The Mocked Miss’s Hidden Crowns novel Chapter 186

“She’s not bad.” Charlotte completely ignored Olivia and tugged Shirley out from behind her, putting her right in front of Mr. Lane. “You should take her as your student.”

Be Mr. Lane’s student? Shirley’s eyes went wide, her mind buzzing like she’d just hit the jackpot.

Olivia almost laughed out loud. Mr. Lane had turned her down, so how could Shirley possibly have a chance?

Before she could say anything, Mr. Lane nodded. “Alright. Anyone Lottie recommends is the real deal. Shirley, work hard. If you get into The Cabinda University, I’ll personally mentor you.”

Personally mentor her? For most students, being taken on by Mr. Lane was a dream they’d never reach. And now, just like that, the chance had landed in Shirley’s lap. Why her?

“Shirley, hurry and thank Mr. Lane,” Eleanor said softly, honestly happy for her.

“Thank you, Mr. Lane! I promise I’ll work hard!” Shirley nodded, fighting back tears, her face shining with excitement.

The three of them walked off together, chatting and laughing, leaving Olivia standing alone, completely ignored. Her fists clenched tight, her eyes locked on Charlotte’s back, a storm of jealousy and anger brewing inside her. Go on, be proud now, she thought. Let’s see who gets the last laugh.

It took some effort for Charlotte to finally see Mr. Lane off. She dragged a dazed Shirley back to the classroom, only to bump into Andrew, who looked panicked and flustered.

“Charlotte, are you alright?” Andrew looked surprised to see her.

“What could possibly be wrong?” Charlotte shot him a glance, walked straight to her seat, and dropped into her chair. “Got anything to drink?”

“Yeah.” Without thinking, Andrew grabbed the fruit wine from his desk, popped the cap, and handed it to her.

For a second, Andrew’s heart skipped a beat. He couldn’t help but think, Shirley looked even prettier when she smiled.

In the car, Anthony lounged in the back seat, his presence cool and commanding. He held a cigarette loosely, letting the smoke drift lazily through the air, adding to his mysterious vibe.

“Anthony, we didn’t even need to do anything. Ms. Main handled it all,” Hans said from the front.

A proud, almost cocky smile tugged at Anthony’s lips.

“Anthony, should we…” Hans was about to ask if they should head back to the office, but he caught sight of someone in the distance. A slim figure was stumbling toward their car. “Anthony, I think that’s Ms. Main.”

Anthony exhaled a slow stream of smoke, his eyes narrowing as he looked out the window. He saw Charlotte, cheeks flushed and steps uneven. Something was clearly wrong. She looked like she’d been drinking.