


    line, he wouldn''t have sere adinvitation letter to ite, nusch less, allowed me here towel."


    Leanica nodded inderstanding, but she was pretty sure:


    y sure that her father wasn''t the one who sent that invitation letter. It obviously was Melvin


    "Anyways," Gabriel spoke up, changing, the subject. "The drama with your so called half sister," He paused and chuckled. "The whole country''s talking about it.