The person standing in front of Albina was none other than Mrs. Thorn.
Unlike before, today the old woman wore a smile on her face, but it was uncertain whether it was a forced smile, her face, which was already old, was full of wrinkles. In the dim light, she looked like a ghost in a horror movie, giving people quite a fright.
Albina covered her chest, startled, her heart beating violently.
-Albina, you’re back at last. I’ve been waiting for you standing at your door for so long that my legs have gone numb,” the old woman said as she approached the girl to pull her hand using the cane.
Noticing her strange attitude, Albina dodged her, looked at her with and asked:
-What are you here for? How do you know I live here?
Albina had already learned that the news had gone viral on social media and had attracted the attention of superiors. As a result, Ramon was kicked out of his post and almost lost his entire fortune to barely avoid being put in jail.
“Since the old lady has been able to make a fuss in the company, she must already know that this matter has something to do with me. Nevertheless, why are you treating me so kindly now? You must have sought me out with some intention.”
Instantly, many speculations ran through Albina’s head, and finally Umberto came to mind.
To her, Umberto was just Umberto, but to those insatiable people in the Espina family, he was a big fish they wanted to take advantage of.
After clearly knowing her grandmother’s true motive, Albina became less tense.
Sensing her granddaughter’s unkind attitude, Mrs. Espina became very angry inwardly, but still kept the fake smile on her face and said:
-I am your grandmother, it is clear that I know where you live! Look, Umberto is so wealthy, but he only bought you an old apartment, which is much more humble than your old house.
Albina let out a giggle and said with some impatience:
-Grandma, tell me directly what you want and don’t beat around the bush so much.
Today she had had a very busy day and was very tired, so she didn’t have so much energy or time to listen to the old woman’s hypocritical nonsense.
-Albina, my legs are already numb, can you let me in and we’ll talk? -Mrs. Espina gently tapped her thighs and looked at her granddaughter with some expectation in her eyes.
Today she had come with a task. As long as Albina would let her go into the parlor, she could stay there pestering her insistently. Her granddaughter couldn’t kick her out of the house, could she?
When she could live here, Mrs. Espina would plan to attentively take care of Albina with love and gentleness, because she believed that in this way, Albina, who had such a soft heart, would definitely accept her back. Until then she herself and her eldest son’s family would be able to continue living a luxurious life as before.
Albina glanced at the poor old woman’s hunched back and hesitated for a moment before taking the keys out of her pocket.
Just as the old woman flashed a happy smile, Albina quickly opened the door, stepped inside and slammed it shut.
The old woman, who had not yet had a chance to enter, was instantly dumbfounded, staring at the closed door with a stunned expression.
“You damned Albina, how dare you leave me outside the door like that! You ungrateful bastard, just like your father, were you born to piss me off!”
As the old woman cursed in her heart, the door suddenly opened again from the inside.
Albina poked her head through the door and caught her grandmother’s ugly expression from extreme anger. That hideous face, under the scarcity of illumination, looked quite like the face of an evil ghost.
Albina made a sneering grimace and said mentally:
“Grandmother, I know you used to be surrounded by bows and flattery from others, and that it must have been quite difficult for you to lower yourself in front of me. But, since you have something to ask of me, can’t you put up with this for a while?”
Then, he returned to the living room, pulled out a chair and pointed to it as he spoke:
-Grandmother, if you feel tired, sit in the chair to rest for a while. I won’t let you in my house because I don’t trust your personal quality.
Mrs. Espina’s expression turned uglier as she heard her clever granddaughter’s words.
“I didn’t expect this damn little girl to have such a guard on me. Looks like I have to find another way for her to let me live here with her voluntarily.”
The old woman didn’t refuse the chair Albina offered her, as she had been standing for a long time waiting and couldn’t stand any longer.
Albina could tell that the old woman’s legs were shaking. Although she didn’t like it, she was her own grandmother anyway, so it was impossible for Albina to stand with her arms folded watching this one droop with exhaustion, which was not her way.
After the old woman sat up nicely in the chair, Albina asked:
-Well tell me straight out what you want from me today.
The old woman stopped the fake smile on her face, feeling indignant inside with Albina for her harsh way of speaking, then sighed and said:
-I know you hold a grudge against your uncle and me because we took your father’s inheritance from you. But, think about it: back then, how could you and your mother keep so much property, being alone? Child, you have to understand that we did it for your own good….
-Stop it! -Albina interrupted her and looked at her indifferently, “If you really wanted to help us keep my late father’s inheritance, why did you throw us out of the house when I was blind and my mother was seriously ill! You were trying to do away with my mother and me to prevent us from recovering the estate, weren’t you?!
The old woman shot an angry look at her granddaughter before saying:
-How can you think so badly of your uncle and me?!
-Aren’t they bad? I haven’t seen them do anything good since I was a child,” Albina scoffed. I’m not a three-year-old girl and don’t try to fool me with those ridiculous words. I am an orphan, but I don’t want the false kindnesses of greedy relatives like you. If you have something to discuss with me, then tell me honestly your real intention and negotiate with me seriously. However, if you want to move me by taking advantage of family feelings, you can go now. The elevator is this way and the stairs are that way.
Albina’s harsh and decisive words left the old woman speechless on the spot, looking grim.
“How could John, such a cowardly and useless man, have raised such an aggressive and vindictive daughter?”
Repressing the anger inside, Mrs. Espina said:
-Albina, since you have said that, I will not speak frankly with you. Your uncle and I have realized our mistakes we make, but we have spent all your father’s property. Your uncle was recently dismissed from his position and lost almost all the money to avoid prison, so now the whole family is left in quite a difficult situation and we are not able to pay you back at the moment.
-What you mention, I already know. Keep talking,” Albina said with a cold face, paying no heed to his complaints.
The old woman gritted her teeth and cursed her inwardly, but continued in appearance: -Your uncle and I have talked and decided to transfer the house to you.
Hearing these words, Albina was quite surprised.
“Are you willing to give me the house! Has the sun risen from the west today?”
Albina did not believe that these greedy and insatiable relatives would return the house to her so easily. That old house was not as valuable as Umberto’s luxurious villa, but it was a considerable fortune in Sogen City, where land prices were sky-high.
“Ramon is already almost bankrupt, so how could he be willing to give up such an important house, which could be the last lifeline for him at the critical moment if he sold it?”
Thinking thus, Albina fixed her eyes on her grandmother and said:
-And the conditions? You won’t hand over the house to me with nothing, will you? Just tell me straight out what the conditions are.
“What a sly bitch!”
The old woman smiled awkwardly and replied:
-Your fiance is Umberto, such a powerful and wealthy character, and your uncle is in such a tight spot. He’ll give us a hand, won’t he?
Albina smiled sarcastically after hearing the latter’s words.
“As I thought, it turns out that a price is required to get the house back.”
While watching her expression carefully, the old woman continued:
-We don’t ask much of you. I only hope that Umberto can get a job in the Santangel Group for your uncle. It will be better if it is an idle position that he can profit from. There are many of us in the family and we have to move back to the old house we used to live in if we give the house back to you. Besides, Alex has reached the age to start his own family. After getting married, he will have children of his own very soon. Until then, no doubt, the old house will not be able to fit so many members of such a large family, so I hope Umberto can help us in….
Albina made an ugly grimace as she saw her grandmother becoming more and more insatiable.
The old woman was talking cheerfully, immersed in her own illusions, without discerning her granddaughter’s somber expression.
Just as she was thinking about how to ask Albina for more benefits, she saw that Albina moved and turned her back on her.