Chapter 17

"Gilmore, looks like someone's looking for you. I'll get the car and wait for you at the school gate," Luke whispered, noticing Tiffany. Luke disliked Tiffany; she had cheated on Gilmore.

Gilmore nodded. Luke walked to his Land Rover, got in, while Gilmore approached his Mercedes. He pressed the car key; the Mercedes beeped. Gilmore walked past Tiffany toward the Mercedes, ignoring her, and grasped the door handle.

"Gilmore, I want to talk," Tiffany finally said, summoning her courage.

A mocking smile touched Gilmore's lips. "Miss Hubbard, what do you want?" he asked.

Twisting her fingers, Tiffany said, "Gilmore, I hurt you. You must be sad. But I didn't get together with Brandon. He's not who I want. I I won't see him anymore."

Gilmore sneered. Tiffany was a skilled liar and actress; no wonder Brandon had fallen for her.

"Who says I was sad? You're sad, aren't you? It wasn't easy finding a rich boyfriend. What a pity it didn't work out!" Gilmore opened the car door, unwilling to waste more time.

"Gilmore, wait!" Tiffany grabbed the door, pleading, "Gilmore, I was wrong. I realized you were the one who truly loved me. Let's start over!"

Tiffany wasn't begging out of genuine love. She had noticed Gilmore's luxury car at school the previous day and heard (thanks to Luke spreading the news) that he'd won millions in the lottery. Believing she could win him back and access his money by feigning remorse, she tried to rekindle their relationship.

However, Gilmore saw through her. "Sorry, I have a girlfriend, Christine—the girl I kissed at the school gate. I don't want anything to do with you. Please let go!" he said, looking at her hand on the door.

Depressed, Tiffany released the door. Gilmore got in, slammed the door, and drove away, giving her the cold shoulder she'd once given him. She had completely vanished from his heart.

Watching him leave, resentment flashed in Tiffany's eyes. "Gilmore, you'll regret this! If I can't have you, neither can Christine!"

The Foster manor was a large, brightly lit complex of a dozen luxury houses, resembling a castle. It belonged to the wealthy and powerful Foster family.

Inside one of the houses, in a luxurious living room, a middle-aged couple and Christine sat on a sofa with several young maids.

The middle-aged couple, approximately forty years old, were Christine's parents: David Foster, chairman of Evergreen Group, and his elegantly-dressed wife, Jessica. Jessica, whose well-maintained appearance belied her age, resembled Christine.

Jessica sipped her coffee, looking dotingly at Christine. "Christine, your 20th birthday is this Saturday. Your father and I are throwing a big party."

Christine, happy as a child, hugged her mother, resting her head on her shoulder. "Mom and Dad"

The passage has been cleaned up for grammar, punctuation, and flow. The extraneous website advertisement has been removed. Some minor wording changes were made for clarity and style.