She stood by the roadside, her smile soft and sweet as she bid him farewell: "Thank you, Mr. Nightshade, for bringing me back. Take care, I won't walk you out."

Aurelia Shaw turned around and strode into the mansion.

Mason Nightshade waited until her figure had disappeared before signaling for Gustavo Yates to start the car.

He spread his hand open. A Peaceful Blessing talisman lay in his palm. His fingers closed over it, gripping tightly, with a force that was strong but restrained.

"Boss, we found the car used in the accident. This might be related to the Shaw Family's second young lady. Should I inform the Young Madam?" Gustavo Yates asked.

Mason Nightshade's expression instantly turned cold. "When is her coming-of-age ceremony?"

Gustavo Yates was startled for a moment, then remembered. "It should be less than a month away."

Mason gave a faint "Mm," lips curling up in a wicked smile, eyes icy and deep. "Prepare a special gift for her. Unveil it at her coming-of-age ceremony."

Gustavo Yates felt chills down his back. He was most afraid of his boss being like this; whenever the boss smiled like that, it meant someone was about to have a very bad day.

If the Shaw Family's second young lady was being personally targeted by the boss, she really had it coming.

"Oh right, Q City High's anniversary celebration starts tomorrow. They invited you. Are you going?"

-

Q City High was considered a key high school, so hosting an anniversary celebration ought to be a major event. But this year, the current principal had been investigated for neglecting his duties, and several teachers had been caught one after another for embezzlement and bribery—it was obviously not like previous years.

Everyone was eager to distance themselves from Q City High, in case Hadriel Wilson fell from grace and dragged them down with him.

But there were still bold types coming to watch the drama, secretly thinking: This must be Hadriel Wilson's last year as principal, right? He basked in glory for a few years. Heard he offended someone powerful—serves him right to be brought down like this.

So what's up with flaunting this high-profile anniversary celebration now? What are they scheming?

Suddenly, a commotion broke out.

Everyone turned to look, their gazes landing on Aurelia Shaw. She wore an off-shoulder dress with a rippling pattern, her long hair done up, showing off her exquisite and beautiful collarbones. With just a hint of makeup, her face lost some of its distant glamour and gained a bit more warmth and approachability.

This was exactly the effect Amanda Fuller wanted to create. In front of the camera, an actress needed to play the most perfect role, so sometimes contouring was used to look cold and noble. But for occasions like this, approachability was key—otherwise, people might think you were putting on airs.

So what kind of makeup for what kind of event—it mattered a lot.

"Aurelia, you're here," a male staff member came forward, briefly stunned by how stunning she looked, but not forgetting his duties. He quickly recovered and said, "Your seat is at the front."

Aurelia followed the staff member to her seat and sat down, noticing an empty seat beside her. "Whose seat is this?"

She didn't like being too close to strangers, which was hard to avoid at an event like this, but at least she needed to know who was next to her.

"That's the seat reserved for our special guest this time," the staff member explained. Spotting someone calling for him, he quickly added, "Excuse me, Miss Shaw, if you need anything just call me. I need to go over there for a minute."

The staff member hurried away.

"This is my first time attending this sort of anniversary event," Amanda Fuller muttered softly, sitting down next to Aurelia.

"You've never been to one before?" Aurelia was a little surprised.