Chapter 172 Chapter 172
If that was her boyfriend, why had Caroline never met him? Why hadn't he visited Sara in the hospital when she was dying?
And most importantly, Sara was her sister. They were inseparable.
Sara told her everything.
Caroline knew her sister better than anyone. Considering Sara's responsible personality—and the fact that she had just discovered the severity of her heart condition—she would never start a relationship now. Sara was afraid of burdening anyone with her illness.
So why was she there, accepting kisses from a rich stranger?
Caroline felt a tightness in her chest. Something was wrong.
She wanted to get up right then and there, march over to that table, and demand an explanation. But... what if it was true? What if Sara was just trying to live a little? Caroline didn't want to embarrass her in front of her boyfriend.
She thought for a moment and decided to probe.
She grabbed her phone and quickly typed:
\[Sara, where are you?\]
The moment the message was sent, Caroline watched closely.
She saw Sara pick up her phone from the table, read the notification, and type.
The reply came in less than a minute.
Sara: \[Sis, I'm out, having dinner with a classmate.\]
Caroline: \[Classmate? Boy or girl?\]
Caroline looked up and saw Sara bite her lip, hesitating for a moment as she read the message on the screen.
She waited a few tense seconds before the phone vibrated again.
Sara: \[Boy.\]
Caroline couldn't help but smile a little in relief as she read the reply.
Haha. At least she was still an honest girl. She didn't try to hide the gender of her “friend.” That meant that maybe the situation wasn't as secret or dangerous as it seemed.
Caroline was about to send another message asking who he was when a movement in her peripheral vision caught her attention.
She looked up, and instantly her eyebrows furrowed.
What kind of luck do I have today? she thought, frustrated.
First, she bumped into Claire, her evil sister, at the audition. Now she ran into Sheila, her romantic rival, at the restaurant.
She should have checked her horoscope before leaving the house. The universe was clearly conspiring against her digestion.
Tania noticed the sudden change in Caroline's expression and followed her gaze.
“Hey...” Tania whispered, curious. “Do you know that woman in the black dress? Who is she?”
Caroline sighed, trying to remain calm. “Um, I know her. She's... a friend of Nicholas's.”
“A friend of Prince Charming?”
Tania narrowed her eyes, activating her “danger radar” mode. She analyzed the newcomer from head to toe.
“That ‘friend’ of his is very dangerous,” Tania commented with brutal objectivity.
In terms of pure beauty, her “baby” (Caroline) still won. Caroline had a freshness, a natural luminosity that was unbeatable.
But this woman... she was in a different league.
While Caroline had a youthful, sweet, and slightly innocent air, the woman in the black dress exuded mature femininity, sophistication, and calculated sensuality. She was like a red rose in full bloom, full of thorns.
She was the kind of woman that most rich and powerful men preferred to show off at social events.
“It's worrying that Prince Charming has such a beautiful ‘friend’ orbiting around him,” concluded Tania.
“Hmm, she is beautiful,” Caroline agreed, without apparent jealousy, but with caution.
Although she didn't like Sheila's personality, denying her beauty would be foolish. Sheila Turner was rich, educated, elegant, and stunning. The definition of a high society “goddess.”
A few feet away.
“Miss Turner, this way, please.” The maître d' reverently led Sheila toward the reserved VIP area.
Sheila walked with her head held high, ignoring the admiring glances, until something made her stop abruptly.
She turned her body, looking at a side table she had just passed.
Her perfect eyes widened in surprise.
“Victor?”
At the table, the arrogant boy who was “negotiating” with Sara froze. His playboy mask instantly fell.
“Sister?” Victor stammered, standing up quickly in an almost military posture of respect (or fear).
Caroline and Tania watched from afar, shocked.
Sister?
The rich, blackmailing boy was Sheila Turner's brother? The world was a tiny, cruel egg.
Sheila looked at her brother, then her cold eyes slid to the girl sitting in front of him. She frowned, her tone of voice lowering to something serious and inquisitive.
“Victor, what are you doing here? Shouldn't you be in tutoring class?” She paused. “And who is this girl?”
Victor looked nervous. He adjusted his shirt collar, regaining his composure.
“Sis, relax. I just came for lunch.” He smiled, his charm returning. “This is my classmate. Her name is Sara.”
He turned to Sara. “Sara, this is my older sister, Sheila.”
Sara, always polite, stood up immediately. She didn't know who Sheila was, nor her connection to Caroline.
She gave a slight nod. “Hello, Miss Turner.”
Sheila didn't respond immediately. She raised a perfectly shaped eyebrow, studying Sara's face as if she were a laboratory specimen.
“Sara...” Sheila repeated, testing the name.
There was something familiar about that face.
Sheila narrowed her eyes and fired off a question that seemed random but was surgical: “Are you an only child?”
The question was strange. Even Victor frowned, confused by his sister's sudden interest.
But Sara, naive about the game of social chess, answered honestly:
“No, ma'am. I have two older sisters.”
“Two older sisters?” The gleam in Sheila's eyes intensified.
“Yes.”
Sheila's expression changed. An indecipherable and dangerous smile curved her red lips.
The name Sara. The age. The subtle physical resemblance. Two sisters (Caroline and the famous Claire Ford).
The pieces fell into place.
Fate was being very generous to her today.
A storm of emotions passed through Sheila's eyes as she watched Sara. Recognition turned to immediate contempt.
Suddenly, she turned to her brother, her voice as sharp as ice: “Victor, get up. You're going home right now.”
“What? Sister...” Victor frowned, confused by the sudden change in mood. “I'm in the middle of dinner with a friend. Why are you acting like this?”