The Billionaire's True Heiress From Fake Jewel to Real Crown novel Chapter 766

Wade noticed Cindy's discomfort. He sighed inwardly; after all, she hadn't grown up by his side.

To her biological father, she was practically a stranger.

"With everything happening to your mother, I've been worried about you."

"Cindy, you know the truth about our relationship now. I loved your mother deeply, but under the current circumstances, we can't be together right now. I hope you understand."

Looking at Wade's impassioned expression, Cindy felt nothing but a wave of nausea.

A cheating man and an unfaithful woman had created her—a love child. The bitter reality suffocated her, but she couldn't voice a word of it.

Outwardly, she couldn't afford to burn bridges with Wade.

If the James family completely collapsed, he was her final safety net.

"I'm sorry, Wade. I just can't wrap my head around this right now."

Seeing her look so fragile and pitiful, his thoughts drifted back to Octavia all those years ago.

How could Latham have ever been cruel enough to hurt a woman as delicate as Octavia?

Wade had always been willing to protect her, even if it meant destroying his own reputation.

And now, he was more than willing to look out for their daughter.

"Let's talk about your education. I know you're busy at the hospital looking after Lance, but you have to realize you're facing a crucial decision."

"Are you going to settle for college now, or take a gap year and retake the entrance exams?"

The question caught Cindy off guard. She had been so overwhelmed lately that her academics had taken a backseat.

She never expected that to be his primary concern.

"I..." Honestly, Cindy wanted to just go straight to college, but her test scores were too embarrassing to admit.

Following Octavia's advice, she had applied to a mediocre local teaching college.

But Cindy wasn't ready to settle.

"Do you want me to retake the exams, Wade?" Although Cindy thought he was overstepping, she was genuinely torn on the matter.

"I respect whatever choice you make, but speaking from years of experience, I highly recommend a do-over."

"Octavia told me you were always a brilliant student. You just had a bad mindset on test day, which threw off your scores."

"Plus, you probably weren't used to the environment. I can pull some strings and get you transferred to a better prep school. It won't be Silverpeak International College, but it'll be a step up from your last high school."

"Honestly, the crushing pressure at a place like Silverpeak probably isn't the best fit for your mental state right now anyway."

"Cindy, it's your future, so you have to figure out what you truly want."

"The higher your starting point, the better your chances of living a comfortable life."

"That doesn't mean you can't succeed from a lower starting point, of course."

"It all depends on your own drive."