Chapter 85

Johnny found himself wondering if he truly understood James anymore.

There had been a time when he was certain they were close, their small age gap making Johnny feel as though he knew everything about James.

Now, he could not shake the feeling that he was staring at someone completely unfamiliar.

Was it possible that James had fallen under Grace's spell too, just like their parents had?

Not long ago, Johnny was convinced that he and James were the only ones in sync within the family.Was he wrong?

"James, don't tell me you're another one who's fallen for Grace's act. Why should I have to treat her like a sister when even Gianna never got that title? And another thing-Mom actually gave her the special

mug. The one you just brought in was supposed to be for me and Mom!" he blurted out.

James heard his brother's frustration and simply shook his head, finding Johnny's behavior more childish than ever. Arguing about a mug seemed completely ridiculous to him.

"Just give it a rest. Like Mom said, we're supposed to be one big family." James spoke those words to Johnny, though it sounded like he was reminding himself too.

He finished what he had to say and walked out,unwilling to waste more time bickering with Johnny.

"Yeah right, as if I care about playing happy family with her. Grace is way too sneaky," Johnny muttered to himself, even though James was gone.

There was never a moment when Johnny truly liked Grace. He always felt like her presence left him on the outside of his own family.

The one thing he refused to forgive was how she

tried to come between him and Beatrice, making it sound like Beatrice was seeing some older man! The idea seemed impossible to him.

The more he dwelled on it, the more agitated he became, so Johnny reached for his phone and sent Beatrice a message, hoping she would reassure him.

Even after waiting quite a while, he received no reply from her. He assumed she had probably already gone to sleep, since she always stuck to her bedtime schedule.

At that very moment, however, Beatrice was resting in another man's arms.

Her parents barely paid attention to her, wrapped up in their own concerns, so they never questioned where she went or what she did. Things were much different for Johnny, who grew up under strict rules at home.

As the days passed, all the seniors became completely absorbed in preparing for the SATs,pouring their energy into this single pursuit.

With so much pressure in the air, only a small handful seemed calm and at ease.

A wave of happiness washed over Adrianna today.

The dark mark on her face, which doctors once claimed could never be removed, had vanished entirely.

Grace took one look and offered a nod of satisfaction. "That's impressive. The treatment worked even faster than I expected.It's half a month early."

Clearly, Adrianna had followed every instruction closely, and that effort paid off with such amazing results.

Gratitude filled Adrianna's voice as she squeezed Grace's hand. "Grace, I can't thank you enough. If it weren't for your help, I wouldn't feel as confident as l do now."

For a while now, that dark mark had been fading, and that alone had lifted her spirits.

This morning, when she woke to see her skin clear and glowing, a burst of pure joy ran through her.

Beauty meant a great deal to Adrianna, so she could not help but feel deeply grateful and thrilled.

"Try not to worry about how you look. You have a beautiful soul. You know, there's beauty everywhere,but finding someone with a beautiful soul is rare. Just believe in yourself," Grace explained.

Of everyone in the class, Adrianna stood out as Grace's dearest friend, and seeing her this happy made Grace feel truly delighted.

"Maybe so, but I owe you so much. If there's ever a day you need anything, I'll be there right away!"Adrianna said, her voice full of genuine gratitude,secretly thinking she would do almost anything for Grace. Even if it meant blurring the lines between friendship and something more.

Grace just laughed it off and waved her hand. "You don't need to make a big deal out of it."

Honestly, compared to treating Colton's serious condition, helping Adrianna with a mark feIt like a minor favor.

Her thoughts drifted to Colton again. For reasons she could not explain, he kept finding his way into her mind.

She gave her head a quick shake, determined to push thoughts of him away.

A voice rang out, surprised and loud. "Wait, did Adrianna really lose that giant mark?"

Someone else chimed in, "How did she pull it off?Without that mark, she's actually pretty, even prettier than Beatrice!"

"Looks like she didn't just lose that mark. Her skin's so much clearer and brighter. She's glowing now!"

Many classmates had been watching Adrianna's progress quietly, noticing every little change.

Now that her skin looked so healthy and the ugly mark was gone, the change seemed more impressive than anything a surgeon could do.

Charles could not help but notice how different Adrianna looked, too.

News traveled quickly, and once the girls in the class realized Grace was behind the transformation, all of them wanted to know her secret.

After all, almost everyone wanted to feel beautiful.