Chapter 389
Audrey smiled and asked, “So, did you actually make any money?”
Her expression was gentle, showing no mockery, yet Lucia couldn’t shake the feeling she was being laughed at.
Lucia thought bitterly, “As if she’s the only one who can make money, and I’m just useless.
‘You were just a secretary before. Without Yann paving the way for you, could you have even started a business? Would you have made any money at all without his help?
‘What are you showing off? Had I agreed to learn from Vivian earlier and gotten Logan’s investment, I’d be making far more than you by now.
‘You are trying to humiliate me right in front of them. If I’d made any money, would I be in this mess now? What a stupid question.
Lucia replied, “Come on, Audrey, running a business isn’t like saving money in the bank. Profits and losses are all part of the game.”
Audrey nodded. “The banks did cut interest rates again.”
Lucia fumed inwardly. “Someone should sew her mouth shut.
“Logan, I didn’t handle this well. I promise I’ll consult you first next time, okay? Let’s not let the kids laugh at us…” Lucia’s voice trailed off into a soft whisper.
Logan snorted. Seeing him remain unmoved, Lucia felt a pang of irritation.
But since it was her fault, Lucia had no choice but to keep humbling herself to win Logan’s forgiveness,
She inched closer to Logan. If Yann’s wheelchair hadn’t created some distance from the sofa, she would have practically glued herself to him.
Seeing her attempts fall flat, Lucia turned to Audrey instead. “Audrey, I know I messed up this time. Just lend me some money. I can get everything back,
alright?”
Audrey thought to herself, ‘Seriously? She sold her husband’s things for cash, and now she actually expects me to pay to get them back? How absurd.
‘What’s the point of going through all this trouble? Why not just ask me directly for money and give it straight to Kyle and Clayton?”
Yann was massaging Audrey’s shoulders when he abruptly paused. Audrey gave his hand a reassuring pat, signaling him to continue–this minor issue didn’t require his intervention.
Audrey asked, “What did you sell?”
“Just some trinkets,” replied Lucia.
“Just ‘trinkets‘? Would Logan really be this furious over mere trinkets?” Audrey shifted forward, adjusting her posture.
She added, “I don’t think it’s about money. He’s upset with your behavior. Getting them back isn’t really the point.”
Lucia was just about to retort when Audrey cut her off and continued, “Let’s be clear, those who give gifts to Logan are essentially cultivating connections. It’s not about how much you sold those things for.
“What matters is, once they realize their goodwill was trampled on, it damages Logan’s reputation. How is he supposed to maintain those connections in
the future?”
Lucia’s mouth fell open, but no words came out. She hadn’t considered this aspect at all.
Turning to Logan, she saw his expression darken even further. ‘Was that it?‘ she thought, uncertainty flickering in her mind.
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Lucia thought, ‘Once given to us, they’re ours to do with as we please.
‘Are we really supposed to just leave those things gathering dust in the storage room forever?
‘Logan has been in business for decades. If he kept every single gift he’s ever received, they’d overflow an entire apartment.
‘When I was in charge of the key, there were only two shelves of gifts left in the storage room.
‘Why is Logan allowed to get rid of them, but I’m not?
Weren’t the rest already disposed of7
‘I know I was wrong not to tell Logan beforehand, but as the lady of the house, don’t I even have the right to get rid of some unused things?
Of course, Lucia wouldn’t voice these thoughts–at least not right now.
“I told you I got it, so why keep pushing?” Lucia snapped. “Your face masks are selling like hotcakes, and you must be rolling in cash.
“Honestly, with all that money, the least you could do is help out–or better yet, you should share the wealth with us.”
Logan’s brow furrowed deeply. The woman before him felt utterly unfamiliar–nothing like the gentle, virtuous wife he had known.
He maneuvered his wheelchair away from Lucia, putting deliberate distance between them.
Lucia looked at him in confusion, then turned to Audrey. “How about giving me 300 thousand dollars first? I’ll pay you back once I start making money.
“Sure.” Audrey agreed without hesitation.
Lucia broke into a smile right away, but with her swollen eyes, the grin looked downright eerie.
Lucia looked at Yann and thought, ‘Why isn’t he writing a check? Wire transfer? That’s fine.‘
She hastily grabbed her phone and turned on her PayApp.
Audrey said, “I won’t ask for the money you’ve been safekeeping for me. Just keep it.”
“Wait…” Lucia’s hand slipped in agitation, sending her phone tumbling onto her lap. “I already gave it to you.”
Audrey retorted, “Didn’t you personally tell Amelia you were holding that money in safekeeping for me? Now you’re changing your tune?
“Or did you never intend to give it to me at all–just stringing me along so Logan would give me more?”
Lucia could feel her temples pounding with rage.
She thought bitterly, ‘Audrey’s raking in money hand over fist, yet not only does she give any to me, she’s even scheming for my money?
“Yann has never been short of money. Since marrying into the Winifred family, has she ever lacked anything?
With an army of servants at her beck and call, a dedicated medical team, a personal nutritionist, and bodyguards trailing her every move, she’s practically living like a queen. What more could she possibly want?‘
Audrey had no intention of taking the money back. What she wanted was for Lucia to admit, right in front of Logan, that she had never planned to give the money to her in the first place to avoid future disputes.
Lucia noticed that although Audrey was clearly smiling, her eyes stayed cold. His initial fury ebbed, replaced by a growing sense of unease.
“Well…” She darted a nervous glance at Logan. “I actually invested the money too.”
Logan lowered his gaze, his lips pressed into a cold line.
After this incident, he finally saw through Lucia. Lucia never had any intention of giving the money she took from him, supposedly for Audrey, to her at
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all.
Logan thought, ‘All these years, she’s been using Audrey’s name to squeeze at least two million dollars out of me.
‘She gets a monthly stipend for food, housing, and transportation, plus around 50 thousand dollars in pocket money. What kind of business un possibly burn through all that?
‘She lost every last penny, and now she’s even selling off the gifts I received? Did she really lose it or just use it somewhere else?
Lucia replied, “Failure is the mother of success. I took some wrong turns before, but I won’t repeat those mistakes.
She continued to press Audrey. “It’s not that I’m insisting you support me. I just want to see if you truly respect and care about me.”
‘Care about you? I just want to laugh aty
thought Audrey.
Audrey smiled and nodded. “I can give you the money, but at least clarify where it went and how you lost it. Consider it a lesson for me too
Lucia waved it off. “In business. It’s been years–so many ups and downs. Honestly, the details are all fuzzy now”
Audrey feigned shock, raising her eyebrows. “Wow, so you’ve been losing money in business ever since you married Logan? That’s really something You’re still so persistent despite failing every time.”
Lucia was left speechless, her face flushing with a mix of anger and embarrassment.
The sound of a car engine echoed through the courtyard as Ted returned from an errand and handed a notebook to Audrey.
Ted said, “Eden has been injured. Here’s his work log. Madam, who would you like to assign to take over his duties?”
Audrey took the notebook, flipping through the pages one by one as she asked, “Isn’t Daisy’s elder brother at Winifred Manor?”
Ted replied, “Yes, ma’am.”
She replied, “Let Jerry take over Eden’s duties for now.”
Daisy managed the kitchen at Hillcrest Gardens with exceptional attention to detail in ingredient budgeting–neither wasteful or penny–pinching–which earned Audrey’s full approval.
Eden turned to deliver the message.
Audrey looked up at Logan, her expression serious. “Eden’s log recorded
some suspicious activities.
“I think there’s more to this gift–selling incident than meets the eye. If we can’t get to the bottom of it, maybe we should call the police.”
A
Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.
