The Graham Heir—I Am Not An Adopted Nobody

Chapter 33: Watch Carefully

The footsteps grew louder.

They weren't heavy or rushed. They were steady. One of the hotel’s lead security guards stepped away from the shadows at the edge of the hall. His uniform was perfect, and his face was serious as he moved with caution.

The entire audience stayed silent, watching to see who would be hauled away.

The guard stopped right in front of Jane. “Miss." he said respectfully. "is there a problem here?”

Jane stood up straighter. Now that she had an audience and a uniform on her side, her arrogance came flooding back. “She insulted me." Jane snapped, pointing a shaking finger at Anna. “She insulted my family. The Emmetts and she isn’t even on the guest list. Throw her out of this event right now.”

A quiet murmur moved through the nearby guests. They leaned in, hungry for the drama.

The guard turned to Anna. He didn't grab her and he didn't shout; he just looked at her carefully. "Miss," he asked, his voice low. "Is this true?”

Anna didn't look nervous. She didn't look angry, she just looked bored.

“She approached me first," Anna said simply. “She came over here looking for a fight. If anyone should be kicked out, it’s her for harassing a guest.”

The word guest hit the guard like a physical weight.

"And," Anna added, her voice as steady as a heartbeat. "I am related to someone sitting at the VVIP table.”

That changed everything.

The guard froze for a split second. He remembered he had seen the masked guard earlier. He remembered the deep, terrifying bow that the man in the Oni mask had given this girl. He realized in an instant that this was not just a random girl who had snuck in.

The guard straightened his back immediately. “My apologies, Miss," he said to Anna.

Then he turned back to Jane. His tone was no longer helpful. “If this young lady is connected to the VVIP table," he said, choosing his words very carefully. "Then I cannot interfere. I suggest you let this go, Miss Emmett.”

Jane’s face went completely white. “What?” she hissed.

But the guard was already walking away. He went back to his post as if she hadn't said a word.

Just like that, the power shifted again. Anna calmly walked away from the pillar, finding a new spot to stand, looking totally unbothered. Slowly, the guests began to turn their heads back to their drinks. They thought the show was over.

But Jane’s pride was bleeding, and she wasn't going to let it end like this. She marched across the marble floor again, her heels clicking like gunshots. She stopped right in front of Anna.

“How does it feel?” Jane asked, her voice dripping with bitterness. “Are you proud of yourself?”

Anna glanced at her briefly. “About what, exactly?”

“About hiding behind people you know," Jane spat. “About pretending you actually belong in a room like this.”

Anna’s expression didn't change. She just looked through Jane as if she were made of glass.

“You’re still just a poor nobody." Jane continued, her voice getting meaner. “Don’t you ever forget that.”

Anna let out a soft, tired sigh. “I really don't have time for this.”

Jane laughed, a cold, jagged sound. “Of course you don’t. Because tomorrow morning, you have to go back to your pathetic little life.”

Anna’s eyes sharpened. Just a little. “We’ll see each other at Graham Scholars Academy," Anna said calmly. “Because after tonight, my brother and I are taking something back from the Emmetts.”

Jane blinked, confused. “What are you talking about?”

“Something that rightfully belongs to us.”

Jane stared at her. "Wait," she said slowly. “Did you just say Graham Scholars Academy?”

Anna didn't answer. She just looked at her. That silence told Jane everything she needed to know.

Jane’s lips curled into a nasty smile. “So it’s true, you’re a student there. I'm sure you're a scholarship rat too.”

A few nearby guests tried to act like they weren't eavesdropping, but they were hanging on every word. Jane stepped closer, her voice a low sneer.

“When we get back to school on Monday," Jane said. "I’m going to make sure you’re kicked out. You lied to get in. You probably used Avery’s name to trick the admissions office.”

Anna didn't even flinch. Instead, she said something very quietly:

“Watch carefully tonight.”

Jane frowned. “What?”

“Be very observant," Anna continued. “If you actually pay attention, you’ll understand what I meant earlier.”

Jane’s jaw tightened. “You’re bluffing. You have nothing.”

Anna gave her a tiny, knowing smile. “We’ll see.”

“And when you realize what I mean you won't just bow to my brother, your whole family will bow to me begging for a second chance.”

Anna continued with a smirk. "And when that moment comes, I will record and upload it to the net then you will remember I warned you."

Anna didn't wait for her to respond, she walked over to an empty seat and made herself comfortable.

The music slowly started to play again, trying to bring the party back to life. The crowd tried to go back to their polite conversations, but the mood had shifted. The air felt heavy with a secret no one had figured out yet.

Jane finally turned away. She pressed her hand to her face, feeling the heat of her own humiliation. She was frustrated and angry. Her plan had failed for the second time that night.

She walked back toward her brother, her shoulders stiff and her heart full of hate. She didn't realize that the watch carefully warning wasn't a threat, it was a promise that would soon reveal itself.