Chapter 15 

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Chapter 15 

Adrianna had just stepped out of the Ashford Corporation building when the harsh sunlight made her squint. 

She glanced down at the confirmation letter for the mining assets transfer when a strong, cloying perfume suddenly assaulted her senses. 

“Ms. Quinnen!” 

A pair of hands with bright red nail polish suddenly seized her wrist. 

Adrianna looked up to find Cecilia’s heavily made-up face just inches away, two stubborn teardrops clinging to the corners of her eyes. 

“I know I was wrong…” Cecilia’s voice trembled, but she deliberately raised the volume for the crowd to 

hear. 

“I shouldn’t have set my sights on Mr. Emmons after receiving the Quinnen family’s sponsorship.” 

As she spoke, she suddenly dropped to her knees. “Please, I’m begging you! Have mercy and let me go!” 

A crowd quickly gathered to watch the scene unfold. 

Adrianna stared at Cecilia’s performance coldly, noting how she slowed her descent to avoid wrinkling her six-figure Chanel suit. 

“My grades were earned through hard work,” Cecilia sobbed. “You can’t just bully poor people like us just because you’re rich and powerful…” 

That sentence set the scene on fire. Instantly, the onlookers erupted into a flurry of whispers and 

murmurs. 

Adrianna noticed someone raising their phone to start recording, and camera flashes went off rapidly. 

“Oh my God, is that the Quinnen family’s heiress?” 

“I heard she bullies poor students, using her family background as leverage…” 

“That’s disgusting!” 

A sharp throb pulsed between Adrianna’s brows. 

“Cecilia.” Adrianna let out a soft laugh suddenly, her voice clear and crisp enough to silence the crowd on the spot. 

“You are indeed poor…” Her gaze swept over Cecilia’s designer outfit. “Draped in luxury, but intellectually bankrupt.” 

The crowd erupted in laughter. 

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A few sharp-eyed office workers immediately recognized Cecilia’s outfit. 

“Isn’t that from Chanel’s pre-fall collection? I saw it in a magazine last week!” 

“Her watch-pretty sure that’s a Cartier Ballon Bleu, right?” 

“And that bag! That’s a Birkin from Hermès!” 

Cecilia’s face went pale in an instant. 

Panicked, she tried to hide the watch on her wrist but accidentally dropped her bag. 

Makeup from all the top luxury brands spilled across the ground. 

Adrianna looked down at her. “You’re not the only student I’ve sponsored, but you are the only ungrateful 

one.” 

She pulled out her phone and tapped a few times. “All the sponsorship records are on the Quinnen Corporation’s official website. You may check anytime.” 

People in the crowd immediately grabbed their phones, and gasps of shock quickly rippled through the air. 

“It’s true! The Quinnen Corporation sponsors hundreds of underprivileged students every year!” 

“Check the trending searches! Someone just exposed Cecilia for stealing someone else’s university spot!” 

“You’re late. I heard the woman she replaced actually works nearby…” 

Just then, a modestly dressed woman with a ponytail broke through the crowd. 

“Cecilia Reed!” 

Her eyes were red. “Do you remember me? My mom nearly jumped off a building the night you stole my 

place at university three years ago!” 

Before anyone could react, the woman had already raised her arm and slapped Cecilia hard across the 

face. 

The sharp crack echoed through the plaza. 

Cecilia screamed and struck back. Within seconds, the two were locked in a full-on brawl. 

Her Chanel jacket was torn, her Hermès bag crushed underfoot, and her perfectly styled curls yanked into a tangled mess. 

Adrianna watched the chaos unfold with cold detachment, then turned and walked toward her car. 

Just as she opened the door, her phone began to buzz wildly. 

James’ name flashed across the screen again and again. 

She hit the accept button, and his furious voice exploded through the line. 

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“Adrianna! How dare you humiliate Ceci in public? She’s already suffered enough! You have everything. Why do you have to-” 

Adrianna hung up without a word and calmly blocked his number. 

Through the car window, she watched the chaos in the plaza escalate. 

Cecilia was a mess. Tears and snot streamed down her face as she crawled across the ground, searching for her high heels. 

Notifications kept lighting up her phone. #Cecilia FakeAcademic Record had already climbed to the top of the trending list, marked with a blazing “Hot” tag. 

Adrianna let out a soft scoff. “Let’s go,” she said to the driver. 

The car had barely gone two blocks when her phone rang again. 

This time, it was Derick. 

“All taken care of?” His deep voice came through the receiver. 

Adrianna raised an eyebrow. “Mr. Ashford, news travels fast.” 

Derick let out a soft chuckle. “Well, the video’s trending. Pretending not to notice would be a stretch. ‘ 

Intellectually bankrupt’? Impressive choice of words, Ms. Quinnen.” 

Adrianna gazed out the window at the streets slipping by. “You called just for this, Mr. Ashford?” 

There was a brief pause on the other end. 

“James just froze two of your accounts in the Southern District,” Derick said, his tone turning serious. “He 

moved fast this time.” 

Adrianna tapped her fingertips lightly against the armrest. “Doesn’t matter. I moved all the important 

assets already.” 

“Smart,” Derick said with a note of admiration. 

A few seconds of silence followed. Just as Adrianna was about to speak, she heard an 

uncharacteristically tense voice on the other end. 

“Don’t forget to come home for dinner tonight.” 

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