Chapter 13 Our Little Princess
The room fell silent.
Was this really something to be happy about?
Leah, the one supposedly deserving of thanks, couldn’t feel a shred of joy.
Willard’s face darkened. “For something so expensive, why didn’t you get an expert to appraise it before making the deal?”
Valda’s voice shook as she gripped the railing. “Think of the shame! If news spreads that we were foolish enough to be swindled out of such a sum, we’ll become the laughingstock of the other families!”
Olympia’s lips trembled, too shocked to speak. She could already picture the scene–attending social gatherings with other wealthy wives, hearing thent whisper behind her back…
Having the bowl break at home was one thing; being scammed was a public humiliation!
Alec, his face stiff, stepped in to assure everyone. “I’ll handle this.”
Leah’s face flushed bright red with shame. “I’m sorry…
Even Milo hadn’t anticipated this dramatic turn of events. Trying to smooth things over, he added, “Leah only did this for the sake of Zayn. She’s still young and inexperienced, this was a costly lesson, but she’ll be more careful in the future.”
“Well, the Nelsons really is swimming in money, huh? Three hundred million dollars and a simple apology just makes it all go away?”
Charmaine couldn’t help but let out a chuckle, her eyes arching with a smile that was cold and laced with
sarcasm.
Leah clenched her fists, her teeth grinding together so hard they nearly cracked.
The humiliation was a gut punch, a stark contrast to the gleeful anticipation she’d felt moments before. It was as if she’d been the one thrown down the stairs, trampled upon, and shattered.
“You’re right, Chara,” Leah said, her voice shaky.
“An apology alone isn’t enough. It’s my carelessness that led to this embarrassing mix–up, nearly causing a disaster. When Zayn returns, I’ll personally apologize to him. After that, I’ll work hard to earn back the money and pay him back every single dollar
Her thin shoulders trembled, and the image of her earlier fall only made her current vulnerability more pitiful,
Yet despite her distress, she straightened her back and spoke with unwavering determination, insisting that she would repay the 300 million dollars.
Those who had earlier felt frustrated or irritated now softened, pity rising in their hearts once again.
After all, this was the child they had protected, loved, and spoiled from the moment she was born …
brothers your whole life; it’s no surprise you don’t know the ways of the world. It’s not your fault that someone took advantage of your kindness.”
Willard, his mood calming, comforted her as well. “Alee is an outstanding prosecutor. He’ll make sure the scammers face justice. You don’t need to worry about this anymore.”
Olympia stepped forward, taking Leah’s hand in hers. She felt guilty for not comforting her daughter right away, for letting her mind wander and nearly hurting the girl’s feelings.
Gently wiping away Leah’s tears, Olympia spoke softly, her tone full of affection. “Silly child, how could we ever blame our little princess? The ones at fault are the con artists. Don’t worry about repaying the money. Everything in this house is yours.”
Leah’s eyes brimmed with tears as she choked out, “Thank you, Grandma… Thank you, Dad… Thank you, Mom. If you hadn’t forgiven me, I really don’t know what I would have done. I care about all of you so much. I just wanted to make everyone happy before I left… I never expected things to turn out like this…
“Alright, forget about it, no more tears,” Olympia said, pulling her into a hug, her own eyes reddening. “You’re making my heart ache.”
Watching this heartwarming scene, where elders forgave and the younger generation displayed filial piety, Charmaine’s expression grew colder, her features impassive. Even the small red mole beneath her eye seemed to reflect a glint of icy indifference.
Milo turned and caught sight of Charmaine, standing off to the side, looking at them as if she were merely a spectator. That look of detachment strangely pricked him, making him feel unsettled.
“Charmaine, are you disappointed?” Milo sneered. “Did you think we’d turn on Leah because she was scammed? Let me tell you something, Leah’s intentions were for Zayn’s sake, unlike someone as malicious as you!”
His voice dripped with dissatisfaction, clearly convinced that Charmaine had been plotting to ruin Leah.
The more he thought about it, the more he felt the need to provoke her. “You can drop your twisted schemes. Do you really think without Leah we’d suddenly treat you better? Keep dreaming! People like you, selfish and calculating even toward your own family, are beneath our notice!”
Jonah frowned. “Milo, you’re taking it too far.”
It’s the truth. She-”
Before Milo could finish, Charmaine walked past him, not even sparing him a glance, and went straight up to Willard.
She held out a bank card.
“There’s 19,674 dollars in this account. It’s the total of all my expenses since I returned to the Nelsons.”
Milo scoffed. “You’re kidding, right? You’ve been living here for almost four months, and you’ve only spent a little over 19,000?”
Charmaine was completely confident. “If you don’t believe me, have the butler check the accounts. If there’s any shortfall, I’ll pay double.”
Milo was speechless, completely at a loss for words.
Damn it, why did it feel like Charmaine had just slapped me the face with money?
Wait, why the hell did she even have the right to do that?
1
