Pampered By Power: The True Heiress Returns

Chapter 317

Faelan felt a pang of dissatisfaction. “Mr. Hartley, when I first entered the competition, you didn’t tell me

anything like this”

Vincent shot Faelan a sideways glance, his tone harsh. “How long had you been learning fromback then? If

you couldn't even place in the competition, I'd be embarrassed to say you were my student.”

Faclan was left speechless, unsure how to respond.

But Vincent wasn’t done yet. This time, his tone softened slightly. “Besides, Elysia is a girl. As a guy, the pressure

you face is definitely much heavier.”

Another blow to my ego, Faelan thought to himself, Just because I'm not a girl?

Vincent didn’t seem to care about Faelan’s thoughts. His eyes shifted toward Elysia as he continued speaking,

“Elysia, the preliminary round is set for early January, The semi-finals will be in early February,

“Go ahead and find a piece of artwork to submit. Have Faclan submit it for you, Once the prelims are over, you

can start preparing for the semi-finals.”

“Got it, Mr. Hartley,” Elysia replied.

“It’s okay. Just treat it like a game. It doesn’t matter if you win an award or not,” Vincent said, his tone light.

Elysia was stunned for a moment, her thoughts racing. ‘If | enter this competition, | definitely want to place well.

No matter what, | can’t embarrass Mr. Hartley.

As they walked out of Iskoria Villa, Faelan walked them to the gate, a smile plastered on his face. “In previous

years, | was the only one competing, which made it feel like | was fighting alone. Elysia, this year, we're both

entering. It’s going to be much more lively.”

“Faelan, don’t worry. I'll work hard. From now on, this won't just be your fight. It will be both of ours,” Elysia said

confidently.

Zane froze for a moment, his mind whirling. ‘Does Elysia even realize what she just said? When did she and

Faelan get so close? Now they're going to fight side by side?”

Zane furrowed his brow, his gaze shifting to Faelan, suddenly feeling a surge of irritation toward him.

Faelan, completely oblivious to Zane’s changing expression, chuckled. “Elysia, you're right. You're incredibly

talented. | believe you'll definitely do well in this competition.”

“You too, Faelan,” Elysia said warmly.

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“Elysia is indeed smart,” Zane said, glancing at Elysia. His voice softened, a hint of fondness evident, but when

his eyes flicked toward Faelan, his mood noticeably soured.

His tone turned low, and an unmistakable pressure seemed to radiate from him. “Faelan, you can go now. We're

leaving.”

At that moment, Faelan sensed something was off. His smile faltered, his thoughts racing. ‘Did | upset Mr.

Hartley? What did | say wrong?‘

There was no tto think about it. Faelan quickly spoke up. “Mr. Hartley, take care. Elysia, see you.”

Before Elysia had a chance to respond, Faelan had already turned and started walking back.

Elysia raised an eyebrow, still confused. ‘What's going on with Faelan?’ she thought.

She was about to ask Zane when she noticed his grim expression. The words caught in her throat. He seemed to

be strange

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Chapter 317

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“Elysia, get in the car, Zane said curtly as he opened the passenger door. Elysia, still full of questions, slid into

the seat. She remained lost in thought, trying to make sense of the strange tension in the air.

It wasn’t until Zane started fastening her seatbelt that she snapped back to reality. “Zane, what are you doing?”

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“You forgot to buckle your seatbelt,” Zane replied casually. Elysia, still slightly on edge, relaxed a little as she

looked at Zane, who was carefully securing the strap.

She turned to him, her tone serious. “Zane, you and Faclan are both acting strange. Did Faelan say something

that upset you?”

Zane paused, his hand freezing mid-motion. Then, without a word, he resumed, fastening the seatbelt properly.

Once done, he leaned over, his arm resting against the side of her seat as he encircled her in his embrace.

Their eyes locked, and his voice becunusually intense. “Who said Faclan madeangry?”

“Then why are you-" Elysia started, her voice faltering as she met Zane’s deep, mesmerizing gaze. Her heart

raced, and she couldn't help but feel a tightening in her chest.

Zane noticed Elysia’s discomfort and, with a playful glint in his eyes, leaned in slightly, reducing the distance

between them to mere inches.

“Zane,” she murmured.

The warm breath against her face made Elysia’s heart race. Her pulse quickened, almost as if it would leap from

her chest. Zane’s lips curled into a subtle smile as he whispered in her ear, his voice low and irresistibly

charming, “Are you so nervous?”

His voice, smooth and enticing, sent a shiver down Elysia’s spine. Without thinking, she quickly pushed Zane

away. “Zane, stay away from me. Talk properly.”

Zane, amused by her flustered reaction, observed her flushed face with increasing pleasure. Elysia,

embarrassed, looked

away.

“Elysia, when did you get so close to Faelan?” Zane asked, his tone filled with a quiet intensity.

Elysia’s eyes widened as the pieces clicked together. She finally understood the source of Zane’s frustration.

‘He’s upset because of this? It doesn’t seem like a big deal, right?’ she wondered.

“Huh?” Zane’s voice cut through her thoughts, sounding irritated.

“It doesn’t really matter, does it?” Elysia said, trying to dismiss the tension.

“It doesn’t matter, but-" Zane’s gaze darkened as he looked directly at her. He enunciated each word carefully.

“You can only be close to me. No other men should get too close to you.”

‘Zane’s jealous?’ Elysia thought, realizing what had been bothering him. The seriousness in his eyes was

unmistakable.

Elysia was momentarily speechless, her mind frozen as she stared at him with a blank expression, trying to

process everything.

Zane reached out and gently placed a hand on her head, his voice softening. “Elysia, when are you going to grow

up?”

Elysia, who had been hearing this comment from him more than once, frowned. “I'm an adult now.”

“I know. But to me, you're still young,” Zane replied, his voice gentle but firm.

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Chapter 317

Elysia turned her head away, irritated by his words. When Zane saw her upset expression, a smile tugged at the

corner of his lips. “Elysia, should we go back to Royal Bay?”

“Royal Bay?” Elysia looked at him suspiciously. “I'm not going there. I'm going to Arcanum House

“Fine, Zane said, his tone unreadable.

As the car cruised down the wide highway, Elysia stared out the window at the night, lost in thought. The silence

between them stretched, leaving the air heavy with unspoken words.

The car finally turned onto a quiet, secluded road and cto a stop in front of the brick-red wooden gate of

Arcanum

House.

The area around the house was deserted, eerie in its stillness, yet the lights within cast a warm glow against the

night.

Elysia exited the car, closing the door carefully behind her, and made her way toward the house.

Zane, still following her, was about to enter when Elysia stopped him at the door. “That's far enough, Zane.

Goodbye,” she said, turning to leave.

Before she could move away, Zane grabbed her wrist, stopping her. “Are you angry?”

Elysia said nothing, clearly upset.

“Are you mad because | said you're still young?” Zane asked, his voice taking on a teasing note as he leaned

closer to her. His voice dropped to a whisper. “Elysia, if you think you're not that young, how about this? Would

you be interested in becoming my wife?”

Elysia’s heart skipped a beat. Though she had been surrounded by serious matters for most of her life, she had

never been in a relationship and no one had ever said something like that to her before.

Her mind went blank for a moment, and she thought, ‘His wife? Why does that sound so familiar?‘

The memory of Zane’s previous words suddenly hit her. ‘So, when he said that last time, he was talking to me?

He wantsto be his wife?* she wondered.

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