Silver Fox explained, “Back then, Kevin was just a refugee, a nobody. His life or death mattered to no one, and no one would have reported his death even if he had died. It’s tough to track him down. But luckily, I’ve managed to dig up some information.”
Marissa replied impatiently, “Cut the crap. Just get to the point.”
Silver Fox continued, “The main point is that Kevin didn’t die in the refugee camp. He was taken away by some mysterious figure. However, where he went after that remains unknown.”
Marissa felt a mix of relief and frustration. She was relieved that Kevin might still be alive, but frustrated that his location was still a mystery. She inhaled deeply, fighting to suppress her sadness, then typed once more, “Keep searching. Whether he’s alive or not, I need to find out.”
Silver Fox then asked, “Black Snake, who is this guy to you? Why are you putting so much effort into finding him?”
Marissa didn’t reply and closed the chat window. Her childhood memories were deeply personal, and she wasn’t ready to share them with anyone
She took another deep breath to calm herself, then opened the door and entered the apartment. Betty immediately started complaining as soon as she saw Marissa. “You finally remember to visit us. If you don’t give us money, we’ll starve to death! You live it up out there, never worrying about whether we’re dead or alive. How could we have raised someone as ungrateful as you?”
Marissa noticed the takeout boxes strewn across the table and scoffed. “You never cook; you just order takeout and expensive meals. Of course, you spend money fast. If you keep spending like this, I’ll go bankrupt.”
Betty, unashamed, retorted confidently, “Why shouldn’t we order takeout? Now that we’re in the big city, we need to live differently. We’re here to enjoy life, not to suffer! Now you’re making a fuss about giving us money. If you hadn’t irritated Derek, we wouldn’t have had to leave our hometown. If you don’t have enough money, find a way to make more. Don’t whine to us. You make good money at the nightclub. Just sleep with more guys, and you can bring in even more cash, right?”
Marissa reached her breaking point. She grabbed a glass from the table and hurled it at Betty’s feet. The glass shattered loudly on the floor. Betty jumped back in alarm. Regaining her composure, she pointed at Marissa and exclaimed, “Are you out of your mind? How could you treat your mother like this? You have no manners!”
Undeterred, Marissa grabbed another glass and smashed it too. Betty stepped back, scared and silent. Denise tried to intervene, “How can you treat our mother like that, Marissa?”
In the past, Marissa had always been accommodating toward Denise, whom she thought was her younger sister. Not this time. Before Denise could reach her, Marissa slapped her across the face. The slap resounded sharply, and Denise collapsed to the floor with a cry of pain. Both Korbin and Betty gasped in shock
The apartment fell silent. All three were stunned, too scared to provoke Marissa further. For years, they had mistreated Marissa together, their behavior worsening over time. Today, her forceful retaliation terrified them
Marissa then tossed twenty thousand dollars on the table and said coldly, “Since you’re spending my money, you better start showing some respect. If you ever speak to me like that again, I’ll make sure to teach you a lesson!”
With a disdainful snort, she turned and stormed out. The three were in a state of shock for a long time. They only snapped out of it when Betty’s phone began to ring. Muttering a curse, Betty checked the caller ID. Her expression filled with dread as she took a deep breath
Betty’s anxious mood quickly spread to Korbin and Denise, making them both tense. “What’s going on?”
As Betty pointed to the caller ID, her words tumbled out in a rush. “It’s Derek on the line.”
“Derek?” Denise jumped to her feet, excitement sparkling in her eyes. “Mom, answer it! Could Derek have realized his feelings for me? Why else would he, now a member of the wealthiest family, call us?”
“Right, Denise might be onto something. Pick it up!” Korbin chimed in, his voice filled with anticipation
Betty, initially worried that Derek was calling to settle old scores, was swept up by Korbin and Denise’s excitement. She pressed the answer button and put Derek on speakerphone
“Hi Derek, how have you been? I’ve been thinking about you,” Betty said, her tone warm and inviting. Korbin and Denise leaned in, tense with anticipation, waiting for Derek’s reply
But all they heard was a derisive “Hah!” That single scornful sound quickly erased the smiles from the Nash family’s faces, dimming their optimistic mood. Derek’s cold demeanor showed no signs of affection for Denise or her family
Fears crept back into their hearts as memories of how they had mistreated and bullied Derek haunted them. If only they had known his true status as the lost heir of a notable family, they would have shown him nothing but respect. Betty’s voice shook with emotion as she spoke. “We were so blind back then, completely unaware of how remarkable you are, and we ended up hurting you. I hope you can forgive us and let go of any hard feelings.”
“Don’t give me those excuses!” Derek interrupted sharply, his face showing no signs of forgiveness. “I haven’t forgotten how you treated me. Nothing you say now can change what happened.”
“Oh!” Betty staggered, her legs feeling weak from the shock of Derek’s harsh words. “Derek, please… It was all Marissa’s fault. She constantly spoke ill of you at home, leading us to misunderstand you. If you’re looking for someone to blame, blame her, not us.”
“Marissa?” Derek raised an eyebrow
“Yes, Marissa always belittled you in front of us, claiming you were worthless and not worth her time. She even said that if it weren’t for your grandmother deceiving her, she would never marry you. Basically, she’s the reason we mistreated you,” Betty explained, trying to divert the blame
“That’s nonsense! Do you really think I’d fall for that?” Derek retorted, dismissing Betty’s attempt to shift the blame onto Marissa. Derek’s sharp responses quickly silenced Betty
With the conversation at a standstill, Derek let out a sigh. Despite the bitterness, he recognized the genuine care Marissa had shown him over the years and the benefits he had gained from her presence in his life. What truly troubled him was Marissa’s questionable reputation and his own internal conflict over potentially losing her in the past
Betty’s malicious comments didn’t alter Derek’s perspective; he knew the truth. As the air grew thick with tension, Korbin cautiously broke the silence. “Did you call us for something specific today?”
Derek’s voice hardened. “Where have you relocated?”
Taken aback, Korbin, Betty, and Denise shared uneasy looks, reluctant to reveal their new address, fearing Derek might retaliate
“Why so quiet all of a sudden? Cat got your tongues?” Derek’s voice boomed, echoing around them. The remark left all three visibly disturbed
“We’ve moved to Vintage Street,” Betty blurted out impulsively
“To that rundown neighborhood where the lower class lives?” Derek sneered with contempt
“Did Marissa find that place for you?”
“Yeah.”
“Heh,” Derek scoffed derisively. “Marissa is living it up as a wealthy heiress, while she makes you live in such a modest home. Seems she doesn’t treat you well, does she?”
The revelation that Marissa had become the heiress of a wealthy family and was living in luxury shocked the three members of the Nash family. Marissa was enjoying her high status and wealth, while they were living like average people. How could this be fair?
“Derek, what do you mean?” Betty asked eagerly
Derek had contacted Betty to inform her that her daughter was masquerading as a lady from the wealthy Nash family in Blebert. Fearing a confrontation with Marissa, Derek hoped to use this information to uncover her true identity and remove her from her affluent life. He explained that Marissa resembled a lady from the wealthy Nash family in Blebert and had seized the opportunity to assume her identity, swindling a considerable amount of money
Derek only mentioned that Marissa was posing as a lady from the wealthy Nash family in Blebert but didn’t reveal her marriage to Connor. He reasoned that disclosing Marissa as the wife of the wealthiest man might provoke her family to confront the Daniels, demanding a share of the fortune, which could lead to her downfall more swiftly. Derek was cautious not to offend Connor, so he disclosed only part of the truth
Derek ended his call with a warning, saying, “I’m sharing this out of boredom. It would be best if you didn’t tell anyone I told you this. If you do, I’ll have someone break your legs.”
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.
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