“Is that so?” Ferris replied with a slight smile. “Perhaps.” Relieved by Ferris’ response, Ayla decided to take a chance. “Dr. Frazier, I just sent an urgent email to Dr. Riss. She might be busy. Could you remind her to check it?”
Ayla’s bold lies were fueled by her belief that two hundred million dollars could influence anyone, particularly a young woman like Riss. Young women adore luxury items, from cosmetics to handbags to jewelry, but they need money to enjoy them. Even if Riss wasn’t impressed by her credentials, Ayla was confident the substantial sum would grab her attention
Ayla thought Riss hadn’t replied because she hadn’t read her emails recently, including those from Ayla. This seemed like an ideal moment to ask Ferris to nudge Riss to check her inbox. If Riss read the email now and declared Ayla her disciple during the medical conference, all of Ayla’s schemes would come to fruition. She would revel in the family’s esteem and seize the power she sought
With that power, she could deal with Tiffany without relying on her grandfather’s clout. She imagined countless ways to dominate Tiffany for good. Moreover, with the support of the Nash family, she could pursue Connor and perhaps marry the wealthiest man. As Ayla’s anticipation grew, she pressed Ferris further before he could reply. “Dr. Frazier, it’s critical that Dr. Riss checks her inbox right away.”
“Sure thing. I’ll let her know,” Ferris said, flashing a knowing smile as he took out his phone to send the reminder. “I’ve notified Dr. Riss, and she said she’ll read it right away.”
Ayla’s face lit up with joy, and she reached out to grab Ferris’ sleeve in gratitude. “Thank you, Dr. Frazier!”
Ferris deftly stepped back from her grasp and excused himself. “You’re welcome. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have other matters to attend to.” He then headed towards the medical conference’s entrance. As he passed Marissa, they exchanged glances, barely suppressing their amusement. Ayla, unaware of their exchange, stood tall and turned to Marissa. “Don’t you think what I did has brought honor to our family?”
Before Marissa could say a word, the Nash family members erupted in excitement
“Ayla really is in touch with Dr. Riss! She replied to Dr. Frazier immediately, promising to check Ayla’s email. It shows how important Ayla is to her,” one member exclaimed
“Didn’t Ayla tell us that Dr. Riss promised to take her as a disciple? That’s why she values Ayla so highly,” another said. “Some of you even suspected Ayla was lying to us again. There’s no need for doubt now. Let’s wait for Ayla to lead our family to prosperity!” a third declared
The Nash family members continued to sing Ayla’s praises. Seeing this, Sansa felt even more satisfied with herself. She turned to Marissa and said, “Tiffany, you were just asking about Ayla’s contributions. Now you have your answer.”
Marissa smoothed her hair and replied with a smile, “Dr. Riss hasn’t officially announced she’ll take Ayla as her disciple yet. If she doesn’t choose Ayla, won’t that be embarrassing for you?”
Sansa responded with a sneer, “Tiffany, are you jealous of Ayla? It’s practically a done deal. Why are you still expressing doubts?”
The other Nash family members showed their displeasure and rebuked Marissa. “Tiffany, since you haven’t contributed to our family, how can you question Ayla, who has? Your attitude is seriously wrong!”
“It’s bad enough that you don’t bring honor to our family, but now you seem to be acting against us. You’re well aware we’re at odds with the Sanchez family, yet you’ve been close to them. Are you attempting to betray us?”
Facing Gerry Nash’s accusations of betrayal, Marissa retorted sharply, “Uncle Gerry, if you’re suggesting I shouldn’t care for my biological mother, should you also teach your children to neglect you when you’re ill?”
Gerry was taken aback and momentarily lost for words. Then he managed to say, “But you didn’t care for her when you were younger, did you?”
Marissa replied firmly, “As a child, I was misled and made poor choices. Now that I’m older, I’ve learned from those mistakes. What’s wrong with being kind to my mother now?”
Gerry didn’t know what to say. Balthasar cut in, “Tiffany, I asked you to visit your mother for the last time so you could sever ties with the Sanchez family for good, not to forge new bonds. You must remember how your father disappeared!”
Marissa, visibly upset, countered, “What does my father’s disappearance have to do with my mother and the Sanchez family?”
“If your mother hadn’t insisted on working at Blo Grein, your father wouldn’t have followed her there, and none of this would have happened,” Balthasar said
“Grandpa, despite your age, you still struggle to show decency. It’s truly disgraceful,” Marissa said, her voice tinged with disappointment. Balthasar was too infuriated to find words. Once a shy and reticent girl, his granddaughter had transformed into someone bold and articulate. This shift puzzled and angered him
Gerry, previously silenced by Marissa’s sharp retorts, found his moment to lash out. He scolded her with a tone dripping with condescension, “How dare you speak to your grandfather in such a manner, Tiffany? Have you no respect?”
Marissa replied with a dismissive sneer, “Respect is earned by those who are reasonable. Perhaps you should use your energy to teach your children better.”
Stunned, Gerry was left speechless once again. Witnessing Marissa’s defiance, the other family members joined in the reproach
“Let’s make one thing clear, Tiffany,” one of them said sternly. “If Dr. Riss chooses Ayla as her disciple, Ayla will assume leadership of the family. You will be expected to follow her lead.”
“If you cannot accept the family’s decisions and governance, then you no longer belong with us.”
Marissa smiled subtly and said, “Very well. From this moment, consider me no longer a part of the Nash family. Whoever is in charge of the family records, please remove my name. Thank you.”
With that declaration, she turned and walked towards the medical conference
“Wait a minute, Tiffany!” a voice called out from behind her
Marissa stopped and turned around as Landen hurried over
Unaware of the recent events, Landen approached Marissa enthusiastically and said, “Let’s go inside together, Tiffany!”
Marissa nodded. Just as they were about to leave together, Balthasar said, “Landen, come here. Tiffany is no longer part of the Nash family. She belongs to the Sanchez family now, our adversaries. From now on, her name is Tiffany Sanchez.”
Landen, with a puzzled expression, looked from Marissa to Balthasar and inquired, “What happened, Grandpa?”
Balthasar’s expression turned serious, marked by disappointment. Just then, Gerry scoffed and said, “Landen, keep your distance from Tiffany in the future. She might bring bad luck to others, just like her mother.”
Marissa could no longer tolerate such insults. She usually overlooked remarks about herself but felt compelled to defend her mother’s honor. But before she could react, Landen retorted loudly, “Who says Tiffany brings bad luck? She’s brought me good luck.” He then excitedly pulled out a printed screenshot of an email. “Look! Half a month ago, Tiffany encouraged me to courageously send my resume to Dr. Riss and apply for her mentoring. Today, Dr. Riss responded!”
Everyone was taken aback, then burst into laughter, clearly skeptical. Ayla laughed the loudest. “Don’t brag, Landen. You’re just a beginner in medical science. How could Dr. Riss even consider replying to you? I doubt Dr. Riss would waste her time on you!”
Landen, a little upset, glared at Ayla and said, “Why is it believable that you’d get a reply from Dr. Riss and not me? Maybe she sees potential in me!”
“What potential do you possibly have?” Gerry asked. “Landen, you’ve been defending Tiffany so much you’ve become as naive as her. You’re truly stupid!”
Before Landen could respond, Marissa stepped up and sharply slapped Gerry’s son across the face. The crisp smack left everyone wide-eyed in shock. Gerry’s son stood dazed by the slap, holding his swollen cheek, unsure of how to react
After a brief silence, Gerry yelled, “Why did you hit my son?”
Marissa pointed at Gerry’s son and retorted, “As his father, you should guide your son better. He’s too focused on nightclub women. Teach him to speak respectfully.”
With that, she turned and headed towards the entrance of the medical conference. Landen promptly followed her
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.
Leave a Reply