Valerie stormed out till she got to the down floor. She subconsciously glanced at the table she had eaten with the old man but it had been cleared. She was a bit disappointed and sighed.
They were having a great time before Max called and ruined it.
He could be such a sore thumb sometimes but aside from that... She couldn't tell why he got mad just because she mentioned his mother.
She honestly didn't know he had a stepmother. His mother had been so loving and caring the only time they met. Could his father really go ahead to get married to another?
Or was it that she was... She shook her head. That was impossible. If she were dead, the news would've circulated widely but she did not hear of it at all.
"Let's forget it." She muttered and made her way out of the restaurant.
Frankie was waiting in the car and when Valerie got in, she asked,
"Did it go well?"
Valerie glanced at her and answered,
"Better than I expected." She said, "Let's go back to the mansion. We have much to prepare."
Frankie turned on the engine and started driving, prompting Valerie to lose herself in her thoughts.
'If Frankie had gone in with me, she would never approve of me eating with a stranger because anyone can be a suspect. Anyway,' she glanced out of the window. '...I wonder if I'll see that old man again.' she wondered.
That evening, Valerie noticed Lucy, as well as her attendants, preparing. If she hadn't known about the masquerade party, she might've concluded her preparations to be for something entirely different.
Lucy was wearing a light pink dress, befitting for a baby's celebration. The color also looked like the character she loved to portray. Soft and innocent. But her jewelry, though looking little, was not soft and innocent, as they were made with the finest materials. Gold and diamond.
Lucy noticed Valerie staring at her from the top with an interested look on her face and she silently gritted her teeth. She had to keep her composure, so she smiled.
"What are you looking at, sister?" She calmly asked and Valerie's lips curled and she chuckled. She didn't say a word and simply moved away from the top, away from Lucy's sight.
Lucy suddenly felt uneasy. Each time Valerie chuckled like that, it only meant she was up to something.
'No way, she doesn't even know about the party.' Lucy grinned, 'Yes, that's right. She's oblivious. She's just doing that just to get under my skin.'
"Oh, dear sister," Valerie called as she descended the stairs, causing Lucy to flinch. "You look so beautiful."
"Hm, I was invited so I'm going out." Lucy said slowly clutching her dress.
"Oh? To which party?" Valerie asked, her eyes brimming with a knowing look and Lucy gulped.
Why did it seem like Valerie knew where she was going?
The invitation came without her knowledge so there's no way she was supposed to know.
"A friend's party." Lucy answered.
"Oh, really?" Valerie asked and stepped closer.
Her half-fallen shawl that was lightly hanging over her shoulders exposed her shoulders and made her look rather appealing to the eyes. Sexual appealing was more like it.
"Hm, why didn't you tell me about it? I thought you said you wanted us to be close. We could've gone together." Valerie said and this made Lucy feel Valerie was a hundred percent unaware of her plans and she smiled.
"Oh sister, I know how strained you were after coming back from that near-death experience. I didn't want to bother you with such a trivial matter. You should rest more." She said, smiling gleefully and glowing like an angel.
Hearing this, Valerie sighed, accepting her fate as it was on the surface.
"Hah, I guess you're right." She said. "Well, have fun. I'd love to hear about it when you come back but I might be asleep by then, so tell me some other time." She smiled.
"Of course, sister. I'll tell you all about it when I get the chance." Lucy said but in her mind, she was smirking victoriously. 'Fool. I'm going to be Mrs Stewart soon and by then, I'll crush you entirely.'
Valerie waved her hand as Lucy made her way out and then stopped, her eyes glowing with contempt.
'Your thoughts are very open, Lucy. I can tell exactly what you're thinking.' she thought and turned to head back up.
As she walked up the stairs, Victoria glared at her from the top with her arms folded.
Valerie chose to ignore her but Victoria spoke out loud,
"Enjoy it while it lasts, you crazy girl. You'll be under our feet soon."
"Hm, Aunty," Valerie stopped in her tracks and said, "I think I've told you this before but, try to speak up. I can't understand you when you keep mumbling like that."
"You..."
"In any case, you should tone down your hostility a bit. It's not doing any of us a favor, is it?" Valerie continued on her way, leaving her aunt to fume as much as she wanted, and walked past the butler, Winston.
Winston kept his eyes closed with no expression on his face and was standing erect like the professional he was. But he was secretly sneering at the young lady who was walking past him and she knew it.
He was also one of her uncle's people. In this house, there was no one she could count on other than Frankie but they dared not mess with her openly as she could kick them out any moment.
The thought of changing the staff came to mind a few times but she didn't want to do it when her uncle still held so much power. He could just buy them to his side and all her efforts would go to naught.
"Miss, don't you think it's time to get ready? The party, as stated on the invitation card, will commence in an hour." Frankie said as Valerie entered the room and Valerie paused.
"Hm, whenever is the villainess early? It's my job to arrive late so I can make a grand entrance. Let's take our sweet time to get ready." She said, staring at the red dress that was neatly spread on top of her bed, and Frankie nodded.
"I understand."