Chapter 300 The Social Circle
The plan was supposedly about casing her parents’ loneliness, but Lana really just wanted Nina to take Natalie’s place. Lana was playing a calculated game, but luckily Natalie’s parents hadn’t fallen for it. They let Nina stay for a while but sent her packing soon after.
The reason was simple. Nina had been caught red-handed stealing from the house. Natalie’s mother had walked right in on her, leaving Nina with no way to talk her way out of it. The whole family was a bunch of parasites.
Natalie started the car and drove toward the address Bryan had sent her. The Lynn family had set up the party at a five-star hotel. Towers of champagne lined the entrance, glowing under the reflection of the crystal chandeliers. Lana was clearly spending a fortune to put on a show for a simple birthday.
The Lynns weren’t actually wealthy. Lana had married down when she chose Grant Lynn and had spent years struggling alongside him. Grant’s company was mediocre at best, and he was too arrogant for his own good. If it weren’t for his connection to the Sand family, he would have gone bankrupt years ago.
When Natalie walked in, Lana was already in the middle of a circle of socialites, bragging about her daughter’s impressive new boyfriend.
‘Nina has always been a high achiever,” Lana said, her face full of pride. “We never had to worry about her grades. She graduated from a top school a few years ago, and now she’s dating a son from the Quinn family. It’s such a relief.”
Latisha, standing nearby, flashed a smile. “I heard your niece is back. Did she get scammed by that man and come crawling home because she had nowhere else to go?”
‘I heard she cut ties with her whole family just to be with him back then,” another woman added.
Tamarine chimed in. “A rich girl falling for a broke loser. She helped him build his company only for him o dump her. That’s what happens when you throw yourself at someone. You end up being treated like rash.”
‘I heard that man has a new crush now. He takes her everywhere. It’s obvious how much he dotes on her.”
Lana’s expression was smug, a look of pure satisfaction crossing her face. “You shouldn’t say things like that about Natalie. She’s my brother’s only daughter after all. He’d be furious if he heard you. No matter how badly she’s doing, she’s still the heiress to Sand Corp. It’s not like our Nina. No matter how sweet and talented she is, the Sand family just won’t acknowledge her.”
In Lana’s eyes, Natalie was a lost cause who didn’t deserve her status. There was no way Natalie could compare to her own daughter. She was still bitter about how Nina had been kicked out like a dog three
years ago.
Why should Natalie have it all? She was just lucky to be born into money, but luck doesn’t stop people from making mistakes. Now, three years after running off with a nobody, Natalie’s karma had finally caught up to her. The story of her being drained dry and dumped was the joke of the season. If the Sand family hadn’t been working so hard to bury the scandal, Natalie would have been the laughingstock of their entire circle.
Natalie almost laughed at the sheer nerve of it. She walked straight up to them. “Gossiping behind
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Chapter 300 The Social Circle
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someone’s back is easy. If you’ve got something to say, say it to my face. You all seem to love talking about me, so go ahead. Tell me what else people are saying.”
She knew there would be rumors the moment she came back, and she was prepared for the questions. She just didn’t expect to hear the worst of the lies coming from Lana’s mouth.
She finally understood why Lana hated her. It wasn’t just that she thought Natalie was inferior to Nina; it was that Natalie got to live the life of a pampered heiress while Nina had to stay in her shadow. Lana couldn’t stand it.
Lana had tried to slide her daughter into the Sand household while Natalie was gone, pretending she was there to keep their grandmother company. In reality, she wanted to use the Sand family’s influence to find Nina a wealthy husband. She was a master at scheming.
The group of women went pale when they realized Natalie had heard everything. They didn’t expect her to just show up. Lana’s face went through a dozen different emotions before she managed to hide her panic. She reached out and grabbed Natalie’s hand, putting on a fake, affectionate smile.
“Natalie! You’re here. We were just catching up. Don’t take it the wrong way.”
Lana shot a look at the other women, and they immediately took the cue.
“Exactly,” they stammered. “We were just talking nonsense. Don’t take it to heart.”
“Is that right?” Natalie pulled her hand away. “That’s a very specific way to catch up. Why did the conversation stop the second I walked over? Is there something you can’t say to me?”
The women looked at each other, clearly uncomfortable. None of them wanted to offend Natalie and risk the fallout.
Just as the tension reached its peak, a voice came from behind them. It was her father. “Natalie? How did you get here before us?”
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