Chapter 117

Spencer felt like he had just shot himself in the foot. And to make matters worse, Brielle wasn’t done yet. “Spencer, if you find the house transfer too bothersome, then get a realtor yourself, But I want the money from the sale in my account within a week.”

After she finished, she turned towards Mark, her face earnest. “Mark, do you remember the land dispute the orphanage had back then? The agreement’s got two more years, and I worry someone might play dirty. We should start saving and scouting for a new location.”

Mark remembered that agreement all too well. If it hadn’t been for Brielle, they would have been kicked out on their ears three years ago. That incident made Brielle give up a lot, something that weighed heavily on his conscience. As the director, it was his responsibility to secure the future of the children in his care, but somehow, that burden had shifted onto Brielle’s shoulders.

Who else but Brielle would agree to spend over two million to secure a future for the orphanage?

Mark was at a loss for words. Should he nobly refuse? But if he did, where would that leave the kids once their time here was up? He personally couldn’t care less about material possessions; he could live under a bridge for all his life if it came to that. But these kids were growing, and they couldn’t be expected to rough it out on the streets.

He knew Brielle was all about loyalty and honor. She never forgot that to save her, he had sold his own house, and in the process, even his wife had left him.

Mark patted her shoulder, his eyes brimming with tears, “These kids can never repay you.” Compared to the millions Brielle offered, the few thousand bucks‘ worth of trinkets Lillian bought were peanuts.

Lillian, wearing her million–dollar bracelet, thought she could win hearts with her petty favors? Not a chance.

Lillian’s face had turned an ugly shade of green, her teeth practically grinding to dust. But what could she say? That she wouldn’t move? The villa was a gift from Max to Brielle. She had no right to stay.

When Brielle had given her three days to move out, Lillian hadn’t taken it seriously. Now that Brielle was using Max to push her out, neither she nor Spencer dared object.

The more arrogant they had been before, the more pathetic they were now. Even Spencer couldn’t find anything to say, just feeling utterly embarrassed.

Brielle didn’t have time to deal with these two clowns; she turned back to help Mark with the presents.

Not wanting to stick around and further humiliate themselves, Lillian and Spencer made a quick excuse to leave.

Mark, not one to hold a grudge against the young, saw them out personally.

Once in the car, an eerie silence fell between Lillian and Spencer. It was only after they had driven some distance that Lillian, with red–rimmed eyes, finally spoke up. “Did Max really gift 17:18 that villa to Brielle?”

Spencer, already in a foul mood, couldn’t help but respond sharply. “On the first day Max took charge at Dorsey International, I happened to walk right into trouble, and the villa was then gifted to Brielle as a ceremonial present.”

A ceremonial present?

Lillian trembled with envy. She had been Spencer’s secret lover for years, bending to his every whim, and all she got was this villa. And Max just casually gifted one to Brielle as a ceremonial present?

VANE The phrase “ceremonial present” felt like a slap to her face, leaving her emotionally bruised and battered.

“How could Max give such an extravagant gift? What if they’re…”

Spencer was quickly losing patience. “Extravagant? He was raking in foreign capital on Wall Street by the time he was sixteen or seventeen. Twenty million is pocket change to him. He’s the president of Dorsey International, but nobody knows exactly how much he’s earned abroad.”

The young Dorsey crowd admired Max to no end. He was an industry benchmark, a towering figure they could only aspire to. When someone stands too tall, envy gives way to awe.

Spencer’s words only fueled the fire in Lillian’s heart, spreading heat to her limbs, her eyes burning with desire. If Max were to take notice of her, even the stars in the sky wouldn’t be out of reach.