Chapter 17

Grace's eyes narrowed in thought. Prof. WVarren from Summit University? Did Gianna mean Terry Warren?

Her lips twitching into a faint,knowing smile.

It had been about a year since Grace last saw him and she never figured he'd show up at Briskvale High.

A few steps away, Gianna stood stiffly, digging her nails into her palms. She stared at Grace with eyes full of envy and quiet fury.

She'd make sure Grace was out of the Holden family soon. Then she would be the only pampered girl in the family.

Julia,picking up on the tension, gently reached for Grace's hand. Her voice was soft. "Grace has been working really hard. I know she'll get into a good university."

Julia always backed Grace-never doubting her, no matter what others said.

Ethel rolled her eyes, her voice sharp and bitter."Working hard? Please. She spends all her time with

those sketchy men. Tell me, what kind of future does that lead to?"

Grace didn't let it rattle her. She met Ethel's stare with a calm, even tone. "My friends are good people."

She paused, then added with a flicker of confidence in her eyes, "And college? That won't be a problem."

Ethel scowled, irritated by Grace's self-assuredness."You should learn to stay in your lane."

Grace didn't bother arguing. She just smiled, polite and cool. Just wait and see.

The next morning, whispers followed Grace as soon as she stepped onto the school grounds.

"Is that Grace Miller? Her life's a wreck, right?"

"She's pretty, but so what? I heard she only got in because of her connections."

"Word is her grades suck, and the Holden family's just paying to keep her in."

The gossip clung to her like dust, but Grace didn't blink.

She'd heard worse before. She knew who she was,and she wasn't about to start explaining herself.

She could've silenced them right there if she wanted,but she didn't. Let themtalk. Let them guess. She had her own way of proving things.

At lunch, Adrianna came over, gently placing a hot chocolate in front of her.

"I got this for you," she said, eyes hopeful. "We all like it."

Grace didn't usually drink hot chocolate, but Adrianna looked so excited she couldn't say no.

She tasted it and it was indeed great.

A small, genuine smile slipped out. "It's pretty good."

Adrianna beamed, but then her voice dropped, quiet and unsure.

"Thanks for being nice to me. You're the only one who doesn't treat me weird... because of the dark mark."

Grace looked at her, eyes briefly glancing over the mark on Adrianna's cheek. Without missing a beat,she said, "That's nothing. I'll make a cream for you at home. Use it every day and it'll fade in a month."

Adrianna's head snapped up, eyes wide and glassy."Are you serious? I've tried everything. The doctors all

say there's no fix... even laser didn't work."

Grace chuckled under her breath. "That's because they don't know what they're doing."

She gave Adrianna's shoulder a light pat. "Don't worry I got you. You'll look amazing."

Adrianna's throat tightened, but she nodded, tears threatening to spill. "I believe you."

That night, Grace didn't waste time. She pulled out her supplies and got to work on the cream.

It would take a bit of time to, get it just right,but she had all the ingredients.

Soon enough, the weekend rolled in.

Grace remembered Adrianna's invite to go shopping.A first for her, really.

They agreed to meet at the mall in the heart of the city on Saturday. The mall was packed with shops of every kind-from designer labels to tiny stores that sold the weirdest little trinkets.

Grace arrived early and wandered around a bit.

The building buzzed with energy. Grace leaned

casually by the fifth-floor railing, scrolling on her phone.

She kept her outfit simple-black high-waisted jeans,a light T-shirt tucked in, and an oversized white trench coat. Nothing flashy, but she pulled it off effortlessly.

Not far off, Demi stood twirling in front of a mirror.She wore a floral designer dress.

"Mom,does this one look good?" Demi asked, turning slightly,watching her reflection with careful eyes.

lvy nodded, all smiles. "Of course, sweetheart.You look perfect in everything."

Demi was soaking up the praise when her eyes drifted outside the store-and landed on Grace.

Her smile dropped. "Mom,"

Demi said with a frown, "isn't that Grace over there?What's she even doing here?"

Ivy looked over, her face turning sour the moment she spotted Grace.

"This isn't the kind of place she belongs," lvy said under her breath, full of scorn.

"She sure doesn't dress like she belongs," Demi mocked,looking at Grace's ordinary clothes.

"Guess she's finally hit rock bottom. That's what she gets for shoving you in that pool,"Ivy sneered.

"She just couldn't stand that I was back and lost her mind."

"Forget about Grace. We've dealt with that already.Today's for us-to find some new outfits. Don't let her spoil it," Ivy added, spotting a dress she liked and disappearing into a fitting room.

But Demi wasn't done. She flung the dress she'd been trying on toward a sales clerk, adjusted her collar, and made her way toward Grace with an extra swing in her step.

"Grace, what a surprise." Demi cooed, her voice overly sweet. "Didn't expect to see you here. Shopping?"

She never missed an opportunity to throw shade at Grace.