Ch. 47
The receptionist stood stiffly after hearing what Selene had said.
"I'm really sorry again, Miss Valen... I should've confirmed first—"
"It's fine," she said simply.
"You can go now."
The woman blinked, startled by the dismissal.
"O-Of course, ma'am."
She said holding the coffee selene declined, bowed quickly, and hurried away, her heels clicking in nervous rhythm.
Moments later, her father adjusting his sleeves approached her.
"That employee... why was she apologizing?"
"It was nothing," she replied lightly.
"Just a misunderstanding at the reception earlier."
Her father raised a brow, clearly unconvinced but decided not to press further.
"Alright, if you say so."
Before another word could be exchanged, someone called her again. This time it was her grandfather, Sebastian Valen, wearing his usual pleasant but authoritative smile.
"There you are, Selene!" he boomed.
"We're heading out for lunch, come with us."
"Lunch?" Selene blinked.
"Yes," Sebastian said with a hearty laugh.
"The board meeting's over, and the old men want to celebrate the small victory we had this morning. Let's go before your father escapes to another meeting."
Selene sighed softly, following the two men out.
They ended up in a high-end restaurant near the company a place filled with the chatter of businessmen and the faint sound of classical music. Selene sat between her father and grandfather while several board members joined their table, all of them eager to make small talk.
"Selene right?" one of the older executives said with a grin.
"I heard you studied abroad, Miss Selene. Are you ready to take over your father's spot soon?"
Selene almost choked on her juice but smiled politely.
"Oh, not yet. I don't want my dad to be unemployed so early," she said teasingly, earning a round of laughter from the table.
Her father gave her a look, but even he couldn't suppress a small smile.
"Very funny."
"But seriously," Selene continued with a small shrug, "if Dad really gives me the company one day, maybe I'll consider it. Though right now, I kind of enjoy being a student. Maybe I'll think about it after college."
"And if not?" her grandfather asked, amused. Selene smirked, resting her chin on her hand.
"Then maybe I'll just marry a rich man and become a housewife. Running companies is exhausting. I already know how it feels to be a CEO in my past life."
The old men around the table laughed, thinking she was just joking only Selene herself knew she was really serious.
Her grandfather shook his head, smiling proudly.
"Whatever you choose, you'll make it work. You always do."
Selene chuckled, swirling her drink lazily.
"I'll take that as a compliment, Grandpa."
The conversation inside the VIP room had shifted to stock percentages, mergers, and project timelines things that normally intrigued Selene, but right now?
Her mind was elsewhere.
She took a sip of water, smiled faintly at one of the board members, then stood up.
"Excuse me," she said softly. "I'll just stretch my legs for a bit."
No one questioned her.
After all, she was the Chairman's precious granddaughter.
She slipped out quietly, flats tapping against the marble floor as she wandered through the restaurant's private corridor. Outside the frosted glass doors, laughter and chatter echoed faintly until a sharper tone caught her attention.
"...Selene Valen—"
Her name.
Selene stopped mid-step.
Her gaze turned toward the direction of the sound, a nearby private room with its door slightly ajar.
Peeking through, she saw a small group of well-dressed women and a few men gathered around the table. And at the center, as smug as ever, sat the same girl from the company earlier.
"I told you," the girl said with a confident tilt of her chin, "Chairman Valen dotes on me. I'll inherit the company sooner than expected."
The others gasped softly, voices overlapping.
"Really?"
"You're so lucky, Miss Valen."
"You must have worked hard to earn his trust."
Selene blinked once.
Worked hard?
If arrogance had a scent, this entire room reeked of it. The impostor laughed, leaning back on her seat.
"Of course. I mean, who else could represent the Valen family with this kind of class?"
Class?
Selene almost snorted.
Her lips twitched upward as she leaned slightly against the wall.
Idiots. All of them.
They were eating up her words like obedient dogs. One even gushed.
"You're truly an inspiration, Miss Selene."
Inspiration?
Selene folded her arms, half amused, half disgusted.
"Well, not everyone's born with refinement," the impostor said haughtily, swirling her drink.
"You can't fake elegance."
Can't fake elegance? Oh, this irony is killing me.
Selene shook her head slightly, suppressing a small laugh. She wasn't even angry, she was again feeling entertained.
So this is what it's like to be impersonated by a peacock with good fashion sense.
The chatter inside the room grew louder as the conversation drifted from expensive handbags and luxury cars to "business talk" that clearly none of them understood.
Then one of the women leaned forward eagerly.
"So, Miss Valen, now that you're done with your studies, what are your plans next?"
Selene's brows arched ever so slightly from her spot behind the door.
Done?
She tilted her head, amusement flickering in her eyes.
I didn't know I already graduated.
Her lips curved into a faint smile.
Impressive.
She didn't even bother researching properly just assumed we're at the same age. Brilliant deduction, really.
Inside, the impostor gave a modest laugh, pretending to blush.
"Ah, my parents have been talking about marriage lately. I didn't know which one to choose. There are... a lot of proposals."
The room gasped in delight.
"Really!?"
"How romantic!"
Selene nearly rolled her eyes.
"Yeah," the girl continued proudly, "Have you heard about the Montclair clan? Their family actually sent me a marriage proposal."
That got Selene's attention.
Her smile froze for a second before a quiet, amused exhale left her lips.
Montclair?
Oh, how wonderfully ironic.
The first Montclair Selene thought was the guy named Jaxen.
Uh? Why did that name pops up?
She immediately shakes her head and continue to listen. The others gushed even more.
"The Montclairs! That's huge! I heard they're a family full of heirs mostly men born into their bloodline."
"Lucky you! You'll marry into power."
The impostor flipped her hair, smiling as if she were already wearing a crown.
"Well, that's not all. The Ward family also sent a proposal, but I don't really like the one they offered. He's still studying."
Selene's lips parted slightly in disbelief, a quiet laugh threatening to slip out.
The Wards too?
She didn't know whether to feel flattered or insulted that her impostor was speedrunning every high-profile family in the city like a dating app.
Unbelievable.
Selene disappear from the public, and suddenly there's a discount version of me handing out engagement fantasies. It's kind of insulting, honestly.
She crossed her arms, leaning lightly against the wall, expression calm yet sharp. If she wasn't mistaken, the Ward heir she mentioned...
was Ethan Ward.
Selene closed her eyes for a brief second, exhaling through her nose in disbelief.
Of course it's him, because why wouldn't it be?
When she opened them again, her gaze returned to the door, her voice low enough for only herself to hear.
"Keep digging your own grave," she murmured, her tone smooth and cold.
"You're doing such a lovely job at it."
And with that, Selene turned on her heel, quietly heading back toward the hallway a small, knowing smile tugging at her lips.