You could say that even a top-tier family here could only own a villa at the summit of Clouddream Mountain. Moreover, all the villas at the summit of Clouddream Mountain were already occupied, with no vacancies whatsoever. Jessica had actually put forward a request that Leo couldn’t possibly fulfill.
Furthermore, aside from her, the old lady’s aspiration was not only to elevate the Henley family to a top-tier status but also to reside in the villa area atop Clouddream Mountain.
“Mom, give me a deadline,” Leo’s face displayed no surprise, maintaining his composure.
“Within a year!”
Leo nodded. “Alright!”
Watching Leo head to the bathroom with a mop in hand, Jessica suddenly had a feeling that her son-in-law was different from before. When did this change happen?
Oh right, it was from the moment he started speaking!
Martin also shared a similar thought with Jessica. Observing Leo’s back, he murmured, “Darling, I feel like Leo has changed.”
Jessica struggled to clear her mind of random thoughts and returned to the present matter. “Martin, do you think Mom will come to see Sophia?”
Martin shook his head with a wry smile. “Impossible. Since we moved here, Mom has never visited.”
Back in the bedroom after freshening up, Leo lay on the bed, took his phone, opened the real estate app, and searched for sales information on the Clouddream Mountain villa area.
After browsing for a while, he did find sales information for the Clouddream Mountain villa area. However, the information didn’t indicate it was for sale, but rather for auction.
It stated that the owner of the original villa intended to permanently settle abroad, so they were auctioning off the No. 9 villa, starting at a price of fifty million.
The auction was scheduled for nine months from now.
Leo’s savings in the bank were a little over fifty-three million, just enough for the starting bid.
Of course, Leo wasn’t naive enough to think that slightly over fifty million could secure the villa. The villas at Clouddream Mountain were highly coveted in the entire Langstel. It would probably take close to two hundred million to secure one.
It seemed like he needed to find a way to make some money.
The next morning, after breakfast, Leo, as usual, drove Sophia to her company.
Midway through the journey, Leo changed direction.
Sitting in the passenger seat, Sophia furrowed her brows. “Did you lose your memory? Where are you taking me?”
“You’ll find out when we get there.” To ease the tension, Leo thought it was necessary to take Sophia to the his traditional Chinese medicine clinic.
Once at the clinic, Leo courteously opened the car door for Sophia.
“Why did you bring me here?” Sophia asked.
Leo pointed at the newly hung plaque at the entrance. “This clinic is mine.”
Sophia muttered, “A funny joke.” She was about to get back in the car.
Seeing Sophia’s skepticism, Leo quickly grabbed her hand. “Come with me.”
Leo led her into the clinic’s lobby. The workers who were renovating the place promptly called out, “Dr. Bloomer,” to Leo, then they were about to offer him a cigarette.
Leo waved them off; he wouldn’t mind having one if Sophia wasn’t around. Ever since he became a part of the Henley family, Jessica, Sophia, and Tina couldn’t stand the smell of smoke. So, Leo hadn’t smoked in front of them for four years.
Passing through the lobby and entering the backyard, they reached a small building.
Leo introduced Sophia to Dr. Davy, who was currently brewing medicine.
Leo asked Dr. Davy to explain the details of how he and Renee had come to the clinic and how they had cured his daughter’s leg.
Understanding the whole story, Sophia’s worries dissipated.
In the underground parking lot of the Golden Leaf Shopping Plaza, as Sophia unbuckled her seatbelt, she suddenly said, “Leo, I was wrong to blame you. I apologize.”
“No need to apologize. It would be nice if you could compensate me a little, though.” Leo smiled with a hint of cheekiness.
Sophia’s lips curled up charmingly. “What kind of compensation do you want?”
“Give me a kiss, or let me give you one.” Leo ventured.
Leo thought Sophia would refuse, but she closed her eyes slightly.
The hint was pretty clear.
Unfortunately, Sophia didn’t turn her head, so Leo settled for planting a firm kiss on her cheek.
Watching Sophia walk away from the car, Leo felt a hint of excitement. The journey of a thousand miles had finally taken its first step.
In the evening, the Whatsapp group created by the younger members of the Henley family exploded with activity.
Messages flooded in: “Grandma Teresa is going to Sophia’s house!”
This piece of news spread like wildfire, and almost all the Henley family relatives knew about it.
It should be noted that ever since Teresa settled in Huntstone, she had never visited any relative’s house. She had always presided over the Henley family conglomerate from her base in Huntstone, remotely directing its operations.
“Does anyone know why Grandma wants to visit Sophia’s house?”
“I heard that the negotiation between Bruno and Herbal Magic Cosmetics Company failed, so Grandma wants Sophia to resolve it.”
“Isn’t that a trivial matter? Grandma could’ve just called Sophia directly. There’s no need to come in person.”
“I heard it’s because Sophia is sick.”
“Wow, just in time for an illness. Even Grandma personally came to visit. That’s quite an honor.”
“Do you guys think that if Sophia and Herbal Magic Cosmetics Company collaborate fully, will Bruno be able to reclaim his position as the General Manager of Breeze Cosmetics?”
“I doubt it. Even if he’s the legitimate grandson, a series of failures will definitely impact his position.”
“Anyone who’s with Grandma, please report the latest news in the group.”
Upon receiving the news that Teresa was coming, Martin and Jessica were also taken aback. They had never anticipated that Leo’s words from last night would turn out to be true.
Teresa, the old lady, was already at an age where she was nearing the end of her life. Her only wish was to elevate the Henley family to a top-tier status and then move into the villa area atop Clouddream Mountain.
The opportunity for full collaboration with Herbal Magic Cosmetics Company was right in front of them now. Bruno and Fanny’s failures had pinned her hopes on Sophia.
So, when she heard that Sophia was sick, Teresa didn’t think twice. She immediately came to visit, disregarding everything else.
Time was of the essence now. If Herbal Magic Cosmetics Company managed to collaborate with other companies before them, it would be too late.
Martin and Jessica met Teresa outside the door.
The door of the Mercedes business car opened, and Teresa, supported by Bruno and Fanny, stepped out of the car.
“Mom, why didn’t you call in advance? We should’ve come to pick you up.” Martin hurried over.
“Mom, you’ve come all this way. We feel really guilty about you making the trip in person.” Jessica chimed in.
As Teresa walked inside, she asked while on her way, “I heard Sophia is sick. How is she now? Has she improved?”
This question made both Martin and Jessica uneasy. If Teresa found out that Sophia wasn’t actually sick, the consequences would be unpredictable.