When I opened my eyes again, I found myself lying in a hospital bed. As I looked up, I met Sean's worried gaze.

"Ms. Lawson, are you okay?" he asked hesitantly. "The doctors said you're malnourished. I'm sorry. If I had known your condition beforehand, I never would have let you donate blood."

I shook my head. "It's my own problem. It has nothing to do with you. I'm malnourished because—"

"See, I was right!" Vera interrupted gleefully before I could finish. "Cynthia, this is what happens when you don't listen to me! I warned you. These rich people just see you as a walking blood bag!"

She sneered. "It's not too late to regret it now!"

She lunged toward me, trying to pull out my IV.

Luckily, Sean's reflexes were faster. He grabbed her wrist just in time. That small action made Vera jump back in shock. "What are you doing? How dare you touch me! Don't tell me you think I'm as useless as Cynthia that I'd kiss up to rich people?"

I couldn't help laughing as I watched her lost in her own world. If I remembered correctly, this was her classic "play hard to get" move. She had learned it from that book, "Caught the Billionaire's Heart", which claimed that rich men liked fragile, delicate women. Vera was clearly trying to follow that path.

Sean frowned impatiently. "Ms. Hawthorn, if I'm not mistaken, this is a private ward. Cynthia needs rest. Please leave immediately."

Vera, stung by humiliation, crossed her arms and fixed me with a sharp look.

"Cynthia, did you hear that? This is a private ward. Do you know how much this costs per day? Did you earn this money yourself? Right now, you're no better than a worthless parasite. You've thrown away the dignity of a strong, independent woman."

As those words echoed in my ears, I felt my blood boil. If I hadn't taken her advice before, I wouldn't have refused my parents' money for tuition, juggled five jobs a day just to survive, or foolishly handed over three-quarters of my wages to her until I couldn't even afford a meal.

Back then, she had spoken with unwavering certainty about me becoming independent and taking control of my own life.

"I'm your teacher. Pay me every month, or I won't teach you how to thrive in the world! If you fail, your parents will be humiliated, and it'll be too late by then!"

The sheer ridiculousness of it was almost funny, yet I had listened to every word.

I shouted, "Out! This is my ward. You're not welcome here!"

Vera tilted her head and smirked. "Fine! I'm leaving. Don't regret it later! When people call you a sugar baby and a failure, don't think of coming back to me!"

With that, she stormed out. After Vera left, I finally told Sean the real reason I was malnourished. His eyes softened with concern. "Looks like the money I gave you wasn't enough."

I smiled, reaching into my pocket. "No way! This is more than enough for me!"

However, my left pocket was empty. Panic set in as I checked my right pocket, and there was nothing there either.

"My card's gone! And the keys too!"

Just then, the dean, Mr. Robert Harrison, called me.

"Cynthia, where are you?" he asked sharply. "The charity gala is about to start. Are you really going to make it this hard to find you? Vera went to get you herself, and you still didn't show up?"

My mind went completely blank. "What? What charity gala?"

The dean's patience was thin. "You don't even know about something this big?"

He quickly forwarded a news article to me.

"Vera donated ten million dollars to impoverished regions, plus a villa?" I exclaimed.

As I looked up, I accidentally bumped my nose against Sean's.

"You okay?" I asked, reaching out instinctively to check on him.

His ears turned red, and he waved me off. "I'm fine. What is this news about? Vera? You mean that young lady from earlier?"

Sean looked incredulous. "She actually donated that much?"

I pressed my lips together and slammed my fist onto the bed. "That was my money! It was the money you and your father gave me!"

Vera was just an ordinary young lady. There was no way she could afford to donate ten million dollars. Besides, I had just lost 30 million dollars and the villa keys, and she'd immediately made this donation. It was far too coincidental to be real.

Sean suggested calling the police, but I shook my head. I pointed at the university's website. "This is already in the social news. The gala will be broadcast live."

There was no doubt that the live stream was Vera's idea. She craved fame, and now I could give her the spotlight she wanted.

With such a large sum missing, the police would need time to verify the details before taking any action. By the time that happened, the gala would be over and Vera's reputation would already be made.

Sean stayed silent for a few seconds. We exchanged a glance and said in unison, "Let's go to the venue."

Before heading out, we stopped by the security office to get the surveillance footage. It showed that the moment I lost consciousness, Andre and Sean had rushed over, with Vera right behind them. Her attention wasn't on me but on the pocket where I had kept my card and keys.

The charity gala started at 8:00 pm. Sean and I got there at 7:30 pm. Just as we were about to enter, Vera blocked our path.

She leaned against a wooden sign and pointed at us. "Cynthia and trash are not allowed in."

Sean's face turned red with anger. "What are you trying to do?" he demanded.

As the high-profile guests streamed past us, I could no longer hold back. "Vera, we both know where the money and the villa came from. You're stopping me from going in because you're guilty, aren't you? You stole my money and keys to make yourself look good!"

My voice echoed through the entrance, catching the attention of some guests nearby. Vera, however, stood her ground without even flinching.

She lifted an eyebrow and sneered. "Your money? That's rich. Money earned by selling yourself doesn't count. What about your dignity? Have you thrown that away? You're making all women look bad."

Without another word, she pulled out the card and keys and flung them to the ground with disdain. "I would never accept a sugar baby's money."

I stared in shock, but a doubt crept into my mind. Could it be that the money Vera donated really wasn't mine?

Sean quickly picked up the card and immediately made a call. "Let's check how much is in the account."

The result left us both speechless.

The total came to 30 million dollars, not a cent less.