"What is she doing here?"

Little talks started filling the hall as Valerie descended the stairs with a flashy red dress and flaming red lipstick sparkling on her lips. As they watched her descend the stairs, their gaze was filled with a lot of disdain and contempt, but she couldn't be bothered.

"I can't believe she's so shameless to show her face here while wearing something like that after what she did."

"That just shows how shameless she is, after doing such an evil thing and was taken by the police, she still doesn't break a sweat."

"At least now her reputation has completely plummeted. Serves her right."

The words of the guests who were gathered at the main hall of the mansion to mourn the passing of the young master who died just the previous week were rather annoying than disturbing and a lady aggressively pointed her finger at Valerie.

"You shameless bitch. I'll kill you this time. How dare you show your face after what you did?"

Valerie simply darted her red eyes aside and yawned. Hypocrites will always be hypocrites. She could not be bothered.

Valerie was considered a natural beauty with her long and silky black hair, flawless skin, sharp facial features and eyes that shined like red rubies.

She was far more intelligent than others, allowing her to always be a step ahead of her enemies.

And as her name implied, she was strong. An intelligent lady with a strong character.

A man walked up to her as she stopped at the foot of the stairs. He had displeasure written in his face and said,

"What are you doing here? Didn't you say you were lying low? Causing trouble at the funeral, have you lost your mind?"

Valerie gazed at him lazily. She didn't want to respond but she knew she had to, so she sighed and said,

"I generously let you use 'my' house to hold this funeral, didn't I? Don't I get to do as I please in my own house?"

Her words made the man flinch.

She leaned closer as she spoke, "And uncle, I know said I was going to lay low, but I don't have to tell you how I do it, do I?"

When Valerie turned 18, everything became rightfully hers. That included the company and the house they were all staying in. So, she made sure to exercise her right, even if she hadn't actively taken ownership yet.

Descending the stairs behind her was her personal maid, carrying her luggage.

Her uncle saw this and sharply turned his gaze to her and asked,

"Where do you think you're going?"

"Hm? Do I need permission to go out of my own house?" She smirked. "I simply want to take a vacation and 'lay low' like I promised. Why? Does this disrupt your plan to kill me, by chance?"

"You... What nonsense are you spouting?"

She shrugged her shoulders and folded her arms.

"That's too bad then. I wonder what elaborate plan you cooked up to get rid of me but well, it can wait till I return, right, uncle?"

Her squinted eyes brimmed with mockery as she sized up her uncle's inner thoughts with her mere eyes and snickered at what he might've been thinking.

Surely he thought, ''You bitch, I'll kill you. I'll make sure even your bones are chewed on by dogs. Just you wait. '

His clenched and trembling fists just showed how much resentment he kept in his heart against her. Innocent her, may I say.

She got closer, placed her hand on his shoulder and whispered,

"Remember, it was your failed plan that got your son killed. So you have no one to blame but yourself."

He looked at her with wide eyes, trembling.

What? Did he think she did not know? There was nothing he did that she was not aware of. He was the fool, trying to get rid of her and steal her inheritance while thinking she was in the dark about it.

She removed her hand from his shoulder, cleaning it with a handkerchief and tossing it aside as if she had touched filth. She looked at the guests revelling in discomfort they felt in her presence.

Ah, yes. This was the atmosphere she wanted to see. Fear, terror, and discomfort. She wanted to see that in the eyes and expression of everyone who thought so little of her.

Valerie Ross, the only daughter of the late chairman of the Ross group and the niece of the current interim chairman, who apparently wanted her dead so he could get the group to himself. Typical, don't you think?

He already tried all he could to get her to sign the transfer papers when she was much younger, but she outsmarted him each time so what was left to do was to get rid of her.

Valerie walked past her cousin sister, Lucy, who was standing next to her mother, the woman who had aggressively pointed her finger at her and thrown threatening accusations.

Lucy was trembling like a leaf with the fear that Valerie had instilled on her. She hated Valerie and not just because Valerie caused her brothers death, but because she was so much better than her… in everything.

She was jealous of Valerie that she tried to always compete with her, and instead of being a villainess in the eyes of everyone, she decided to be the opposite of her, kind, caring and deeply loved by everyone who gazed on her 'sweet' smile.

But it as all an act in the end, because her heart was very black and her true nature was vile.

"Enjoy this while it lasts, 'sister'." Valerie whispered.

Lucy gritted her teeth, clenching her jaw in anger.

Valerie stopped at the door and said,

"You all can do what you want with the house, but don't be clumsy and break anything. If not..." Her eyes turned cold and icy as her lips curled up to form a grin. "I don't think I need to finish my sentence, do I?"

She walked out the door and the murmuring started.

Behind her back, they talked incessantly about her. But in front of her, all they could do was stare in silence and fear.

It got worse when rumors spread that she was the one behind her cousin's fatal car crash and that it was all to take out her only competition.

She was arrested as the prime suspect, only to be released that very same day, shortly after her apprehension.

But the scandal spread far and wide. They called her a 'bloodthirsty lunatic' who couldn't even spare her own family. They called her ungrateful and unworthy. Unworthy of being the heir of the Ross group. She was the black sheep of the family.

A true villainess.

After the maid dropped her luggage in the trunk, the driver got inside the car. She was taking her uncle's car because, what was safer than using the enemy's belongings? There was no way he would tamper with his own car.

She was just about to open her door and get in when a car drove into the driveway with a bunch of guards following from behind. Who was it that was acting so prominent at a funeral? She was the only one allowed to act ostentatious.

She couldn't be bothered by who it was but when she saw the family crest on the car's number plate, she squinted her eyes in a frown. It was the family crest of the country's leading family and also, 'his' family. She watched to see who would come down from the car while clutching the door edge tightly.

It couldn't be that her uncle was colluding with the top family, could it? If that was the case then she would have to rethink her plans and go for a more brutal approach.

The guards opened the door and the person that got down was a tall young man, his age ranging from 25 to 26 years old, and her eyes widened on seeing his face. It was 'him'. What was he doing here?

His cold expression and arrogant demeanour was not like she remembered. He used to be sweet, kind and smiled like the whole world was made of nothing but goodness. But now seeing him, it was like staring at a frozen mountain.

She gripped the edge of the door harder.

'I guess, even he had his changing period. I wonder if it was because of me.'

She immediately shook her head and got into the car. She didn't want to get ahead of herself and delude her mind with such fleeting thoughts. Whatever that had happened, it was all in the past.

And for him to attend this funeral, it only showed the side he had chosen. He has chosen to become her enemy and she would not hesitate to take him out if he dared to get in her way.

She picked out a tissue from the tissue box and thoroughly wiped off the red lipstick on her lips. They already served their purpose.

"Head to the airport." She said to the driver and he turned on the engine.

The man who came down from the car glanced at Valerie's car as it started moving further and further away and the corner of his lips curled up in a wicked smirk.

"This must've been something you did not expect, right? How does it feel... Valerie?"