Harvey had been a little worried about Alicia carlier, but now, he wasn’t. Alicia might act quiet, but Harvey knew she had learned how to bite.


    He didn’t rush to step in. Sometimes it was more fun to watch the show.


    Leaning casually against the doorframe, he let a small smirk y at the corner of his lips. Yet when his fell on Alicia’s hands-rough, slightly scarred-he couldn’t help the flicker of concern.


    eyes


    The crowd around her couldn’t help but nce at her hands, too. They were actually elegant-long, slender fingers and fair skin, but the skin was rough, cracked from hard work.


    Gasps spread through the onlookers.


    “My god… what’s going on? Forcing this little girl into a family like that-is this kidnapping?” one murmured.


    “If you really want a daughter, adopt her properly! Why treat her like this?” another agreed. “And seriously… she isn’t even their real daughter, but they talk as if she owes her everything. What kind of logic is that?”


    Hugh, watching, noticed the crowd slowly starting to side with Alicia. His eyes darkened. Alicia had surely changed. She never would’ve dared defy us before, and she wasn’t this sharp-tongued.


    When did it start? Hugh frowned. He never knew when had she grown a backbone. But still, to him, no matte how clever Alicia got, she was still just an orphan.


    With so many VIPS in the ward, he couldn’t let her keep making a scene, so he spoke up.


    “Alicia, I didn’t expect you to take my lessons as our displeasure. If you didn’t like it, you should have said something sooner,” he said. “I have three sons and only one daughter-of course I pay extra attention. Thoug you’re adopted, when Tiffany wasn’t around, you were my only daughter.”


    He shot her a warning look. If she didn’t back down now, he would make she regret it. This was his way of giving her a face-saving exit.


    “Oh, so it’s all about the lessons for the kids,” someone nearby whispered. “These days, many families send their children out on ‘trial’. Just look at the Yates family-after the trial, the heir came back ready to run the family business.”


    Alicia’s eyes flickered. Her voice softened, almost touched. “So Dad… all of this, it was just training me? I’m sorry. I misunderstood you.”


    Hugh allowed himself a small, satisfied smile. Good, he thought. Alicia was finally acknowledging the family line. Now the Lawrence family could salvage its reputation.


    But then Alicia tilted her head, eyes wide and innocent. “If this training is just for me, does that mean you n to let me manage the Lawrence family someday?”


    She looped her arm through his, awe in her expression. “I never expected, as an adopted daughter, to be valued like this. Honestly, my brothers are all far more talented than me.”


    The crowd murmured, finally speaking out.


    “So the Lawrence family trains only the adopted daughter but not their sons? Are they really going to hand the family over to her?” someone asked, curiously.


    “Hey, Mr. Lawrence, another chimed in. “How many shares will you give your adopted daughter?”


    “Yeah, tell us! There are so many of us here-we want to witness it!”


    Hugh’s face darkened. He wanted to shake her off and scold her. An orphan, and now daring to cover the family fortune? This was uneptable to him.


    But with so many eyes on him, all he could do was force out a stiffugh.


    On the other side, Harvey almostughed outright. He never thought Alicia was this brilliant-she’d rattled that Hugh Lawrence and still kept her cool.


    Alicia didn’t stop. If Hugh loved theatrics, she could y along. She wasn’t going to lose-once an award- winning actress, never out-acted by a rookie.


    “So Dad,” she tilted her head again, eyes wide with innocence. “This time, because I’m sick, you want me to give my room to Tiffany… is this also part of my ‘training’?”


    Then she lowered her gaze, hope shining in her eyes. “I know you’re training me for my own good, but how I wish to feel your love just once. Could you give me a break when I’m feeling unwell and have me keep my room? Tiffany’s already in Room 602-why should I give mine up?”


    Her expression softened everyone present. Murmurs of disapproval shifted toward Hugh.


    “Mr. Lawrence, she’s sick, and you wants her to give up her room for your real daughter?” one snapped. “Are you serious?” <fn4e75> This update is avable on F?nd-Novel</fn4e75>


    “Oh, that’s right. I’ve been in the hospital a few days. I think I know what happened,” another exined. “Th adopted daughter got sick first, brought here by a kind stranger. The real daughter got sick the next day, bu refused to stay anywhere else—insisted on 606. And now the family’s forcing her to give it up? Ridiculous.”


    “Well, the Lawrences call this ‘training,’ but it’s just mistreatment,” someone else agreed. “Poor girl… she’s hoping for a bit of love, and they’re squeezing her dry. She should run. What love could she possibly get fro them?”


    Hugh’s face darkened further, but with so many of Riverdale’s wealthy and influential watching, he couldn’


    argue.


    “Alicia, don’t y the victim!” Maria, overhearing the whispers, snapped. “You took Tiffany’s favorite room when she’s sick, all for your own selfish reasons. We raised you, and now you try to hurt our real daughter?’


    Alicia didn’t answer, but Brooke had had enough. Seeing Miss Lawrence cornered and bullied—and with Harvey still silent-she stepped forward.


    “Ma’am, I think you’ve got it all wrong. Miss Lawrence is hospitalized for her stomach. The hospital would let a healthy person take a room,” Brooke protested, frowning.


    65 vou her


    “She’s Dr. Johnson’s patient, and this room was assigned by him. What a nonsense talking of her ‘ying the victim?”


    She then shot a nce at Harvey. “Right, Doctor Johnson?”