St. Jude Academy was not merely an educational institution. It was a gilded fortress.

The ballroom erupted into chaotic whispers.

"What is she talking about?" Chloe gasped, backing away.

Serena laughed, a high, panicked sound. "You're insane. My father owns this estate!"

"Your father mortgaged this estate," Harper corrected, her voice echoing with lethal clarity. "Three months ago. To cover the margin calls on his failing tech acquisitions. He leveraged everything. The house, the cars, the Edenbridge endowments. He borrowed the capital from Vanguard Holdings."

Harper took a step closer, towering over Serena in her heels. "And Vanguard Holdings is owned by my father. Arthur Cole. You see, Serena, my father doesn't do business in the spotlight. We don't need to flaunt our wealth on Instagram because we own the platforms you post on."

Serena’s breath caught in her throat. Her eyes darted frantically around the room, looking for her father, but he was nowhere to be seen.

"The gossip blast was a cute trick," Harper continued, circling the terrified Queen. "That warehouse you photographed? It's a renovated tech incubator I own. My mother isn't a waitress; she's a neurosurgeon. And my father isn't in prison. He's currently in a boardroom in New York, finalizing the hostile takeover of Sterling Industries. As we speak."

Julian stepped out of the crowd, looking at Harper with total shock. "You transferred to Edenbridge to scout the acquisition."

"I transferred here to see if the Sterling legacy was worth saving," Harper said coldly. She looked down at Serena, who was now trembling visibly. "It isn't."

Serena lunged forward, her composure completely shattered, raising her hand to slap Harper across the face.

Harper caught her wrist in mid-air. Her grip was like iron.