chapter554

Jenson just stared, lost in a daze, watching Lydia walk with Juna. His mind was a total mess, buzzing with anxiety.

Something felt off, like something big was about to happen. He couldn't shake the feeling.

"It probably has to do with that guy she's been seeing," Jenson muttered, searching for a reason and coming up with only that. No one knew Lydia better than they did, after all.

Back in Lakeview Town, she hadn't had any friends. And when she returned to the Norwood family, they were so broke they could barely put food on the table. There was no way they could afford to send her to an event like this.

So, the only explanation was that the mysterious man she was involved with had pulled some strings for her.

Milana nodded, quick to agree. "That has to be it. She's shameless. She really has the nerve to show up here, as if she wants everyone to know she's someone's sugar baby."

Jenson still looked confused. "But who is this guy? I had people look into it, but they couldn't find anything about him.

Milana let out a cold laugh. "He can't be anyone important, or we'd have heard about him by now."

"Yeah, true."

Across the room, Sandy glared at Lydia, her eyes practically burning holes through her.

Lydia!

The girl who had stolen eighteen years of her life as a rich heiress. How could she be walking alongside Miss Davis?

What stung even more was that Lydia, the so-called fake heiress, looked way more elegant and refined than she, the real one, ever did.

Tonight, Lydia wore a white gown that was pure as fresh snow, giving her this cool, untouchable vibe. The dress flowed lightly around her, moving with every step, and there seemed to be a soft glow that just made her stand out, like a snow goddess who had just touched down on earth.

Wherever she went, the room seemed to grow quieter and cooler. People couldn't help but move aside to let her pass, and in the middle of the lively banquet, she became the one person everyone remembered.

The Davis family was hosting the charity gala tonight, and Juna had to follow her parents around to greet some respected elders.

She turned to Lydia with a quick, affectionate smile. "Lyds, wait for me. I'll be right back."

Lydia smiled softly and nodded. "Alright."

Left on her own, Lydia was immediately surrounded by a few rich young men, each trying to strike tup a conversation. She shot them all. down one after another, not even bothering with small talk. She didn't waste a single breath. She was the definition of cool and distant.

This was exactly what Soren and his parents saw as they walked in.

The Lane family wasn't exactly a big deal in these circles. They hadn't planned on making any grand donations tonight. They just wanted to show up and hopefully boost their reputation a little.

That's why they arrived late, hoping to blend in without attracting too much attention.

"Dad, Mom, is that Lydia?" Soren asked, barely believing what he was seeing. That elegant, goddess-like figure... was that really Lydia, the girl he remembered as awkward and unromantic?

Clark and Vivia stared too, their

shock even greater. "That's really

her? I thought her birth parents were

poor farmers from some remote village. Didn't she have a bunch of brothers who couldn reven afford to get married? How did she end up here?"

The message was clear. With her background, Lydia had no business being at an event like this.

But Soren couldn't take his eyes off her. Lydia was just too stunning tonight. He didn't even want to look away.

His father Clark nodded in approval, thinking Lydia looked like a real lady of high society, both in looks and in presence.

"This Lydia is way better than Sandy," he said.

His mother Vivia chimed in, "Exactly.

No matter what, Lydia was the one raised by the Smiths. Sandy grew up in the countryside She's rough. around the edges. And now she's missing a kidney. She probably can't even have kids."