Chapter 7

Emma scrolled through the comments and saw that most people sided with Elysia. A few tried to support her and her friends, but their comments were drowned out by the positive feedback for Elysia. Some even received harsh replies for defending her.

Emma grew anxious. If Mia hadn’t mentioned her in the video, she could have remained a clueless bystander. Later, she could have claimed it was a misunderstanding, that her friends were simply supporting her. People online might have felt sorry for her.

But now that Mia had linked her to the situation, extricating herself would be much harder.

Bella had also watched the video and was shocked when Natalie said Elysia’s return had caused her and Scott to neglect Emma. Having spent years in elite social circles, Bella was familiar with such drama. She quickly deduced who had leaked the information.

She glanced at Emma, sitting beside her. Unless Emma had slipped something or acted differently around her friends, they couldn’t have known the details. Bella, however, had always treated Emma well, often prioritizing her needs over her own daughter's. She couldn't imagine what Emma had told her friends. "What did Natalie mean by that, Emma?" she asked.

Emma looked surprised initially but quickly understood. Tears welled up as she gazed at Bella.

She whispered, "I don't know why Natalie would say that. When Elysia returned, I had to move rooms, so I wasn't in a good mood, and they might have misunderstood."

The mention of the room struck Bella hard. She felt a pang of guilt; part of her wanted to blame Emma, but it was too difficult. Emma had always been treated like a princess and had never experienced anything like this. Bella blamed herself for not better protecting Emma in that room situation.

Bella sighed inwardly. 'Anyway, this is a minor issue. The truth doesn't really matter. I might as well forget about it.'

At the Moore residence in Sivro, Zachary pointed at Natalie and shouted, "How could I have a child like you? With your head, you'd probably thank someone for betraying you!"

"I didn't do anything wrong. It was all that witch Elysia's fault. If it weren't for her, none of this would have happened," Natalie retorted.

Zachary, enraged, slapped Natalie hard across the face.

Charlotte rushed to protect Natalie, heartbroken at the sight of her swollen cheek. "You could have just talked it out. Why resort to violence?"

Chapter 7 (continued)

"A slap is nothing compared to the nonsense she's spouting. Is this how the lady of the Moore family usually talks?" Zachary snapped angrily.

Natalie insisted, "Why can't I say that? Elysia's a total wretch. If it weren't for her, Emma wouldn't be getting bullied. I'm standing up for Emma."

Zachary raised his hand to hit Natalie again, but Charlotte quickly stepped in front of her, her voice filled with anger. "If you want to hit someone, hit me instead. Just leave Natalie out of this."

Zachary sighed in frustration, lowering his hand and looking at them with exasperation. "Just because you protect her doesn't excuse her reckless actions and the trouble she's caused."

He then turned to Natalie and asked, "Who told you that Emma was being bullied?"

"Emma herself," Natalie replied.

Zachary snorted. "You seriously didn't realize you were being used?"

Charlotte understood. Seeing Natalie's confusion, she felt helpless. "Zachary has a point. I know Bella well—Emma is like her own child. There's no way she would bully her."

Natalie shook her head. "Mom, that was before. Now that the real daughter of the Rosewood family is back, Emma's not the favorite anymore."

Charlotte said, "Oh, my dear, you're oversimplifying this. A daughter treasured for eighteen years won't be tossed aside just because another daughter returned. I guess what Elysia said is probably true."

Zachary finally cracked a small smile. "If you were half as clever as your mother, I wouldn't be so furious." He turned to a servant and instructed, "Take Natalie to get some treatment."

"Yes, Mr. Moore," the servant replied.

Once Natalie was gone, only Charlotte and Zachary remained.

Charlotte rested her head on Zachary's shoulder, worry evident on her face. "Honey, does the company have any plans for this?"

Zachary nodded. "We will release a statement with the Smith family and let the Rosewood family take the lead in quelling the issue."

"Thank you for your hard work, honey," Charlotte whispered.

Zachary sighed heavily. "We've managed the company issues, but what about Natalie? She's always been stubborn and thinks she knows everything. I worry she'll get hurt."

Charlotte's eyes narrowed. "You're right. We need to keep Emma away from Natalie. She's just going to take advantage of Natalie again!"

"But Natalie won't listen to us. Just thinking about her attitude makes me so mad." Zachary's frustration flared. Charlotte gently touched his chest to calm him. "Don't get upset, darling. After all, she's our daughter. Compared to Emma and Natalie, Mia had it much easier. As an only child, the elders were lenient, even when she misbehaved."

Chapter 7 (continued)

Still, Mia was holed up in her room, crying. The rest of the family was anxiously trying to comfort her from outside her door.

The next morning, Elysia woke to a call from an entertainment reporter. "Finally got you. The Moore and Smith families have released their statements, your family has privately accepted their apologies, and online chatter has shifted. If you want to keep this going, it'll cost you."

"No need. How much?" Elysia asked.

"300 thousand dollars."

"Sure. Give me your account number, and I'll send it over."

After hanging up, Elysia opened Twitter and saw the official statements from the Moore and Smith families. They claimed it was a minor argument between children and apologized for any negative impact, promising to be stricter in the future. The Rosewood family's official account also accepted the apologies and thanked the public for their concern, implicitly agreeing with the statements.

Apologies? I never received any, Elysia sneered silently. Still, she was too exhausted to push it further.

Today was Elysia's first day at Milton School. As she headed downstairs, Emma, in her senior uniform, greeted her with a smug smile. "Come have breakfast, Elysia. We need to get to school soon."

Elysia didn't reply and simply took a seat.

Bella frowned, annoyed. "Emma is talking to you. Why are you being so rude?"

"Mom, don't blame her. She dropped out before finishing elementary school. Now she's eighteen and only in seventh grade—she might be a bit uneasy. But don't worry. I'll take care of her," Emma said softly.

Elysia smirked internally. "Take care of me? Who asked you to do that? That's just fake sympathy. What's her real plan this time?"

Bella smiled warmly. "You're such a thoughtful girl."

After breakfast, Emma and Elysia drove to Milton School in the family car.

The luxury car attracted little attention; fancy cars were common. But as Emma and Elysia exited, they drew everyone's gaze. Elysia, in particular, captivated the young nobles, who stared in admiration.

"Who's that girl? She's even prettier than Emma, the school beauty!" a boy exclaimed.