Love or Die: CEO’ s Daily Dose of Swoon (Cordelia) novel Chapter 261

"I didn't bring it."

Ever since Bill mentioned that a box of stones could be worth millions, Cordelia had been far too cautious to casually wear them around. She kept them safely at home instead. But how to explain such a valuable box of stones to Lorna was beyond her, so she hadn't mentioned it to anyone at home yet.

Daniel looked a tad disappointed when he heard her, but when Cordelia kept referring to them as mere stones, it reminded him of how she calmly stated they were just a few rocks when they fell to the ground. It was clear she wasn't trying to show off. After all, the box of stones had fallen from her desk not because she was flaunting them but because of a playful scuffle among her classmates.

Piecing these thoughts together, Daniel concluded in class, "Real or fake, Cordelia didn't mean to flaunt those gems that day. Let's stop spreading rumors in our class, okay?!"

Though most of the classmates came from well-to-do families and were generally well-mannered, they nodded in agreement at his words.

However, Hayley let out a scoff, not directly naming Juliana but clearly targeting her, "How unfortunate for Juliana, bringing out a gem just when Cordelia brings a whole box to school, clearly trying to outdo you. Such a person doesn't deserve to be your sister!"

Juliana remained silent, her eyes downcast, wearing the ruby ring she had taken off that day. Laurinda had returned home the previous night, insisting they were just stones, making Juliana realize they must be fake. She thought to herself, how could her uncle's family possibly own a box full of gems?

Despite Daniel's plea, the rumor spread too quickly in this digital age. During a break, Cordelia was skipping rope when some boys ran up to her, shouting, "Rocks or gems, hard to tell apart!"

The girls were even more curious, "It's true you're smart, but why hog all the perfection? Pretty and rich too, leaving no room for the rest of us!"

"Could the gems also be fake, and maybe her smarts too?"

"She finishes tests so quickly; couldn't be cheating, could she?"

"Anyway, best keep our distance from someone causing such a stir. No smoke without fire, right?"

Unbothered, Cordelia saw members of the Flame Union come to her defense. Flame No.1 retorted, "Why's it always you stirring things up? Didn't your mom teach you not to talk behind people's backs?"

The others quickly dispersed.

Gathering around Cordelia, Yates mentioned, "I finished all the assignments you gave me last night. Can you bump up the pace a bit?"

Cordelia was taken aback, having given Little Flame quite a hefty workload. Noting the dark circles under his eyes, she couldn't help but ask, "Didn't you sleep?"

Yates stubbornly replied, "I did sleep."

Flame No.1 chimed in, "At 3 AM, you were still asking me for worksheets, and today you were the first in class. You've barely slept five hours, right?"