The morning sun poured through the glass walls of Aurelius Business Academy, drenching the halls in deceptive warmth. Yet the air was heavy, suffocating with whispers and stares.
"That's her Valeria."
"De Vere Royal Grant? Impossible."
"She must have done something shady."
Valeria's heels clicked against the marble, calm and measured, though every eye in the hall followed her.
By the time she reached her classroom, the tension had turned thick. Students stiffened, glancing at one another, muttering, sneering.
Then the door opened.
Principal Hartley Voss entered, authoritative as ever.
"Good morning. Today, I am pleased to announce that Miss Valeria Morgan's business proposal has been directly selected for incubation under the De Vere Royal Grant Initiative."
Whispers erupted immediately.
"She skipped the second round!"
"Direct incubation? How?"
"She probably bribed someone!"
Principal Voss handed her a sleek black envelope.
"Miss Valeria, congratulations. You are awarded 50,000 Euros and exclusive access to the Innovation Lab."
Valeria accepted it gracefully.
"Thank you, Principal Voss. I will uphold the academy's standards."
The applause was tense, half-hearted, drowned by the murmurs of envy.
At the back, Chantel crossed her legs, smirking. Marissa leaned close.
"Guess even trash shines if polished by a De Vere," Marissa whispered.
"Mm," Chantel hummed, eyes narrow. "Let her bask. Queens always fall harder."
Then the storm broke.
Chelsa a rich Heiress from an affluent family stood abruptly, voice sharp and accusing.
"This is a joke! She got that grant by seducing Adrian De Vere's assistant! Everyone knows it!"
"Exactly! I saw them talking all the time!"
"Bet she whispered, flirted, whatever it takes!"
"How else would she get Leonard's attention?"
Shouts erupted. Some students pointed fingers, others yelled over them, accusations and envy feeding on each other.
"Shady, shady, that's all she is!"
"She only got this because of De Vere connections!"
"Who even believes she's capable?"
The class descended into chaos. Chairs scraped. Voices overlapped. Chelsa, red-faced, shouted, "She...she...doesn't even deserve it! Everyone knows what she did to get grant!"
Valeria rose, slowly. The air thickened with tension.
Her voice was soft but it cut through the room like a blade dipped in honey.
"Miss Chelsa," she said, gaze unflinching, "if the De Vere Group gave grants for seduction… then I'm afraid even if you tried, you'd still never qualify."
The room erupted again, but Principal Voss's glare silenced most of it.
Chelsa's face turned crimson.
"Y-You—!"
Valeria stepped forward, unhurried, eyes sharp as glass.
"The Royal Grant chose my project because it creates sustainable funding models for entrepreneurs. If that's considered seduction…"
She tilted her head, lips curving into a lethal smirk.
"…then maybe intelligence itself is seductive. I'll take that as a compliment."
Murmurs of shock and envy swirled around her. Students tried to shout over her, but her calm aura and words drew attention back.
Voices rose again, students bickering among themselves.
"She only got this because of Assistant Leonard!"
"She's using connections!"
"I bet she's shady in every other competition!"
"She's not fit for the Innovation Lab!"
The room was a cacophony of envy, fear, and malice.
Principal Voss slammed his hand on the desk.
"Enough!" His voice cut like lightning, instantly silencing the room.
"You are heirs of royal bloodlines! Children of billion-dollar legacies! This..." He gestured at the chaos. "—is how you behave? A fish market would be quieter than this classroom! Sit down. Now. All of you!"
The students froze, muttering dying in their throats. Some averted their eyes; others scowled, still simmering.
Valeria returned to her seat, composed, placing the black envelope on her desk. She didn't speak further. The room, charged with envy and whispers, simmered, but she remained unmoved.
Chantel leaned back, dark laughter curling around her words.
"Do you think Chesla leave Valeria alone? After that humiliation?"
Marissa chuckled, quietly venomous.
"Not a chance. Perfect pawn, no effort needed. We just watch the show unfold."
The two exchanged a cruel glance, satisfied.
Valeria simply sat, her eyes forward, envelope in hand, and waited.