Chapter 24

Ann Reed really was a stunner. When she made her debut, dressed in striking red with bold lipstick and those long legs, she turned heads the second she appeared. Her beauty was the kind that didn't need tweaking—it was all-natural. Twelve years later, even though she’d lost a bit of that baby-face plumpness, age only added an elegant charm. Maria paused for a second, wondering if she’d unknowingly offended her or something. But nope, they'd never even met before, so where’s the hostility coming from? Something about Ann Reed’s stare made her skin crawl—like, actual goosebumps. Honestly, Maria wasn’t about to waste time arguing. She ignored her, opened up her makeup case, and casually hit ‘record’ on her phone before slipping it into her bag. She glanced at Grace, noticing the tension all over her face, and threw her a silent “don’t panic” with a look. Ann Reed frowned when she didn’t get a response. “Hey, you! I’m talking to you. Did you not hear me?” There had always been rumors swirl