The Ascendant Shadow

Chapter 7: Beneath the Surface

Valentina's POV:

Lucas and Owen thought Connor and I were involved romantically, so we played along, and Connor was more than willing to cooperate.

"Let's go, Vale," Vero's voice snapped me out of my thoughts.

I quickly got dressed and joined my siblings in the car. With Mom at her new restaurant and Dad busy with his business, it was just the four of us. Charlie was already at daycare.

The car ride was quiet until Owen broke the silence. "Can we stop the silent treatment? You guys know I hate that."

Lucas sighed in frustration. "Can we move past what happened?"

I glanced at him. "Fine, let's forget about it," I said, and he nodded with relief. A smile spread across his face.

"Good, because I want to see if we can get invited to a party this weekend," Vero said with a grin.

"Didn't Mom say we have a business dinner at our house Friday night? She said we can't avoid it or she'll kill us," Owen reminded us, glancing at Vero and me through the rearview mirror.

"What's with all these business dinners? Mom mentioned at least 40 people," Lucas said, shifting uncomfortably.

Vero noticed my discomfort but said nothing. "Dad's in charge of a large corporation. We have a lot of these events because he's making bank," she explained.

"Dinners and balls?" Lucas asked.

Owen shot him a look before returning his attention to the road.

"When it comes to these events, it's better to keep quiet and look presentable. We don't do anything and stay out of the way," I said, hoping to avoid further questions.

Landon's jaw tightened, and Vero looked out the window.

"I sometimes wonder how you know more about Dad's job than us. You seem to know a lot," Lucas finally said.

"Maybe I'm just smarter than all of you combined," I joked, forcing a smile.

Lucas and Owen chuckled, and Vero smiled.

"Shut up," Vero said, lightly punching my shoulder.

We arrived at school, and as we walked down the hallway, I noticed the four guys—Ron and Christopher gave me brief smiles before looking away.

Lucas tensed. "If another fight happens, Vale—"

"Trust me, it won't," I reassured him.

"What do you mean?" he asked, but when I didn't respond, he grabbed my arm.

"Valentina," he warned.

"I did nothing, Lucas. I'm just assuming they won't mess with you," I smirked. "What, can't I make assumptions?"

He chuckled and released me. "Go to class," he said.

I nodded and turned away, feeling a mix of relief and anxiety.

I approached Vero, who was deep in conversation with a girl. Vero noticed me and grinned. "This is Valentina, my twin," she introduced, and the girl turned around.

She was at my height with dirty blonde hair, strikingly pretty with a kind expression. "I'm Claire," she said nervously, offering a shy wave.

"I love your hair!" I exclaimed with exaggerated enthusiasm. "Is that your natural color?"

Claire's eyes brightened. "Yes, though I've added some highlights. But it's mostly natural."

"Oh, I've been thinking about going blonde," I said, taking a strand of her hair and playing with it.