Under the Heiress' Facade

Sunday came in the blink of an eye. At ten in the morning, Leon drove out of the residential area and dropped Hera and Catherine off at Imperial Hotel. Hera was clad in an ivory satin gown, while Catherine wore a simple teal dress.

The opulent banquet hall was teemed with a crowd dressed to the nines. Everyone was mingling, as refined society did at events like this one. When Hera and Catherine showed up, they immediately earned questioning looks from the other guests.

The party guests hailed from affluent backgrounds. They had pulled up to the hotel in style, with their flashy rides, designer clothes, and fancy jewelry. As such, they were stunned when Hera and Catherine arrived in a modest car. While their dresses were of fine make and cutting, the lack of designer tags drew criticism from the high-balling crowd.

They were subjected to the nouveau riche's scorn when they stepped out of the modest sedan.

"Please tell me those two hobos came to the wrong place," one of them remarked.

"Isn't that Dr. Miracle? Her clinic was all anyone could talk about when it opened not too long ago. I heard many important people showed up for the opening," someone else mentioned.

"You'd expect her to dress a little better for an occasion like this."

"They've probably never attended an event like this. I bet they didn't get the memo to dress up for fine society."

"They were sequestered in the mountains before this and only recently set up business in the city. They've probably never been to a party."

The guests chattered among themselves, judging Hera and Catherine's less-than-impressive entrance.

Hera and Catherine ignored the event hosts and did not bother mingling with the crowd. Instead, they made a beeline for the food and began indulging themselves. At the sight of this, the condescending discussion around them grew louder.

"You'd think they'd been starved before this!"

"I mean, they might as well eat while they're here. It's not like they can have food prepared by Imperial Hotel anytime they fancy."

"I doubt they would ever make it through the doors of Imperial Hotel if Ms. Chime hadn't invited them."

"True. Riff-raff isn't allowed inside Imperial Hotel. The Killians would never allow an unseemly crowd to besmirch their hotel chain's good name."

Camille wore a figure-hugging red

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dress with a matching cape. Her long dark hair cascaded past one shoulder. She was holding a champagne flute while exchanging pleasantries with the guests she passed by.

Contempt flashed in her eyes when she noticed the crowd pointing and commenting on Hera, who was helping herself to the buffet.

Such was the difference between them. Where Camille was lauded by refined society, Hera was condemned by them.NôvelDrama.Org (C) content.

Snorting, Camille kept her chin up and squared her shoulders as she greeted the guests who filed into the hall. She basked in their praises, glowing with every compliment.

At that moment, Julia entered and informed her that the honored guests had arrived. Camille beamed and immediately went to usher them in.

"Welcome to the party, Mr. Killian, Aurora, Mr. Winston, Mr. Dane, Mr. Bloom, Mr. Peterson, and Mr. Jacobs."

Once again, Camille became the center of attention when the honored guests arrived.

Rhett and Aurora hailed from two of

the most influential families in Jedburgh. They were accompanied by the mayor of Jedburgh, Eddy Winston, the Commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration Vincent Dane, the president of the Alternative Medicine Association, Oscar Bloom, the president of the Modern Medicine Association, Carl Peterson, and the head of the Health Department, Francis Jacobs.

These guests were esteemed in their own right. They held influential positions and were the authority of the country's medical world.

Behind them were well-dressed

female attendants holding up

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banners on which were written things like "An angel who brings light into the medical world", "A. healer whose kindness and altru have become a legacy", "A saint who watches over the sick and injured", and "With every silver needle, she weaves miracles into the lives of many".

Each praise was an affirmation of Camille's medical skills. With each banner that passed, the party guests grew even more excited.