Chapter 11 All This Time
Chapter 11 All This Time
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“Let’s meet on Saturday and talk in person. I’ll text you the exact location later.” After replying to Wylie’s last message, Azalea flipped through her first–year textbooks.
She couldn’t help but be a little mischievous, intentionally picking tutoring hours for their meetup. The fact that Wylie agreed so quickly showed he clearly didn’t care about his tutoring. She couldn’t help but wonder what kind of expression he’d have when he realized Phoenix was actually her.
Step one had been a success. Even with Hubert’s unexpected appearance, things were still moving in the right direction.
Every semester, Draywick High School holds an entrance exam on the second day of school. The purpose is twofold: to see if students have slacked off over the break and to help them understand which areas need improvement going into the new term.
Azalea’s moved swiftly across the pages, underlining key points. She considered herself a genius, but losing nearly two years of school was no joke. While her time studying art included some academic classes, they were barely skin–deep. And back then, all she thought about was how to please the Larks. She only had a vague memory of most of the core material.
She didn’t expect to do particularly well on the entrance exam. If she managed to rank in the top hundred, that would already be a miracle.
There was simply too much she needed to do, not a second to waste.
With that in mind, Azalea shoved all distractions aside and focused on the textbook before her.
She was like a shriveled sponge plunged into the sea, absorbing knowledge like her life depended on it.
Meanwhile, Bastian had just left Azalea’s room and headed up to the third floor, where he knocked on Cassius door.
“I know you have everything on Azalea’s school life. Send it to me,” he said bluntly. Cassius looked up, still registering the tears in Bastian’s eyes, when the request hit him like a curveball.
It was true.
Ever since Azalea returned, he had someone keeping an eye on her. He got a monthly report detailing everything that happened to her outside the Larks.
But he was too busy to go through the documents his assistant had organized and sent over. Instead, he had only asked to be briefed on the parts where Azalea had caused trouble.
“I’ll have my assistant send it to you. The files on my phone are no longer accessible,” Cassius said casually, not thinking much of it.
That offhand remark hit Bastian like a punch to the chest. It is no longer accessible, which means that even though Cassius had ordered someone to keep an eye on Azalea, no one truly cared about what happened to her. They hadn’t even bothered to open the files the assistant had sent!
Yet when it came to Sydney, Cassius always knew everything the moment it happened.
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Chapter 11 All This Time
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So, what did Azalea even mean to this family? She was not even worthy of their concern, yet they always felt entitled to demand things from her.
Bastian’s breathing quickened, his fists clenched so tight they trembled. “Okay,” he bit out through gritted teeth and turned to leave. Not even a second of hesitation.
Because if he stayed any longer, he was scared he’d punch his brother.
He wanted to question Cassius but painfully realized he didn’t even have the right to.
A few minutes later, Cassius‘ assistant forwarded everything to his phone.
There was a lot of information, everything that had happened to Azalea at school over the past three years.
Most of it was mundane and unremarkable. But then, Bastian’s eyes locked onto her first monthly exam report, and his whole body froze.
It was a near–perfect score.
His eyes widened in disbelief, and his hands shook as he gripped the phone. Attached to the report was a note from the assistant. “Mr. Lark, Ms. Yarrow’s academic performance is exceptional. Her homeroom teacher says she has the potential to be the national top scorer.”
Impossible. How could this be? He clearly remembered how, after the first monthly exams, Sydney had proudly presented a report showing she ranked in the top hundred across the entire school. Everyone was thrilled. Wesley even gave her a credit card with a million dollars on it as a reward.
Then they turned to Azalea, who bit her lip and said she’d ranked near the bottom. She threw away the report card before anyone could see it.
Ivy was furious enough to make her stand outside the villa all night as punishment.
Later, Cassius told their mom that Azalea should follow Sydney’s path and also study art.
Bastian covered his face and bent over, tears spilling from his eyes.
Sydney ranked in the top 100 and received a reward card loaded with a million. Azalea ranked number one and was punished so harshly that she ended up in the hospital.
“Bastian, I’ll become someone as amazing as you and Cassius one day!” He could still see that hopeful, determined look in her eyes.
And she’d actually done it. She really was outstanding.
But why? Why lie and say she’d ranked at the bottom? Why silently accept Cassius‘ decision to have her study art?
Why didn’t she tell him the truth?
He couldn’t understand.
But one thing was clear: Sydney had to know.
Without wasting another’second, Bastian stormed off to confront her.
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Chapter 11 All This Time
When he trus kest on the door, he was surprised to find Manhas riff in Sydney’s room this late at night- but he slidn’t think much of it Sedney had always been closet to Matthise than to any of them
“Bastian‘ What brings you here this late? Sydney asked sweetly, dressed in soft pink pajamas. Her fair face glowing with binocence from years of pampering.
Bastian felt a pang of dissonance. So this was what a sheltered girl looked like. No wonder Azalea’s ques maturity always felt so jarring. She shouldn’t have had to grow up so fast.
“Sydney, I want to ask, did you know that Azalea ranked first in her first monthly exam after starting high school!” A flicker of panic crossed Sydney’s face, and that was all the answer he needed.
She knew.
A chill ran through him. His blood turned cold.
And then he remembered the inheritance banquet.
“Sydney, I need to know, was it really just a misunderstanding when Azalea pushed you down the stairs? Bastian wasn’t an idiot.
There were things he had once chosen not to think about, but now, looking back, the coincidences were glaring.
His voice was hoarse, his gaze frighteningly serious.
Sydney opened her mouth, but before she could speak, Matthias stepped forward. “Enough, Bastian. That’s all in the past. Why are you bringing this up now?”
“You knew?” Bastian’s voice cracked in disbelief. Matthias wasn’t even surprised.
“Yes, I knew,” Matthias said calmly. “Not only did I know Azalea had good grades. I’m the one who told her to hide it.”
He stood in front of Sydney, his expression devoid of guilt, as if he were simply making a casual remark about the weather.
Bastian lunged forward and grabbed Matthias by the collar, his molars grinding audibly. “Why?!”
Matthias shoved him off, annoyed. “She was a kid from an orphanage suddenly topping the charts. How do you think that would make Mom and Dad see Sydney? I just told her that her score was too high, which would upset everyone if she showed it off. I only meant for her to tone it down. Who knew she’d go and tear up the report card and say she ranked near the bottom?”
But that time, Azalea had done exactly what Matthias wanted, and he had been so satisfied that he once treated her with a bit of kindness for a few days.
Azalea had been quick to take the hint, keeping her grades at the very bottom of the class ever since.
“This has nothing to do with Sydney. She had no idea,” Matthias added.
Bastian looked at him, then at Sydney, who seemed genuinely surprised. His whole body felt drained of strength.
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Chapter 11 All This Time
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It was all just to please them. Even after being punished to stand outside all night and developing a fever so high she had to be hospitalized, she went on to fake her scores in the next exam
His eyes burned. He never imagined Azalea could be this foolish.
The cruelest part? If anyone in the family had cared even a little, they would’ve easily noticed she was lying about her grades.
But no one did.
They had all simply accepted her failures as a given.
The stairs didn’t matter anymore. Whether Sydney had done it on purpose or not–it was irrelevant. In the end, they all hurt Azalea.
He needed to find her, but then it hit him. He didn’t even know where she was staying now.
His hands clenched into fists. “Sydney, you still have all the gifts Azalea brought out earlier, right?” His voice was cold, unwavering. “Give me the sapphire crown I gave her.”
He was going to find her.
And this time, he would never let Azalea suffer again.
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