Susan cupped her daughter's face, reassuring her. "Leila, you have years with your father. Velora just got here—she doesn't mean anything."
"But why didn't he punish her?" Leila pouted, feeling betrayed. She thought Velora, with her audacity to run off, should have been disciplined—or worse.
Susan's brow furrowed slightly. She could tell Darell's attitude toward Velora was softening, but she didn't want to worry Leila.
"Don't start fighting her now, Leila. From now on, you need to—"
Despite his responsibilities as CEO of Carson Group, Ace had spent the past few days taking Velora out, treating her to new foods, showing her the vibrant world outside her sheltered upbringing. And she'd grown to love it.
Back in the Special Operations Division, her life had been mission after mission. But now she was free, discovering a world where people seemed far happier than they ever had in the Division.
At breakfast the next morning, Velora's face lit up with anticipation. "Ace, where are we going to eat today?"
"Today…" Ace started, smiling, but Darell's cool voice interrupted him.
"He's going back to work."
Velora turned to Darell, her face falling. "But he already promised we'd go out today!"
"He has to work," Darell repeated with a long, indifferent stare. "And you'll stop wasting time. I've enrolled you at Lyceum University. After break, you'll start classes there with Leila."
It hit her like a thunderbolt. She nearly dropped her fork, feeling a sudden chill.
Is he really that determined to ruin my good time? she wondered.
Here is your corrected version with proper spacing, punctuation, and grammar where needed:
"Dad, why did you arrange for Velora to enroll in Lyceum University?"
Velora hadn't even weighed in yet when Leila couldn't hold back her protest.
"I had to work so hard to get in on my own! Why should Velora get in just by paying for it? Is that fair to those of us who actually studied?"
For once, Velora wholeheartedly agreed with Leila.
"Right. It's totally unfair!" she nodded emphatically.
Darell shot her a glance, cutting her off.
"You're not helping, Velora."
Velora rolled her eyes and scoffed.
"Whatever."
Darell's eyes narrowed.
"And what's that supposed to mean?"
A mocking smile tugged at the corner of Velora's lips.
Darell's expression was as stormy as a gathering tempest.
Velora's gaze lingered on him, her eyes holding a silent challenge.
Darell glanced at her, exasperated by her insolence, and finally went for the big guns:
"One more word, and I'll enroll you in etiquette classes and cut out all snacks except at mealtime."
What the—
Talk about ruthless. Velora clenched her fists so tight she could feel the heat, glaring at Darell, vibrating with frustration.
That old guy thinks he can walk all over me because I won't fight back, she thought.
Darell noticed her cheeks puffing up, her face turning red, and her dark eyes welling up with tears of sheer frustration. She looked ready to burst.
And somehow, he couldn't help but chuckle.
Everyone at the table noticed. Ace raised an eyebrow, intrigued.
"Dad's laugh… doesn't sound mocking for once. Could it be that he actually finds Velora… cute?" he wondered.
Leila, on the other hand, was furious.
Why is Dad laughing at Velora? This girl's obviously trying to win his attention! How dare she, she thought.
Velora thought to herself,
"Oh, come on! That old coot has the nerve to mock me? This is outrageous. I must have done something terrible in a past life to deserve this old fool! Henry, you've got to get me out of here."
Meanwhile, far overseas…
Henry sneezed in the middle of a meeting. Tyrone looked over, concerned.
"Mr. Barton, are you coming down with something? Should I grab some meds?"
"Don't be dramatic," Henry muttered, rubbing his nose. "Feels like someone's thinking about me… maybe Velora's being bullied by the Carson family?"
Tyrone's mouth twitched.
Velora? Bullied? He thought back to the way she dominated everyone back at Special Operations Division…
Velora getting bullied was as likely as the apocalypse.
Back at the Carson estate, turmoil continued.
Leila locked herself in her room, throwing a fit and smashing things in anger.
"She's not going to Lyceum no matter what," she growled.
Susan entered the room to find it looking like a junkyard, Jesse walking in the middle of it all with red eyes.
"Leila, really?" Susan sighed as she stepped around the mess to sit next to her.
"Why lock yourself up and throw a tantrum? What would your father think?"
Leila's face crumpled in frustration.
"Mom, Dad doesn't care about my feelings!"
"Oh? How's that?"
"I worked myself to the bone studying to get into Lyceum. I was practically living on caffeine, doing practice exams until I could barely think straight. And even then, I just scraped by! But Velora? She gets in without lifting a finger! So what was my hard work for?"
Leila scoffed inwardly.
"Velora's just a barely literate dimwit! I bet she can't even read properly. Sending her to Lyceum? It's like putting a pig in a pearl necklace.
"Lyceum is the top school in all of Moonhuntland, and having her there is such a drag on its reputation. And if anyone finds out we're sisters—oh, the horror! Dad has no idea what he's doing. Velora is completely beneath me!"
Susan chuckled, an amused edge in her voice.
"Oh, honey. Think about it a little differently."
Leila blinked in confusion.
"What do you mean?"
Susan's face showed a trace of scorn.
"Velora's an illiterate country girl. Do you really think she'll be able to keep up at Lyceum, where it's all geniuses and scholars?
"What if word gets out that she didn't earn her place? The other students—the ones who worked hard to get in—won't look kindly on her. Velora will feel like a fish out of water and might even want to leave. After all your father has done for her… wouldn't it be a shame if she threw it all away?"
Leila's eyes went wide with realization.
"Right! Dad only let her in because he was fooled by that painting of hers, thinking she was some kind of prodigy. But once everyone realizes she doesn't belong, they'll push her out. Dad will see her for what she really is."
Susan smirked.
"Oh, now you get it? Don't think going to Lyceum is some kind of prize. Velora's crude, vulgar, and utterly ignorant. She'll just end up at the very bottom of that school's elitist food chain, looked down on by everyone."
"Hmm." Leila nodded repeatedly, her mood finally lifting.
Susan stroked her daughter's hair and spoke softly.
"Leila, didn't I tell you? Don't always pick on Velora. At Lyceum, you need to be friendly and generous towards her."
"Why, Mom?" Leila asked, puzzled.
Susan spoke slowly, her words laced with malice.
"Velora's been rough around the edges growing up in the country. The more rude and uncouth she is, the more it will highlight your grace and refinement.
"Then, you can casually spread the word about how she got in through the back door. Soon enough, no one will want to associate with her. Velora will be so ostracized, she'll be sure to cause a scene and infuriate your father. Her good days will be over."
"I see," Leila replied, understanding her mother's plan.
"Mom, I know what to do!"
Susan smiled.
"No more anger?"
"No more anger," Leila shook her head, her eyes glinting with determination.
"That fool dares to go to Lyceum? Well. I'll make sure she becomes the laughingstock of the entire school."
Elsewhere…
Ace had been sent off to work, meaning Velora had no one to indulge her with snacks and outings. Worse, she'd been told she would have to go to Lyceum with Leila.
So much for family warmth! She was just starting to feel the perks of having a family—when Ace took her out for treats—and they'd already yanked it away.
"Love? In this house? Ha! Fat chance. I'm so fed up with this place I can't take it anymore."
Velora tossed and turned on the oversized, velvety bed, her anger bubbling over.
Just then, her phone rang. Still face-down in the pillow, she lazily felt around for the phone and answered without looking.
"Yeah?"
One word was all Henry needed to hear. His tone softened with a knowing warmth, like coaxing a sulking child.
"What's wrong, Ace? Who dared upset our star?"
Her voice was muffled in the blanket.
"The old geezer's making me go to Lyceum."
"As a student?" Henry paused, then burst out laughing.
He joked,
"Can you believe this? The legendary Professor Fletcher, the guy Lyceum practically worships, is going to be a student again? I mean, if they only knew your real identity, they'd probably kiss your feet."
"Huh?" Velora peeked out of the covers, her face flushed from the heat.
"Professor Fletcher? What are you talking about? Explain!"
Henry chuckled.
"I thought you knew. The research papers you published with Professor Lawson? They were all released under your alias, Alex Fletcher. They're SCI-certified, top-tier work. In fact, those papers are one reason Lyceum's considered the top school."
Velora's jaw dropped. She never paid attention to any of that before.
I'm really this… impressive? she wondered.