“So you’re not only rude, but you’re also poor.”

Liora stopped mid-step, the words cutting through the morning air like something sharp and deliberate. Slowly, she turned her head, her eyes landing on the speaker. Recognition came instantly.

Mrs. Stone.

Of course.

The woman stood there with that same smug, superior expression Liora had come to despise. Her perfectly styled hair, her expensive clothes, the way she held herself like the world owed her something—it all made Liora’s stomach tighten.