Chapter 109 Stunned
They sat down directly across from Elizabeth and Rebecca.
Since Elizabeth and Rebecca were in a dark corner and sitting sideways, no one noticed them.
A group sat down, but Brenda and Angela didn't join the other girls.
One sat next to Richard, the other next to Hubert.
The four of them shared a large sofa, with the men in the middle and the women on the sides.
After ordering drinks, Richard and Hubert started chatting.
Brenda and Angela poured drinks. The four of them looked like two couples.
Elizabeth, with her good hearing, could roughly make out their conversation.
Richard was talking to Hubert about investing in a TV series.
Apparently, Hubert was going to invest in Enrique's new show.
Elizabeth asked Rebecca, "Have Richard and Hubert always been close?"
She didn't know Hubert well; he had gone abroad right after she came to Clifftonshireburg.
Rebecca whispered, "Richard, Hubert, and Eugene were high school classmates. They were good friends back then."
She added, "Richard is two years older than us. He took a two-year break from school and joined our grade later."
That's how she had known Richard.
Eugene had transferred to Clifftonshireburg his freshman year, but because of Gary, Rebecca hadn’t returned right away. When she was a sophomore, Gary passed away, but she didn't want to join her brother right away, determined to stay and support Elizabeth. However, the vast inheritance left behind drove Amy to persuade Janet and Orlando to transfer Rebecca back to Clifftonshireburg that year, and soon she was in the same class as Eugene, Hubert, and Richard.
In an act of rebellion against Amy, Rebecca pretended to be a poor student at first. Despite her solid academic foundation from studying with Elizabeth, she purposefully filled in random answers during exams, keeping her at the bottom of rankings.
Amy was furious at Rebecca's grades, more due to embarrassment than concern for Rebecca’s future. With Percy and Eugene consistently ranking in the top three, Amy faced constant criticism from the family for her neglecting her duty as a mother. Rebecca found the look on Amy's face amusing every time her scores were mentioned.
In their grade, Hubert reigned as the top student, even better than her brothers. When Rebecca was transferred, the teacher seated her next to him. Initially, Hubert's cold demeanor rebuffed her attempts at conversation. She quickly gave up on engaging him.
Later, a boy who wasn't in school pursued her.
She didn't accept and told him to get lost.
His ex-girlfriend found out and brought a dozen people to confront her.
She was good at fighting, but there were too many of them.
In a moment of inattention, the girl picked up a brick and aimed it at her head.
Hubert happened to pass by, threw his backpack at the girl, saving her head.
He then walked in and knocked down several boys surrounding her.
Although Hubert had a cold demeanor, he was good-looking and always a good student.
Seeing him fight in his school uniform made her suddenly find him very handsome, and she felt a flutter in her heart.
Because of this incident, she stopped pretending to be a poor student and worked hard to catch up with him.
She often pestered him with academic questions.
He would appear impatient but would explain the problems in detail.
Other girls tried to ask him questions, but he would coldly refuse.
Every month, she would pester him to go out and play.
He would act unwilling, but he always showed up at the agreed place.
For the Scholastic Assessment Test, she worked hard to get into the same university as him and, following his advice, majored in economics and management.
In their junior year, he completed all his undergraduate courses, earned all his credits, graduated early, and got accepted into a graduate program abroad.
Before he went abroad for school, he told her he planned to start a company overseas and hinted she could join after graduation.
They kept in touch even after he left. Though he couldn't respond right away, he always replied to her messages.
When she struggled with her studies, he patiently helped her through video calls.
After graduating, she went abroad to join his company and found out he had a secretary.
Angela seemed entirely focused on him, which led to arguments. He insisted there was nothing between them and told her not to overthink it.
Whenever she tried to pursue a romantic relationship, he changed the subject.
They fought a lot because of Angela.
Before returning home, they had planned a dinner, but he missed it to visit Angela in the hospital when she fell ill.
They had a big fight over it.
Seeing Elizabeth break up with Eugene decisively, she felt exhausted and decided to let go, returning home to be with Elizabeth.
Elizabeth said, "No wonder they seem so close. Hubert is even investing in Enrique's show."
That was the first time she had heard Rebecca's high school story after they parted ways.
Rebecca said, "If I had known he was your brother back then, I would have hit him."
Although she and her brother were classmates with Richard, the Clark family wasn't openly searching for the lost daughter back then, and no one in the elite circles or the Baker family had mentioned the Clark's story to them.
Richard had mentioned Brenda affectionately, but they hadn't known she wasn't his biological sister.
Moreover, Elizabeth and Richard didn't look much alike.
So they hadn't connected Elizabeth with the Clarks.
Later, when they found out Elizabeth was Richard's sister, they were all surprised.
Elizabeth chuckled. "It's okay. If I get the chance, I'll hit him myself."
While they were talking, Brenda picked up a glass of wine and choked, coughing and turning red.
Richard immediately patted her back.
Brenda leaned into his arms, acting spoiled and asking for comfort.
In Richard's arms, Brenda wrapped one arm around his neck, rubbing her face against his chest.
Richard held her, soothing her and wiping the wine from her mouth with a tissue.
Rebecca took a photo and exclaimed, "Is the Clark family raising daughters or wives for their sons?"
This didn't look like sibling behavior at all.
Even when she and Eugene were close as kids, they never acted like this.
After returning to Clifftonshireburg, their sibling relationship had become strained and distant.
Forget about hugging; Eugene wouldn't even pat her head or let her hold his arm at events.
Elizabeth had been shocked to see Brenda and her five brothers being so intimate when she stayed with her family back then.
"Exactly, Brenda has always been like this."
Elizabeth noticed that the five brothers acted this way because Brenda had guided them to make it a habit.
Then Elizabeth's gaze fell on Angela, sitting not far from the two, and she was suddenly astonished.
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