Mission: Revenge – The Heiress's Second Life novel Chapter 25

The streets were dead silent.

Traffic and pedestrians had completely vanished.

Clara retraced her steps, carrying Zander back the way she came. When she reached the bus stop bench, the man was gone. All that remained were a few dropped lollipops scattered on the pavement.

She picked them up, shaking her head with a wry smile.

Why would a complete stranger obediently wait for her anyway?

She slipped the candy into Zander's pajama pocket and carried him the rest of the way back to the academy.

It was 11:00 PM.

The lights were still blazing inside the Lambert estate.

Jonathan and Vera were sitting on the living room sofa, while Serena practiced the piano nearby.

"It's only her second day back in Springfield, and she's already staying out all night..." Vera sighed dramatically. "It's all my fault. I should have insisted on bringing Clara home sooner. Maybe then she wouldn't have fallen in with the wrong crowd."

Serena hit the final chord and turned around. "I heard that on her very first day of school today, she confessed her feelings to a guy in the Honors Class. Coming home this late... she's probably out on a date with him."

She had stormed out of school in a blind rage that morning, but she had kept close tabs on the gossip.

Lillian had texted her that the little tramp somehow knew Chase Yardley and had even eaten lunch with him.

Chase Yardley. The heir to the Yardley empire. A man of absolute privilege and royalty in their social circles, someone everyone desperately tried to court.

The Yardleys and the Lamberts had some old ties, and Serena had once tried to strike up a conversation with him, only to be met with an icy wall of indifference. She had too much pride to keep throwing herself at a guy who wouldn't look at her.

But in the photo Lillian sent, Chase had been following Clara around like a lovesick puppy.

How could she not be consumed by jealousy?

He looked up, a massive smile breaking across his face. "Miss Lambert, you're finally home."

Clara gave the butler a polite smile before stepping into the living room.

"Clara, where on earth have you been at this hour?" Vera immediately put on a mask of deep maternal concern. "Evening study hall ended at nine, and the driver couldn't find you. If you're going out with boys, you need to tell us so your father doesn't worry himself sick..."

Clara offered a chilling, half-smile. "Does Dad actually worry about me?"

"Clara, what kind of attitude is that?" Serena frowned. "You disappear into the night, and Dad stayed up waiting for you instead of sleeping. Isn't that proof enough that he cares?"

Clara's lips tightened into a thin line. "Then why didn't he care enough to check on Zander?"

Jonathan's brow twitched. "What happened to Zander?"

"Zander went missing."