Rosie shot Brenna a sharp glare. “Brenna, a few certificates don’t prove much. They could’ve been bought by you. I will wait until your true abilities are revealed.”
Brenna remained unfazed. She spread her hands and shrugged. “You’re right. They don’t prove much. But do you even have any?”
Rosie’s smirk faltered. She let out a snort and sat down, realizing she had no awards of her own to counter Brenna’s claim.
But so what? She had studied abroad and earned a master’s in finance. That was something.
Earlier, she had noticed that Brenna had a finance degree, too. A slow, calculating smile tugged at the corners of her lips. Even if Brenna ended up with money and the company shares in the future, she would guide her into bad investments, subtly influencing her decisions. Then, when the time was right, she would find a way to make Brenna hand over her shares entirely.
“Don’t get too smug,” Rosie muttered. “It’s still uncertain who will come out on top.”
Ernst felt irritated as he watched Brenna’s composed, almost smug demeanor. She had deliberately brought out her graduation and award certificates and put them on display for everyone to see. He knew exactly what she was doing. She had made him feel embarrassed.
His impression of Brenna worsened. This so-called sister of his wasn’t just wasteful-throwing around money without considering the family’s feelings; she was also very arrogant. But what really bothered him was how she had readily accepted the shares being offered to her, as if they had always belonged to her. The entitlement, the greed-it was all too obvious.
Unable to hold back, Ernst asked Brenna, “And what if you don’t win?”
“Simple. If I don’t win, I’ll give up every single share Dad, Grandpa, and you gave me. I won’t take a penny from the family. Not now, not ever,” Brenna responded without hesitation.
She let out a cold laugh and added, “Isn’t that what you want?”
Ernst’s intentions had been laid bare, but he didn’t flinch. He met her gaze with unwavering confidence and said, “You better keep your word.”
Luther shot Ernst a sharp look. “As an older brother, why can’t you be more accommodating to your sister? You’re pushing her to give up all her rights. Fine. If that’s how it’s going to be, then I have a request, too. If she wins first place, you have to step down from your position at the Harper Group!” he said in a commanding voice.
As an elder, he held back from saying anything harsher, but his disappointment was clear.
Shepard nodded in agreement. He also believed Ernst’s attitude was wrong, and it was time he learned a lesson.
Ernst’s expression darkened. His grip tightened around his fork as he shot Brenna a look of pure distaste. Because of her, he now stood to lose his position as vice president of the Harper Group.
Across the table, Rosie glared at Brenna, her eyes burning with determination. There was no way she was going to let Brenna win. Not if it meant Ernst losing his place in the company.
Before the tension could escalate further, Giselle stood up and calmly began removing the certificates from the table. “Enough, everyone. Stop arguing. Let’s eat.”
Brenna took the certificates from Giselle and put them on the chair beside her, deciding not to waste any more words on Ernst.
Giselle turned to her and said with concern, “Brenna, the Barrett family has been exploiting you. Surely, they wouldn’t have paid for your overseas education. How did you manage before?”
She already knew the answer, but she asked the question anyway, hoping to stir more sympathy toward Brenna from the family.
Later that evening, after taking a shower, Brenna checked the stock market. Without hesitation, she invested all the money she had earned over the past two days.
Just then, a knock came at the door. Giselle stepped inside, carrying a cardboard box. She glanced at Brenna’s screen and immediately understood what she was doing. She just felt that Brenna’s computer looked so heavy.
She placed the box on the table and smiled warmly. “I noticed your computer looks old and heavy. It’s probably outdated. So, I bought you a new one. It’s the best model on the market.”
Brenna wanted to call her “Mom,” but the word caught in her throat. Still, the gratitude she felt for Giselle ran deep. Just one look at the product label on the box told her this was the most advanced computer on the market. Giselle was really treating her well. Brenna couldn’t help but notice how differently Giselle was treating her than her foster mother.
“Thank you,” Brenna said with a smile before immediately unpacking the new computer.
Giselle watched her and then asked, “Are you really going to participate in that car design competition?”
Brenna nodded confidently. “I am. And I plan to win,” she said.
Giselle leaned against the table and said with a serious expression, “Brenna, this competition has the Harper Group’s full backing. The prize money is substantial, and it’s attracting top designers from all over the world. As far as I know, the top ten automotive designers have already registered. The top three winners won’t just get prize money; they’ll have the opportunity to sign exclusive contracts with the Harper Group, with a very generous profit-sharing.”
Giselle looked at Brenna with concern. “Rosie and Ernst didn’t act appropriately today. I’ll speak with them later. It wasn’t fair for them to pressure you into this competition. Winning first place will be no easy feat, and even securing a spot in the top ten globally will be an immense challenge. But don’t worry-I’ll make sure Ernst and Rosie apologize to you. As for the promised shares, I’ll see to it that your father follows through.”
Brenna was already familiar with this design competition-her studio had already signed up to participate.
She said to Giselle, “There’s no need for that. I want to prove myself on my own terms. I don’t want them to look down on me.”
Giselle was left with no choice. She could only nod. After all, she couldn’t tell her daughter that she believed she had no chance of winning the competition.
The next morning, Brenna had just stepped into the dining room when Rosie entered, carrying an invitation. She set it down in front of Brenna with an air of arrogance.
She said, “I have to admit, I didn’t expect you to have so many awards. But in high society, talent alone isn’t enough-you need to be well-rounded. There’s an equestrian competition happening today. I am inviting you to go. It will broaden your horizons.”
Brenna picked up the invitation, glancing at the elegant design. The event was scheduled for July 15th-today.
“Fine. I’ll make sure to be there on time,” she said.
Rosie’s lips curled into a knowing smile. “You actually dared to agree? Interesting. I look forward to seeing you there. I’ve already signed you up for the competition.”
Brenna raised a brow. “Isn’t this the finals? Can people still join the competition now?”
Rosie’s tone turned condescending as she said, “This is what I meant about your lack of knowledge of high society. This competition is organized by a group of wealthy enthusiasts. It has prestige, but it’s not an official international event. For families like ours, we can enter whenever we want.”
So that was how it was? Brenna wasn’t as familiar with these social events.
Brenna tilted her head slightly. “Are you competing as well?” she asked. She never took Rosie for the athletic type.
Rosie, however, responded confidently, “Of course. It’s a major social event in high society-why wouldn’t I participate?”
After a light breakfast, Brenna stepped outside, where Ethan’s car was already waiting.
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.