Chapter 6

"Is she really my mom? Why won’t she at least try to find out what actually happened instead of just listening to Emma?" Elysia thought bitterly.

Scott intervened. "You really crossed a line today. The Moore and Smith families are our business partners. What if you offended them and it jeopardizes our company's chances? Elysia, you're a Rosewood. You can't just look out for yourself and go for instant gratification."

Elysia's heart ached. She'd thought Scott might care more about her than Bella did, but it turned out he was all about the money. She thought, What kind of family is this? Mom can't tell right from wrong and always takes the adopted daughter's side, while Dad's all about profit and status. What's the point of me even being here?

Scott continued. "Mr. Moore and Mr. Smith already contacted me. They want you to apologize to their daughters, or they're going to pull out of the partnership. Elysia, think about the bigger picture and just say you're sorry. Once you do, this will all blow over."

Scott actually wants me to apologize? How ridiculous! I've never apologized to anyone in my life, Elysia sneered silently.

Emma looked at Elysia with a triumphant grin. "Elysia, this time I have the upper hand."

"I'm not apologizing," Elysia said coldly. Looking at the happy family of three on the couch, she felt like a prisoner in an interrogation.

"What?" Scott shouted, his anger boiling over. He slammed his hand on the table, startling Emma.

Bella quickly wrapped her arms around Emma, comforting her. "Don't be scared, sweetheart. Mommy's here."

Elysia felt an even deeper ache in her heart. This was her family, yet they never cared about her feelings or held her the way they did Emma.

Do they ever realize that when darkness fell and rain poured down, I wanted parents too? Like, when I saw other kids in the village getting picked up by their parents, getting candy and stuff, I'd feel this jealous twinge, Elysia thought, her heart heavy with bitterness.

Elysia figured strong people might all have inner wounds that needed healing. Jack and the others had helped her with hers, but now it felt like those scars had reopened, bleeding and tough to mend. She just couldn't understand why her parents would bring her into this world if they didn't love her.

"Elysia, we're both daughters of the Rosewood family. We should think about this from the family's perspective. Just listen to Dad and apologize to Mia and Natalie, okay?" Emma said.

Elysia insisted, "I said I won't apologize!"

Just as Emma was about to say more, Scott's assistant whispered something to him.

Scott quickly checked Twitter on his phone. The top trending video, featuring Emma, Natalie, and Mia, had already been shared over a million times.

In the video, Natalie taunted Elysia repeatedly, even threatening violence, while Mia acted superior and claimed she was a rich heiress. Natalie also mentioned how Elysia's return led the family to neglect Emma.

14:02 Tue, Jan 28 Chapter 6

After watching the video, Scott understood. It looked like Natalie and Mia had started the trouble, with Emma stirring things up. But he remembered Emma saying it was Elysia who had provoked them and even tried to start a fight at the mall.

Furious, Scott turned to Emma, who was sitting next to Bella. He handed her the phone and demanded, "Explain this to me. What's going on?"

Emma had never seen Scott so angry before, and it scared her. She hesitated, too frightened to even reach for the phone.

Worried about Scott's outburst, Bella quickly took the phone from him.

"Where did this video come from?" Panic washed over Emma. She snatched the phone from Bella and hit play—the whole scene from the mall that afternoon was recorded.

Her eyes filled with tears. "Dad, let me explain. It didn't happen like that…"

"Explain?" Scott scoffed. "What's there to explain? That you had nothing to do with this? The video shows everything. How can you still deny it?"

"Scott, don't scare Emma," Bella chimed in.

"Scare her? Bella, this is the 'good daughter' you raised, huh?" Scott snapped. Then he turned to Elysia, who was standing quietly nearby. "Why don't you explain your side?"

Elysia frowned. She had just returned home and was being treated like a criminal. How could she explain anything? They didn't even think to ask her what had happened. She shot back coldly, "Did you ever give me a chance?"

Scott paused—he hadn't. Actually, he had no intention of understanding the full story from the very start.

He thought this wasn't about right or wrong; even if she was right, it didn't matter. The Rosewood family couldn't risk their connections with major partners just because their daughter was slightly wronged.

So, from the start, he had never cared to know the truth. What mattered was the outcome. As long as the Rosewood family didn't lose anything, that was all that counted.

But now everything had changed. A video had gone viral, and people were supporting Elysia while criticizing the Moore and Smith families—even Emma was at a disadvantage.

If he didn't stand up for Elysia now, it would be a huge mistake. Plus, he needed to get both families to apologize. That way, he could not only protect the Rosewood family's reputation but also win some favor from the two families.

"Elysia, I'm sorry for accusing you. Don't worry. I will fix this for you," Scott promised.

Elysia nodded and replied coolly, "If there's nothing else, I'm heading back to my room."

"Wait a minute," Scott said. "Your mom has taken care of your school enrollment. You'll be in seventh grade, Class 6. Make sure you register tomorrow."

Elysia frowned. Seventh grade, Class 6? What the heck? No wonder Bella is being so nice today. Fantastic! If she thought she could embarrass me like this, I would definitely give her a surprise in return.

"Okay," she said. It was a simple word, yet it was loaded with emotion—disappointment, surprise, and even a hint of anticipation.

Bella was taken aback. She had thought Elysia would throw a fit about being in seventh grade, but to her surprise, Elysia agreed.

14:02 Tue, Jan 28 Chapter 6

Meanwhile, Emma was scrolling through the comments under the video on her phone, her face flushed with anger.

[Smith Real Estate and Moore Group really know how to teach their heiresses to act all high and mighty. I was considering buying property from Smith Real Estate, but now I'm definitely passing. They're too snobby for me.]

[Totally agree! I've decided I'm not spending a dime on anything from Smith Real Estate or Moore Group anymore. The way they look down on us? Why give them my money if they're just going to wonder if I can afford it?]

[The family values of Smith Real Estate and Moore Group are unbelievable. Ms. Elysia Rosewood really nailed it—there's so much you can learn from the little things. Honestly, I'm starting to worry about these two companies' futures.]

[Am I the only one who's noticed this? Ms. Elysia Rosewood is awesome, taking those jerks down so fast. Finally, someone's standing up for us country folks. I'm a fan for sure now! It's a bummer I can't see her face clearly in the video. Anyone got a pic of her?]

[I just searched and found out she is super modest and doesn't show her face in the media. Plus, I heard she was just brought back from the countryside by her biological parents a few days ago.]

[In the video, Ms. Elysia Rosewood says her mother almost cuts ties with her for the sake of the adopted daughter, but Ms. Moore claims that Mr. and Mrs. Rosewood are mean to Ms. Emma Rosewood. So, who's telling the truth?]

[I think it's more complicated than it seems. It seems that the heiresses of Smith Real Estate and Moore Group might be getting used as pawns by someone.]