Ghost Exorciser: The Oust Fake Heiress Strikes-Chapter 253: Birthday

Betty straightened a little, her tone bright.

"It’s my birthday this week. My parents, especially my father, are hosting a banquet here."

Lana accepted the invitation and nodded in acknowledgment.

Betty hesitated, fingers tightening around the strap of her bag, before adding carefully,

"If you’re uncomfortable, I can uninvite Fay."

The words caught Lana off guard. She paused and looked at Betty with mild surprise.

"Don’t you and Fay have a much stronger friendship than you do with me?"

Lana wasn’t stupid enough to think that 1 month’s friendship could replace 3 year long friendship.

Betty nodded honestly.

"I do have a longer history with Fay, but that doesn’t mean I’ll blindly indulge her. She was wrong this time. If it were you, I’d talk it out with you as well."

Hearing this, Lana couldn’t help but feel a genuine warmth spread through her chest.

Betty’s way of thinking was clearly different from most people she had met. She smiled softly.

"If I come to the party..." She paused, then asked with a hint of curiosity, "Is there anything I should pay attention to?"

Betty laughed lightly.

"Have you really never been to anyone’s birthday banquet before?"

Lana shook her head.

"I have. I even had a best friend once. We used to make sure we never wore the same dress color. So we had this rule where we’d tell each other the color in advance before choosing what to wear to each other’s birthdays."

Betty laughed again, this time more freely.

"Then it’s simple. I’ve already chosen a blue color. If possible, I hope you can avoid it."

Lana nodded without hesitation. Betty blinked, curiosity flickering in her eyes.

"Don’t you think I’m being unreasonable? Or that your best friend back then was unreasonable?"

Lana shook her head calmly.

"At least on someone’s birthday, it’s their moment to shine. If you still insist on equality and comparisons even then, that would just be stupidity."

She slung her bag over her shoulder and walked away.

Watching her retreating figure, Betty couldn’t help but think that Lana was truly different from everyone else she knew.

Just then, Wade crept up beside Betty and tugged lightly on her sleeve.

"Is Lana coming?"

Betty rolled her eyes and shot him a sideways glance.

"Can you give up on Lana already?"

Wade shook his head earnestly.

"I really like her. If she can’t be my girlfriend, then at least let her become my sister-in-law."

Betty frowned, snapped her book shut, and stood up.

"You’re crazy."

With that, she walked off, leaving Wade scratching his head.

The next day arrived quickly, and Lana had a meeting scheduled.

When the time came, she met Naina, and together they went to find Monica.

Soon, all three of them were seated inside a private room, the air quiet and heavy with anticipation.

Once the door closed, Monica looked at Lana with unmistakable gratitude shining in her eyes.

"I never thought I’d actually get the chance to meet you."

Lana waved her hand casually. "It’s not a big deal."

She then leaned back slightly and continued,

"From the agreement, both of us stand to gain a good percentage of benefits."

Her gaze sharpened as she looked directly at Monica.

"How much influence do you actually have?"

Monica paused, her fingers tightening around her cup before she answered honestly.

"I won’t lie to you. Right now, my team’s influence is far less than the others. There’s a high chance I won’t be able to fully protect all of your information if someone investigates you." 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝙬𝙚𝓫𝒏𝓸𝓿𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝙤𝓶

Lana nodded slowly. She genuinely respected Monica’s honesty, especially since she could have chosen to lie in such a situation.

Meanwhile, Monica’s heart was pounding.

Even though she had decided to tell the truth, nervousness gnawed at her relentlessly.

’If she refuses,’ she thought anxiously, ’I might have to wait a long time before an opportunity like this appears again.’

Monica continued, her voice steady despite the tension weighing on her shoulders.

"However, I promise that one day, when I regain my authority, I will never forget your kindness."

Hearing this, Lana smiled faintly and looked straight at her.

"I’m willing to give you a chance," she said calmly. "So I agree. But I need absolute proof that you’ll repay this favor and grant me stronger authority in return."

At those words, Monica’s eyes brightened, and a hint of excitement flashed across her face.

She quickly pulled out a document, her movements betraying a barely contained anticipation.

Nearby, Naina watched the exchange with a trace of confusion.

’Why does Lana suddenly seem so generous?’ she wondered.

But almost immediately, she dismissed the thought.

Lana had always been like this, generous in her own way, just selective about where she placed that generosity.

Lana, however, wasn’t paying attention to anything else. Her gaze never left Monica’s face.

How could she not recognize her? Monica had once been one of the most renowned officers in the united police system.

Lana knew the legend well, how Monica had single-handedly led her team from a small, obscure unit into one of the largest forces, even earning ties with the government.

If not for that accident, Monica’s life would have been far longer and her influence far greater.

And now, this same Monica was sitting in front of her, asking to sign a contract.

Lana found the timing almost amusing.

The aura surrounding Monica was clean and upright, shimmering gold with a faint hint of purple, an incredibly rare sight.

More importantly, Lana already knew that Monica would rise again one day and become both famous and successful.

’It’s better to secure a place early,’ Lana thought calmly, ’than to wait until the tide turns.’

She smiled gently at Monica, and Monica felt an overwhelming sense of blessing wash over her.

A talisman practitioner like Lana was willing to sign a deal with her.

The thought alone made her chest ache with gratitude. Her eyes grew moist, and she nearly burst into tears.

Swallowing them back quickly, she pushed the contract toward Lana with both hands.