Rejected Heiress, Reigning Queen novel Chapter 47

Charles desperately needed to pay off the massive tax penalty to save his brother, so the moment Tristan heard about The Capital Auto Salon, he immediately made plans to attend.

He wanted to auction off a few of his prized sports cars to ease the financial burden on Uncle Bernard's family without having to drain the corporate accounts.

Gillian and Phoebe Sterling tagged along for the spectacle. It was the most exclusive auto show in the city, the perfect place to gawk at limited-edition supercars and rub shoulders with the elite.

Emma had arrived early. She sat comfortably in the grand lobby's lounge, answering emails on her phone.

Her VIP invitation rested casually on the table in front of her. The moment Gillian spotted it, her eyes practically bulged out of her head with raw jealousy.

It was the mythical VIP all-access pass, issued exclusively by the organizers. Only a handful of the city's most powerful figures ever received one.

She had seen Percy hold one of those invitations in the past. In fact, Gillian had originally planned to attend the salon with Percy just so she could flaunt her status to the inner circle.

But Percy had unexpectedly bailed, forcing her to settle for entering on Tristan's standard VIP ticket.

And now, here was Emma, casually sitting with a top-tier royal invitation. She had to have stolen it!

Gillian's eyes darted around as a vicious idea formed in her mind.

"Phoebe, I just don't understand when she's going to stop coveting my family and my inheritance. You and Emma were friends for a long time. Could you go talk to her? Tell her to leave the country and stay away from my family. It would be better for everyone."

Gillian lowered her eyes, looking the picture of misery. Phoebe's heart ached for her. "I understand. I'll go have a talk with her."

Phoebe marched straight over, casting a shadow over Emma's table.

"Phoebe?"

Emma looked up, genuinely surprised that Phoebe had approached her voluntarily.

"I want to talk to you. About the Lockwoods," Phoebe said bluntly.

Emma smiled. "What is there to talk about? Bernard broke the law. The Lockwoods can either drain their accounts to pay the fines, or he goes to prison. What exactly are we supposed to discuss?"

"That's not what I'm talking about." Phoebe pursed her lips and sat down across from Emma.

Emma spoke of her nightmarish experiences abroad with chilling calm, her voice smooth and detached. "It's not that I can't accept the truth about the hospital mix-up, and I have no inherent desire to destroy the Lockwoods. You knew my academic record. The truth is... I should never have been forced into that life in the first place."

Phoebe fell dead silent. She knew better than anyone what had happened back then.

Emma had been a brilliant student. Even if the Lockwoods had kicked her to the curb, top universities would have been fighting to offer her full scholarships. Finishing her degree domestically would have been effortless for her.

"B-but none of that is Gillian's fault, either," Phoebe stammered, her conviction entirely shattered.

Emma tilted her head, a faint smile on her lips. "As long as she doesn't provoke me, I have zero interest in acknowledging her existence. Instead of asking me when I'm leaving, you should really be asking her when she's going to start looking toward her own future."

Living in the past?

That would only ensure she never moved forward.

Phoebe lowered her head in heavy silence. While they were talking, neither of them noticed Gillian slipping away in the distance, clutching Emma's VIP invitation in her hand and smiling with absolute, triumphant satisfaction.