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nOther stockholders became wary and also started to sell their stocks, which continued for two days. People blamed him partially for the market crash. The company whose shares he sold was that of Gayle Silver, who was a big-time politician and a businessman. Gayle Silver was a feared man. No one had ever estimated his wealth because the legend was that they were rich from generations. When this event occurred, although it was like peanuts for Silver, he didn't take it kindly.

nAt the same time, no one knew the amount of money Luke made from that, but it was huge enough for him to step into big circles. There was no looking back after that. By this time, he had married a girl from a high society whose father was also a big time politician. He married his wife partially out of love and partially for political gains.

nClare and Luke had a perfect life until Luke became wayward. He would cheat very frequently and this took a toll on Clare's health.

nThey say that tragedy strikes with many blows at a time and it comes unannounced. Two weeks before her seventeenth birthday, Dawn had come back home after a month of playing feeder rounds across the country. She needed to make the cut off to attend the nationals but just to be able to spend time with her mother and brother on her birthday, she came back early because her father informed her that her mother, Clare, had become gravely ill.

nThere were signs of poisoning in her body but the doctors were unable to understand how her blood was showing signs of poison because she had not eaten anything, which was toxic. There was nothing that would show that she had been attacked by an enemy. Clare had slid into a coma and doctors explained that she had a heart attack.

nEach and every CCTV camera of the house was checked for evidence but nothing came up. There was only one possibility that there was someone after her with a highly advanced way of killing people. Many investigations were carried, but to no avail.

nClare died within three days. Dawn was devastated. The only person she was very close to, left her so soon. Her grief was so huge that she didn't notice what was going on around her.

nA month later, Helena came into their lives. According to the butler of the house, she had been Luke's mistress for a year already. A Hollywood model, she stuck to Luke like glue. She was everywhere around him, and it greatly peeved Dawn. What vexed her more was that Helena's twenty-year old nephew followed her two months later. She maintained her distance from that brat, but Helena tried her best to push him towards Dawn. She even suggested to Luke that Jason would be a wonderful suitor for Dawn. Man, how Dawn hated the two of them. She ignored Jason's advances every time.

nShe could never understand as to why her father was so much into Helena. Was there something that he was hiding?

nHer nephew, Jason, was the type who cried for attention. Cried was an understatement—he died for attention. Helena gave a huge party for Jason in order to introduce him to the social circles. She had invited a lot of media in order to garner attention. What could be better than having Luke's Wyatt's support? She used his position to the full. Dawn never wanted to attend the party, but was forced by her father to be present there. So in order to look as inconspicuous as possible, she wore a very simple black evening dress.

nIn the party, Jason drank heavily and flirted with a girl of a prominent businessman to the extent that she freaked out. Unfortunately, it caught the media's attention and the incident was garnering a storm. While Luke and Helena were socializing with others, it was Dawn who noticed flashes of cameras around Jason. She went near only to find that he was literally falling over that girl.

nShe instructed the security to stop the journalists from taking pictures to salvage Jason's reputation. After that, Dawn walked to him and said in a low voice,

"Stop creating a fuss. Media is taking pictures.

"

nIn a slurry voice, Jason replied,

"Mind your own business. Are you jealous of this girl because she wears designer clothes and looks far better than you?

"

nDawn crossed her hands across her shoulders as her brows creased.

"Don't judge people with what they wear.

"

nJason sized her up and then let out a throaty laughter. He ridiculed her all the more,

"Of course yes! Only a plain Jane can make such statements.

" He broke into a fit of laughter, which attracted more crowd. He was already angry at her for rejecting him.

"Or is it that you vie for my attention?

" he asked lewdly.

nDawn took a deep breath and thought about what a buffoon Jason was. Only a foolish man could even speak like that. She was actually embarrassed of him because eventually his foolishness was going to come back to her father.

"Do you think that I need a dress to create an impression here?

" She waved her hand in the air and growled,

"Look around you. Everyone knows me at this party. But who knows you? Surely, you are the one desperate for attention because no one even knows who you are so back off and don't create a drama.

" She turned to leave brushing an invisible speck of dirt from her sleeve. However, she stopped and looked back at him.

"It's the attention that needs me, not me who needs it!

"

n

"You-

" Jason gave her dagger looks and then lunged towards her, only to be held by the security guards. He was later carried away.

nHis relationship soured with Dawn. He wouldn't leave an opportunity to show her down, and she wouldn't leave an opportunity to put him in his place with her smart answers.

nHelena was very sweet with Dawn. She would always talk to her gently and in a refined way. As a model, she was groomed to be the best.

nThe thing was that Dawn often thought that Helena was like a white lotus. So instead of confronting her, even Dawn was extremely polite with her. It was different, however—that politeness was more like poison twirling in the air around them.

nDawn had tried to mention it to her grandmother, Lily, but the old lady never listened to her. She dismissed Dawn every time ever since Dawn was child because she hated her mother, Clare, and Dawn was the replica of her mother, only more beautiful with very defined features.

nLuke's mother had failed to prevent the marriage between her son and his wife. She opposed it vehemently because she was power-hungry and didn't want the focus to be taken away from her, especially after Luke had earned so much. Her greediness to acquire it all was beyond words. How could she let any other woman have all that wealth?

nShe played the victim card of staying alone and missing her son, so Luke had called his mother to stay with them in their villa. Everything was going fine with Lily until Clare came in her life.

nDespite his mother's protest, Luke married Clare. Lily made no attempt to dislike her daughter-in-law. She bullied her in as many ways as possible. She would always be present in the parties ahead of her and make Clare walk behind the mother and son in order to show everyone her position. She even brought her daughter and her husband to help share Luke's responsibilities.

nSo when Clare died, Lily didn't even opt for investigations. She took her grandson, Cole, upon herself to bring him up, leaving Dawn to fend for herself. It's not that Dawn was not looked after. She had a plethora of servants to take care of her. The mansion's butler loved her a lot, and disliked the way that she was unnecessarily treated badly by Lily. What vexed him more was that Lily's daughter, Anne, was not at all bothered about her mother's behavior. He understood that Anne was interested in two things—her brother's wealth and Helena.

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