Chapter 245

The two-day monthly break flew by in a flash. “Whoa, slow down. Stop chasing me!” playful shouts rang out from behind Lydia, followed by the sounds of students laughing and running.

Lydia sat quietly at her desk, idly twirling a dainty bottle in her hands. Her downcast eyes studied the vessel in her palm as her slender fingers absently traced the lid. It was an unconscious habit whenever she was lost in thought. Her face showed no particular emotion.

Lydia stared at the half-empty jar of Moon Scar Cream. ‘I heard he was badly injured. Should I go see him or not?’ she wondered, fingers tightening around the jar.

Just then, someone shouted, “Crap, I’m gonna fall!”

Right the next second, Lydia felt a jolt on her shoulder. The precious bottle slipped from her grasp and went flying.

She shot to her feet, shoved the person behind her aside, and snapped, “Get lost!” Her voice was icy as she hurried after the bottle rolling quickly across the floor.

The boys who’d been horsing around behind her suddenly realized their mistake and all stopped dead. “Oh, sorry, Lydia!” they blurted out, looking sheepish.

The round bottle spun rapidly across the polished floor.

Zinnia had just left Maisie’s seat when she spotted a bottle rolling across the floor. She instinctively reached for it, but a chair blocked her way. By the time she managed to push the chair aside, the bottle had already rolled out of reach.

“What’s going on?” The slight commotion caught the attention of those who had been watching them closely.

Anne walked into the classroom, her backpack slung over one shoulder. Her eyes widened in surprise when she noticed something rolled to a stop at her feet. She bent down, picked it up, and stared at it in disbelief.

Lydia shoved past the people blocking her way and rushed forward. “Watch your step. Don’t step on it!” she snapped, her voice sharp and urgent.

Anne turned sharply toward Lydia, her grip on the bottle unyielding. “Where did you get this?” she demanded, her fingers whitening around the bottle as she looked up, eyes flashing with barely contained emotion.

“Give it back.” Lydia’s voice turned icy as she saw Anne clutching her precious bottle. She thrust out her hand, her tone leaving no room for refusal.

“Is this… yours?” Anne’s hand trembled as she placed the jar in Lydia’s palm, her usually calm, cool gaze now visibly unsettled.

Anne knew Betty; she’d never give something away for no reason, especially not something valuable. Anne and Betty barely even knew each other; there was no way Betty would have given it to her. Anne was curious about how Lydia got this bottle.

Betty had given Anne the same bottle, but she demanded it back soon after Anne woke up. Since she used up most of it, Betty asked her to pay 3.3 million in compensation.

That Moon Scar Cream was far too precious. Its healing properties were miraculous, and it had saved Anne’s face. Anne remembered every detail. There was absolutely no way she could be mistaken about this bottle; this was the very one Betty had given her.

“Did you think it was yours?” Lydia retorted, swiftly snatching the bottle back. Seeing the dust on its surface, she meticulously wiped it clean, treating it like the most precious treasure, even though, to anyone else, it looked like nothing more than an ordinary bottle.

“Is this bottle really yours? Did you make what’s inside?” Anne asked, her voice trembling with disbelief. Moon Scar Cream was too precious, and only a handful of people had it. Lydia’s family was just ordinary. Anne doubted that Lydia could possess something so valuable.

“None of your business,” Lydia muttered, carefully inspecting the bottle for any scratches. Her fingers traced its surface anxiously until her gaze froze on a hairline fracture near the rim. “It’s cracked.” Her pale lips pressed into a thin line.

Chapter 245

“Lydia,” Zinnia walked over now that the desks blocking her way had finally been moved.

Zinnia said, “It’s cracked. This bottle is so pretty, but it’s so fragile when dropped. Lydia, I can’t believe you’ve kept it so perfectly intact all this time!”

Zinnia followed Lydia’s gaze and noticed the crack on the bottle. She was used to seeing the cracked bottle. When she was little, she’d drop bottles like this all the time.

Nathan ended up preparing a whole crate of these for her. Whenever it was about to run out, he’d somehow procure a bunch more from who knew where.

The bottle was lightweight, delicate, and almost translucent, with a smooth, glossy glaze. It was quite fragile and would easily break, especially after being dropped and rolling across the floor.

The only reason it survived intact was the tiny knitted sleeve Lydia had carefully made to protect it.

Zinnia never expected that after three whole months, Lydia had still kept it in pristine condition, not a single scratch on it. Lydia treasured it like a priceless heirloom.

“You gave this to me,” Lydia replied, her fingers gently tracing the crack in the fine porcelain. She had always treasured everything Zinnia gave her, protecting each one with care. Now, seeing the damage, her eyes welled with distress.

Zinnia noticed how upset Lydia looked. Gently, she said, “Don’t be sad. I still have more bottles like this. I’ll ask Chandler to send me some more, and I’ll give them to you.”

Zinnia got plenty of these bottles, but she didn’t have any at home right now. She planned, thinking, ‘I’ll ask Chandler to send me some more. Since Lydia likes them so much, I’ll give her a few extra when they arrive.’

“Mm,” Lydia murmured, her fingers gently caressing the crack on the bottle as she fought back the pain in her eyes. She thought bitterly, ‘It’s cracked. The very first thing Zinnia ever gave me… and I didn’t protect it.’

Their conversation struck Anne like a physical blow. Her body stiffened, her eyes darkened with unreadable emotion, and an indescribable pain welled up in her throat. She asked tentatively, “So… it’s yours?”

Zinnia nodded. “Yeah, why do you ask?” Anne had transferred to their class nearly two months ago. They were classmates who chatted occasionally, but they weren’t exactly close.

“Is this really yours?” Anne’s voice trembled. “Did you… ever give one to Betty?” She fought to keep her emotions in check, not realizing her eyes were already rimmed red. Deep down, she still refused to believe that Betty had lied to her about this.

“Only I have this Moon Scar Cream,” Zinnia said directly, noticing Anne’s emotional state and deciding not to beat around the bush. “I never gave any to Betty, but she did steal three jars from me before.”

Zinnia had noticed three jars of Moon Scar Cream missing just two weeks after she returned to the Shaw family. Since her relationship with them hadn’t turned frosty yet, she decided to let sleeping dogs lie rather than make a fuss about it.

However, Zinnia hadn’t expected Betty to be the one to steal from her. After all, the Shaw family had always treated Betty well. Zinnia was a bit surprised when she found out Betty would do such a thing.

Zinnia had simply underestimated the allure of Moon Scar Cream. Ever since she was a kid, she’d used it as casual skincare and never thought much of it.

She had no idea that outside her small town, a single jar was worth a fortune. And even those bought at high prices were nowhere near as effective as the ones she used.

Jackson had discovered Betty’s theft during his investigation of the Shaw family.

“It’s yours… It really is yours.” Anne’s face paled, her lips trembling as she involuntarily took a step back, looking utterly devastated. “Everything… was a…”

Chapter 246