Chapter 778 Strength Restored
“Come on now, we know we were out of line,” someone from the crowd pleaded, still grinning like nothing happened. “Now that it’s all cleared up, can’t we just move on? It’s better for everyone, right?”
They still weren’t giving up–still laying it on thick with their fake smiles, trying to worm their way back into my good graces.
“I’ve had enough,” I snapped. “Seeing your two–faced expressions honestly makes me sick. Don’t come near me again.”
“Let it go.” Evelyn cut in suddenly, her voice even. “You’re one of us now–an apprentice. That means setting an example. Right now, you’re not acting much different from how they were acting before.”
Her words hit me like a punch to the gut.
I turned to her, face hardening. “No different? They were the ones who came at me first, insulting and mocking me. The only reason they’re sucking up now is because of who my mentor is. If Andrew hadn’t spoken up, you think they’d be treating me any better?”
Evelyn didn’t argue, but her expression turned stiff. “That may be true. But you still need to carry yourself differently now. Things aren’t the same as they were.”
I didn’t expect her to push back in front of everyone. She clearly didn’t like being challenged, but she let it slide this time.
“I’m Andrew’s apprentice now, sure,” I said coldly. “But that doesn’t mean I owe them anything. If they hadn’t been so arrogant and shallow, I wouldn’t have reacted this way.”
“That’s your choice,” Evelyn said tightly. “I was just offering advice. No need to take it out on me.” And with that, she turned and walked away.
I didn’t back down either. My face was expressionless as I stood my ground. The people who had just been trashing me tried approaching again, but I ignored them completely.
“See, that’s the difference,” one of the werewolves muttered loudly. “Ms. Hudson’s always kind to us, no matter what. That’s what a true apprentice of Mr. Lindell looks like.”
“Exactly. She’s got real talent, too. Definitely a cut above.”
I almost laughed. The hypocrisy was unbelievable.
Then Andrew spoke up beside me. “Rosaline, you’re not wrong–but remember, in our world, strength matters, and so does temperament. We forgive, not because they deserve it, but because it shows our own character.”
With Andrew himself stepping in, I couldn’t argue anymore. I nodded. He was my mentor. If he said something, I’d listen–even if I didn’t like it.
The event wrapped up shortly after, and I headed back to the office.
“Rosie! You’ve gotta see this!”
I hadn’t even made it through the front door before my secretary rushed up, waving a file in one hand. “Our
Chapter 778 Strength Restored
stock’s been climbing like crazy all morning–it’s about to break our all–time high!
“You’re kidding.” I frowned and took the file from her, flipping through the pages.
She wasn’t kidding. The numbers were legit. Starplay’s stock had been steadily rising since the market opened.
It was a huge deal. After everything the company had been through recently, we’d been stuck in a slump. But this–this was a full recovery, practically overnight.
“How did this happen? Why the sudden spike?”
My secretary beamed. “We have you to thank for that, Rosie.”
She held up her phone and turned the screen toward me. “It’s all over Twitter. The news that Mr. Lindell took you on as his last apprentice has gone viral. I mean, Andrew Lindell! That man is the art world!”
I took her phone and scrolled through the trending page.
“Can you believe Rosaline is Andrew Lindell’s apprentice now? Talk about winning in both love and career. We’re obsessed.”
There were comments pouring in nonstop–admiring, jealous, stunned. That was when it clicked.
Andrew hadn’t just stood up for me–he’d deliberately made that announcement knowing how far it would ripple. He was genuinely trying to guide me–not just in art, but in how to carry myself.
Just being associated with him had boosted the company’s market value. That was no small thing.
I smiled as I handed the phone back. I needed to start being more mindful of my image.
With the stock still climbing, I felt lighter than I had in weeks. I hummed a little tune as I went to my office, knocked out a few files, then headed out to a quiet restaurant to grab some dinner.
I picked a corner booth and sat down, ready for a quiet meal.
That was when Freya’s voice piped up in my head. “Alpha, someone’s staring at you,” she said.
I glanced around and saw Connor.
He was sitting a few tables over, clearly watching me. I immediately turned my head, irritated, I’d never had a good impression of him, and today was no different.
But instead of backing off, he got up, strolled over, and pulled out the chair across from me like he owned the place.
“What do you want?” I asked flatly.
“No need to be so cold, Andrew’s little prodigy,” he said with a smirk.
I narrowed my eyes. So that’s what this was. Even Connor had come sniffing around because of my new
status.
I was tempted to bite back, but then I remembered what Andrew had told me–about patience, about carrying myself better now.
nu, 5 Jun
Chapter 778 Strength Restored
So I held it in and just stared him down, calm and unreadable.
Send Gifts
F84%1
+8 Pearls
2.3K
