Vince continued, "I wouldn''t have organized today''s banquet if I didn''t care for you. I''m doing this to get you acquainted with everyone so they recognize you as the true heir of our family."


    Sadie and Karen exchanged a puzzled nce at that deration. They wondered what he was implying by that.


    Karen smiled naturally as she gracefully stepped forward and hooked her arm around Vince''s. "Listen to your father, Rita. He''s spent a lot of effort to make this banquet a sess. He even managed to invite Mister Sherman over! We know you don''t like these sorts of events, but you need to understand your position as our family''s eldest daughter. You need to serve as a role model for your sister. We can''t have you ruining the family''s reputation.


    Rita found thosementsughable. It was not Karen''s ce as an outsider to makements about the Russells, not least when Karen was never epted by Rita as part of the family.


    "I''m already here. No need to waste your breath,'' she retorted defiantly. ''It''s not my ce to set an example for your daughter. I think she should set an example for me. I''m dying to know how she''s still a student at Morning Glory University even though she practically fails all her subjects."


    Sadie shot Rita a re. She had carefully concealed her academic shorings from Vince because he had a particr dislike for uneducated and uncultured people. It would be exacerbated due to the fact that she was not his biological daughter.


    As expected, Vince''s expression soured upon hearing what Rita said. He immediately asked Karen about Sadie''s studies. "Didn''t I tell you to hire a tutor for her? Why haven''t you gotten to it yet? Her grades weren''t good enough to be epted into the university. She was only enrolled because I sought out the dean. How can my efforts be justified if you don''t study harder?"Text content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    "Don''t listen to Rita''s nonsense," Karen interjected hastily. "Sadie only failed the previous exam. I''ve already arranged for a tutor to help her brush up, and her grades have improved a lot already, even though it''s still not as good as Rita''s."


    "I was never worried about Rita''s studies because she always received schrships. Our family might be rich, but we need to maintain some measure of standards in ourselves," Vince cast a condescending nce toward Sadie, who lowered her gaze obediently. Studying was thest thing on her mind after seeing Sherman earlier. She had been consumed by thoughts of him since their meeting then.


    Sadie did not expect to see someone so handsome among all the younger wealthy men.


    In fact, Vince was quite handsome too, and that was partly why Karen was drawn to him initially. Compared to Sherman, however, the difference in looks was simply too great.


    Despite her mother''s insistence that she should make a favorable impression on their guests, Sadie ignored thatpletely uponying eyes on Sherman. She was determined to make herself stand outpared to Rita and assert her status as the main youngdy in the Russells. That way, she could prove to the world that her background did not define who she was.


    Meanwhile, Sherman sought to avoid socializing by savoring a ss of champagne on the balcony. He had hoped to get a breather, but barely ten minutes had passed when an unexpected visitor disrupted his solitude.


    Sherman turned around in initation and saw that the person was Rita. Both were equally as surprised at the other''s presence, but Sherman''s eyes carried an extra hint of amusement.