The following days in the Stonecraft estate were relatively peaceful.

“The recent fall of Luz's stock, our subsidiaries did a massive buyout and managed to acquire at least 20% of its scattered shares at low prices. It saved us several millions.” Apple reported in a good mood. “Congratulations, you now currently own 45% of the Luz Company. I bet your father and his mistress will suffer from angina once they learn of this.”

Sena sipped her coffee slowly, she appeared to be listening but her eyes were on Nicholas carefully putting chocolate syrup on her waffles. 

Apple did not mind since he felt particularly jovial with how things developed and went on, “Gotta give it to you, kid. I had no idea you were planning such a big move. You really intended to pull the rug under Albert Luz's feet and give him a heavy tumble.”

Bang! The table vibrated slightly. 

“It's best if he falls on his sorry ass and never recovers!” Grandpa P blustered. “My granddaughter is such a precious girl but the damn bastard abandoned her!”

“I say, NaNa if you hadn't stopped us from teaching your incompetent father a lesson he wouldn't be so arrogant now.” Situ Ye shook his head as if disappointed. 

“Your grandpa Ye is right,” Oslo Troy added. “Why bother to let the lout strut around when we can cripple him in one stroke.”

Sena laughed seeing their wrinkled and indignant faces so early in the morning. She had to put a stop to it before it could spoil their breakfast.

“Now, now, haven't we agreed that you would let me handle this situation with the Luz not only for my sake but for mama as well?”

In order to appease the three old men she frantically served them tea and food.

“Grandpas, look we have Iberian ham to pair with the creamy avocados and toast… the chef also carefully made chicken porridge to warm your stomachs. Come on, eat.”

“Sena is right,” Apple spoke calmly. “They stole everything Paula built and took advantage of her name to rise to position, the Luz family does not deserve a quick fall. It should be a slow excruciating process to make them savor suffering ten times more and realize how it feels to gradually return to the bottom where they originally belonged. You have to give Sena this.”

The three old men looked angrier but they eventually softened and compromised. They were still upset though and Nicholas was unfortunate enough to sit in their line of vision and became the immediate shock absorber. Every time he wants to be sweet with his girlfriend, three pairs of hawk-like eyes would glare at him.

Sena gave him a helpless smile and an affectionate squeeze in the cheek. 

“They don't hate you.”

“I know.” He whispered back and winked playfully. “They just love making things difficult for me.”

Sena did not miss the devious gleam in his eyes. 

Who wants to earn brownie points from these three old coots? In fact their blatant disgust of him is a huge advantage. He can sell misery to his baby!

“Keep that grin off your face. It's nauseating to look at so early in the morning that I can't enjoy my meal.” Pascal Rossi snorted at him with disdain. With the way he is looking, isn't it obvious he was taking advantage of Sena?

“Grandpa, don't I look good this way? I thought you liked my charisma considering how you are in your third bowl of porridge!”

“Don't call me grandpa! I have no grandson as sly and ugly as you.” 

Situ Ye put down his tea cup to glare at him some more. “Don't you have a company to run, brat?” 

“I have my chief assistant and secretaries handle them for the time being.” He answered smoothly. 

“Don't expect us to hand over NaNa to a bankrupt grandson-in-law. We will have none of that. Else how are you going to feed our granddaughter?” Osly Troy said sourly. 

Nicholas put an egg on Sena's plate. “Isn’t love and devotion enough?” 

The three old men collectively stopped eating and looked like they were about to jump on him. Oslo Troy even pulled out his trustee ebony cane ready to beat him black and blue. 

April: Don't mind me, I'm eating my breakfast quietly. I hope to finish quickly before it gets too bloody. Amen. 

Nicholas was not the least bit intimidated by them and laughed instead. 

“You're brave.” Apple commented with a facepalm. 

He dared to pluck the tiger's whiskers and it's not just one tiger but three! 

Nicholas just shrugged then turned to his girlfriend with a pout. Baby, I'm being attacked! 

“Behave…” Sena patted his hand then smiled at her grandfathers. “Nikki is just playing around.” 

Nicholas hugged her arm and chuckled. “I love you, baby. I knew you wouldn't put me in harm's way.” 

Sena: I won't but your broken mouth would. 

Her three grandfathers can't really win against him when it comes to being shameless. 

Nicholas is aware of that as well. But he just loves acting pitiful in front of her and sometimes wonders if he was getting addicted to it because of its amazing perks. She would always make it up to him in the sweetest way. So away from Sena's sight he subtly shot the three old men with a victorious smirk.

Three old men: Is it too late to throw his body in the ocean and feed him to the fish? 

The elders could only silently swallow their indignation. 

Since Paula's death anniversary has passed, the three of them are set to return to their homes and resume the order of business, so was Sena and the rest. Surprisingly, a few days before their flight back to Country H, Jordan and Eunice Corwell came to Stonecraft for a visit.

 

Back in Country H.

Since taking back her bracelet, Layla had already blacklisted Lyn from her contacts. If the person who recorded her going into the arcade was not caught she estimated that she would be directly sent to the dean’s office to be ‘scrubbed’ as Sena put it funnily. 

Edelweiss was truly a good school, albeit strict, the girls here are well-mannered and amiable. There was no class distinction since everyone is still supported by their parents and guardians. Although there are some well-off children with attitude problems, they were not entirely malicious or deliberately seeking trouble for fear of getting demerits. 

Layla has made a few new friends and has smoothly integrated into their circle. Most of the time, their topics involve the seniors who graduated from the same academy using them as inspiration for their growth. 

Surprisingly Sena was a famous mischief maker of the school. She was very active on her time and had her fair share of troubles, going on multiple trips in the dean’s office. Of course these were not the only thing she was known for, the juniors often talk about her fundraising activities for children in the orphanage and the indigenous people in the faraway mountains. Saying that most of her allowances were given to the cause, spurring her batchmates to also follow suit and eventually created a trend inside Edelweiss to donate.

Layla was pulled in the same rhythm and is now actively keeping the radiation alive by joining the fundraising club. She wore jeans and a green shirt today along with her classmates to deliver the boxes to the nearby orphanage their class currently sponsors.

There were books, toys and clothes they bought from the money they pooled in this month. Coincidentally, Chang’an was around the neighborhood to play so he invited everyone out for milk tea. 

The girls' faces turned red learning that the handsome brother is not only nice but was also their alumni! However, they were too shy to speak so they pushed Layla as a sacrifice. 

“Go, you know him so you should talk to him.” 

Layla was helpless, “Brother Chang’an doesn’t bite. He’s a nice guy.”

The girls of Edelweiss are sheltered and very shy, aside from family members they haven’t had any deeper contact with other people especially men. It’s the end of the 21st century already but they still maintained reserved and modest behaviour. Layla found it cute and funny at the same time. 

Then they heard laughter from another table. They were wearing Mason uniforms, the private school where Layla first enrolled. With dyed hair, thick make ups and brand name bags they looked at the group of girls in jeans that had the same leather book bags. 

“What are they pretending to be shy for?” Yuni rolled her eyes. She was the first to notice the handsome guy but the scenery was broken when four girls followed behind him. 

“Tch. Which public school did these stray cats come from? This is not some place for you to loiter about.”

“Coming here, do you have money to buy a cup?”

“Why do you care if we can afford it or not? Are you the owner?” Anais, the little hot pepper granddaughter of the current Speaker of the House retorted with arms crossed over her chest. 

Yuni looked at the girls sconfully then stood up and pointed at the desserts inside the glass shelf to the waiter. “From this tray here, I will buy them.” 

Anais looked at the remaining cakes and pastries that are obviously more expensive than the rest. 

“Oh, I'm sorry. I accidentally bought a lot.” Yuni gasped artificially.  

“No problem.” Anais faced her with a faint smile after knowing that she maliciously bought all the lower priced pastries and left them the most expensive selection. 

The waiter could only awkwardly take out the treats and put them on the Mason girls’ table.

“I’m back—” From the washroom Lyn, Layla's old friend, came out cheerfully. It took her a while to notice that the atmosphere seems to be wrong at the moment. Then she saw Layla and froze. 

Layla also caught sight of her but she chose not to give a greeting. 

“Are they your new classmates?” Lyn wanted to talk to her. 

“They are.”

“Do you know these girls Lyn?” Yuni asked, her gaze sweeping them arrogantly.

“Uh, y-yes.”

Yuni's smug smile grew bigger thinking that since Lyn knew them they must be in the same mediocre group as her. She laughed derisively.  

“Layla was once a student of Mason Private School before she transferred to Edelweiss Academy.” Lyn added in a small voice. 

“Are you kidding me? Edelweiss?” A girl with red highlights snorted, “How could they compare to those snooty princesses?”

Her gaze roved from their casual clothes down to their shoes. Compared to them who were decked in all designer clothes from head to foot, beautifully manicured nails and the latest gadgets, the girl did look ordinary. 

“Nobody’s arguing with you.” Layla replied frostily. 

Who started to provoke them in the first place?

Yuni lost her smug look and frowned. Her eyes could not help but look at the girls’ uniformed bags closer. It seems a little familiar… 

“Lyn?” She asked with a hint of anger. 

“I, I'm not sure either. I was told she transferred to Edelweiss so I assumed…”

“No way!” One of their friends denied with an eye roll. 

Yuni on the other hand was not relieved. Lyn might have been right because she saw the iconic classic design of their bags plus the unique keychains. Edelweiss? She begged her father to enroll her there but her grades were not enough and worse, she failed the assessment three times! 

Bertha beside Anais on the other hand stepped in and took out a black card and put it on the counter, “I’m sorry big brother Chang’an, today’s snack is on me.”

She turned to the waiter with a smile, “I’ll buy everything at the counter today. Aside from our orders, all will be sent to the orphanage across the street.”

Yuni and her friends’ faces looked even more ugly. That’s a black card! Not even their fathers have them. Not to mention desserts, you can buy this whole cafe ten times. 

They went to this place because it was famous on the internet for being posh and its high standard only to be slapped in the face. These girls give away the treats like ordinary desserts!  

“Actually Bee, you did not have to pay,” Natasha said with a soft smile. “I was really planning to send snacks to the children and write off today's sale.”

Anais covered her mouth exaggeratedly, “Oh, I almost forgot our little owner is here.” 

When Yuni's group heard this, they lowered their heads in shame. 

“Thanks for the treat, Tash!” The girls giggled.  

Layla held her forehead. She thought these girls were soft marshmallows. Who knew they would suddenly turn as tough as nails? Chang’an nodded at the girl then put his fist on his mouth to hide his chuckle.

The five of them passed by the table of Mason students and went near the window. Probably to avoid noise pollution. As soon as they went, the stagnant air slowly recovered. 

“Have you heard from sister Sena? I miss her.” Layla asked Changán. 

He smiled, “I think she's coming back home soon since her mother's death anniversary has passed.” 

“She really needs to come home soon,” Layla pouted, remembering the hot topic on the internet lately. “Her stepmother is really too much. I feel sick even watching it.”

“Are you worried for her?” 

“Well, of course!”  

Surprisingly, Changán just laughed. “Have a little more faith in her. Believe me, Sena is the last person to be bothered by those clowns.” 

Several meters away from them Yuni opened her phone and pretended to be engrossed in something else. But she was angry and sour inside. Secretly, she browsed the internet to search for something. 

“So, they really are from Edelweiss?” She gritted her teeth as soon as she saw the same school bag the girls carried to the one in the academy gallery. 

Lyn flinched then nodded her head timidly.

“You should have said it clearly earlier!”

The girl with highlights angrily blamed her as well, “So embarrassing.” 

“Forget it.” Yuni snorted, then closed the page and went to search for other things. 

For several moments the air was stiff. Only Yuni’s phone is making noises. 

“Yuni, what show are you watching?” A classmate asked.

“Oh, this? It’s my cousin’s TV interview.” Yuni perked up. “Look, she's using this brand of lipstick…” 

Lyn peeked through the phone and praised, “Maya Luz is very pretty. No wonder the cosmetic company chose her as their new ambassador.”

“I’m planning to do a collaboration with her for my street fashion vlog.” Yuni added. Her page is known for advertising big brand clothes. If Maya joined in, they could pull more audiences. Maybe she can finally grab the attention of StreetSnap, a group of famous fashion vloggers, photographers and designers with over fifty million subscribers. 

They often hang out in the downtown area where the many high end stores, restaurants and offices are located. Those places were the hotspots for many daring fashion enthusiasts. Many rising artists came from there after getting a lot of favorable attention with their bold distinctive outfits.  

Their voices were quite loud but Chang’an’s group who are busy sampling the new desserts care for none of that. After finishing their food, they stood up in unison and walked out of the café towards the convoy of black cars. 

The people inside were still stunned stupid even when the procession was gone. 

“Lyn, are you familiar with that girl earlier?” Yuni demanded impatiently. 

Lyn dare not hide it, “That was Layla Saldini. Her brother Michael Saldini is the CEO of the Horizon Group.” 

Horizon Group?! 

If Yuni held any doubts before, she is now thoroughly convinced that they really are students of Edelweiss.

Lyn was also in a bad mood, gritting her teeth hatefully. After falling out with Layla she hurriedly jumped to seek friendship with the other rich girls at school She thought she envied Yuni enough for having branded bags, shoes and clothes, she’s also famous in SNS but what happened today took her sights to another unattainable level. 

Layla is so rich why didn’t she give her that bracelet when she can buy a dozen of those if she wanted?!

On the way back to the academy, the Edelweiss girls could not stop laughing. The good old pissing contest was crude but it certainly does feel good especially if you slapped your opponent so hard they could not retort.

Bertha was enjoying it so much, “Did you see their faces? They looked like they had eaten a fly!”

“Yeah! No wonder those TV dramas where the protagonists slaps their enemies with their enormous wealth are so popular. It seems tactless and cheap but after experiencing it, I can only say one thing; amazing!” Anais laughed until she curled on her stomach.  

Natasha shook her head. Being the oldest amongst the four of them she thought she really should set a good example and be the mature child, “Bertha, you're learning badly.” 

Bertha pouted. 

“Anais, you should stop watching those tasteless TV dramas. It's bad for your brain.” 

Anais protested but was glared at. 

“But they started it…” Bertha frowned. 

“Yes,” Natasha nodded then sighed. “But when a rabid dog bites you, do you bite it in return? Are you not afraid of bacteria?”  

"Pfffffft…” Layla lost it and laughed out loud. She held her forehead then gave Chang’an an apologetic look. “Brother, I can explain, I was fooled too. I thought they were shy little kittens, I didn't know they were tigresses.” 

“Oi Layla, what are you talking about?” Natasha grabbed her cheeks and kneaded it like dough. 

“Ahh, stop… shtop… help…”

Anais suddenly remembered something and leaned her head over in a gossipy manner, “Did you hear that annoying girl earlier mentioning Maya Luz?”

“Yes,” Layla confirmed. “She is in fact Maya Luz's cousin. She once joined her in a variety show along with Sena.” 

“Ah! No wonder. So they are relatives.” Anais exclaimed. 

Bertha snorted, “I never liked Maya Luz's. She always had that pitiful victimized look as if the world owed her a great deal and people should feel sorry for her. Added to the racket her mother was making, it only made her appear more pretentious.”  

“OMG yes, I feel the same way.” Natasha joined in. “I wish senior Sena would refute the rumor soon. Ugh, I can't stand looking at their mother and daughter's faces occupying social media spaces.”

Layla hopes the same thing too. 

Meanwhile, Chang’an silently sat on the side, looking at the chattering indignant girls with a helpless smile on his face.