“Aunt, please don’t have the secretary write a check for now. That piece of land is worth twenty million. I’m afraid of carrying such a large check; it might get lost.”
At this point, Charlotte had already opened her handbag and took out a check. The amount on the check was only one million. This was the price of that piece of land twenty years ago, and she didn’t intend to redeem it at its current market value.
Isabella’s words caused a slight crack in Charlotte’s perfect smile. She awkwardly stuffed the check back into her bag.
Emily stood on the side, her eyes red with anxiety. In her view, Mrs. Brown didn’t favor her because she didn’t have as substantial a dowry as Isabella.
Isabella ignored them and turned to David, “Dad, your old classmates and colleagues all know that the land deed of the ancestral house is in my mom’s name. If you use your ex-wife’s things as a dowry for your stepdaughter, it will only make people laugh. Besides, Brown family doesn’t insist on that piece of land. Mrs. Brown is a reasonable person. I will go to Brown family myself one day to explain; she will surely understand.”
“You’re so busy with your acting now; you shouldn’t be bothered by these things. Emily and I will go there in a few days,” Charlotte said anxiously.
Brown family was unaware of this matter. If it were exposed, Mrs. Brown would seize the opportunity to make things difficult and sarcastic for Emily.
“Then, Aunt, I’ll trouble you with that.” Isabella said smoothly, her eyes and smile carrying a hint of cunning.
Charlotte hesitated for a moment, realizing she had been outsmarted by this little girl.
“Alright, let’s discuss this later,” David ended the topic with a single sentence, then instructed the servants to bring in the dishes.
Charlotte and her daughter ate without much appetite, while Isabella, for once, was in a good mood.
After enduring the meal, Emily, still forcing herself, slammed down the chopsticks and went upstairs.
Afraid that she might cause trouble, Charlotte followed her back to the room.
Once the door was closed, Emily exploded.
“James’s mom already looks down on me because of my illegitimate status. Now, without that piece of land as a dowry, if I marry over, I’ll only be at the mercy of others. I might as well not get married!”
“What nonsense are you talking about? The wedding date is already set; how can you not get married? Even though Brown family’s conditions may not be as good as the four major families, they are still prominent in Ithaca town, and James is young and promising.” Charlotte earnestly persuaded.
“What about that piece of land?” Emily pressed.
Charlotte sighed, “Your dad personally couldn’t solve it. Eleanor said, to get that piece of land as a dowry, we’d have to wait for her to die.”
“Why doesn’t she just die sooner! A person who’s half a body in the grave still cares about these external possessions.” Emily said viciously.
Charlotte could only shake her head in resignation.
“What about my sister? She must have a plan.” Emily anxiously grabbed her phone, dialing Victoria’s number.
When Victoria received Emily’s call, she was currently with Caleb, having just enjoyed some passionate moments. Her voice carried a hint of breathlessness.
“The deed is in Eleanor’s hands, and she won’t let go. What can I do? If you’re really angry, go and confront Eleanor. If it weren’t for her back then, Mom could have married Dad, and we would have been legitimate daughters of the Harris family. Eleanor doesn’t live far; I’ll find out which hospital she’s in and send it to you. You don’t need to be polite with her; her daughter has also been played around, and she even had an illegitimate child.”
Victoria hung up, only to find Caleb looking at her with a teasing expression.
“Why are you looking at me like that?” Victoria flirtatiously extended her hand, her soft palm caressing Caleb’s chest provocatively.
He grabbed her hand and, with a bit of force, pressed her beneath him.
Victoria’s moans were enchanting, and he enjoyed her provocative demeanor.
“I remember you and Isabella are competing for the lead role in the new movie,” Caleb said, one hand around Victoria, the other holding a cigarette, exhaling smoke as he spoke.
Victoria, boneless, leaned against him, giggling, “You’re quite well-informed.”
“You can’t beat her?” Caleb smirked, exhaling smoke.
Victoria snorted, “Isabella also doesn’t know whose bed she got into to snatch that role.”
After listening, Caleb chuckled, using the hand without the cigarette to pinch her chin.
“You sly little fox, resorting to tricks when you can’t win. I heard Eleanor recently had surgery and is still in recovery, easily upset. If you instigate Emily to trouble Eleanor, and if something happens to her, Isabella will be busy handling her mother’s affairs and won’t have the energy to compete with you for the role.”
Victoria, with a cute expression, didn’t refute. Obviously, Caleb was right.
“You like me this way. If you prefer someone foolish, go find Evelyn.” Her graceful arms wrapped around Caleb’s neck, offering a kiss.
“Alright, stop clinging. If it happens again, my body won’t withstand it. Sooner or later, I’ll die in your bed.” Caleb put on his clothes, turned around, facing away from Victoria, and the playful smile on his face gradually disappeared.
Although Victoria was shrewd, sometimes she seemed terrifying, using even her own younger sister for her goals.
Emily, dressed to the nines, stood in the elevator, looking down at her phone messages.
With a ding, the elevator doors opened, and she stepped out in high heels.
“How do I get to room 56?” she asked at the front desk.
“Room 56 is in the special ward, go straight and turn left,” the receptionist said with a smile.
Emily, in a pair of crimson stilettos, proudly pushed open the door to room 56.
Inside the ward, Eleanor was sitting on the bed, listening to music. At this time, there were no nurses around.
“What are you here for?” Eleanor, upon seeing Emily, was clearly surprised.
Stepping in with high heels clicking crisply on the floor, Emily, with her chin held high, surveyed the room, thinking: A person half-dead is still staying in such a nice room; it’s a waste of medical resources.
Her gaze finally fell on the smartphone playing music, and she snorted, “Living quite leisurely, aren’t we?”
Eleanor didn’t even lift an eyelid, utterly indifferent.
Eleanor was a typical lady from a prestigious family, poised and elegant. She wouldn’t engage in a dispute with someone like Emily. Moreover, she was a person of refinement and wouldn’t utter anything overly offensive.
“If you have something to say, just say it and leave immediately. I don’t welcome you here.” Eleanor said coldly.
Emily, with a delicate makeup, casually brushed her large wavy curls and smiled, “Aunt, your temper is really something. I’ve come with good news; James and I have set our wedding date two months from now. Today, I’m here to give you the invitation.”
She finished speaking and pulled out a bright red invitation card from her bag, placing it on Eleanor’s bedside table. The color was striking.
Eleanor’s face turned pale, and the hand under the blanket clenched tightly, feigning composure.