Chapter4

A young assistant, clutching a thick stack of documents, poked her head through the doorway. Her face was etched with anxiety. "Vanessa, I'm so sorry to interrupt. The urgent files regarding the Voss project just arrived, and as for their side..."

Vanessa immediately pressed her. "Did she reply? Did she agree to meet and discuss the details tomorrow?"

The assistant nodded. "I actually met Miss Voss in person today, but she had prior engagements tonight. She agreed to schedule a time for tomorrow."

Hearing the words "met in person," a radiant, triumphant smile bloomed across Vanessa's face.

"That is fantastic! Sebastian, look! I told you I could make it happen!"

A loud eruption of fervent flattery immediately broke out from the surrounding crowd.

Vanessa soaked up the praise, her vanity deeply satisfied. Her gaze drifted across the room, purposely landing on me in the corner.

"Oh, right. I believe our foundation is currently short a front desk receptionist. Elena helped my boyfriend so much back in the day, and we are alumni, after all. I'd love to help her secure a stable, part-time job."

The hall fell completely silent for a split second before exploding into even louder fits of mocking laughter and agreeable jeers.

"Oh, Vanessa, please don't! Being kind-hearted is a good trait, but a person like her, and especially that family of hers... you absolutely cannot get involved with them!"

"Right, exactly! You have no idea. Back when she ran away without a word, her parents stormed the school and threw an absolute fit! They caused a massive scene, completely blocking the school gates, crying and screaming at the top of their lungs, insisting the school had trafficked their daughter! They even dragged the local news reporters into it! That spectacle... tsk, it was just unbelievable! Completely mortifying!"

"Exactly! Her whole family is just like that—completely unreasonable! Your project is just getting off the ground. What if her parents end up throwing a tantrum at your foundation? What would you do then?"

Upon hearing this, Vanessa arranged her features into an expression of exaggerated, lingering fear.

"Is that so? Then I'm truly sorry, Elena. You see, it's not that I don't want to help you, but my foundation is still in its early stages and simply can't afford that kind of drama. Your family situation... it really just isn't suitable."

After she finished speaking, she deliberately leaned even closer to Sebastian's side, acting as if simply being in my general vicinity would infect her with bad luck.

Sebastian only looked at me. His lips moved slightly, as if he wanted to say something, but he ultimately swallowed the words, his face darkening all over again.

Everyone in the room focused their gazes squarely on me, their eyes practically screaming, See? We knew exactly what you were.

They went on and on about how awful my family was, but they didn't know the truth. The only reason my parents had managed to track down the school to cause that scene back then was because someone in a parent group chat had sold the information to them. And that specific person was sitting at this exact table today.

I closed my eyes for a fraction of a second. When I opened them again, not a single trace of emotion remained on my face.

"Don't trouble yourself. I have a part-time job and a scholarship. Thank you."

Vanessa let out a dramatic sigh. "That part-time job of yours... Being young and pretty is definitely an asset, but don't walk down the wrong path. Some money comes easy and goes fast. It really isn't worth the cost."

The crowd erupted into a chorus of mocking sneers.

The assistant chuckled along with them, her gaze sweeping casually over in Vanessa's direction. The exact second she clearly registered my face, the smile on her lips froze completely.

The thick stack of files concerning the "Voss Project" slipped entirely out of her arms. With a loud swoosh, they crashed heavily onto the floor, scattering snow-white sheets of paper everywhere.

The hall plunged into a sudden, dead silence.

Vanessa furrowed her brows. "What are you doing? Can't you even hold onto a few files?"

But the assistant completely ignored the reprimand. She pointed a trembling finger directly at me, her voice shaking violently.

"Voss... Miss Voss? Why... how are you here?!"

Vanessa's smug, triumphant smile shattered instantly. She whipped her head forcefully toward the assistant. "What... what did you just say? Who? Who did you just call Miss Voss?!"

Startled by the harsh interrogation, the assistant flinched. She scrambled frantically to pick up the scattered papers off the floor, bowing and apologizing profusely to me. "I'm so sorry... I'm so sorry, Miss Voss! I didn't know you were dining here... I am so deeply sorry for disturbing you!"

"Miss Voss?" Rachel, who had just been relentlessly mocking me, stared so hard her eyes practically bulged out of their sockets. She repeated the title subconsciously, her face plastered with absolute bewilderment and suspicion. "Which Miss Voss?"