Scion University

[ Chapter 31 - To Italy ]

"Aren't we just stating facts?"  Steward derided. 

I cocked an eyebrow and raised my head up, ready to riposte.  

"Stating facts, alright then, Shiela cheating to get her medical license, she is now a head of a department because my dad had pitied her and she always keeps pestering him. On the other hand, Steward has not even graduated med school yet but he has a certificate because his family helped him make a fake one. He has been trying to kiss my ass so that I would marry him the past few years and when he failed, he started to create false rumor in the hospital about me," I paused to scan their embarrassed faces. 

"Oh don't mind me, I'm just stating facts as well." 

My moment of triumph was interrupted when Steward talked again, "At least we are not involved in crime. Why else would there be a gunner after you." 

I froze. They knew about the attack at home. The case was kept private, no one else should have known. How did they find out? 

It sparked an idea in my head. What if the gunner was not related to Macklet and Edward's case? What if my relatives were the ones who had ordered my assassination? What if they were the ones who had been sending the threats? It was a frightening idea but it also answered why Ace was not a target. 

The thought sent shudders all over my body and I realized I was still standing meekly in front of them. I tried to regain my composure and I was about to speak again but Ace intervened. 

"I don't know what sort of family problems run in the Vandia corporation but please refrain from talking badly about her," Ace placed his arm behind around waist, pulling me closer to him. 

My cousins stared at the scene, I could see there was jealousy in Shiela's eyes while Steward sneered. Steward was about to say something else but Ace waved farewell, he pulled me away with him. 

I guess he still had the habit of leaving a conversation whenever he wanted. 

"You didn't have to defend me you know? I hear those things at work very often," he pulled away from me when we were a good distance away from the two. We were at the table banquet, near the open area of the hall. He took two glasses of cocktail, one was non-alcoholic, he gave that one to me. 

"And you just let them talk badly about you?" I smirked. 

"Weren't you the one who taught me to only speak when it is absolutely necessary? It would be a waste of time trying to defend myself. As they continue to talk badly about me, I was pulling myself higher up in the pyramid," he shrugged and took a sip of his drink. 

I did agree with him. I only used to talk when it was absolutely necessary back in college, I wondered why things have changed. I have become more repulsive, quick, witty. I became more like Ace over the years and I think he became a little like me as well. 

The rest of the night was smooth. Ace and I stayed together, we greeted almost all the guests. It would be weird if we weren't together, people would think the marriage really was forced. We had to act like it wasn't.