Rebirth vs. Rebirth Tragedy to Triumph by Violeta and Zelena [[Chapters 231, to 240]] – Daisy Novels 

Chapter 231

All eyes in the classroom turned towards the door, where Lucy appeared.

Zelena was the first to greet her. “Lucy, what brings you here?”

There were only two people in the class who were members of the dance club, Zelena and Hattie. Zelena thought without a second thought that Lucy had come to find her.

Lucy walked into the classroom under the gaze of everyone present.

Violeta had been standing in the middle of the classroom. Now that Zelena’s matter was resolved, she continued walking towards the back row.

Unexpectedly, Lucy suddenly called out from behind. “Violeta.”

Huh?

The students in the class were all very surprised.

Zelena was also taken aback. Could it be that Lucy didn’t come to see her but to find Violeta?

Impossible…

Violeta turned, her gaze steady. “What’s up?”

Lucy hesitated for a moment before speaking. “Are you free this Saturday?”

“Why?” Violeta asked.

Lucy was direct. “I’d like to invite you to my birthday party this Saturday.”

Everyone was taken aback.

A second later, the entire class buzzed with astonishment.

“I can’t believe it. Lucy personally came to invite Violeta to her birthday party?”

“Who was it that said Violeta wasn’t worthy of an invitation before? Now Lucy came in person.”

“This is unbelievable.”

Zelena’s expression froze.

Hattie frowned, finding it all quite unbelievable. Why would Lucy personally come to invite Violeta?

They told everyone about Lucy’s birthday party through the club announcement, so why the special treatment for Violeta?

Violeta looked puzzled and surprised.

She hadn’t expected Lucy to invite her personally, considering they were not friends.

Sure, Lucy’s birthday party might be a “high-end party” at school, but honestly, Violeta wasn’t feeling it at all.

She didn’t want to attend this so-called “high-end party.” Besides, if she did go, it would only be fun if she went with close friends. Even if Violeta agreed to go with her, it would definitely be awkward tomorrow.

She wasn’t the type to willingly put herself in an uncomfortable situation just for appearances.

“Sorry, I’m busy tomorrow.”

Everyone was taken aback, again.

With that, Violeta turned away and continued towards the back row, showing she meant it.

Lucy was left standing there, taken aback. She had expected Violeta might say no, but she didn’t think Violeta would flat-out refuse without a second thought.

Accompanying Lucy was Casey.

Seeing this unfold, Casey stepped up beside Lucy and called out to Violeta’s retreating figure, “Hey Violeta, Lucy came over herself to invite you. You’re not showing much appreciation!

“So many people at school want to go but can’t. She gives you a face, but you don’t want it. What are you so proud of?”

Casey couldn’t stand Violeta’s indifferent attitude, but she felt helpless.

Violeta turned to glance at her. “You’re asking me what I’m proud of? Hmph! Having Lucy come to invite me personally-isn’t that something to be proud of? Stop asking such brainless questions in the future.”

Casey retorted, “You! Who are you calling brainless?”

Violeta mocked, “Who’s brainless? It’s you.”

Casey’s face flushed with anger, about to retort, but Lucy pulled her back.

“Forget it. Let’s go,” Lucy said.

Casey felt embarrassed, and Lucy felt the same.

The two left the classroom.

Violeta headed to the back row and left the classroom with Kaylee.

Zelena and Hattie looked very upset.

They had been boasting in class for a long time about how they were going to Lucy’s birthday party, and they were so proud of it.

They had mocked Violeta earlier for not being able to go, but now the tables had turned so quickly!

Lucy actually came to the class personally to invite Violeta, and got rejected!

What was going on?

Hattie felt very unfair about it. If she had known from the beginning, she would never have boasted with Zelena about Lucy’s birthday party.

Violeta left the classroom with Kaylee.

Kaylee, puzzled, asked Violeta, “Vio, why didn’t you go to Lucy’s birthday party?”

Violeta replied, “People who go to Lucy’s birthday party are all connected to her. We’re not on good terms and going might just cause more trouble. And Lucy probably didn’t genuinely want to invite me. She must have had other motives.”

Even before Lucy’s birthday party rumors started spreading at school, she had gone to invite Jasper.

But from Jasper’s attitude back then, it seemed he wasn’t interested and didn’t want to go.

So when Lucy came to invite Violeta, maybe she had ulterior motives, trying to get Violeta to attend the party. If Violeta agreed, maybe Jasper and his friends would also end up coming along.

Violeta disliked being schemed against.

If she and Lucy were close, she might help her out this time.

But she didn’t get along with Lucy, so why should she do what she wanted?

Kaylee nodded. “Yeah, not going is probably for the best.”

Soon, word spread around the school that Violeta had turned down Lucy’s birthday party invitation.

Chapter 232

People had mixed opinions. Some said Violeta didn’t know how to appreciate goodwill, while others supported her, saying she wouldn’t compromise for small benefits.

But after this incident, Lucy and Violeta’s relationship really hit a breaking point.

Lucy had invited Violeta, but her refusal definitely made their bad relationship worse.

At four o’clock in the afternoon, at the tennis court.

The tennis place just got some new gear, and they tossed out the old stuff.

Everyone heard about Violeta turning down Lucy’s birthday bash and cheered her on.

The tennis club’s rich kids were all over the place, but they couldn’t stand the dance crew, so they did not feel Lucy’s fancy party vibe at all.

“Violeta, way to go rejecting Lucy. People might think she’s some big shot or something.”

“Yeah, she’s not my cup of tea.”

Violeta just gave them a smirk and headed off to warm up on the court.

After she finished, she spotted Hayden and his crew rolling up.

Violeta went over and chatted with them for a bit. Suddenly, her phone rang with an electronic tone- it was Irene calling.

“Hello, Mom.”

Irene’s gentle voice came through, “Vio, come home earlier today. We’re going out for dinner tonight.”

Just as Violeta answered the phone.

Meanwhile, Zoren peeled an orange and said, “Do you guys know? Elle is flying back today.”

Liam replied, “She’s back today? I heard she was going to retire from the front line a while back.”

Jasper chuckled. “Looks like Hade’s family will need an extra table for the New Year party this year.”

Hayden sat nearby and remarked, “She’s changing careers this time. She’s back.”

Zoren asked, “Huh? Switching careers, to what? Is she leaving the military?”

Hayden replied, “I think she’s going to be a news anchor. She’s already got the position.”

The Cohens only had this one daughter. Rumor had it that she got injured on her last mission, so she was back in Quinston to recuperate. Plus, she was getting on in years, so it was time for her to settle down.

Hayden knew a bit more insider info than the rest of them.

In short, when Elaine came back, she’d probably be the news anchor for the military channel.

After their chat, Violeta happened to finish her call.

“I can’t train today. I need to head home early,” Violeta said as she bent down to pack up her tennis racket.

“It seems like one of my dad’s old army buddy’s daughters is back. We’re having dinner together tonight.”

Zoren said, “Oh, you mean Elle.”

Violeta was taken aback. “Yeah, it turns out you know about her too.”

Liam said, “We were just talking about her earlier.”

Jasper remarked, “Hade said she’s probably gonna be a news anchor this time she’s back.”

Violeta’s movements froze slightly.

Hayden really hit the nail on the head.

From Violeta’s memories of her past life, Elaine did indeed become a news anchor later on.

Didn’t expect Hayden to know so much.

“Okay, I’m off. See you tomorrow, no wait, it should be next week.”

Violeta waved to them with her tennis racket on her back, then briskly left the tennis court and headed straight out of school.

Hayden glanced at Violeta’s departing figure, watching her graceful silhouette fade into the distance. He slowly withdrew his gaze and said to them, “I’m heading out too.”

They came over to check out the workers installing the new gear.

Hayden didn’t really have to come, but he just wanted to catch a glimpse of Violeta. Now that she was gone, he didn’t feel like sticking around.

***

After Violeta got back home to the Whites residence, she changed clothes and joined them for dinner.

They headed to Summit Hotel where Anton had booked a private room, waiting for the Cohens to arrive.

When old friends met, they didn’t bother with formalities. So after Anton gave them the private room number, he waited inside.

Violeta sat next to Irene, with Niall on her right.

She noticed Niall seemed lost in thought and called out, “Hey.”

Niall didn’t hear her.

“Niall.”

“Huh?”

Niall snapped out of it and turned to Violeta. “What’s wrong?”

Violeta smiled gently, “What’s got you zoning out?”

Niall’s eyelashes twitched slightly as he sighed softly. “Well, maybe it’s been so long since we last met. I wonder how she’s changed now.”

Violeta nodded. “Yeah, I heard you and Elle grew up together, right?”

Niall and Elaine were almost the same age, with less than a year between them. Niall was born in early winter, while Elaine was born in the long heat of

They were about the same age and attended the same school from elementary to high school.

Later on, Niall studied business management while Elaine went to a military academy.

Elaine had a good personality. When she was younger, she kept her hair short like a boy. They were mischievous together, forming a close bond.

It wasn’t until middle school when Elaine had her first period that Niall truly realised she was a girl.

In their memories, back in the hot summer of their senior year in high school, evening classes ran late. Irene would remind Niall to walk Elaine home because she was a girl.

They’d grab ice pops together, and then he’d walked Elaine home.

As they got close to her place, Elaine stood under a streetlight with a half-eaten ice pop in her mouth, asking Niall which school he wanted to go to.

Chapter 233

Niall’s probably gonna study something in finance, maybe even go abroad for it.

Elaine blinked and said, “I’m heading to military school.”

“Got it.”

That meant they’d be splitting up.

But Niall didn’t overthink it then. Where he studied didn’t really matter. They’d still see each other again in the future anyway.

Elaine waved her hand at him and said, “Go on back. I should be going too.

“Wait.”

Elaine pulled out the ice cream stick from her mouth and handed it to Niall.

It had “Bright Future” written on it.

That year, it was trendy to engrave messages on ice cream sticks, like opening a blind box. After finishing the ice cream, you could see a blessing carved on the stick.

Niall took the ice cream stick, hearing Elaine’s clear voice beside him.

“Well, here’s to bright futures for both of us.”

Many years passed after that.

After finishing college, Niall returned to Hoiten, while Elaine went to the border. They never saw each other again.

The two words stuck in Niall’s memory.

End of the reminiscence.

Niall couldn’t help but say to Violeta, “Memories from youth, as you grow older, your mind tend to beautify it. It’s strange. Back when we played together, I didn’t think she was all that great, but now that we’re apart, I can’t help but miss her.”

The person who wasn’t particularly good, now became the best option in Niall’s heart.

Violeta smiled in understanding at Niall’s words.

Five minutes later, there was a commotion outside the private room door as the waiter brought the Cohens.

The door to the private room swung open, and everyone promptly stood to welcome them.

Walking in from outside were two remarkably dignified individuals. David Cohen wore a grey executive jacket, while his wife, in a beige coat, radiated a gentle charm.

“Hey, David, you’re here.”

“Anton!”

Anton chuckled as he moved around the chair to embrace David.

Beside David, Patricia Harris smiled and greeted Irene. “Irene.”

“Irene.”

“Patricia, you’re finally here. Let’s start with introductions. This is Vio. Niall, greet them.

Niall stepped forward. “Ms. Harris, Mr. Cohen.”

Patricia nodded at him. “Niall, it’s been a while.”

Then her gaze fell on Violeta, her smile unwavering. “Ah, so this is the girl you mentioned earlier. It’s great to have her back. She looks just like you did when you were young.”

Violeta’s eyes twinkled. “Hello, Ms. Harris, Mr. Cohen.”

David also spotted Violeta and clapped his hands together. “Oh, I forgot to bring a gift for our first meeting with the young lady.”

Anton said, “Hey, no need to be formal with us. Have a seat first. Oh, by the way, where’s Elle? Why isn’t she here yet?”

Patricia replied, “Elle just landed. Her flight was a bit delayed, so she’s on her way here in a taxi. It might take another ten minutes or so. We decided to come ahead so you wouldn’t have to wait too long.”

Irene said, “Got it. No worries, let’s sit down and put our order first.”

The group took their seats, and the atmosphere in the private room was lively and harmonious.

“After your daughter came back, you’ve been keeping her hidden like a treasure! Now seeing her, she truly is a treasure!”

“Hahaha…

“Where is she studying?”

“Toland University.”

“Toland University, that’s excellent!”

Irene boasted. “Vio got in through her own efforts, impressive, isn’t it? Haha.”

As they continued chatting, Patricia’s phone rang- it was a call from Elaine.

“She’s already downstairs at the hotel but isn’t sure which floor we’re on,” Patricia explained.

“I’ll go get her,” she added.

Irene intervened, saying, “No need, Patricia. Niall, why don’t you and Vio go together to pick up Elle?”

Violeta agreed with a nod. “Sure.”

The two of them left the private room and headed to the elevator to meet Elaine.

The elevator swiftly reached the ground floor.

Violeta and Niall exited together and entered the hotel lobby. There, they spotted a poised short- haired woman standing by the entrance. She wore a black wool coat and sported a tidy, short haircut that accentuated her confident demeanor. Her

appearance exuded a commanding presence typical of an elegant and mature lady.

Despite the bustling hotel entrance, Violeta immediately spotted her amidst the crowd.

Niall caught sight of Elaine right away.

She was focused on her phone, standing tall and elegant, a striking figure.

“Elaine.”

At the sound of her name, Elaine turned around.

Her expression froze momentarily, then she smiled at them and walked over gracefully, saying, “Niall, it’s been a while.”

Niall pointed to Violeta beside him. “This is my younger sister, Violeta.”

Elaine replied, “Ah, I know. My mom told me when I came back. Hello there, Vio.”

“Hello, Elle,” Violeta greeted.

“Let’s go upstairs first. Our parents are waiting upstairs,” Niall said.

“Sure.”

Chapter 234

Three of them entered the elevator together.

Elaine put away his phone and spoke to them inside the elevator.

“How have things been for you these past few years?”

“Pretty good. How about you? Heard you got injured.”

“Just a minor injury. My parents kept urging me to come back after so many years away. I also wanted to return, after all, home is here.”

The main reason, of course, was that Elaine was almost thirty years old. As an unmarried woman, her parents had long begun urging her to marry.

Unable to avoid it any longer, Elaine had no choice but to return.

“You can’t escape, Elaine,” remarked Niall.

“You’re not any better, Niall,” Elaine replied.

Violeta stood between Niall and Elaine.

The elevator doors in front reflected like a mirror. Violeta glanced up and subtly took a step back.

The two teased each other in the elevator, the atmosphere was light and harmonious. They were a perfect match.

Upon returning to the private room together, Irene and Anton warmly greeted Elaine with hugs before settling down to eat together.

Naturally, they chatted at the dinner table about the unmarried duo.

Both Patricia and Irene felt a headache coming on because of these two children of theirs.

Elaine heard that they had introduced Niall to many women before, but none had worked out. She teased, “Oh, I didn’t realize Mr. White has such high standards. After years of studying abroad, did you find a foreign girl who caught your eye? Have your tastes become more selective?”

Niall replied, “Oh yes, exactly. Anyway, someone like you is not my type.”

Irene tapped Niall’s hand with her fork. “What are you saying? Focus on eating and keep quiet.”

“Pff.”

Violeta burst into laughter.

It was evident their bond was strong. Despite the years passed, they remained close.

After finishing dinner that night, the two families parted ways at the hotel entrance.

Once inside the car, Irene asked Violeta, “Vio, what do you think of Elle?”

“She’s alright. She has a pretty good personality,” Violeta replied.

Having served in the military for so many years, Elaine’s character and integrity were unquestionably outstanding-a woman of high quality without any doubt.

Irene added, “I agree. Elle has been like a daughter to me. She’s had a good personality since childhood. After returning from the military, she settled down in Quinston. You two should hang out more often and have fun together.”

“Sounds good.”

In mid-month, the long-prepared championship began.

Jasper led the team to compete and brought back several gold medals.

The school publicly nominated and praised the tennis club at the commendation assembly on Monday. A customized banner was presented for the tennis club members to receive on stage.

Jasper asked Violeta to go up and accept the banner and also took a photo with the principal for the school’s archives.

The photo was to be kept at the school, ensuring that every incoming class could see it. Such an honor wasn’t common among regular students.

Zelena observed Violeta on stage, feeling a deep sense of concern.

She believed Violeta’s life path, though different from the previous one, was generally on track. Slowly, Violeta was becoming more remarkable and dazzling.

Can she …

Can she attain the same level of success in this lifetime as she did in the previous one?

Zelena lowered her head, concealing the resentment in her eyes.

No, she was determined not to let Violeta achieve her goals.

If Violeta were to succeed again in this life, what would be the point of her rebirth?

That jerk ruined my chances at the college competition finals. I must get revenge!

Originally, Zelena had hoped to use this opportunity to cherish her remaining time with Nolan at school and improve his opinion of her.

However, with Violeta’s increasing popularity at school, Zelena realized she needed to prepare herself for the event in multiple ways!

Two weeks later.

The counselor announced an important message in class.

“Everyone, there will be no classes next week. The school is organizing a three-day tour to the Old Town, and you can choose to sign up voluntarily.”

“The Old Town?”

“Do we stay overnight in the Old Town?”

“Is it free, sir?”

“If we decide not to go, can we go home instead?”

Many questions were raised.

Violeta and Kaylee in the back row looked up at the front.

The counselor continued, “It’s not free, but our class expenses will cover it from our previous funds. Accommodation and transportation costs are arranged by the school. You can eat at the guesthouse, but if you spend separately, it comes. out of our class funds.

Zelena thought for a moment. It seemed that this semester, there was one last major event, a joint activity between Toland University and Heritage Old Town. The main goal was to promote

traditional crafts like puppetry and local specialties.

This event was driven by the tourism bureau, which invested heavily in renovating Heritage Old Town to boost tourism.

The school gladly approved the event and entrusted it to the student council to manage.

“We’re not forcing everyone to go. You can skip it if you want. If you decide not to go, the school will grant a three-day break, and you can choose to go home.”

Chapter 235

Various departments of the school were heading out on separate trips.

The Performance Department had set their schedule for next week.

Over the next two days, after counting the number of people who want to go, they could set off next week.

Following class discussions, many students eagerly signed up, though a few prefer staying home.

Overall, most students are willing to join in the fun together.

After counting the numbers, they chose someone to lead and coordinate with the student council.

“You can volunteer if you’re interested. If no one steps forward, I’ll take charge of organizing the group.”

Quietly from the back, Kaylee remarked, “Who would want to take on the lead? It’s so exhausting. What if the students don’t listen and something goes wrong? Who could handle that responsibility?”

“I bet Zelena might be willing…”

Before the words had even finished, Zelena in the front row immediately volunteered by raising her hand.

Kaylee said, “See, I knew it! Zelena indeed wanted to step up.”

However, what surprised everyone was that…

After Zelena raised her hand, she surprised everyone by saying, “I believe Violeta would be a great fit to lead our class. Violeta has strong leadership skills. She led her squad effectively

during military training and has the highest expertise in our class. She’ll surely excel as a leader.”

Violeta was puzzled.

Kaylee remarked, “Wow, is she serious?”

The class was aware of the strained relationship between Zelena and Violeta.

No one expected Zelena to recommend Violeta as the leader!

The counselor nodded after hearing Zelena’s words. “Indeed, I also think highly of Violeta. Violeta, what are your thoughts?”

Violeta tried to decline, saying, “I’m afraid I’m not suitable.”

Zelena immediately interjected, “How can you say you’re not suitable? If you can’t do it, who in the class dares to say they’re better than you?”

With these lofty remarks, Violeta was thrust into a high position from which it would be hard to retreat.

Violeta’s academic achievements truly ranked first in the class, unmatched by anyone.

Violeta’s academic performance indeed ranked first in the class without question. No one could surpass her.

Now that Zelena had recommended Violeta, it provided the counselor with a clear reason to choose Violeta as the leader.

“Violeta, you don’t need to refuse again. This time, you’ll be the team leader.”

“Okay.”

Seeing Violeta agree, the counselor was pleased. He immediately handed over the class funds to Violeta and instructed her to use them wisely.

The class funds were collected at the beginning of the school year. A significant portion had been spent on previous activities, but Zelena had also

contributed last semester. Therefore, there was still a surplus from last semester, totaling nearly 900- dollars.

Nine hundred dollars might not sound like much, but it was also not insignificant.

There were few rich second-generation students like Zelena and Hattie. The average college student’s monthly living expenses were only two to three hundred dollars, so this amount was almost enough for them to live for two months.

Handing this money over to Violeta signified a trust placed in her.

If this money were to go missing, Violeta’s credibility within the class would certainly take a major hit!

In the afternoon, after their physical education class, three classmates, who were not going to the Old Town, discussed with the counselor to get their share of the class funds from Violeta.

“Violeta, Mr. Ecton let us come to collect the money.”

The three of them together amounted to 90 dollars. It was the counselor who sent them, so Violeta didn’t say anything. She led them to the locker room where the money was stored.

Unexpectedly, when they reached the locker, opened it, and looked inside, they discovered that all the class funds in the bag were gone!

Violeta’s expression briefly faltered as she searched through the bag’s compartments, but found nothing.

Noticing something amiss, Kaylee approached quietly and asked, “Vio, what’s wrong?”

Violeta calmly responded, “The class funds are gone.”

Kaylee’s eyes widened in disbelief. “How could this happen?”

Violeta remained composed.

But Kaylee was utterly shocked. Being an ordinary student, she could fully grasp the emotions tied to losing 900 dollars if it were in her possession.

The other three waiting nearby, noticing Violeta’s delay in retrieving the money, approached and asked, “How much longer do we have to wait?”

“What’s happening? Are you unwilling to give it to us?”

“Mr. Ecton told us to come to get it. Are you saying you can’t give it to us?”

Violeta placed the bag inside the locker and calmly said to them, “Yes, I can’t give it to you. The class funds have been stolen.”

The three of them were shocked.

They were shocked.

“What!?”

One of them shouted loudly, “Everyone, come over! Violeta lost the class funds! Our money is gone!”

At this moment, after finishing their physical education class, everyone was changing clothes. Upon hearing this shout, all eyes turned towards them.

“What? Our money is gone?!”

“What’s going on? Does this mean we can’t go to the Old Town?”

“Violeta is unreliable. She was given the class funds this morning, and now in the afternoon, the money’s gone. Could she have used it herself?”

“Is the class fund really gone? What do we do now?”

Though not a large sum, everyone’s money was pooled together. Losing the class fund would definitely stir up anger among the students.

Chapter 236

Facing their questioning, Violeta could only say, “I didn’t touch the class funds. They got stolen, but I’ll try to get them back.”

“Get them back? How are you gonna do that? It’s cash, and who knows when it disappeared. Someone could’ve already spent it!”

“Yeah, this is messed up. Should’ve skipped today. Could’ve grabbed my share this morning, then we wouldn’t have lost the class funds in the afternoon.”

“Violeta, you’re gonna take full responsibility for this!”

“If we can’t recover the class funds, you’ll have to cover it with your own money.”

Everyone was buzzing with chatter.

In a corner, Zelena, changing quietly, smirked slightly.

The drama’s started!

Soon, someone informed the counselor about what had happened.

The counselor hadn’t seen this coming. He had trusted Violeta, so why did this happen right after handing her the money in the afternoon?

But he didn’t suspect Violeta of using the money herself, especially because she wasn’t short of it.

It seemed more likely that someone had stolen it.

“We’ll need to search the entire girls’ changing room. Did anyone leave during your physical education class earlier?”

“Yes,” Gillian eagerly interjected, “I remember Kaylee went out!”

Kaylee widened her eyes. “I went to the restroom. I also saw Zelena and Candy go out together! Why didn’t you mention that?”

There were no surveillance cameras in the girls’ changing room, making it difficult to determine who stole the money.

At most, they could only check the hallway surveillance, but even that wouldn’t prove since many people passed through the hallways.

Zelena stepped forward and said, “I have nothing to hide. I wouldn’t stoop to stealing 900 dollars. You can check my locker first.”

Seeing Zelena so proactive Violeta remained calm, but her brow was slightly furrowed.

Nine hundred dollars wasn’t a lot, it wasn’t a small amount either.

Besides, stealing money was a serious matter.

The counselor would definitely thoroughly investigate the girls’ changing room.

Zelena, unafraid of it, insisted on being checked first.

Accommodating her request, the counselor walked directly to Zelena, opened her locker, and began the inspection.

There wasn’t much in the locker, so it would have been easy to find 900 dollars.

After searching through it once, they didn’t find the money.

The counselor said, “It’s not here.”

Zelena crossed her arms. Her tone carried a hint of disdain as she said, “Nine hundred dollars wouldn’t even buy me a hair accessory.”

The counselor pursed their lips and looked at everyone. “Please take out your lockers and bags. If we can’t find the class funds, we’ll have to report it to the police. If anyone knows anything that could help, you can tell me privately. If a student has gone astray but is willing to turn back, I won’t hold it against them.”

The counselor tried to persuade them.

But everyone remained unmoved at the scene.

Thus, they had no option but to proceed with searching the lockers.

Violeta stood silently nearby.

Quietly, Kaylee said to Violeta, “Vio, think again about where you might have lost the money.”

Violeta responded, “It was always in my bag. It hasn’t left my side except when I came to PE class.”

Kaylee said, “Indeed, besides the changing room, there’s nowhere else it could be. We’ll have to search and find out who stole it.”

Violeta quietly waited for the results of the search.

Twenty minutes passed.

The counselor approached Kaylee’s locker. “Kaylee, please take out your things.”

“Sure,” Kaylee replied.

Kaylee took her bag out of the locker, but as soon as she removed it, several red banknotes fell out, scattering on the floor.

What?

Everyone in the changing room was stunned.

Kaylee was bewildered.

What’s going on?

How could there be so much money in my bag?

Just then, Gillian rushed over and tugged at Kaylee’s bag. After a quick peek inside, she exclaimed, “Wow! Mr. Ecton, there’s money all over-easily several thousand!”

Taking the bag, Gillian scooped up a handful of hundred-dollar bills.

Though she didn’t count, it was clear to anyone that there was probably 800 or 900 dollars. And most importantly, inside her bag was the white envelope the counselor had given Violeta earlier for the class funds.

The counselor frowned. “Kaylee, how do you explain this? Why do you have so much money in your bag?”

Kaylee panicked, “I don’t know… How did the money end up in my bag?”

She turned to Violeta, “Vio, I really don’t know.”

Kaylee had no reason to steal class funds, and it seemed unbelievable that she would boldly stash money in her own bag, even keeping the white envelope intact.

So Violeta trusted her.

But what good was Violeta’s trust when everyone was watching and they found the money in Kaylee’s bag? It was like catching her in the act.

People around started gossiping right away.

“My goodness, they found the class funds in Kaylee’s bag. Did she really steal it?”

“She was playing innocent just now. If they don’t find the money now, she’ll never admit it.”

Chapter 237

“He really has bad character!”

“Kaylee stole the money. It’s clear-cut, she was caught in the act. What more is there to say?”

Candy chimed in, “Yes, it’s outrageous. The worst part is she’s still close with Violeta. Stealing from her own good friend-so shameless! Is she trying to harm Violeta?”

Violeta remained silent.

Kaylee immediately shook her head, “I didn’t steal the money. I have no idea why it was in my bag.”

Violeta glanced down briefly, then looked up at Zelena standing in the corner.

Zelena smirked at Violeta.

It was like she was saying to Violeta, “Didn’t expect that, huh? You got Kaylee to mess with me before, and now this is payback for her.”

The counselor frowned. “Kaylee, you’ve got to explain this to me! Otherwise, I’ll have to report this to the school for serious consequences!”

Kaylee was at a loss for how to prove she was innocent.

Her mind was a mess.

“I swear I didn’t steal that money. And even if I did, why would I be dumb enough to stash it in my own bag? I’m not that stupid.”

Gillian interrupted her, “Why wouldn’t it make sense? You’re close to Violeta. She wouldn’t think you’d do it, so maybe you saw a chance and took it!”

People nearby chimed in one after another.

“Exactly, why is this impossible? Betraying friends isn’t exactly rare these days.”

“Kaylee, you’ve been caught red-handed. What more can you argue about? Mr. Ecton, her attitude stinks. Let’s report this straight to the school and teach her a lesson!”

“This is unbelievable. How did our class end up with someone like Kaylee?”

At this moment, Violeta, who had been silent all along, finally spoke up. She looked at the counselor and said, “I believe Kaylee didn’t steal the money.”

The counselor replied, “Violeta, I know you’re close with Kaylee, but she was caught in the act. Don’t let your friendship cloud your judgment. I’ll report this matter to the school for serious action. Such incidents at Toland University are highly unacceptable!”

Toland University’s education was highly rigorous, with integrity and self-reliance as part of its motto.

Such petty theft incidents would definitely draw the school’s attention. It was predictable that Kaylee’s punishment would likely be stricter than Casey’s punishment during the Moon Festival.

Kaylee might face a major disciplinary record or even suspension from classes.

Kaylee was freaking out inside but didn’t know how to defend herself.

Violeta said, “I’ve got proof that Kaylee didn’t steal anything.”

Everyone looked at her.

Zelena frowned.

How could she still have something up her sleeve?

“What is it?” the counselor asked.

Violeta calmly explained, “I sprinkled highlighter around the edge of the envelope earlier.”

What?

“What does that mean?”

Violeta explained, “Before class when I was changing clothes, I was worried about the class funds being unsafe in my bag. So, I lightly dusted the edge of the envelope with a highlighter. Anyone who opened the envelope would leave traces of gold shimmer on their fingertips.”

The highlighter was the gold color in an eyeshadow palette used for highlighting the face.

A light touch of it on a white envelope wasn’t obvious at all, especially to someone rushing and not paying attention to details like that.

“The highlighter would stick to their fingertips. Just check Kaylee’s fingertips for any shimmer.”

“Why didn’t you bring this up earlier?”

Why didn’t she bring it up earlier?

Of course, because searching took time. If she had mentioned it earlier, someone might have washed away the gold powder in the chaos.

That was why Violeta kept quiet.

Violeta said, “I think we should have everyone raise their hands now and check one by one.”

The counselor nodded. “You’re right.”

“Alright, everyone, hands up now!”

In the corner, Zelena was taken aback, completely surprised that Violeta had this trick up her sleeve!

She glanced down at her fingertips.

Without looking closely, she hadn’t noticed, but there was indeed a faint shimmer of gold powder. In dim light, it was hard to see, but under good lighting, the glittery trace was quite noticeable.

That was the unique thing about highlighter!

Damn.!!!

I never expected Violeta to be so cunning.

Now Kaylee’s suspicion could be completely cleared.

Since there was no highlighter powder on her hands, the money found in her bag must have been planted by someone else.

Kaylee looked gratefully at Violeta, her eyes slightly turning red.

“Vio, if you hadn’t pulled that move, I’d be in deep trouble.”

Violeta gave her a smile. “It’s okay. You didn’t do it, so no one can accuse you.”

She had suspected all along that this was another one of Zelena’s schemes!

合

Chapter 238

Back in class, Zelena randomly picked her to be the team leader. She must have had some sneaky plan behind it.

Zelena loved being in the spotlight, but this time, she gave the chance to Violeta instead. There was definitely something in it for her.

If Zelena didn’t have some scheme up her sleeve, she wouldn’t have been so nice to push Violeta to take the role.

Even though Violeta wasn’t interested in leading, she was curious about Zelena’s next move. So, she went along with it to see what Zelena was plotting.

Violeta figured Zelena might mess with the class funds, so she marked the envelope where the money was stored.

Now, she was ready to see how Zelena planned to get away with it!

Everyone had their hands up for inspection one by one, so it was really obvious when someone didn’t.

“Zelena, why aren’t you raising your hand?”

The counselor noticed Zelena wasn’t participating.

Zelena’s expression changed slightly. “Mr. Ecton, does this method even work? It seems kind of silly.”

The counselor said, “Kaylee didn’t take the money, so this is a serious case of someone setting her up. We need to figure this out. Violeta was smart to leave a clue. Are you not raising your hand because you’ve touched the highlighted envelope?”

Zelena felt a pang of anxiety, but she kept her cool.

“Nah, I’m just skeptical if this method will work,” she said calmly.

People nearby heard her and started to grumble.

“Exactly, raising our hands makes us feel like we’re guilty. None of us took anything, so why are we being treated like suspects?”

“It’ll be embarrassing if they don’t find anything after all this.”

The counselor heard everyone grumbling and clapped his hands. “Okay, okay, let’s stop complaining. We won’t know what we’ll find until we check. Since we’re all here now, we might as well do it. Zelena, raise your hand quickly.”

Zelena blinked nervously and slowly raised her hand.

But just as she was lifting her hand slowly, suddenly the sprinkler in the changing room started pouring rain.

Splish, splash, splash.

“Argh!”

“What’s going on?”

“Why’s it spraying water?”

Everyone exclaimed and shielded their heads.

Seizing the opportunity, Zelena swiftly rinsed her fingers under the water, washing away the highlighted gold dust.

Seeing this, Violeta hurried over and grabbed Zelena’s hand.

Zelena’s gaze turned sharp. “What are you doing?”

Violeta replied coldly, “Why did you wash your fingers? You washed away all the shimmer!”

“I didn’t! Don’t make false accusations,” Zelena snapped back.

“I saw you washing your fingers with my own eyes!” Violeta insisted.

The two argued heatedly in the mist-filled changing room.

The counselor went outside and operated the

external shower valve. He discovered that someone had triggered the outside switch, causing the shower to start inside.

After turning off the switch, the shower inside stopped.

By then, everyone was soaked because the shower stuff was supposed to detect smoke and act like a fire alarm.

But it wasn’t clear if someone accidentally triggered the switch, making the shower start unexpectedly.

Everyone ended up soaked, including the counselor.

Seeing Violeta and Zelena still arguing, the counselor stepped in and separated them. “Okay, okay! Enough arguing.”

“Violeta, I’m going to keep looking into this matter. Zelena, let me see your hand,” the counselor said.

Zelena, who had already rinsed off the highlight, reluctantly showed her fingers to the counselor.

“No highlight.”

“She washed off the highlight with water just now!” Violeta protested.

She had thought there wouldn’t be any surprises, but unexpected things still happened.

Whoever messed with the outside shower valve was definitely trying to help Zelena.

Violeta lowered her gaze, ran her fingers through her wet hair, and stared at Zelena. “Zelena, karma’s real. You lucked out this time, but next time might not be so lucky!”

Zelena acted innocent, saying, “Violeta, unless you’ve got proof, don’t accuse me. I showed Mr. Ecton my fingers to check for the highlight, just like you asked. Why do you suspect me? The money wasn’t even with me, it was in Kaylee’s bag.”

Kaylee chimed in, “I was the first to check my hands for any highlight. And if I actually stole the money, why would I keep it in my bag? That would be like confessing.”

Zelena smirked, “How am I supposed to know what you’re thinking?”

Seeing they were about to argue again, the counselor couldn’t take it anymore and interrupted.

“Okay, okay! Enough arguing. Everyone, go change your clothes. If you don’t have any, go to the office and borrow a hairdryer to dry your hair. We don’t want anyone catching a cold.”

“Let’s wrap it up for now!”

The changing room was soaked and the school’s janitorial staff would need to clean it up.

Overall, it was a frustrating day!

But at least the class funds were recovered.

If the money had been lost, the counselor would have had a hard time explaining this mess.

Chapter 239

Everyone left.

The counselor pulled Violeta aside to ask her about what happened earlier.

Violeta said, “I saw Zelena rubbing her fingers with water. She’s the main suspect!”

The counselor looked serious. It wasn’t that he didn’t believe Violeta, but he didn’t want to rush to conclusions.

After all, without clear evidence, the counselor knew jumping to conclusions could upset Zelena and cause other issues.

The counselor sighed inwardly again.

Being an employee isn’t easy.

Was the sprinkler valve really set off by accident?

If the sprinklers hadn’t gone off, Zelena would definitely be in trouble.

“Okay, since the class funds weren’t stolen, today’s incident should be a warning for them. You can go now.”

Violeta pressed her lips together.

Kaylee asked, “Are we just going to let this slide?” The counselor sighed, “What do you expect me to do?”

“Let’s go.”

Violeta calmly left the office.

Kaylee walked out with Violeta.

She vented, “It’s unfair. Zelena was obviously suspicious. Letting it slide like this will just boost their confidence, and they’ll push even harder next time.”

Violeta understood where the counselor was coming from. After all, he wasn’t the principal who could call all the shots at the school.

The counselor was under pressure, but it was natural to want to protect oneself in situations like this.

“It’s normal for the counselor to play it safe. After all, we have no evidence, and the sprinkler valve wouldn’t go off for no reason. Someone must be helping them from outside.”

“What should we do then?”

Violeta thought for a moment. “Let’s go, first check the surveillance cameras in the hallway.”

Somewhere else, on the school rooftop.

Hattie leaned against the wall, smoking. Standing nearby were Zelena and Benson.

“That was close.”

Zelena breathed a sigh of relief. “Luckily Benson happened to pass by, or we would’ve been caught.”

Hattie rolled her eyes. “You would’ve been caught, not we.”

Hearing Hattie’s words, Zelena instantly became displeased and retorted, “Hattie, you gave me the keys to Violeta and Kaylee’s lockers. You’re part of this plan as well. If I get caught, it won’t just be me facing consequences.”

“Hmph!” Hattie scoffed coldly.

Indeed, Hattie did have a part in this matter.

She managed to get hold of the spare key for the girls’ locker room, so Zelena was able to open Violeta’s locker door. Without being able to open the locker, how else could she have gotten the money?

They just never anticipated Violeta to be so cautious.

She had even applied a highlighter to the envelope containing the money in advance.

During their confrontation in the locker room earlier, Hattie quickly sent a message to Benson from her phone.

After finishing their PE class, the boys’ locker room was directly opposite the girls’ locker room, though not adjacent, but very close.

Upon seeing the text message from Hattie, Benson found a way to trigger the sprinkler valve outside using a cigarette butt.

That was why the sprinklers in the girls’ locker room went off.

If it weren’t for Benson working with them, Zelena would have definitely been caught this time.

Zelena was in trouble now. They were bound to start checking the locker keys, so Hattie wouldn’t get away either.

Anyway, their plan this time had failed.

Benson said, “Hattie, you shouldn’t cause more trouble. Violeta’s use of the highlighter on the envelope shows she’s always been suspicious of you. I helped you out today, but what if I hadn’t been there? What would you guys have done?”

Hattie grumbled, “So what if they catch me? Punishment? Huh, that’s just a scare tactic for regular students. Does that work for me? And don’t forget, the Ridges donates big bucks to Toland University every year. If they mess with me, who’s gonna fix their gym next semester?”

Zelena furrowed her brow.

While the Blakes weren’t the chancellor at Toland University, since she was studying here alone, her parents had managed to influence some of the school leaders.

Even if the truth came out, the school would likely try to minimize the situation, making a big deal into a small one.

But the main issue was that this incident could tarnish their image.

Zelena cared deeply about her image.

Previously, during the college competition, the incident of campus violence in which she was involved was exposed. Despite quick PR fixes, Zelena’s reputation at Toland University still took a hit.

She treated a few administrators of the school forum to dinners for a week, asking them to help delete posts and gradually lessen the impact of the incident on campus.

However, while she could delete posts on the school forum, there were still many discussions about her campus violence on Twitter.

If anyone wanted to dig up her dark past in the future, they’d definitely find it there.

Zelena was super stressed out. Every day, she tried her best to report those criticizing her on Twitter, but her efforts felt tiny like ants trying to move a tree.

That was why she couldn’t stand Violeta.

Even though there was no proof, she was convinced this whole thing had something to do with Violeta.

“Violeta was the biggest beneficiary in the previous college competition, Benson. Hattie got tricked by those club people during the competition, didn’t even snag second place, and got teased by Evelyn and the other girls. Even though the club won’t admit they were bribed, do you really think Violeta is innocent? She’s up to no good behind the scenes, too!”

Chapter 240

Not mentioning this matter was fine, but once it was brought up, Hattie was furious beyond measure.

Violeta was the biggest beneficiary of the college competition. If it wasn’t her doing, Hattie couldn’t imagine who else it could be.

“Dammit! This despicable woman! She’s infuriating me.”

Hattie had hoped to make a name for herself through the college competition, but now everything was ruined.

She angrily said to Benson, “It’s not that I want to cause trouble for Violeta, it’s just that she doesn’t want me to have an easy life. I must make her drop out of school!”

Benson frowned, just about to speak up.

Hattie kept going, “Remember how we got bullied in Harbor City? Being too nice doesn’t cut it with these folks-they only mess with the weak and back down from the tough ones. Anyway, Violeta and I have issues now, she’s my enemy. If she tries to get into showbiz later, she’s gonna be my competitor for sure.

“Instead of letting her compete with me in the entertainment industry later on, it’s better to deal with her now and eliminate any future troubles!” Zelena lowered her eyelashes, hiding the hint of malice and calculation in her eyes.

Perfect, let the rivalry brew.

The bigger the beef between Hattie and Violeta, the better.

Violeta went with Kaylee to investigate the surveillance footage outside the changing room corridor.

After watching it once, everything seemed totally normal.

It was just a bunch of guys walking down the hallway together.

Kaylee said, “Looks pretty normal, huh, Vio? Do you spot anything weird? Could it really be that Zelena’s just incredibly lucky, with even the universe on her side?”

Violeta stared at the screen showing several guys walking past, and she zoomed in on one of the guys’ faces with the mouse.

She spotted Benson among them.

The more she looked, the more something felt off.

She replayed the surveillance footage and finally spotted something off.

“Where did Benson’s cigarette disappear to?” “Huh?”

Violeta pointed to where Benson first showed up on the footage with a cigarette in his mouth. “He was smoking in the smoking area at first, and hadn’t even finished it, but when he turned around, the cigarette was gone. Where did it go?”

Kaylee stared at the monitor, eyes wide as she had a sudden realization.

“Oh, where did his cigarette go?”

Violeta and Kaylee hurried down the hallway to search for the cigarette.

Finally, Violeta found a cigarette butt in the second-floor emergency exit.

Everything clicked into place right then.

The surveillance footage kept playing over and over in Violeta’s mind.

“Benson walked out of the guys’ changing room, lit a cigarette facing away from the camera. Then, while he turned to the side, he flicked the cigarette butt up onto the ceiling sprinkler trigger. The smoke set off the sprinkler, and then he dropped the butt on the floor and kicked it into the secure passage.

Everything looked normal like nothing happened.”

“Oh my!”

Kaylee exclaimed. “Damn! So, does that mean Benson is helping Zelena?”

Violeta replied, “He’s not helping Zelena, he’s helping Hattie.”

Hattie definitely had a hand in this!

That’s right.

Hattie had to be in on it.

How did Zelena get the keys to the locker room cabinets?

If no one helped her, there was no way Zelena could’ve pulled off so much in such a short time by herself.

The only thing Violeta didn’t anticipate was that she hadn’t considered Benson in her calculations.

For Benson to come up with using a cigarette butt to trigger the sprinkler in such a short time meant he wasn’t dumb.

Kaylee crouched down and picked up the cigarette butt, puzzled. “But can such a small cigarette butt really set off the sprinkler?”

Violeta explained calmly, “Usually, smoking wouldn’t trigger the sprinkler, but the cigarette was so close it touched the sensor, setting off the automatic water release.”

The school’s sprinklers were super sensitive, which was important in case of a fire.

Besides, it wasn’t a smoking area. Who would have thought that there would be other smoke here besides fire?

“Anyway, let’s go.”

Violeta turned to leave.

Kaylee picked up the cigarette butt, stood, and caught up with Violeta, asking, “Shouldn’t we go talk to the counselor?”

Violeta glanced sideways and said, “Benson won’t admit he set off the sprinkler with the cigarette butt. Even if he did, he’d probably claim it was an accident. Plus, the Ridge family is chancellor at Toland University and they donate hundreds of thousands every year. The school won’t risk losing that over a measly 900 dollars.”

Even though the Whites were also the chancellor at Toland University, was it really worth causing such a big rift between two chancellors over just 900 dollars?

Besides, the Whites and the Ridges have a good relationship.

Overall, making a big deal out of this small amount of money wasn’t worth it.

Plus, Benson had stayed neutral for a long time, almost making Violeta forget that Hattie had someone like him as a helper.

He was someone you shouldn’t underestimate.

It’s because Benson’s aim was to come back and challenge Liam for the family fortune.

Illegitimate kids… None of them are simple.

The following day.

…

Once at school, everyone hopped on a big bus together and headed off to Heritage Old Town.

合

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