Chapter 5
The Bennett family villa was even bigger than the Thompson’s.
I shrank behind Ezra, palms sweating.
Uncle Bennett sat on the sofa, sizing me up. I instinctively hid more behind Ezra.
“Dad,” Ezra stepped forward, “you promised me that as long as I was a good heir, Adeline could live here.”
Uncle Bennett kept a stern face, he looked like someone who rarely smiled.
No wonder Ezra doesn’t like to smile either, he’s just like his dad.
My heart pounded, but Uncle Bennett didn’t say much, just arranged for someone to take me to a room.
How does that saying go?
You can’t judge a book by its cover.
Uncle Bennett and Ezra were both very kind to me.
Unlike in the Thompson family, my room in the Bennett villa was beautiful, with a large floor-to-ceiling window. The sunlight streaming in was warm, like a princess’s room in a storybook.
Auntie Taylor, the housekeeper, said that as soon as Ezra returned to the Bennett family, he started setting it up for me. It’s the best-lit room in the villa, even better than Ezra’s.
Uncle Bennett found out I liked playing the piano and hired a piano teacher for me.
After my first piano lesson, I cried for a long time under the covers that night.
It was the first time I felt loved since Mom passed away.
Time flew by, and before I knew it, I was seven.
I started attending the same private school as Ezra.
On the first day of school, I clung tightly to Ezra’s backpack strap at the school gate.
I was terrified everyone would hate me for being a lowly child.
“Ezra, I don’t want to go to school. Can’t I just stay at home?”
He held my shoulders, patiently explaining, “Adeline, you’re grown up now. When it’s time for school, you have to go. If anyone bullies you, just stand up for yourself. If you can’t handle it, tell me, and I’ll get back at them for you.”
“You’re a princess, and being friends with a princess is their privilege.”
To my surprise, my classmates were very friendly.
I even made a great friend named Nora Williams.
During lunch, my desk would be piled with snacks from classmates.
At the orphanage, I only ate expired bread, and at the Thompson house, I often went hungry.
Now I constantly received delicious foods, like I was meant to have them all along.
Dad and my brothers never came to bother me again.
Maybe disappearing from their lives was a good thing.
Ezra said I’ve become more confident now.
At my elementary school graduation, I even performed a piano solo.
“Adeline!”
I had just stepped off the stage when an auntie in a suit stopped me.
She crouched down to meet my eyes, speaking softly, “I’m a manager from Starlight Entertainment. You can call me Auntie Green. Your performance was amazing. Are you interested in shooting commercials? Or acting in TV dramas?”
I clutched the hem of my dress, stepping back.
“Adeline?” Ezra quickly approached, protectively hovering by my side.
Auntie Green immediately stood up, handing over a business card, “Ezra, our company is preparing a family drama. The role of the young female lead is perfect for Adeline. We can discuss the pay, and it won’t interfere with school…”
In the car on the way back, I stared out the window.
Ezra handed me a warm milk, “If you don’t want to go, I’ll turn her down right now.”
I shook my head, asking him, “Ezra, can acting make a lot of money?”
He frowned, “Why do you ask? The Bennett family isn’t short on money.”
“But I want to earn my own. Auntie Taylor said my piano lessons are expensive, and the dresses you bought me cost a lot.”
The car went silent for a few seconds.
“Adeline,” he wiped my mouth gently, “these things are what you should have.”
“I want to try. Auntie Green said acting is simple. Two days on the weekend can earn five thousand.”
Ezra rubbed his temples, looking resigned, “Adeline, the entertainment industry is complicated.”
“But I want to be useful.”
He was silent for a long time, eventually giving in.