Chapter 149

Sophia Lowell's lips curved into a gentle smile, her voice soft as a spring breeze.

She arranged her textbooks with elegant precision, as if Evelyn Laurent's existence meant nothing to her.

"Some people simply aren't worth my attention," she murmured, her eyes gleaming with quiet superiority.

Her three roommates immediately clustered around her, chiming in with sycophantic agreement.

"Sophia is so refined and gracious."

"Honestly, Evelyn isn't fit to polish your shoes."

"If she'd laid a hand on me, I'd have called the police immediately!"

A shadow flickered through Sophia's gaze before her demure mask slipped back into place.

"Let's not dwell on such unpleasantness," she said with a dismissive wave. "I never waste energy on petty conflicts."

The girls exchanged knowing glances and fell obediently silent.

Sophia turned her attention to her phone, fingers gliding across the screen.

She typed "The Seventh Lowell Heiress" into the search bar. The sparse results made her lips twitch upward.

The less information available, the easier it would be to exploit the narrative.

She opened Harvard University's campus forum. The top trending post featured photos of her arriving this morning in a luxury car.

The comments section had exploded.

"That ride costs seven figures minimum!"

"Could she be the missing Lowell heiress?"

"I heard the Lowells are searching for their long-lost daughter..."

Sophia smiled at the carefully cultivated speculation.

Even more satisfying was Sebastian Royston's attention.

Though not as prestigious as Ethan Sullivan, Sebastian was still a Royston heir.

Most importantly—

He enjoyed spending money on her.

Her fingers traced the pink diamond bracelet around her wrist, its facets catching the light.

A gift from Sebastian just yesterday.

"Celestia Designs' latest collection," she murmured, positioning her wrist prominently on the desk.

When class ended, excited chatter filled the room.

"Sophia!" gasped a roommate. "That bracelet is stunning!"

"Pink diamonds! I saw this in Vogue!"

"My god, what does something like that cost?"

Sophia gave a practiced laugh, casually tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.

"My brother said it suited me," she replied, turning her wrist to make the gems sparkle.

A chorus of awed admiration rose around her.

"He spoils you rotten!"

"Only the best for a Lowell heiress!"

Sophia basked in their worshipful gazes, already calculating her next move.

If she was going to play this role, she'd do it properly.

She needed more evidence to cement her "Lowell heiress" persona.

And Sebastian Royston would be her perfect stepping stone.