Chapter 235

I had to hand it to her. How could a woman cling to me so shamelessly? Did she have no self-respect? Wasn't she once voted "the richest beauty" somewhere? Why was she so insistent on pursuing me? I had thrown unkind words her way and done everything I could to make her feel unwelcome. Yet, nothing seemed to deter her. I was the one who felt exhausted. "Do whatever you want." I couldn't be bothered to give her the time of day. I would only do what I needed to. She trailed behind me, beaming as if she'd won some kind of victory. When I entered the library and found the book, I tried to tune everything else out, focusing entirely on my research into the family. Crystal sat beside me, silent, pretending to read. If it weren't for the way her eyes slid toward me every time I moved, I might have thought she was genuinely interested in the book in her hands. Even though she sat quietly, her natural beauty drew the attention of others in the library. Many sneaked glances at her, which ma