Regardless of their motives, the average person couldn't afford to cross The Ford Family.
Even though Claire wasn't easily intimidated, making enemies for absolutely no reason wasn't her style.
Elvis had brought this drama to her doorstep, and it had been a totally unprovoked headache.
"You!" Julia paused, her tone stiffening awkwardly. "Just call me Julia."
Julia was genuinely trying to extend an olive branch.
Nolan had found out Claire was also enrolled at The Cabinda University.
He had ordered Julia to make friends with her.
Initially, Julia thought it was completely unnecessary.
They were here to find elite doctors; why did she need to suck up to Claire?
But then the bigger picture clicked into place.
Claire was engaged to the head of Vertex International, a corporate powerhouse her family was actively partnering with. Nolan's advice was actually strategic gold.
Seeing as Claire clearly had zero interest in Elvis, Julia was willing to begrudgingly be nice to her.
"Are you a fan of SUNNY's collections too, Julia?"
Claire effortlessly matched her casual tone.
She had no idea what was running through the heiress's head, but she wasn't about to shoot down a clumsy attempt at peace.
"Obsessed. I love them..." The moment SUNNY was mentioned, Julia's face lit up with endless enthusiasm.
"For my twentieth birthday, I'm dying to have Sunny personally design a custom gown for me."
"Tonight is the perfect opportunity."
Julia laid all her cards on the table, eagerly sharing her mission for the evening.
Claire gave her an assessing look. "Then good luck. I hope you get picked for the VIP draw."
The Ford Family princess might be an insufferable brat sometimes, but she didn't seem to have a malicious bone in her body.
Would they really let such a naive girl roam free?
Claire's gaze flicked to Nolan, who was networking a short distance away.
Clearly, Nolan wasn't about to let his sister out of his sight. She wanted a dress, so he chaperoned her to the gala.
"Oh, I'll definitely win. Plus, I'm staying in Solenia for a while."
Julia eagerly volunteered that she was here as a transfer student, blatantly following in Elvis's footsteps.
Really?
Claire kept her face neutral, but inwardly, she couldn't help but think the girl was foolish.
She was the crown jewel of The Ford Family. She could have literally any man on the planet.
Why was she so hung up on the boy next door?
Elvis came from a powerful family too, and there was zero chance his parents wanted him saddled with a chronically ill wife.
Their endless cat-and-mouse game had become the hottest gossip among the global elite.
"With a heart condition, you need to avoid extreme anger and extreme passion," Claire warned softly. "Your health is already fragile..."
She left the rest unspoken, confident Julia understood exactly what she meant.
And Julia did. Her doctors had
lectured her relentlessly, and heret
family had even dragged in top tier, therapists to help her process her feelings.
They all wanted her to let Elvis go.
But Julia stubbornly refused.
"You don't understand. Since I was a little girl, there hasn't been a single thing I wanted that I didn't get."
Claire blinked, stunned. Was this heiress actually in love with her childhood crush? It sounded a lot more like toxic possessiveness.
Was she only obsessed with Elvis because he was the one thing she couldn't buy?
Maybe this girl didn't understand love at all; it was just blind fixation.
Claire decided to drop it. Julia shifted the conversation, asking how she knew Jenny, pointing out that Jenny was the mastermind behind SUNNY'S Solenian expansion and highly valued by the mysterious boss.
"She's dating my uncle," Claire lied smoothly with a completely straight face.
What?
That was the last explanation Julia had expected.
"So you really didn't join the entertainment industry?" Julia finally asked, catching Whitney still trying. to eavesdrop on their conversation: