Kenneth was completely baffled by the absurd dorm assignment.
It was already June, and with summer break approaching, classes were becoming more intense. Dorm living was mandatory, but being assigned to share a room with Tiffany? It had to be some kind of mixup.
After a moment of shock, Kenneth convinced himself that this was all Tiffany’s doing.
She claimed she wanted to break off the engagement, yet somehow managed to keep his parents from agreeing.
Now she was inserting herself into his life again, trying to catch his attention and create opportunities for them to be together.
The thought made Kenneth feel sick.
He slammed the dorm assignment notice onto Tiffany’s desk, barely containing his “You were behind this, weren’t you? Impressive, Tiffany. I really underestimated you!” Tiffany glanced at the notice and quickly pieced it together anger.
She didn’t know who had arranged for them to room together, but Kenneth was clearly blaming her. She couldn’t believe how far his imagination had taken him.
Seeing Kenneth’s furious expression, Tiffany couldn’t help but laugh.
“What makes you think you’re so special?” she retorted. “Instead of accusing me, why don’t you ask your parents?”
This arrangement couldn’t have happened without the Harpers’ approval. Ever since they refused to end the engagement, Tiffany had been left wondering what they saw in her.
They’d never liked her, yet they wouldn’t agree to break things off, even going so far as to pressure her family.
After speaking her mind, Tiffany waved Kenneth away. “You’re blocking my light. Move along”
For what felt like the hundredth time, Kenneth left the classroom, seething.
Sandra, meanwhile, had wisely stayed out of the recent attempts to undermine Tiffany. After her last encounter with Tiffany, she’d learned to bide her time.
She was determined to avoid mistakes and wait patiently for her father’s plan to succeed.
But today, every line on the dorm assignment list felt like a stab to Sandra’s heart. Tiffany and Kenneth living under the same roof? If Kenneth started to fall for Tiffany, where would that leave me?”
As Sandra hesitated, torn about what to do, Tiffany tapped her on the shoulder. “Your precious Kenneth just left. Aren’t you going to chase after him?”
“What do you mean?” Sandra asked, suspicion creeping into her voice.
Ignoring Sandra’s wary expression, Tiffany offered a cryptic suggestion. “Even if you can’t change the arrangement, you could always add another person to the mix…”
With that, Tiffany walked away.
The Harpers had likely arranged the assignments, so a change seemed unlikely. Since Tiffany wasn’t thrilled about living with Kenneth either, bringing Sandra into the situation might stir up some entertaining drama when Kenneth’s dream girl eventually showed up.
Sandra’s eyes lit eyes lit up at Tiffany’s words. Of course! If she could move in too, she could prevent anything from happening between Tiffany and Kenneth, while also getting closer to him herself.
It was the perfect plan.
With this new focus, Sandra bolted from the classroom, chasing after Kenneth.
Tiffany leaned back in her chair, stifling a yawn. She knew Sandra would succeed. After all, if Sandra couldn’t manage this, how had she fooled everyone with her seemingly kind-hearted act in Tiffany’s past life?
Sure enough, two hours later, Sandra’s name appeared on the dorm assignment list.
The new arrangements were implemented quickly. After classes that afternoon, everyone. headed to their assigned dorms to settle in. Being a private, elite school, the accommodations were top-notch. Everything was meticulously arranged, with new bedding and essentials provided.
Tiffany and Kenneth were assigned to an apartment-style dorm with two floors and three bedrooms-two rooms upstairs, one downstairs.
Tiffany walked in and confidently claimed the largest, nicest room on the second floor. She definitely wasn’t one to settle for less.
Kenneth initially wanted to give the upstairs room to Sandra, but the housekeeper stopped him. “Mr. Harper, your mother has already made a big concession. Please don’t make this difficult for us.”
Sandra, though disappointed, knew she was lucky to be there at all. She couldn’t risk making a fuss. Instead, she gazed at Kenneth adoringly. “It’s okay, Kenneth. Just seeing you every day is enough for me.”
“Alright then,” Kenneth conceded.
So Tiffany and Kenneth ended up on the second floor, their rooms side by side with adjoining balconies.
Tiffany couldn’t care less about the budding romance downstairs. She shut her door and started settling in, completely unbothered.
The room was spotless, leaving little to organize Still, Tiffany was cautious. She carefully checked for any hidden cameras or bugs. Thankfully, she found nothing.
Just as she sat down, her phone rang. It was Uncle Owen.
Owen was a longtime shareholder in the Kelley family company and the only person who’d helped the family in the past. She trusted him completely. She’d asked him to keep an eye on Stan at the company.
And it seemed he had news.
“Hello, Uncle Owen. Any updates?” Tiffany answered.
“It’s going as you predicted. He took the bait. The deal’s set for 9 PM tonight at the Skyline Bar.”
Owen paused, then added with concern, “Tiffany, why are you keeping this from your father? This kind of loss isn’t something to take lightly.”
“I know. I’ll handle it. Thanks, Uncle Owen. I really appreciate your help!” Tiffany added a touch of warmth to her voice.
She could hear Owen relax on the other end of the line. And with that, he decided not to pursue the matter any further.
After hanging up, a small smile played on Tiffany’s lips. Finally, after days of waiting, things were falling into place.
Ever since overhearing Sandra and her mother’s conversation, Tiffany knew exactly what they were planning.-
Around this time, Stan had embezzled a wh**ing one million and two hundred thousand dollars from the company through shady deals in the purchasing department.
That money was meant for high-quality steel. Instead, Stan had substituted experimental materials, leading to a major structural collapse that claimed the lives of three workers and led to a lawsuit from the project’s client.
That single incident sent shockwaves through the company. The Kelley Corporation’s reputation plummeted, and their stock took a nosedive. Charlie became a public pariah, and the financial losses were devastating.
And Stan, the man who pocketed the money? He put on quite a show. Kneeling before Charlie, he wept and pleaded, claiming he was just an inexperienced victim of a scam. His performance was Oscar-worthy.
The most frustrating part? Charlie actually believed him.
That was why when Uncle Owen asked Tiffany why she wasn’t telling her father about this, she hesitated. What good would just talking do?
Tiffany wasn’t about to let Stan get away with it this time.