Have you ever seen such a beautiful evil spirit?

"G-g-gh-ghost!!!" A lady screamed and fainted, causing everyone to fall into a panic.

Valerie watched, with an amused look on her face, as they all fell into a panic. Even her uncle was baffled.

"What is the meaning of this?" Bernard yelled and Valerie yawned. Then, she turned her gaze to Lucy who flinched, meeting the eyes of this savage lady.

"Oh my dear sister," she approached her. "I think I recall you saying you wished we could've gotten closer. How's this? God has given you this chance, won't you take it? Now, we can be the best of friends." Her eyes glowed. "How's that?"

Lucy could feel nothing but terror from those red eyes. She didn't want to fear Valerie since everyone was on her side but she couldn't stop shaking, feeling she was being watched by a predator.

"Hey, d-don't bully Miss Lucy." A group of ladies stepped forward. They tried to act tough but they were equally scared.

Who knew what was standing before them? It would most likely be a ghost since Valerie had been such a wicked person.

"B-begone, you evil spirit." One of the ladies said.

"Oh? Have you ever seen such a beautiful evil spirit? Especially one that's 'this' fashionable?" She gave a light swirl. "My feet are on the ground. Are there spirits like that?"

"But... But you're dead." They said, and Valerie stepped closer, glaring at them.

"Open your eyes." She said, "Do I look like a ghost to you?"

The ladies went silent, observing Valerie's face carefully. Her skin looked so milky and smooth, soft to the eyes and the touch like it always did and her face was unparalleled. It was one of the reasons they despised her so much.

They were so happy she was gone yet now she was standing in front of them, looking perfect as ever. It was annoying.

"Whether you're dead or alive, it gives you no right to be mean to a girl as nice as Lucy." One said and the others followed.

"Yeah. She just wants to be closer to you."

"Hm," Valerie shifted her gaze to Lucy who was slightly shivering in fear. "Is that so? Then, I'll give you a chance. Get rid of that hideous picture for me." She pointed at the portrait. "It's ruining my mood. I don't even know when that was taken. I look like a zombie."

'This... This can't be happening.' Lucy thought, her eyes turning unsteady. 'This shouldn't be happening. She's supposed to be dead. Dead. Blown to bits. Why is she here? I'm supposed to be the only heiress.' she bit her lower lip in frustration. 'I'm supposed to be the only one getting all the attention. If she's around, I won't be the heiress anymore.'

Valerie could practically read Lucy's thoughts. This shock was just the strawberry on top of the icing. She just needed to wait and see what she prepared for the main course. It was going to be delicious.

"What? You can't do it?" She asked and took a step back. "Or was all that talk about wanting to be closer to me empty talk? Just tell me so I won't put my hopes up, eh, sister."

Lucy clutched her hanky to the point of almost ripping it to shreds. But luckily for her, her father intervened.

"What is the meaning of this?" He asked, and Valerie lazily shifted her gaze from Lucy to Bernard.

Meanwhile, Victoria approached as well, giving Valerie dead glares, and Lucy ran to her mother's arms.

"Mom." Her mother hugged her and this caused Valerie to frown at them.

"You'll be 24 years old in about a month, yet you still act like a child. When will you grow out of mummy's embrace?" She asked and sighed, shaking her head in pity.

"Valerie, I asked you a question." Bernard barked angrily. "How are you alive?"

"Tch, uncle. Get a hold of yourself. We're in public, you know. And in public, you should try to keep the fact that you despise me as a secret, don't you think?" She snickered.

"What are you talking about? Answer my question." He demanded and she walked closer to him.

"You didn't ask it correctly. You should've asked, 'Where have you been? We thought you were dead. It's a miracle that you're alive.' words like that. But instead, you ask 'how' I survived. Be careful uncle," her eyes glowed and she whispered to him. "Anyone can interpret it as you hating the fact that I survived. Who knows? They may think you set up that bomb to kill me."

Bernard frowned and suddenly slapped her, shocking everyone but not her.

She turned her face to look at him, brushed her torn lip with her thumb, and smirked.

"Heh."

Bernard had had enough. She was crazy. He needed to get rid of her right away. Who knew what she would do in the coming days?

"That was softer than I expected." Valerie said, cleaning her cheek with her hanky and then tossing it aside. "But it was a slap that woke me up to reality once more, so you have my thanks."

They stared at her like she was crazy and Bernard signaled his assistant to make sure the reporters did not publish the part of him slapping her.

"In any case, I'm back and that's all that matters, right? I'll retire to my room. I'm exhausted from having gone through that near-death experience." She said and turned away from them. "And I'm taking this picture with me. Honestly, it's too hideous to even look at. I'll help you guys discard it."

She picked up the portrait and walked past them, but suddenly paused and said to Lucy.

"I heard you're getting married. Congratulations." Her eyes brimmed, as if cooking up an evil scheme. "And it's the wealthiest guy in our country too. You've finally hit the jackpot, sister. This sister of yours congratulates you, with all her heart."

Her words sounded like poison as she said her words of congrats. Surely they couldn't be sincere and Lucy got this foreboding that something was going to go wrong somewhere.

She had been proposed to, in the time when the news was still fresh that Valerie had died in an explosion. It was from no one other than Maximus Stewart, who wished to marry Ross's heiress and since Valerie was out of the picture, she immediately accepted, being the only one left.

But with Valerie's appearance now, would she still be able to get married as Ross's heiress?

No, she had to do something. She had to make sure Valerie didn't stand a chance.

"Oh, by the way," Valerie spoke from the stairs. She had already climbed halfway and remembered she needed to say her farewells to the guests who had come to her party. "Be sure to enjoy the rest of the party. Eat and drink to your satisfaction. It's my party, after all." She grinned and disappeared from their view.