Chapter 25

The masterminds behind it all were Ivy and Jack. It was only then that I realized beneath Ivy's gentle and intellectual facade lay a heart full of malice. I shook my head and waited for her to continue. "That's good," Ivy said as she took my hand. "There shouldn't be a grudge that lasts overnight between a father and a daughter, right?" I pulled my hand out of hers. "Just say what you need to say. There's no need to beat around the bush." Ivy looked slightly embarrassed and awkwardly clenched her fists before finally speaking. "You scored second in Yardville on the college entrance exam. Jack thinks you've brought him a lot of pride, so he wants to throw you a graduation banquet." I let out a cold laugh. A banquet? Or was it just an excuse to parade me around to see how much I was worth? "Fine." I agreed and nodded. "But I want 50 thousand dollars. I'll need to buy clothes and school supplies for the new semester. Is that okay?" If they wanted something from me, then I'd demand